Wilson [Hardcover]

'WILSON' is Daniel Clowes' first new work in almost 3 years. His output has become less frequent over time - issues of the seminal 'Eightball' were trickling out roughly 18 months apart (originally they were issued quarterly). So whilst not prolific, it is very much about quality not quantity - and he does everything (pencil, ink, layout, lettering and story). The joy with Clowes is the attention to detail and his unique view of American living. It was always worth the wait for new 'Eightball', because Clowes delivered something familiar in style, but new in approach every time.

And so it is with 'Wilson'. Having left Fantagraphics (who issued 'Lloyd Llewellyn' and 'Eightball') he has made his first fully complete graphic novel for Drawn & Quarterly, which has a simultaneous British release through Jonathon Cape.

With 'Wilson', Clowes presents a graphic novel that at first glance appears to be individual page cartoons. Each page is titled as an individual cartoon with a pay-off line in the last panel, yet also has a continuous narrative throughout. Though these last panels do provide some humour, it is often at an innocent's expense, which tends to unsettle rather than amuse, but to me that seems the intention. They highlight the titular character's lack of people skills (this is the man who says at the start 'I love people!', but his rampant misanthropy undermines this claim). At the heart of 'Wilson' lies human tragedy, much caused by him. He comes over as intrusive, insensitive and selfish. He is difficult to sympathise with, but rare glimpses of desparation to bond with estranged members of family betray a vulnerable side.

'Wilson' tackles themes of ageing, loneliness/loss, family, rejection and regret. There are no scenes of violence, sex or drugs (though all are implied). The impression of single page cartoons is enhanced by Clowes use of different drawing styles per page - a sort of 'greatest hits' of his versatility familiar to 'Eightball' readers. Fine detailed, normal proportioned figures on one page juxtaposed with simplified exaggerated 'strip cartoon' styles on others (with variations of both on other pages). Yet in every strip, Clowes skillfully portrays background (streets, shops, signs, landscape) to add depth to his characters and story (something Crumb also excelled at). The book itself is beautifully bound, and lovingly crafted and presented by Clowes.

Well worth the wait for Clowes fans, and a great introduction for new readers.

Wilson is a fifty-something who lives alone with his puppy, striking up conversations with strangers and then insulting them. One day he goes looking for his ex-wife, finds out they have a daughter, kidnap the teenage girl, goes to prison, and gets out to pick up his life where he left off - alone, minus the dog.

For a book that's full of sadness and pathos, Wilson is surprisingly funny mostly because Clowes makes Wilson say remarkably insensitive things to people. A woman is telling someone about her sister who's been diagnosed with lyphoma and Wilson butts in, tells her his 82 year old dad is dying, then gets upset when he doesn't get the attention. When he gets a haircut he says "Hey, guess what? I'm a grandfather! Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are" to which the barber says nothing, his face expressionless. It's just the delivery and strange way of saying things that made that strip so funny. In some ways you like Wilson because he's so clueless and nasty but most of the time you're apt to think he's a sociopath.

I really enjoyed this book. It's short and a quick read being less than 80 pages but it's definitely one of Clowes' best up there with "Ghost World" and "Ice Haven", and easily his funniest. It's a very well told story and drawn in Clowes' distinctive style. Not just for Clowes fans but for anyone who likes comics.

After the success of Terry Zwigoff's film version of Ghost World, it was almost inevitable that Dan Clowes would move away from the serialised strips of Eightball towards the longer, more ambitious graphic novel format. Clowes has of course produced works of graphic novel length - Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, David Boring, Ice Haven - but finally, after a much longer wait than was expected, Dan's first full-length original graphic novel has arrived - and it's been worth the wait.

Surprisingly, at first glance it seems like Dan Clowes hasn't really embraced the novel format and that Wilson would be suited to the writer-artist's usual episodic format. Although there is indeed a recurrent character and theme, the story initially seems to be broken up into standalone single page strips of 6-7 frames, with the final frame delivering an admittedly devastatingly witty punch-line. Not unexpectedly, Wilson turns out to be a typical Clowes sociopath who can't hold back his true nature, accosting strangers on the street and in coffee shops, alienating friends, family and neighbours through cringingly embarrassing put-down remarks, sometimes intentionally and sometimes despite himself.

Initial appearances however are deceptive and, if he doesn't exactly change in any positive manner over the arc of the story, Wilson acquires rather more depth and character at the same time as he acquires a family, a lost one and, inevitably, a rather dysfunctional one, adding up to a touching and witty account of a life of crushing disappointments with the world and with himself. If there's a film version of this, it has to be directed by Kelly Reichardt with Will Oldham in the role of Wilson. How about 'Old Misery' for a title?

The whole look and feel of the book is perfect - a large album format hardcover with heavy stock paper (at least on the US Drawn & Quarterly edition) - Clowes' artwork in several styles that switch between cartoony and semi-realistic from strip to strip looking absolutely gorgeous. Every single frame is a complete delight, every page genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, the graphic novel as a whole adding up to a new level of substance and maturity - on the part of the author at least. This is Clowes' best work to date.