The Wrong Place

Since Tracy works at Drawn and Quarterly, I get treated to new comics and graphic novels all the time. I don't take advantage of this perk often enough, but it pays off when I do.

Last night, I read The Wrong Place by Brecht Evens. The graphic novel peeks into the stories of people affected by Robbie, the town's Lothario and something of a king. It's hard to tell if he's real but his presence, whether true or imagined, is transformative. The exquisite details Brecht captures in his characters' joys and disappointments are shown so delicately (but not daintily). The book is absolutely, as the jacket blurb says, a deft capturing of "the strange chemistry of social interaction."

The watercolour illustration is so expressive. The Wrong Place is as satisfying as any good short story: economic, intense and vivid.

Here's a preview.