Mister Wonderful

Daniel Clowes's Mister Wonderful, published by Pantheon in 2011, is a single-issue graphic novella that captures a single, excruciatingly awkward blind date between a middle-aged man and woman. Through Clowes's signature precise, slightly off-kilter artwork and wry, observant writing, the story unfolds in real time, mining the quiet desperation and fragile hope of two lonely people trying to connect. It's a masterclass in character-driven storytelling from one of the most acclaimed cartoonists of his generation.