Kane and Able is a 76 page reminder that comics can be a hell of a fun time. Shaky Kane and Krent Able bring their distinct visual sensibilities to tell over the top genre-melding stories that might have something a little deeper to say about the creative process or the power of comics, or because a bear with two chainsaw wielding babies on his shoulders fighting giant cockroach women in fetish gear will always be epic. Read Full Review

I read Kane Abel about a month ago while stoned and didn’t remember much about it aside from its presentation being akin to a fever dream of ideas.

I reread the original graphic novel again today and though I can recall the events of the book, I’m not sure who the book is for aside from fans of batshit crazy anthologies.

The closest series I can compare Kane & Abel to would be Heavy Metal. The comic is an anthology featuring several short stories crafted by creators Shaky Kane and Krent Able. I’ve never heard of these creators, but I’d love some of what they were smoking while writing this book. Although some aspects of the book didn’t land for me, I admire the presentation and imaginative nature of the project.

Even upon the second read some of the stories and concepts went over my head. Including the main narrative through-line that features a character suspiciously bearing a resemblance to Jack Kirby. These sections of the book are nice, and I appreciated the Easter eggs I did pick up on. I’m also pretty sure that there are a ton more that I missed out on.

The standout section for segment of the book features “Black Fur” a talking bear vs A Non-Binary kaiju sized Monstrosity named Lady Death Roach. The segment totally caught me off guard by the sheer absurdity of it all. This story has it all, including a pair of infants wielding chainsaws.

Another notable segment features Nightmare and his sidekick, Sleep as they investigate a possible vampire infestation. The story isn’t as out there as Black Fur and Death Roach but it’s just as imaginative and has a pretty slick twist ending.

Kane & Able is 72-pages and features a 12.99 cover price. The book was released by Image Comics over a year ago so you may be able to catch it on discount. The title has a retro style like classic horror magazines from 60’s and 70’s. The characters are also presented in a nostalgic way that makes them feel vintage and familiar even though I had never experienced them before.

The only real downside is that stories felt totally disconnected from each other. I know there is a through-line that readers familiar with these creators may pick up on but I couldn’t and It left me feeling a bit frustrated. I also found myself asking the point of this project? The point could also be that there is no point at all.

In Short: Kane & Able is a nice anthology to pass time with but the disparate nature of the stories and events may make the project inaccessible to mainstream readers.

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