GONE is a real treat. A beautifully produced 84 page book with excellent design and story. The front & back covers are superb, giving the whole thing a real look of class.
It's about a girl who catches her boyfriend in bed with his ex, and through a time travelling wristwatch, goes back through his life (repeatedly) trying to change events in his past, so that he'll turn out to be a better boyfriend in the future. Temporal paradoxes abound, and Nigel takes the opportunity to exploit every possible outcome such meddling would result in (and then some!) until the only possible ending clears things up once and for all (possibly...)
It's funny, warm hearted, fast moving, and very clever. The ultimate 'girl who wants to change her man' story, and almost a small press answer to Donnie Darko, of which Nigel's obviously a fan. It's also nice to see a male artist writing about a strong female character.
The bigfoot style art is sometimes at odds with the story, but, on reflection, a more realistic style may not have worked as well. Visually, the characters are appealing, with their almost manga-like faces, and overall design and page layout is excellent, but the overall finish is not what it could be, and some pages feel rushed.
There is a back up strip: 9 pages about Time Travel (which in keeping with the theme is actually ten pages), which is also very good, but it isn't actually needed, as Gone itself is good enough to stand alone, and doesn't need a back up.
I have to say the cover price is a bit excessive, and may put people off, but as Gone is so good, I still recommend it wholeheartedly. Excellent.
Pete Doreé