[Review originally published in 2003 on NewPages.com]

Ok, so I debated on whether or not to review this, but I’m just too excited about it to not review it. I know I’ve reviewed Cometbus here before, and the last thing it probably needs is more hype at this point, but this really is an accomplishment, and it deserves mention. Aaron has compiled a book out of material he originally published in his long-running zine (started in 1981), leaving out mostly stuff that’s either still in print, or writing that he just couldn’t bear to include (let’s face it, as writers, we all have those embarrassing selections we’d rather forget). For those unfamiliar with Cometbus, it’s a zine that definitely has roots in the punk rock movement (particularly in the San Francisco Bay area) but whose editor writes on far-ranging topics and in such a way that makes much of his writing accessible in a universal way. Most of his back issues are long out-of-print, and so this book will be able to bring the joys of Cometbus to a whole new realm of readers! ( )