This is the second part of our week long look at the work of Matthew Craig, and arguably this is the most important title in his library. Now, I’m putting my cards on the table right here – I don’t especially like dogs. That said, I did like this comic, and let me tell you why.

In fourteen short chapters, no longer than a page or two, Matthew Craig traces out a full life. The comic takes us from the first glimpse of a puppy to thoughts on the death of the dog. There’s no pretence that this is a full biography, but the events that are shown serve as signposts to what is left out, leading us to fill in the parts that we missed for ourselves. It’s a nice way to construct a story, and though each slight story is about the dog it is through his choice of anecdotes that Craig eventually reveals himself.

Like I say, I don’t like dogs – but I can appreciate those who do. There’s a real love here. It’s in every page, and a true sense of loss pervades the second half of the narrative. This comic-length look at the life of his dog, the eponymous Hondle, echoes throughout the rest of his work, either directly, as in the further adventures of the canine in Experi-Hondle, or indirectly in stories like War Dog, of which more later this week.

Craig’s art here will still not be to all tastes, but there’s enough depth in the writing to more than make up for any technical inadequacies.

Most of this can be found on-line at thematthewcraig.com, but the interested reader can also order this one for a single UK pound (or an American dollar and seventy-five cents), and that includes the postage, though with the new charges coming in who can really tell? Orders from mattscrew at hotmail.com, with discounts on orders of multiple titles. Go and have a lok about the website to find out more.