<p><b>At long last, the paperback version of Daniel Clowes's bril­liant graphic novel, hailed by Time as “another of his hilari­ously slightly off-center worlds that have a vague sense of dread about them. Kind of like where you live.” </b><br> <br>Welcome to Ice Haven! “It's not as cold here as it sounds,” declares Random Wilder, our reluctant guide to this sleepy Midwestern town. He's also its would-be poet laureate. Would-be, that is, were it not for the “florid banalities” of his archrival, Ida Wentz, pub­lished ad nauseam in the <i>Ice Haven Daily Progress</i>. Among Wilder's other fellow Ice Havians are the love­lorn Violet Vanderplazt and Vida Wentz; the adorable interracial moppets Carmichael and Paula; the Blue Bunny, newly sprung from prison and the bitterest rabbit in town; and poor little David Goldberg, miss­ing for more than a week now. . . . <br> <br>The lives of the men and women of <i>Ice Haven</i> are woven into a multilayered tale that, while it owes a debt to <i>Our Town</i>, is ultimately based on and inspired by . . . Leopold and Loeb. No kidding. <br> <br>Only Daniel Clowes could do it and, luckily for us, he has.</p>