NW2
This is a new edition of NW2; it's got everything that was in the previous issue, together with a similar quantity of new material. In like vein here's an expanded edition of my previous review.
A man, a woman, a talking cat, a shared domestic setting. Beloved comedic staples for generation past, and no doubt for generations to come. If these are your basic ingredients, you've got to work hard to make the result interesting. Anna does work hard, interspersing some quite subtle observation humour with political rantings, as the cat acts as a part-time Greek chorus, all presented with clear neat artwork.
Last time I said, I wasn't sure if she worked quite hard enough, and I'm still not sure now. This collection appears to have been drawn over about two years, and these evident progression. The artwork shows a marked improvement over time, and the storytelling does too. Unfortunately there's a trend toward shorter half-page strips, which is the opposite of what I feel needs to happen. There's a sequence of three strips where some continuity starts to emerge, and it look like it's really going to come togther, but Anna lacks the confidence to carry it on. Keep watching though, that hard work is going to pay off soon.
A5, 12 B/W pages, £1 . From Anna Chapple, 145D Dartmouth Road, Willesden Green, London, NW2 4EN.