Queen of the Black Black #[nn]

Megan Kelso's Queen of the Black Black collects her distinctive work under the Fantagraphics imprint, and the cover sets a quietly mysterious tone: a bespectacled young figure peers out from a bright yellow window, broom in hand, surrounded by a dark, grid-like background filled with shadowy shapes and the bold, partially obscured title lettering. There's something wonderfully understated about the image — part fairytale, part everyday — that feels entirely in keeping with Kelso's reputation for finding the uncanny in the ordinary. A compelling 2011 package for anyone drawn to thoughtful, literary alternative comics.