The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch »

Come, come and hear of the strange and terrible tale of Miss Finch, an exacting woman befallen by mystery and abduction deep under the streets of London! New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman delivers another stunning hardcover graphic novel with longtime collaborator Michael Zulli (Creatures of the Night, The Sandman). This is the first comics adaptation of his popular story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch," which saw print only in the U.K. edition of Gaiman's award-winning work Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions and was recently interpreted for his Speaking in Tongues CD. The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch is a "mostly true story" that combines the author's trademark magic realism with Zulli's sumptuous paintings, and has been newly rewritten for this hardcover. Join a group of friends, with the stern Miss Finch in tow, as they enter musty caverns for a subterranean circus spectacle called "The Theatre of Night's Dreaming." Come inside, get out of the pounding rain, and witness this strange world of vampires, ringmasters, illusions and the Cabinet of Wishes Fulfill'd.

KLIATT

The title character here is a biogeologist who knows the names and life cycles of the intestinal parasites you can get from eating sushi. Even though she isn't anyone's idea of a fun date, Miss Finch (not her real name) goes to an underground circus with two friends and the narrator. The greatest show under the earth features such luminaries as Uncle Fester, a fish on a motorcycle, Vampirella and a low-rent Alice Cooper, who pops up a lot in Gaiman's works. Knives are thrown; limbs are chopped off; breasts and bottoms are bared; and live ferrets are deposited into bathing trunks. Miss Finch most definitely does not approve of the spectacle, but as the circus lurches to its tacky conclusion the crowd enters the Cabinet of Wishes Fullfill'd, and she is chosen to get her heart's desire. The next time we see Miss Finch she is dressed up like Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (minus the top), complete with a spear and a pair of saber-tooth tigers. This short graphic novel is vintage Neil Gaiman, a nice mixture of fantasy and horror. The art features luscious colors and a parade of vividly drawn characters. The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch contains mild violence and partial nudity (bare breasts) and is recommended for graphic novel collections where fantasy and horror are popular; Neil Gaiman junkies will eat this up. Reviewer: George Galuschak