THE ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #21

This new installment in the series begun at the end of the 20th century, The ACME Novelty Library, continues its momentum: it remains a proven vehicle for pure disappointment. It contains fragments of stories in progress—which might make some sense once completed, but which, presented here as disjointed excerpts, evoke only disorientation and dissatisfaction. A reflection of a nation in full-blown decay, this 21st volume arrives just in time to test the 250th anniversary of an America that has always given free rein to humanity's basest appetites, while concealing it all behind the worn screen of constitutional ideals that are as noble as they are treacherous. A remedy for those weary of regular injections of "cultural botox"—administered in high doses—and a final salvation for sensitive bipeds, left behind by existence, who would rather stay home with a little picture-story booklet in cheerful colors: in short, it's what everyone is talking about.

The set includes three (3) solidly bound 24-page booklets, accompanied by a large, unfoldable "comic book journal" supplement. The whole thing is carefully gathered in an elegant case, designed to be easily thrown away or, in the event of a sudden societal collapse, used as fuel to start a fire. Alice White, The Last Saturday, and a gallery of anonymous and completely unknown characters are there, locked in little hand-drawn panels, to keep you company during this coming rainy afternoon when you will watch your hopes, your dreams—and perhaps even your country—go up in smoke.

Written and illustrated by Chris Ware.