If I could be said to have a favorite sub-genre of comics, it would be comics that explore literature as an actual force that intrudes upon our reality and interacts with it. The idea that the worlds and characters in books are real appeals to me, appeals to the kid who spent most of his waking moments while he was growing up reading. Series like Fables and The Unwritten are near the top of my list. The Sandman, which I think qualifies because it treats real life as though it were fiction, is the absolute top.

It should come as no surprise that I’m enthralled by this week’s Webcomic O’ the Week, Namesake. I will start by saying that I haven’t read all of it, but that’s partially because I had stop to write this post. Also, I want to savor the story instead of blowing through it. I’m pretty engrossed by the adventures of a modern group of friends and their connection to literary archetypes made flesh. Also, Namesake is a case where the art matches the story better than I would’ve ever expected. For me the style evokes the old line work and woodcut drawings of the Alice in Wonderland era, and it adds a tremendous depth to the story being told. I can’t tell if this is deliberate or a happy accident. If its deliberate, then consider this a written ovation. If you have ever thought about escaping into a book, or having a book escaping into the real world, read Namesake, I beg you.

Thanks,

Philip