Underwater by Chester Brown (Drawn and

Quarterly)

Chester Brown, the Canadian known for such comics as "The

Playboy" and "Yummy Fur" has created a world so strange that it is almost

impossible not to be drawn in...no pun intended. Dedicating the first section

of each book to a peculiarly bald race of people who live in a world liberally

populated by orphans who speak in a language strangely similar to English, but

maddeningly different, Brown¹s work may take some deciphering but the effort is

well-worth the results. In addition to his underwater-world, each book of

"Underwater" is likely to contain Biblical themes and passages, and in one

particularly rewarding section titled "My Mom Is A Schizophrenic" ("Underwater"

Four) details his thoughts on modern-day diagnoses of schizophrenia, invoking

Nietszche, R.D. Lang, and assorted other intellectuals. And the letters section

is also worth checking out. ($2.95 U.S.)