Maniac Killer Strikes Again!

Plot

A collection of long-out-of-print stories from the late '80s and early '90s. Sala's world is full of deformed monsters and secret societies, of a murderous clan of cat-masked villains and simple mad scientists. If there were such a genre as "gothic absurd," these would be representative examples. In the multi-chapter "Thirteen O'Clock," a serial killer bearing a corkscrew strikes repeatedly while a glowing, disembodied skull talks to the victims. But the enigmatic detective Mr. Murmur solves the crime and shares the motive, too ridiculous to be explained here. In each tale, Sala combines noir mystery with absurd humor similar to the Lemony Snicket titles (HarperCollins), or to Charles Addams and Edward Gorey before him. The naive artwork is reminiscent of Lynda Barry and its simplicity helps to convey the tone of spooky delight.