Birds of Maine

Michael DeForge's Birds of Maine (Drawn & Quarterly, 2022–present) is a singular, ongoing comic series that blends surreal, grotesque humor with a surprisingly tender exploration of community and isolation. DeForge, the sole writer and artist, populates a strange, vibrant world with anthropomorphic birds and other odd creatures, using their bizarre social dynamics to reflect on human absurdity. This series matters as a showcase of DeForge's distinctive, evolving visual style and his ability to find profound emotion in the weirdest of premises.