Comic relief

Everyone’s been chipping in after Sept. 11, even those notoriously lazy and misanthropic comic artists. The 9-11 Emergency Relief anthology book shows a very different side of the ink-slinging gang. Such diverse talents as Renée French, Carol Lay, Peter Kuper and the venerable Will Eisner contribute very personal meditations on the aftershocks of the terrorist attacks. Politics take a back seat to immediate human concerns—Gregory Benson’s remarkable strip about a recently orphaned youngster is particularly poignant and well-executed. All net proceeds go to the American Red Cross, of course. 9-11 Emergency Relief is in stores now. :

—Rupert Bottenberg