House of Java 2
By Mark Murphy
Published by NBM/ComicsLit
I normally try to avoid reviewing -- reading, even -- second volumes in series where I have not read the first chapter. It would be unfair to the work, and often is frustrating to me as a reader, to try to jump in in the middle of a continuing narrative. Mark Murphy avoids that dilemma for me here by presenting a number of standalone short stories that are eminently accessible and delightful in their diversity.
Promotional material describes the contents of this compact volume "engaging slices of life," and the book delivers just that -- a diverse, highly readable assortment of tales that read well together or taken one at a time.
The tone is well set in the two-page "Your Line or Mine" that leads off the book. A perfect summation of those maddening conversations with friends of the opposite sex, the book then shifts gears into the longer, morally ambiguous "May 27th," a character piece that will appeal to readers of Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve. In fact, it bears mentioning that Murphy appears to have been influenced by Tomine's style, and seems to exceed him in ambition, if not always in execution.
"Steven" is probably my favourite tale of the book, although because it's set in a comics shop it may have a more limited appeal than the other, more expansive narratives. The tale of a lonely, fedora-wearing introvert who develops a crush on a woman behind the comics shop counter has the patina of real life on it, and definitely fulfills the goal of the book -- as do most of the stories here.
There probably is something for any reader in House of Java, and it comes packaged in a handsome, slim hardcover volume that will hold up well under multiple re-readings. I'd love to see more comics in just this format, and I'd definitely love to see more House of Java. Grade: 4/5