Cornelius: The Merry Life of a Wretched Dog

Spanish cartoonist Torices shows off his extravagant artistic chops in his ambitious English-language debut, a comedy featuring the misadventures of an anthropomorphic dog. Presented as the “first in 40 volumes” of an “iconic, three centuries [old]” comic strip (one segment is introduced as “Cornelius: The dog who makes boys and girls the world over scream and cry”), the plot revolves around the kidnapping of Cornelius’s friend Alspacka. Cornelius conceals from investigators that he was with Alspacka when the abduction occurred. Later, afraid that his cowardice will be revealed, he tosses the ransom note down a sewer grate. Other characters in Cornelius’s orbit include his frog roommate, Avalutsa, who viciously undermines Cornelius at every turn; Lentil, a coke-sniffing fish who hires Cornelius to write a monthly food column; and girlfriend Josefina, who, when Cornelius professes his love, responds, “Cool, thanks.” Torices matches the narrative’s digressions with an impressive range of comics styles, including homages to Hergé, Dan Clowes, and Winsor McCay. Some overextended riffs (like the “Notes” section, which details the strip’s mock history) wear thin. Still, Torices’s go-big-or-go-home approach will hit a sweet spot for fans of both classic and cutting-edge cartooning. (June)

Correction: An earlier version of this review used the wrong name for Cornelius’s girlfriend.