Ice Haven

Ice Haven is a 2005 graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. The book's contents were originally published as the comic book Eightball #22 and were subsequently reformatted to make the hardcover Ice Haven book.

Ice Haven takes the form of 29 short, stylistically diverse comic strips about different residents of the small town of Ice Haven. Although each strip is separately titled and presented as if it is self-contained, together they tell a story about the characters' interrelated lives. The uniting plot line of the book involves the kidnapping of a boy named David Goldberg.

Random Wilder – The supposedly humble narrator of the story who's neither humble nor much of a narrator. He's mainly concerned with his own problems. Wilder is an aspiring writer who nurses a bitter rivalry with Ice Haven's current poet laureate, Ida Wentz. He lives alone and looks down on the general public.

Vida – Described as an "out-of-town guest", Vida is a struggling writer who is visiting her grandmother, Ida Wentz. She writes a magazine which doesn't sell. After reading some of Random Wilder's poems, she becomes obsessed with the neighbor who she describes as an "owlish oddity", and begins to follow him around.

David Goldberg – The silent boy who is kidnapped during the course of the story.

Charles – A quiet boy who only talks at length and intelligently to his young neighbor, George. He's disturbed by the behavior he observes from Carmichael, with whom he goes to school. Secretly, Charles is madly in love with his stepsister, Violet, and wishes to end the marriage of their parents in order for them to be together at a later date.

Carmichael – A "troubled youth." He speaks mainly to Charles, though the two are not exactly friends. After he loans Charles a book about the Leopold and Loeb murder (the contents of which are summarized in a one-page comic strip), Charles suspects he might be involved in David Goldberg's disappearance.

Violet – A teenager in her senior year of high school. She's romantically involved with a boy named Penrod and often daydreams about him. She is unhappy at home with her mother and stepfather, is teased at school, and appears to be friendly only with a girl named Julie.

Harry Naybors – A serious comic book enthusiast and critic. He is the first character to be introduced after David Goldberg. Harry is the only character to break the fourth wall and speak directly to the reader.

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Wikipedia