Now, despite the fact that Douglas is a fellow reviewer on TRS2, and despite the unwritten rule that one should never review the work of an aquaintance. I am hereby going to write a brief comment on the latest issue of Douglas' convention staple, Strip for Me and if you don't like it, bite me.
The usual format of Strip for Me is a series of short stories, all very bleak in nature, which may or may not be returned to in future installments. He appears to aim to give the reader more a sense of atmosphere than a story, as most plots (if there are any) meander into either symbolism or pretentiousness depending on how cynical a reader you are. Personally I am a cynic, although it has been known for his autobiographical 'Borders' pages to touch me quite profoundly.
Issue 23 is a different beast though, a 'feature length' tale of a grieving artist who lives alone atop a hill, and the woman who visits in search of answers to his reclusive behaviour and the circumstances surrounding his wife's death.
It's a character piece that doesn't fully answer the questions raised, and with an ending spookily reminiscent to that of Mauretania by Chris Reynolds, despite Douglas' denile of any familiarity with that particular work. Parrallels with the story and Citizen Kane are also evident.
I was enthralled right from the first page, the sparse artwork style seeming as if it had only been developed specifically for this story, and when I finished I felt something Doouglas' comics don't usually instil in me, that of optimism.
To me this comic is his best work, a must have.