After all the anticipation and effort that went into me (belatedly) getting this book, it could only have been a disappointment. But a disappointment from Chris Ware is still better than most comic creators' best efforts! (It says alot about both him & me that I just got the book yesterday and have already read it twice.)
This volume covers the earliest tales of the previously-introduced ubergeeks Rusty Brown & Chalky White, and suggests how they first met. I love these characters (in a way that allows me to hate them viciously), so am completely delighted to get this largely dedicated view of them. The stories of Rusty and his disenchanted teacher father run large on every page, with the tale of Chalky & his sister Alice adjusting for the first day at a new school running as a sort of perpetual footnote simultaneous in timing to the 'main' story. Both tales offer that unique Ware style of ennui that has given him enough of a following to even attempt this self-published volume, though the Rusty story's got it a bit heavier than the Chalky one.
The last few pages are dedicated to characters we'll meet further in a later volume, giving a brief, mainly wordless glimpse into their comingled existences living in the same building. These last few pages pack in more of the familiar Ware draughtsmanship and attention to detail than did anywhere else in the volume.
This entire book is, as is usual with Ware, remarkable and unique. I would not recommend it to first-time Acme readers, but to a longtime fan it's a largely rewarding read...my own personal 'disappointment' aside.

Classic Ware fare! The story focuses on an alienated, painfully introverted child (Rusty Brown) with an active fantasy life. Of particular interest here is how Ware illustrates two separate (but ultimately converging) story lines simultaneously. Rusty Brown's story line is the dominant one and the dynamic upper panels therefore dominate each page. Chalky White's story is shown in a single strip of smaller, subordinate panels at the bottom of each page. Characters from each story line frequently intersect and are shown from both perspectives, giving the reader a more multi-dimensional experience than is ordinarily found in the typical comic strip narrative.

As usual, Ware's layouts and colors are stunning. The wintry, Midwestern milieu is brilliantly conceived. Many panels are dominated by falling snow, and indeed, the entire narrative begins with some musings and questions concerning the putative individuality and uniqueness of every snow flake and every human being.

The action primarily concerns children and their parents getting ready for school during a heavy snow storm. Rusty Brown is a regular at his school, but it's Chalky White's first day at the same school. Presumably, the story of how the two characters meet will be taken up in Volume 17. The everyday terrors of being a child in a bland world that demands conformity could not be better delineated.

So dang depressing! Everything this man writes makes me want to kill myself, but it's still so damn good!

The closer you look, the more is revealed in Ware's honest and realistic depiction of growing up (or do we?, can we?) in "everyday" America. P.S. This book is commonly referred to as "Rusty Brown."

I have a hard time knowing what to say about Chris Ware's work in general. His panel structure is very difficult for my brain to arrange easily which pulls me out of the narrative.

On the other hand the narratives are so compelling that it's hard to get pulled out. But what makes them compelling? These aren't exciting or epic tales.
The characters are what drive the stories. The characters are complex and utterly believable.
Another aspect that keeps me glued to the pages is the sad, melancholy feel of nearly every page. These aren't easy reads, they aren't feel-good reads, but they are very real and visceral.

Ware is crazy good at what he does. He's a master at the design elements of comics, dealing with complex page layouts as if they were playthings. It's great fun seeing him push the limits of comic design. It's easy to get a little lost in his pages, having to really focus to get just what he's trying to convey (and I'm not embarrassed to admit those last pages gave me a headache). Even though this is my first time reading a Ware book, I have a feeling even if I don't like the narrative, I'm still going to love the art.

The story of ANL#16: Rusty Brown deals with a group of loosely connected characters and their morning getting to school, as well as the early parts of the school day. I didn't mind the story. I like these sorts of understated comics. The story feels a bit half-baked (by design surely), but I'm not the biggest fan of that. But I appreciate that Ware seems to have something going on behind these panels, I just think I prefer when Adrian Tomine does this sort of thing a bit better.

But that design? Wonderful. Even the book itself is satisfying to hold and handle.

Although the Rusty Brown story is still amazing and worth the read, the last few pages of the "Building Stories" story are so intricate as to be stunning and what really makes the book for me. I could look over this book for hours and still find new little details.

i came upon this book a number of times in the library. i didn't know what to think of it because there wasn't an obvious title on it with an author's name. i remember opening it for the first time in the library thinking, 'that jerk Jason Lint, Chalky White, and Rusty Brown wrote in this book (on the inside cover of the book, where it says 'This Book is The Property Of:' as if it's a classroom textbook), that's rude and they used the word sucks.' i didn't quite know what to think of this book, so i didn't check it out. As I flip through this book i think i love it more and more. Thinking back on my first impression of the inside cover makes me adore the book more. i like the Chris Ware has that trademark textbook inside cover from the book and vandalized it. Everyone has memories of writing inside that inside cover of a textbook when you're in grade school.

Chris Ware respects his audience and that is evident in how he is so thoughtful throughout the book. He has faith that his reader will make connections on their own.

Chris Ware brand of cartoon ennui. Love the simultaneous storyline going on underneath the main story.