Tōnoharu

Expats writing about teaching and traveling in Asia: nothing new, but how many of them take years to capture the actual look of their surroundings alongside the expected culture clashes and the feelings of dislocation and loneliness? That's the story behind writer/illustrator Martinson's three-volume Tōnoharu, the saga of a young American working in the titular rural Japanese village as an assistant junior high school teacher. This third and final volume features the series' most dramatic changes in the protagonist's life, including relationship troubles, language barriers, deaths, and more. Martinson conveys alienation very well, often by placing characters in the lower corners of a panel, separating them from the rest of the content. New readers can start with Part 3, thanks to its summary of the previous two books. Fans will appreciate how the epilog mirrors the prolog, ending the trilogy perfectly.Verdict Many readers of nonsuperhero comics will want parts one and two to see what they missed. Admirers of Daniel Clowes's Ghost World will especially enjoy, owing to the similarly melancholy yet never despairing material, seemingly simple but detailed drawings, and black-and-pale blue palette. Some profanity and mature themes; suitable for YA and up. Highly recommended.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB