Essex County Volume 3: The Country Nurse

Lemire finishes his superb trilogy of comic books set in the fictional Canadian county of Essex County, with "The Country Nurse". The character was last seen in the last book, "Ghost Stories" as the nurse looking after Lou LeBeuf before his death, and in this book we see more about her life and her family's life. She is a widower with an unloving son who lives with her and spends his time at work and out of the house. She talks to her dead husband at his grave once a week and visits her mother, the oldest woman in Essex County, who can't speak once a week: in short, we see the loneliness of her life as she questions whether she does any good at all. The origins of her family and the LeBeuf family are revealed in this book with a flashback sequence with her mute mother, and the revelations tie together the first two books in the series nicely. The artwork, as I've said of the other books, is nothing short of masterful, haunting, beautiful, and unique. Lemire's shown with this trilogy of books how gifted a comic book artist he is and having read his other excellent books I have to say I've enjoyed the Essex County books the most. They have heart, soul, wit, beauty, and ingenuity on every page. Fans of comic books will find rewarding reads with this book and the others in the series.

Lives and generations of families quietly fade in and out through the Essex County trilogy, woven expertly by writer and artist Jeff Lemire. Quiet lives, quiet people, and quiet drawings rest on every page, in the middle of vast, quiet farmlands that seem perpetually cold and barren, but somehow still sustain life. It all starts with Lester, a kid who loves comics. While this is a perfect sympathetic device to draw in the casual comic reader (as it did for me), it evolves into something far richer and deeper. As an orphan living on his uncle's farm, Lester Papineau is isolated both geographically and emotionally, losing himself in comic worlds of his own creation, hanging out at a creek behind the farm, and eventually befriending Jimmy, the hulking service station attendant. The first volume is even augmented by Lester's hand-drawn comics, which were drawn by a young Jeff Lemire and lend the story credibility, and even more sympathy. People barely talk, but when they do, it's important. If only the rest of the world functioned with such gravitas. It's already clear that everyone is dealing with their own self-imposed loneliness and rich inner lives by the beginning of volume two, where the life of an aging, deaf hockey player is explored. In the third and final volume, a traveling nurse does her best to heal the wounds of the town, bringing the whole story back around through an entire century of secrets and loss. The family tree at the end of the third volume doesn't hurt either, because these things get complicated, especially when family similarities over five generations and a minimal art style confuse whom we might be looking at in a few panels. Lemire's pen and brushwork are intentionally scratchy, loose, and splotchy, not caring as much for details as the impression that the whole careful mess of jagged lines creates. Everyone looks perpetually haunted by something or other (which could just be the scribbly, hollow eyes), and by the end of the trilogy, you realize how true that actually is. The drawing style is especially sparse, with large, almost bare panels, mixed panels of deep blacks and shadows, all organized thoughtfully and gracefully. Think Dave McKean's epic Cages. The very organic, handwritten lettering of the first volume seems to match the art a lot better than the later, more careful lettering, but it's not too difficult an adjustment to make, as the drawing itself becomes more careful and restrained as the pages progress. The books of the Essex County trilogy can definitely be enjoyed separately but make a much more rich tableau when read together, as characters recur and grow and evolve within the pages of each other volume. The books are intended for mature readers more than young kids, given the frequent subject of death, the complexity of dealing with messed-up families, an instance of infidelity, and some good old-fashioned profanity. -- Collin David

The County Nurse: Essex County Vol. 3 by Jeff Lemire is the concluding book in this terrific trilogy. While you don't need to have read Tales from the Farm, the first book, to enjoy the second one, Ghost Stories, it is absolutely essential to read it before diving into The County Nurse. The story picks up shortly after the end of Ghost Stories with the county nurse going on her rounds and wondering if she actually makes a difference in anyone's life. She visits her grandmother at the nursing home, and the story flashes back to 1917 and the grandmother's story of taking care of other's in need and regret. The nurse tries not to meddle in other's lives, but can't help herself, so Les and his uncle from the first book continue their story here. The book isn't as strong as the first two in the series and leaves some loose ends that I hope Lemire ties up elsewhere, but it's still such a wonderful read. I can't say enough good things about his artistry and the way he captures the slow pace of rural life.