These are often clever and I would have laughed harder at them if the humour wasn't so derivative of Katie Beaton, the disquisiting modus of Ryan North, and the visual aesthetic of McSweeney's-style tired fake Victoriana. Naw, that's harsh. I just mean, I like this stuff, but not as much as other things it's similar to. ( )

David Malki ! is one of the few authors who deserves the exclamation point floating behind his name. His comics are a wonderful mix of engraved illustrations from old magazines and newspapers, and modern, whimsical dialogue. He does an excellent job of putting them together so they seem to fit naturally, despite the obvious absurdity of the comics themselves. Not only that, but the book itself is put together in an interesting an well thought out way. All in all this is a must have and is nominated for a few Eisners this year. ( )

Take some Victorian engravings, mix them up just a little and add sometimes absurd, sometimes sarcastic (but always funny) dialogue. You also get a beautifully presented book and some great extras including uncompleted strips & an 8 page graphic story and my favourite: a helpful chart of diseases and their fantastically absurd cures. Ok I am not great at describing humour so check them out at http://wondermark.com/, The Onion or you can also preview a couple of pages on Amazon. ( )