FIGHT OR RUN by Kevin Huizenga, $3.95, Buenaventura Press & BOY’S CLUB #2 by Matt Furie, $4.95, Buenaventura Press
 
How lucky are we, to get two great books from Buenaventura Press in one week? Personally, I wonder whether we collectively deserve them, but I’ll try to earn it with this glowing two-fer review.
 
First up is Kevin Huizenga’s Fight or Run. It’s little more than a formal exercise, but unlike Gus Van Zant’s Psycho remake it’s totally worth sharing with other people. Here we have page upon page of strange little creatures, with names like “Chopper”, “Kid President” and “Bride-to-Be” happening upon each other, deciding to fight or run (like in the title!) and beating the pants off of one another. Not that the majority are wearing pants to begin with. In the hands of a lesser cartoonist this would be at least self-indulgent, but Huizenga’s one of the new masters. He’s able to boil the joy of super hero action comics down to their barest essentials, and beam pure id and creativity right into your eyeholes. This one’s nothing but fun.
 
And then there’s Boy’s Club #2 by Matt Furie. You don’t have to read the first issue to catch up, although it’s equally entertaining. How can something so rife with farts, bong hits, melting faces, porn and more farts feel so… pure? So optimistic? Hell if I know, but it does. Furie chronicles the nonsensical single-page adventures of a group of bros that like to smoke up, eat pizza and party. The pure joy that leaps off the page is totally infectious. Tell me after reading this that you don’t want to drop a stink bomb on the head of a napping buddy. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Both books are great, and worth your attention. And they’d be perfect stocking stuffers for that hard-to-buy-for weirdo uncle, if you don’t decide to keep ‘em for yourself. Hey, buy two!