You Are Here

Kyle Baker

During my years away from that curiously undervalued medium that is the graphic novel, I seem to have completely missed the rise of Kyle Baker. In some ways, this is a pity. In others, I'm glad, because now I have a plethora of Baker's works to read all at once. And if all of them are like You Are Here, I've got a hell of a good time in front of me.

Baker's tale gives us an ex-bank robber who's moved out to the country and taken up with a nature-loving new-age type. He has to go back into New York City to sell his apartment, and there his troubles begin. They only get worse when his girlfriend comes into the city to surprise him.

Unlike the majority of modern graphic novels, which seem to be moving into other types of art, Baker is rooted solidly in the fifties comic book and pulp novel cover-- big, bouncy babes, hard-jawed heroes, a villain who bears a striking resemblance to Dean Martin. Everything is so brilliantly colored that if you stare at it too long, you're liable to go blind (and no, I don't mean from staring at the big, bouncy babes).

This is truly fun stuff. Baker's other stuff goes on my TBR list right now.