Rasl #8

by Jeff Smith

One of my favourite things about Rasl has been the way that Smith has employed a non-linear method of telling the story.  Most of this issue is spent on Rob's relationship with Maya in the days leading up to his being fired from the science project on which he worked with her and her husband.  She's been a bit of a cipher up to this point, so it's nice to see a little more of her personality, and her optimism is a little heartbreaking knowing what we already know.

After that, the story moves to Rob's present, where he is again visited by the creepy Munchian girl pictured on the cover (I figure with Rob being an art thief, and there being a focus on art and symbolism in this series, that her sometime-similarity to the person in The Scream can't be completely coincidental).  We learn a little more about her too, although it's too early to say how much truth there is in anything we've been told.

I've been enjoying this book, although I did like the longer issues better.  I thought the trade-off was going to be that the shorter issues would be bi-monthly.  It's all good though, this is a title worth waiting for.