INTO THE BEWILDERNESS

A tentative venture into the Big City doesn’t go at all well for two rustic cabin mates.

A big furry sweetie for all his willingness to chow down on unwary birds and squirrels, Luis the bear is full of both tough philosophical questions (“If the early bird gets the worm, why do good things come to those who wait?”) and affection for his acerbic mole roomie Pablo. “There’s SO much that I don’t know, Pablo.” “I know.” Yearning for a true cultural experience, the two make their way from the remote but comfy Bewilderness to the faraway “Big City,” bantering all the way like animal versions of Laurel and Hardy. A rumor that zombie chickens prowl the mean streets doesn’t dissuade them, nor does Luis’ strange dream involving a gang of angry urban squirrels with big spoons. The bustling streets do prove free of chickens (at least the undead sort) and punk rodents, but the crowds and a string of mishaps are still stressful enough to drive the nervous Pablo into a meltdown that opens a rift between the two. But, demonstrating that even the tightest friendship can sometimes benefit from a timeout, the two ultimately end up closer than ever. Contrasting dispositions make Luis and Pablo an amusingly appealing pair in the neatly drawn panels, leading a winsome animal (and cryptid) cast.

Urbane, goofy fun.