There’s a lot to love about Reed Gunther, but what I think I appreciate most is how clean the book is.

Sure, it’s clean in the sense that it uses some brilliant and hilarious soft curses like “CANNED LETTUCE!” to keep things all ages, but Chris Houghton’s art is clean in the way it expresses a wide range of activity and emotion with a minimum of linework. And Shane’s stories are clean in that they manage to remain well-paced and structurally sound while keeping an “anything can happen” edge.

Light-hearted and slightly whimsical, but not slight or fluffy. Reed Gunther is a fun read for long-time comic fans, an accessible example of the range of the comics medium for new fans, and the perfect gateway comic for younger readers.