This, the latest from comics maestro Clowes, is a nifty, shiny, perky, 100-page hardcover that is a repackaged, revised and revamped version of Eightball #22 and is probably the single work that most completely realizes his vision.  Yes, we know you already have Eightball #22, and that you're asking yourself, "Why should I have to buy this again?"  What can we say?  It's up to you to decide whether or not to fork over for Ice Haven as well.  Only you can decide whether or not to miss out on the compelling psychological breakthroughs embodied in new chapters like, "David Goldberg," "The Convenience Store," and "Leopold and Loeb."  Only you can decide whether or not to take a pass on these still mint first print copies that the publisher has already sold out of that are climbing in value as we speak.  Only you know whether or not you can live without the authoritative edition of this great comics masterwork.   We're confident you'll make the right decision.  To learn more about the world according to Clowes, check out this NPR interview.

Yes, believe it or not, it's been three years since Eightball #22.  Is #23 worth the wait?  We'll leave that for you to decide.  Suffice it to say that Mr. Clowes is a singular talent and that he has put this talent in the service of his generation (i.e. the tail-end of the baby boom) in telling this particular tale; a tale that it is deleriously difficult -- if not downright dangerous -- to describe.  It is a tawdry tale of teen trauma.  It is a meditation on the role played by super heroes in shaping the psyche and -- perhaps -- in contributing to psychosis, as well:  a look at what type of personality results from someone who never manages to advance beyond the world view and mind set engendered by adolescent power-fantasies.  It is, in addition, a bit of alternate-reality autobiography:  a sort of, "There but for the grace of God (or, as Clowes might have it, Harvey Kurtzman) go I."  Throughout it all, Clowes deftly employs his arsenal of finely honed comics craft:  pacing, panel layout, page composition, pencilling, inking, coloring, lettering -- and most especially the overall construction of the book, when taken as an organic whole -- all are uniformly excellent here, and continue in the direction that Clowes initiated with Eightball #22.  All long time devotees of Clowes  will find it difficult if not impossible to pass this issue up.  Novices and initiates may find themselves confused at times as to what, exactly, he is up to here, but will -- surely -- nevertheless manage to experience the pleasures of the text.

Yes, it's ALL here:  All eighteen* issues – in their entirety, covers, letters pages and all** – of the epochal, definitive single-creator anthology comic book series: Daniel Clowes's Eightball!   Everything is as it originally appeared, in black & white and/or full color.  Also included are the two short "Behind the Eightball" addendums that were prepared for the hardcover slipcased edition.

One and done!

*Yes, of course, you are correct:  Eightball did indeed run for 23 issues, but, as you also know, these first 18 issues constitute the entirety of its "single-creator anthology comics book series" run.  #s 19-21 serialized David Boring, #22 was the original version of Ice Haven, and #23 contained Death Ray.

**And, yes, even the Modern Cartoonist insert is included.