One Week in the Library

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -- In anew story from the creators of Judas: The Last Days, Allen, the narrator, isboth librarian and prisoner in a library variously described as “the sumtotal of its innumerable stories” and as housing “all narratives, inall their possible shapes.” When the books seem to be rebelling, Allenlives through a week of stories including one with familiar storybookcharacters, a brief sojourn in a literally colorless office, and a finaltête-à-tête with the author. Amor, with colorist KathrynLayno, produces kaleidoscopic and hallucinogenic images that pair perfectly withPrince's experimental tale, with looming book stacks giving way to bizarrecreatures and handy infographics as needed. In the final fourth wall-breakingscene, Prince confesses to his character that he hopes that this work“will give the reader the impression that I'm a bright guy,” and itcertainly does that. Amor's art is filled with references to pop culture, and itmay take a few readings to get all of them.