Halo & Sprocket

(Slave Labor, 2002)
™ and © Slave Labor Graphics

The premise is simple. Halo is an angel. Sprocket is a robot. And they live with a child named Katie. But in that simple premise, creator Kerry Callen presents a fascinating study of how differently the three minds think. With a focus on the most mundane, ordinary aspects of everyday life, Callen brilliantly shows that even the most seemingly simple things can have a complexity that most people would never dream of.

Halo’s observations are coldly frank and logical, having had the benefit of observing humanity for untold eons. Sprocket’s are like those of a highly intelligent child, bereft of experience but amazingly revealing and truthful. Caught in the middle is mere human and mortal Katie, who provides the third leg that makes the story stand. Her opinions moderate the starkly truthful yet paradoxical observations of her companions, as she finds herself wondering about such trivial things as the appeal of suckers or the difference between spit and saliva.

Callen’s observations of such matters go deeper than anyone might imagine, yet they manage to stay intriguing. Callen keeps the art simple to match the story and not detract from its fascinating dialogue. Readers will find themselves pondering these same issues as they read, making this comic book a must for fans who like comics that stimulate thought, even if it’s merely to wonder whether the glass they’re drinking from should be called half-empty or half-full.

— Jim Johnson

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