Grotesque Finale

I loved the first three issues of Sergio Ponchione's Grotesque (published as part of Fantagraphics lovingly over sized Ignatz series). The series started out with a bang, with a surrealist examination of three protagonists and their quests for the meaning of life, all connected by tenuous connections with a mysterious figure called Mr. O'blique. Issues 2-3 took a sharp turn from the events of issue 1, painting a picture of a hard-boiled town under the rule of a group of thugs that got their power indirectly from O'blique. The surrealistic imagery carries the story as we see how Professor Hackensack teams up with Inspector Doppiofaccio to liberate the town. All three issues are extremely entertaining, and lavishly drawn. You can find yourself - and I was - lost in the details of Ponchione's drawings.

So I was excited to get issue #4 recently. However, despite the return of the four protagonists from issue one, the conclusion of Grotesque was highly disappointing. The detailed surrealistic scenes were mainly missing along with the intricate plots. Instead, we're presented with a conversation between O'blique and Hackensack about the meaning of life and how the different characters in the story have found it. It feels perfunctory, like Ponchione lost funding for the series and was forced to conclude it before it's time (a fate that unfortunately befalls a large number of independent comix). Despite this, I'll definably keep my eye out for more work by Ponchione, and I highly recommend the first three issues of Grotesque to anyone... just don't pick up issue #4 so you can keep dreaming about potential endings to the stories.