WIBR: 100%

After I enjoyed “Heavy Liquid” so much, my next order of business was to pick up Paul Pope’s other graphic novel for Vertigo “100%.”  Ultimately I think the decision over which one is better comes down to personal preference (I liked the more focused story and action in “Heavy Liquid”) but both are worth your time and money.  “100%” takes place in a similar near-future society and tracks the lives of a group of people as their lives intertwine and intersect over the course of a few days.  Even though a lot of these characters are familiar types, the aging fighter, the frustrated artist, the girl on the run, Pope makes their stories interesting by not taking the obvious way out with any of their scenarios, as well as having it all look brilliant.  Whether it’s dancers having their insides lit up, people eating sushi, or a hundred kettles whistling in unison, the man makes his world feel vibrantly alive on the page.