I’m afraid my first impression of this issue, #6 to be specific, is cute. The inside cover has some interesting quotes from the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Dante and Humphry Bogart lending some sophistication, but there’s no denying it, the boy and his friends are cute. Then there is the copyright infringement “threat of pummeling from... the syphillitic ghost of Elvis Presley” which should give you an idea or two about what’s to come.

Poor Angst is moping. These are his adventures in love and intoxication. All seemed fairly routine and gothy until I got to the story within the story about a princess whose travel companions are her “well-made” shoes. I had to read it again because I one, was laughing so hard I couldn’t continue, and two, couldn’t believe someone had captured my essence so entirely in a comic. I flipped back to the front to confirm that this was indeed written by a male and then remembered that the comic within a comic is written by the “perki-girl” character. I wonder what research the author did to capture the perki-goth character so authentically?

But wait, there’s more! As if you needed more of reason to read onward beyond that of a princess looking for “adventure, really wild times, and grapefruit.” Set, more or less, in a dive bar, frequented by characters seemingly taken from a Saturday night at Batcave, circa. 2003, because that’s the last time I went, the plot follows the story of Angst who’s been screwed by love once again. He’s delightfully sulky, glum, generally wallowing in the mire and downing lagers left and right. Bam! Enter one uber-cranky, smarty-pants, wise-cracking girlfriend, just friends, who asks our hero why he can’t just get over it (smack smack smack)? She’s a bit violent but we can see there’s more going on.

Angst is something of a gothy every-man and easy to like, as are the other characters. I already completely identify with the “perki-girl” and her shoes and quest for grapefruit, but I think there’s something for everyone. My very novice opinion of the illustrations is that they might be anime influenced. He draws rounded faces with obvious expressions and uses highly contrasting edges and bold strokes. These are the sort of characters that would lend themselves to t-shirts and stickers easily. I would love to see subsequent issues as this one leaves the reader wondering what happens next?