Demo Vol. 2 #3

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

We're halfway through the second volume of Wood and Cloonan's Demo, and once again, the duo give us an amazing comic.  Like the original Demo, the concept of superpowers or mysticism get abandoned completely here, as the focus is on Marlo, a mildly obsessive-compulsive LA girl who relies on an elaborate system of post-it notes to make it through her day.

In the beginning of the book, it just seems like Marlo keeps the notes to her apartment, but as the story unfolds, we see that she has left them throughout her neighbourhood.  As she says after leaving her therapist, they make her happy.  But as it turns out, she's not the only person looking at the notes, and a new element is introduced in the form of another person who starts leaving her notes.

The story here reminded me a great deal of two different issues of Local, Wood's masterpiece comic series with Ryan Kelly.  The first was the 'Polaroid Boyfriend' story, where a girl communicates with her partner through Polaroid photos.  The second is the Park Slope issue, where Megan's roommate makes elaborate lists on her computer. I don't mind one bit that Wood is returning to the same themes over and over, since his work is so excellent, and he is adding something new with each new story.

Cloonan's art is once again inspiring, as she works to add a cuteness factor to Marlo and her surroundings.  I really wish this wasn't just a six-issue series...