ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Charles Burns grew up in Seattle in the 1970s. His work rose to prominence in Art Spiegelman's Raw magazine in the mid-1980s and took off from there, for an extraordinary range of comics and projects, from Iggy Pop album covers to the latest ad campaign for Altoids. In 1992 he designed the sets for Mark Morris's delightful restaging of The Nutcracker. He's illustrated covers for Time, the New Yorker and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. He is the official cover artist for The Believer magazine. Black Hole received Eisner, Harvey and Ignatz awards in 2005. Burns lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two daughters.

Publisher: Pantheon (September 24, 2024) Length: 224 pages Formats: Hardcover, ebook

It’s been a long wait -ten years, to be exact-but Charles Burns is back with Final Cut, a weird, sad, and beautifully drawn trip into the mind of an awkward teenage filmmaker named Brian. Set in the early ‘70s, the story follows Brian as he and his friends make a low-budget horror movie on a camping trip.

Everything revolves around Laurie, Brian’s red-haired crush, who becomes his muse, his obsession, and, ultimately, the centerpiece of a story he might be rewriting in his head.

As a result, Final Cut can initially feel like a simple coming-of-age story about a group of friends making a low-budget film in the woods. But true to Burns’ style, there’s so much more beneath the surface. As Brian edits his movie, it becomes clear he’s also “editing” his memories of that summer, creating a version of events where he has more control—and maybe even the happy ending he never got.

This comic has great vibes. You’ve got razor-sharp art that’s stunning, a creeping sense of unease, and characters you’re not quite sure how to feel about. Since I love unreliable narration, I loved the eerie, dreamlike atmosphere. Brian’s a loner who’s into art and movies—cool enough—but he’s also kinda creepy. He films Laurie without her knowing, sketches naked pictures of her, and lurks outside her tent at night. His version of events might not be a full story.

That’s the hook here: is this all really how it went down, or is Brian “editing” the summer in his head to make it more palatable? He’s a filmmaker, after all, and Final Cut plays with that idea of memory as a movie you can tweak. The whole thing has this dreamy, slightly unsettling vibe, like you’re stuck in Brian’s head with him.

The art? Absolutely stunning and otherworldly. Burns’ haunting artwork is unparalleled, as he effortlessly shifts between grounded realism and surreal horror. The color palette—rich blues, stark whites, and deep reds—heightens the unsettling atmosphere, while the splash pages and film-like sequences are nothing short of stunning.

If there’s a downside, it’s that the pacing can be uneven and its core is quite simple, really. Unrequited teenage love, even with all the surreal touches, might not sound like much on paper. And yeah, some parts drag, like the repetitive “making the movie” scenes. But by the end, Final Cutk hits you with this quiet, bittersweet sadness.

Final Cut is a beautifully weird, unsettling, and surprisingly tender look at love, art, and the stories we tell ourselves. If you’re a fan of Charles Burns or just love weird, thoughtful comics, this one’s worth the ride.