First published in 1975, The Cage was a graphic novel before there was a name for the medium. Cryptic and disturbing, it spurns narrative for atmosphere, guiding us through a labyrinthine series of crumbling facades, disarrayed rooms and desolate landscapes, as time stutters backward and forward. Within the cage's barbed-wire confines, we observe humanity only through its traces: a filmic sequence of discarded objects –headphones, inky stains, dishevelled bedsheets –scored by a deafening cacophony of breaths, cries and unsettling silence.
This new edition, which includes an introduction by comics master Seth, brings Martin Vaughn-James's nightmarish vision to a new generation of readers.
'I don't use the word "masterpiece" lightly. I think The Cage is a masterpiece of comic art.'– Seth
'Vaughn-James remains a significant figure in comics history because his work was singular, literate, experimental, and often unsurpassably good.' – The Walrus
'It is a masterpiece, demonstrating a level of skill and insight very few have even aspired to in the nearly 40 years since its initial publication ... this work is strongly recommended for every true fan of the graphic arts.' – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
