Welcome to Heaven, Dr. Franklin

(About, 2005)
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Originally serialized in Cerebus the Aardbark #34–38

So what’s new from William Messner-Loebs? His latest comic book is a tale of Ben Franklin’s ascent into Heaven. But Heaven isn’t always what we expect. For starters, it’s far more sparsely populated than even the most conservative estimates would have guessed. Also, the original God has gone AWOL, leaving a substitute God to run things in His stead. (Let’s not give away here who God #2 is.) And God the Second has plans that don’t sit well with Franklin.

Originally a backup in Cerebus in the early 1980s, this may be some of the Loebsiest Loebs we’ve seen in a while, hearkening back to the glory days of Journey. He gets to play with characters from a variety of time periods, and it looks as if he has fun doing so. The lettering is rougher than many readers may be used to, but it has an organic feel that complements the art. (OK, it could be neater.)

If there’s one complaint about Welcome to Heaven, Dr. Franklin, it’s that, at 24 pages, it’s too short.

— Jack Abramowitz

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Cover Price: $2.95
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William Messner-Loebs