Spotted: Off Road by Sean Murphy

Where: N-platform

Who was reading: A young woman in a hipster scarf and white chucks. She had a ponytail the actual length of a pony’s tail.

A Graphic Novelty: Published in 2005, this is Sean Murphy’s first graphic novel, or 'comic book' as the layman might say. It tells the story of three guys, bro-ishly named Trent, Brad and Greg, who go off-roading and get stuck in a swamp.

The great thing about comics—particularly YA comics—is that they tend to run about the same length as the train-ride from Downtown Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan. You step out of the subway feeling a peculiar sense of an accomplishment, like you’ve completed a quest or walked a day in someone else’s shoes. With Gene Luen Yang’s The Eternal Smile, for instance, I became strangely reflective and a little teary for the first few hours of the work day.

“What’s wrong?” inquired a concerned colleague.

“Oh, don’t mind me.” I sniffed, “I’m just pondering the ‘levels of fantasy and how humans use it to escape or transcend everyday tedium and suffering.’” (via PW)