Jar of Fools

by Jason Lutes

I know it's bad that I hadn't ever read this book until just now, but sometimes that's the way things go.  There are so many great comics being published that I end up missing things that I know I'll love.

I used to read Lute's Berlin, until the delays between issues irritated me to the point of giving up on the series.  I always figure that I'll go back to it one day when it's all finished.

Jar of Fools reads like a Paul Auster novel.  It features a cast of characters who meet up more or less by chance, and simply coexist for a while.  The protagonist is a failing alcoholic musician who has never gotten over a break-up with his girlfriend, which came shortly after the death or suicide of his brother in an escape artist trick involving a river, a ball and chain, and a straightjacket.  His mentor escapes from an old-folks home, and comes to live with him just as he loses his apartment.

The pair take up with a confidence man and his daughter, who live in their car under an overpass.  The magician's ex-girlfriend ends up in a lot of trouble because of the con-man, and all of these people end up together trying to navigate life.

The book is not very tightly plotted; stuff just sort of happens as they go about their lives (or try to), and the beauty of the comic lies in their interactions with one another and the way in which they try to improve their situations.  It's a very lovely book on all levels.

As an aside - have you noticed the fixation in indie comics with power lines?  It's a recurring theme in this book, although I'm not sure why.