(Note: I got this book through Domino a few weeks ago, but it looks like it’s currently sold out. Future people, between this link and the link to James’ website, maybe it’ll get reprinted soon?)
Insomnia! It sounds funny until you’re the one going through it, at which point it shifts to being the most horrific thing in the world. You want to sleep, your body needs sleep, your brain is barely functioning… and there you are, laying in bed, either staring at the ceiling or stubbornly keeping your eyes closed as if that will solve the problem. This comic right here is one of the more faithful depictions I’ve seen of that miserable state, as things start off (after a few surreal images of a city landscape) with our hero in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of heartbreak. He gets out of bed, because why not, and goes through a series of tasks to distract himself from his plight. After these attempts fail he decides to go for a walk, which can already be a surreal experience at the right time in a big city, but much more so when you haven’t slept for three days. After these adventures and images of things observed, he decides to head back home and give sleep another try. Can he do it, or is he trapped in a terrible loop? Read for yourself to find out! Parts of this comic felt like they were giving me second hand insomnia, which I didn’t think was possible. There’s a certain kind of fatalistic futility present in insomnia that’s bizarrely combined with the hope that things will turn around soon, on top of knowing that your body HAS to sleep sooner or later, and James handles all of that wonderfully here. Unless you’re one of those people who gets insomnia through the power of suggestion, this one is well worth a look. $5
