great comic book. Marder creates an entire world with its own interconnected ecosystem and history that is at once incredibly simple, self-sustaining, and productive, while containing a complexity that keeps things from getting boring. Funny too. Thanks Alec!

Larry Marder likes to say that his Beanworld isn't a place, but a process, and while that may sound a bit high-fallutin', it's an accurate description. The Beanworld is a completely symbiotic place, with the survival and well-being of each of its races completely dependent upon one another, and while the story focuses on the Beans themselves (especially Professor Garbonzo, Beanish, and Mr. Spook), we definitely get a feel for the entire place as the story progresses. It's part ecology lesson, part parable for the progress of a society (the development of tools, specialized jobs, the invention of art, etc.), but mostly it's fun.

And now that Marder no longer works for Todd McFarlane, he plans to return to Beanworld, with new stories and plans to collect the remainder of the original stuff that has yet to be reprinted. Fantastic news.