Monochrome magic

Aided by its conscious attempt to reach out to readers who don't normally read comics - and having no less than Chris Ware as its chief cheerleader - Jason Lutes' widely-praised Jar of Fools (first serialised in 1994) is an indie comic to savour: emotionally resonant and possessed of considerable grace and beauty. This is certainly due in large part to the distinctly European flavour of Lutes' artwork, which provides his tender tale of washed-up magician Ernie Weiss's efforts to reclaim his life (with the help of his ageing mentor) with a beautifully melancholic mood and a skilful sparseness. A graphic novel in the true sense of the word.