David Mazzucchelli is well-known for his collaborations with Frank Miller, having illustrated Daredevil: Born Again and Batman: Year One. And if that were all he’d done he’d still be a comics legend.

Thankfully, it’s not.

Asterios Polyp is a rare work indeed, a book that took Mazzucchelli the better part of a decade to create, and it’s one of the richest, most rewarding reads in the entire medium. It’s the story of a middle-aged university professor who has built an insular, joyless life for himself, and who is given a second chance one night by a freak accident. Asterios leaves his familiar surroundings and begins a journey that is physical, spiritual, and ultimately transformative.

The presentation of this story is striking- the book itself is a gem of modern design. Mazzucchelli’s cartoon style is iconic in the best of ways, and his use of color tints is simply genius (be sure to check out the previews). Best of all though is the fact that the book has an internal logic you simply don’t see much in graphic storytelling- it’s uniquely what it is. Mazzucchelli uses the comics medium to tell a story that only comics could tell (if comics were generally this good, that is).

I’m trying to think of stories this book reminds me of- there’s a generous helping of The Odyssey retold here (in one memorable sequence), and the (brilliant) Takeshi Kitano film Sonatine comes to mind as well.

Okay, I think I’ve gushed enough. Don’t just take my word for it- this book won the 2009 LA Times Book Prize for Graphic Novels, and is nominated for four Eisners this year. Asterios Polyp is a thoroughly transcendent work, and gets my highest possible recommendation.