Monkeybrain comics may not specialize in horror, but they do specialize in quality comic books. For those of you looking to expand your palette this is “Monkeybrain Monday” showcasing some of the digital titles this smaller publisher has to offer.

This week we have “Kinski” from Gabriel Hardman. Written and illustrated by Hardman the comic is the story of Joe. Frustrated with his job as a chicken feed rep, Joe is looking for something to reinvigorate his life. Turns out that something is a four-month-old black lab puppy that doesn’t quite belong to him. Hardman straddles the line between doing the right thing and desperation. It’s a telling look at a righteous personal crusade.

WRITTEN BY: Gabriel Hardman
ART BY: Gabriel Hardman
PUBLISHER: Monkeybrain Comics
PRICE: $0.99
GET IT HERE: http://www.monkeybraincomics.com/

The name “Kinski” should mean a lot to film enthusiasts. Klaus Kinski was a German actor who has appeared in more than 130 films, and had a strange and beautiful relationship with Werner Herzog. Giving us one of the most chilling performances ever as Nosferatu, but I digress. That’s where Joe takes the name. He has a deep love for Klaus Kinski. He goes on about the actor the night before he finds a “stray” dog. Joe quickly falls for this little lost puppy. He clearly has a hole in his heart that only this dog can fill. He instantly takes to puppy and can’t help but take the dog as his own.

He embellishes his own explanation for why the dog is missing and lost. Joe does what he can to “save” this dog from a predicament seemingly created in his mind. What results is a heartfelt and somewhat infuriating look at belonging and being a dog owner told from the perspective of someone who’s never had a dog. It’s a strange choice, but oddly alluring.

Joe’s motivation isn’t entirely clear. It only gets further muddled as more pieces of the puzzle come together. His sheer determination to hold onto this dog motivates him to make irrational choices. The entire thing comes from the heart. You can’t help but feel twinges of familiarity in these moments. You sympathize with Joe’s plight and come to terms with what he is doing rather quickly.

This series is magnificently brought to life by Gabriel Hardman’s artistic style. His clean bold line work adds a lot of emotion to the faces of the characters. His large panels of background and locations bring the rural setting to life. The dog itself, Kinski is drawn with such intimacy that will melt your heart. The adorable creatures face just emotes so much, and the sound effects are always reminding you of this pet’s presence.

The entire thing feels like a callback to Sunday comics of old. The lettering is bold and capitalized. Evoking a Ditko feel that will throw you back to the black and white comics of old. The art is dynamic and deceptively simple. The paneling is organized clearly and the story’s pacing never falters. This is a book without a single physical conflict but still manages to be ripe with pages that are tough to sit through because the conflict is so internal and so irrational it will make you squirm.

Its strange because when you judge “Kinski” from afar it doesn’t seem to be about much. A man wrongfully takes a dog and must come to terms with his decision to “rescue” the creature that may or may not have needed rescuing. Yet, it remains a harrowing look at loss, inside of us and what lengths people are willing to go to fulfill themselves, to fill a hole with whatever they can.

It’s irrational and almost nauseating how bad of an idea Joe’s plan is. Somehow though, Hardman makes it tough to sit on the outside and judge. “Kinski” isn’t interested in providing any moral high-ground or big picture statement, at least not yet. Instead its steeped in a moment of stupidity, one that we all have found ourselves in. Those days or weeks that spun out of control thanks to one stupid decision, and thanks to that directed focus the book is an absolute joy to experience.

Things only get more complicated with every successive issue and we’re still not sure what kind of man Joe is. Luckily we don’t have to wait for much longer as “Kinski” # 4 hits on February 19th.

Rating 4/5 Skulls.