Starred review from April 13, 2009
For more than 20 years, various cartoonists have jostled for the title of “spiritual heir to Gary Larson,” the famously weird creator of the groundbreaking strip The Far Side. Web cartoonist Gurewitch is a solid contender for the title. His preferred subject matter certainly tracks Larson: murderous mimes, vengeful T. Rexes and adulterous rolls of coins all make appearances. Gurewitch also enjoys subverting a number of hackneyed cartoon tropes, including cuckolded husbands, mischievous voyeurs and confused Grim Reapers. But it is his exquisite sense of timing that sets him apart as a budding comic genius. Gurewitch has mastered the “soaker,” the joke that stays with the reader for several minutes before finally sinking in, making it all the funnier as a result. As hard as the soaker is to pull off consistently, Gurewitch's timing and supreme confidence in refusing to telegraph punch lines, allows him to hit the mark almost every time. It's particularly instructive to read the appendix “Lost Strips” to see the still funny but broader strips that did not make the cut. He alternates between a number of art styles—all gorgeous; his selection is always in service to the joke. Subtle, sly and deeply, deeply weird, The Perry Bible Fellowship
is one of the best comics out there.