Review by Karl Verhoven

Where to start? Dogtangle is a graphic novel defying easy categorisation. It’s certainly funny in places, as Max Huffman satirises the hollow phrases that spill so easily from the lips of charlatans. “I’m sick of being hamstrung by the board” explains Caressa Vignette, her very name indicating her temporary stature. “It’s all ‘integrations’ and ‘optics’. They’re scared of the vision” she bemoans. Huffman also satirises corporate greed, integrity and lack of responsibility, along with a slavering desperation to monetise any passing fad.

Vignette and her partner Vernon Smith conceive Hypermutt, a dog that is all dogs, drawn by Huffman as the ridiculous tangle of dog parts as seen on the cover. It’s wildly successful, enabling the founding of a corporation, but tragedy strikes when it’s abducted.

That’s all well and good, but the first thing you’ll notice about Dogtangle is the wildly stylised cartooning. There’s not been something as distinctive, distorted and energetic in comics since the early days of Peter Bagge. There’s a twisted looseness applying equally to people and surroundings and starting each new section on different coloured paper gives the impression of multiple zines being collected.

However, just as the Hypermutt project sprawls beyond control, so does Dogtangle. While being dazzled by the visual invention you may not at first notice the lack of coherence. Huffman diverts frequently, and while it’s fair enough to ask readers to join some dots, others don’t seem to connect at all, such as a medieval fantasy sequence. Meanings lack clarity and there’s little to interpret beyond a rant about the powerlessness of the individual in the face of the corporate machine colluding with local officials.

Visually startling and occasionally funny, Dogtangle is worth a look for the creative art, but thorough immersion isn’t recommended.