The Greatest of Marlys

Lynda Barry’s The Greatest of Marlys (2016–present, Drawn & Quarterly) collects her beloved, decades-spanning comic strips centered on the resilient, imaginative young girl Marlys and her sprawling, eccentric family. Barry’s singular, raw ink-and-watercolor style and pitch-perfect ear for childhood’s inner voice make this a warm, funny, and achingly honest portrait of growing up. A single-issue collection, it distills the best of Barry’s long-running Ernie Pook’s Comeek into an essential, heartfelt volume that showcases her as a master of the alt-comics form.