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Goes Like This
Collecting all of acclaimed cartoonist Jordan Crane’s short stories (from self-published zines and anthologies such as Non and Uptight ) and more for the first time, in a gorgeously designed package. For almost three decades, master cartoonist Jordan Crane has put together a body of short stories that garnered him multiple Eisner and Ignatz Award nominations, via the pages of his comic book series Uptight and the influential comics anthology, Non . Yet they have never been collected until now. Featuring over a dozen short stories (spanning multiple genres) published over the past 25 years, Goes Like This is a gorgeously packaged anthology (including varying paper stocks and rounded corners) of Crane's work. “The Hand of Gold” is a short but grim Weird Western, a morality play in which an accidental crime leads a criminal to a supernatural maximum security cell. “Below the Shade of Night" presents an anxiety that is rooted in the follies and ignorance of childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. “Vicissitude” maps uncharted territory of graphic melancholia via a tale of infidelity. “Trash Night" depicts the troubled relationship of Dee and Leo, with mounting tension and mistrust that reaches a boiling point. In “The Dark Nothing,” a rare foray into science fiction, the three-person crew of prospecting ship Sagasu 17 attempt to harvest an asteroid, and things go horribly awry. “The Middle Nowhere” begins with a man waiting in a small shack. All around him is a black sand desert. The wind rises, the rain comes, and it just might be the end of everything he’s known. Also featuring additional prints and drawings from the author's archives, Goes Like This is a tantalizing sampler of one of the most brilliant cartoonists working today. Full-color and black-and-white illustrations
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2025
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209 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Crane
43 books59 followersJordan Crane is a cartoonist living in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and kids. Crane first emerged in 1996 with the iconic comics anthology NON, which he edited, designed, printed, contributed to, and published.
He has four graphic novels, The Last Lonely Saturday, Col-Dee, and The Clouds Above, and Keeping Two.
He has four graphic novels, The Last Lonely Saturday, Col-Dee, and The Clouds Above, and Keeping Two.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 23, 2025
Goes Like This is a beautifully curated selection of short comics and artwork from Jordan Crane, much of which has been previously published in his one-man anthologies like Uptight and Non. Comprised of twelve short stories ranging from romance to Westerns to slice-of-life to sci-fi, there is a nice amount of variety in both story and art. Much like his more comprehensive graphic novel, Keeping Two, most stories here contain a degree of sentimentality and verisimilitude, irrespective of the specific genre tropes that are engaged. Some are firmly more primed towards realism, like the story of a crumbling marriage in the two part stories entitled "Vicissitude" and "Trash Night", while others have a bit more whimsy to them like the story of a cowboy haunted by the supernatural in "The Hand of Gold" or a space mining mission gone wrong in "The Dark Nothing". It's an intriguingly diverse collection of stories, and the gorgeous prints that are sprinkled in between each story are all worth digesting as well.
Crane's artwork is perhaps most reminiscent of his contemporaries like Sammy Harkham, Tim Hensley and Kevin Huizenga. A lot of simple lines and clean panel layouts, but expressive despite the minimalistic designs. Where Keeping Two comfortably stuck with a pleasing set of light green duotones, the stories here show Crane's willingness to experiment with color - and especially evident in the original art pieces here. Moreover, the book itself is a work of art with respect to its presentation. Various stories and art pieces use different types of paper stock, each lending towards achieving the most out of the artwork. The binding itself is a rustic sewn binding that gives the collection a bit of a sketchbook vibe, but it works well for the nature of the collection. A truly beautiful book and a wonderful way to sample Crane's works from the last couple decades.
Crane's artwork is perhaps most reminiscent of his contemporaries like Sammy Harkham, Tim Hensley and Kevin Huizenga. A lot of simple lines and clean panel layouts, but expressive despite the minimalistic designs. Where Keeping Two comfortably stuck with a pleasing set of light green duotones, the stories here show Crane's willingness to experiment with color - and especially evident in the original art pieces here. Moreover, the book itself is a work of art with respect to its presentation. Various stories and art pieces use different types of paper stock, each lending towards achieving the most out of the artwork. The binding itself is a rustic sewn binding that gives the collection a bit of a sketchbook vibe, but it works well for the nature of the collection. A truly beautiful book and a wonderful way to sample Crane's works from the last couple decades.
November 13, 2025
I’ve always love Jordan Crane’s comics. His distinctive figures are immediately recognizable and his linework is always so fluid and clean. “Goes Like This” is a wonderful sampler platter of his stuff: short stories, prints, doodles, design experiments, and more, all augmented with different paperstocks, colorings, etc. and a unique lay-flat binding. Diving into this collection is like wandering around Crane’s brain, following synapses along one path until something else grabs your attention and leads you to another area, and on and on. I wish this book was twice as long, just I could spend more time admiring the depth of his creativity.
FAVORITES:
“The Middle Nowhere” - An isolated radio tower operator rides out a bizarre rainstorm that brings him in contact with a mythical siren
“Vicissitude”/“Trash Night” - A young mechanic suspects his significant other is cheating on him and must decide if he’s willing to throw away the relationship
“Before They Got Better” - An elderly electrician struggles to keep his family from fracturing
FAVORITES:
“The Middle Nowhere” - An isolated radio tower operator rides out a bizarre rainstorm that brings him in contact with a mythical siren
“Vicissitude”/“Trash Night” - A young mechanic suspects his significant other is cheating on him and must decide if he’s willing to throw away the relationship
“Before They Got Better” - An elderly electrician struggles to keep his family from fracturing
April 10, 2025
My favorite here was The Dark Nothing, ‘everything falls apart’ in space. It manages a beautiful fusion of black ink and monochrome (darks vs. light purples), in glossy relief on matte paper. No surprise it was nominated for an Eisner. Also, an action piece. I could read more of this.
One Day was another very beautiful entry, if a little cute for its own good; trying to be deep but not saying much.
Crane seems to focus on strife in relationships—family problems and dysfunctions, romances in trouble. His characters feel like everymen and women; kind of generic and not all that distinct, likable, or relatable, except for their dark predicaments, which feel inevitable within the human condition. These are modern literary short stories, in graphic novel form, aiming for realism and truth-telling, while searching for a kernel of hope. It's not really my kind of prose.
The packaging and use of color is lavish, opulent, even overwhelming. For me, a lot of the imagery simply doesn't amount to much, but it's definitely an art piece, not just a book. The original preview cover design evolved into an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach of overprinted collage, involving multiple images and layers of ink and varnish. The interiors continue this feeling, with shifting paper stocks and signature lengths, alternating full-bleed art prints and stories. The diversity of story and technique earned points with me, making it more enjoyable than his previous book, Keeping Two. I liked how there was a two-parter in the middle. It's big, too; deluxe magazine-sized. The sequencing is thoughtful and effective.
All in all, there's a lot to absorb here, page after page. As I reread, I'm finding enjoyable ambiguities. The Middle Nowhere is becoming a secondary favorite.
One Day was another very beautiful entry, if a little cute for its own good; trying to be deep but not saying much.
Crane seems to focus on strife in relationships—family problems and dysfunctions, romances in trouble. His characters feel like everymen and women; kind of generic and not all that distinct, likable, or relatable, except for their dark predicaments, which feel inevitable within the human condition. These are modern literary short stories, in graphic novel form, aiming for realism and truth-telling, while searching for a kernel of hope. It's not really my kind of prose.
The packaging and use of color is lavish, opulent, even overwhelming. For me, a lot of the imagery simply doesn't amount to much, but it's definitely an art piece, not just a book. The original preview cover design evolved into an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach of overprinted collage, involving multiple images and layers of ink and varnish. The interiors continue this feeling, with shifting paper stocks and signature lengths, alternating full-bleed art prints and stories. The diversity of story and technique earned points with me, making it more enjoyable than his previous book, Keeping Two. I liked how there was a two-parter in the middle. It's big, too; deluxe magazine-sized. The sequencing is thoughtful and effective.
All in all, there's a lot to absorb here, page after page. As I reread, I'm finding enjoyable ambiguities. The Middle Nowhere is becoming a secondary favorite.
March 21, 2025
This collection of Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning cartoonist Crane’s zine and anthology stories is nothing short of stunning. The subjects span genres—from western to sci-fi to horror—but tend to focus on the destruction of self, whether that’s within a relationship, a space disaster, or a maritime adventure. The exposed sewn spine is dually beautiful and functional, allowing you to really crack the book open for full views of the many beautiful splash pages within. It’s a true art piece, both in content and construction.
May 21, 2025
Some whacked art and interesting stories, one I wish would have resolved but that's ok. Beautifully packaged book as well.
August 16, 2025
I didn't really care for most of the stories in here, but I sure loved the art in the pages between them!
June 20, 2025
As acrobatic and vivid as these comics are, the stories keep this from being five stars for me, but it's close. The characters remind me of those found in Adrian Tomine's work, and their arcs follow a similar malaise'd trajectory. Like his last book, Keeping Two, couples arguing with each other and/or being full of anxiety are featured prominantly. The glossy, sci-fi horror was a surprising interlude, however, and this is still a kinetic, oversized collection of collection of comics to get lost in. I wanted to read again immediately after I was finished.
August 19, 2025
Goes Like This is a collection of short comics and art pieces from 2002 to 2022 by Jordan Crane. And, like a lot of collections like this, it’s a mixed bag of good and forgettable stuff.
The book starts off strongly with The Hand of Gold about a cowboy who finds a corpse with a suitcase attached to the arm. The suitcase is full of gold but, rather than solve his money woes, the gold turns out to be the beginning of his troubles. It’s a great premise, a very engrossing story - a brilliantly told short comic.
The one longer story here is a two-parter called Vicissitude and Trash Night about a car mechanic taking night classes to improve his job prospects who discovers his girlfriend is cheating on him. He tries spying on her and he wonders what he’ll do if his suspicions are confirmed.
Jordan Crane can do long-form storytelling superbly well so it’s a shame he didn’t keep developing this story further - I’d have loved to have seen where he took this tantalising noir-ish narrative. As it is, it’s still the best story here and a fantastic read.
Before They Got Better is about an older man whose grown daughter and kid come to stay with him and his wife after a fight with her partner. It’s a decent story that’s got a wistful tone to it about time passing.
The other stories aren’t that great. A story about a kid who dies in a motorcycle accident is fine but forgettable. The Dark Nothing is a weak sci-fi short about a mining expedition that ends in disaster. Now is a New Now feels like a dummy run for his younger readers comic We Are All Me. The Middle Nowhere is a mysterious, unpredictable nightmarish journey involving souls and mermaids that feels slight. The remaining shorts seem more like visual experiments than anything else.
The interstitial art that appears in between the comics are consistently imaginative, beautiful and skilfully drawn. Even with the comics I wasn’t taken with, they’re still easy to read because Crane understands sequential storytelling so well. He is an undeniably talented cartoonist.
If you’ve never read Jordan Crane before and you’re interested in experimental indie/slice-of-life comics, then I highly recommend starting instead with his book Keeping Two over this. But if you’re already aware of this cartoonist, you’ll need no encouragement to check out any of his work as you’re likely a fan already.
While not as consistently satisfying as Keeping Two, Goes Like This is still worth checking out for the few standout stories included and the wonderful artwork throughout.
The book starts off strongly with The Hand of Gold about a cowboy who finds a corpse with a suitcase attached to the arm. The suitcase is full of gold but, rather than solve his money woes, the gold turns out to be the beginning of his troubles. It’s a great premise, a very engrossing story - a brilliantly told short comic.
The one longer story here is a two-parter called Vicissitude and Trash Night about a car mechanic taking night classes to improve his job prospects who discovers his girlfriend is cheating on him. He tries spying on her and he wonders what he’ll do if his suspicions are confirmed.
Jordan Crane can do long-form storytelling superbly well so it’s a shame he didn’t keep developing this story further - I’d have loved to have seen where he took this tantalising noir-ish narrative. As it is, it’s still the best story here and a fantastic read.
Before They Got Better is about an older man whose grown daughter and kid come to stay with him and his wife after a fight with her partner. It’s a decent story that’s got a wistful tone to it about time passing.
The other stories aren’t that great. A story about a kid who dies in a motorcycle accident is fine but forgettable. The Dark Nothing is a weak sci-fi short about a mining expedition that ends in disaster. Now is a New Now feels like a dummy run for his younger readers comic We Are All Me. The Middle Nowhere is a mysterious, unpredictable nightmarish journey involving souls and mermaids that feels slight. The remaining shorts seem more like visual experiments than anything else.
The interstitial art that appears in between the comics are consistently imaginative, beautiful and skilfully drawn. Even with the comics I wasn’t taken with, they’re still easy to read because Crane understands sequential storytelling so well. He is an undeniably talented cartoonist.
If you’ve never read Jordan Crane before and you’re interested in experimental indie/slice-of-life comics, then I highly recommend starting instead with his book Keeping Two over this. But if you’re already aware of this cartoonist, you’ll need no encouragement to check out any of his work as you’re likely a fan already.
While not as consistently satisfying as Keeping Two, Goes Like This is still worth checking out for the few standout stories included and the wonderful artwork throughout.
June 7, 2025
A collection of twelve short stories from over the years, mostly first self-published in Uptight and Non, with intersecting splash pages and ephemeral/ethereal illustrations, Jordan Carne’s Goes Like This (2025) reveals a great range of work I had not seen in his books such as Keeping Two and The Last Lonely Saturday Night, which are in some ways more conventional works. This collection includes horror, sci-fi, western, all seeping with despair, dissolution, heading to disaster. People living on the edge, then things tend to fall apart-Sense of self. marriage, job.
The “point” of these stories may be less the tales they tell than the formal experiments Crane conducts through his increasingly sophisticated knowledge of comics craft--he’s one of the best. My faves tend to to be the slice of life ones: “Below the Shade of Night" is a bleak coming-of-age story of real life horror. “Vicissitude” is about a man, falling apart, broke, in early marriage, as he uncovers a his wife’s probably affair. “Trash Night" ia another troubled relationship story of Dee and Leo, intensity rising in each of the stories.
I liked the western and sci fi stories less, but the core of them is similar, swirling down the drain of turmoil to tragedy. Sound like no fun? Like, who needs the grief? Well, the way the stories are told, the edginess is key, sometimes veering into surrealism, close to madness, that's what he's about. A real craftsman, who manages to also reach into your heart and make you care. Melancholy is at the heart of his work.
The “point” of these stories may be less the tales they tell than the formal experiments Crane conducts through his increasingly sophisticated knowledge of comics craft--he’s one of the best. My faves tend to to be the slice of life ones: “Below the Shade of Night" is a bleak coming-of-age story of real life horror. “Vicissitude” is about a man, falling apart, broke, in early marriage, as he uncovers a his wife’s probably affair. “Trash Night" ia another troubled relationship story of Dee and Leo, intensity rising in each of the stories.
I liked the western and sci fi stories less, but the core of them is similar, swirling down the drain of turmoil to tragedy. Sound like no fun? Like, who needs the grief? Well, the way the stories are told, the edginess is key, sometimes veering into surrealism, close to madness, that's what he's about. A real craftsman, who manages to also reach into your heart and make you care. Melancholy is at the heart of his work.
June 16, 2025
Jordan Crane has been a master comix craftsman for quite a while while now, but he tends to fly a little under the radar. Hopefully the stunning collection Goes Like This will garner him some more much deserved attention. An uncanny design sense, striking use of color, and knack for gutsy storytelling twists are all on display here as Crane hops from gritty western to psychological scifi to emotional domestic drama like nobody’s business. 9/10
September 4, 2025
A lovely package - I really enjoyed all the different paper stocks and how each complemented its story. The open spine is an interesting touch - the book looks like several minicomics bound together, which it is, in a sense.
The illustrations are gorgeous. The comics are mostly very good, particularly the earlier ones. The simple emotion of a failing marriage and the gallows charm of the haunted western worked really well for me.
The illustrations are gorgeous. The comics are mostly very good, particularly the earlier ones. The simple emotion of a failing marriage and the gallows charm of the haunted western worked really well for me.
June 7, 2025
Mostly Confusing… ( ? )
The artwork that’s suggested from The cover & preview is Not what’s found inside, which is much more ‘conventional’ ( ? )
Plus; The stories often just hint at what’s going on, & then end in what might be considered a truncated chapter termination ( ? )
Still though; if you can afford it, it’s a reasonable B- quality volume ( ? )
The artwork that’s suggested from The cover & preview is Not what’s found inside, which is much more ‘conventional’ ( ? )
Plus; The stories often just hint at what’s going on, & then end in what might be considered a truncated chapter termination ( ? )
Still though; if you can afford it, it’s a reasonable B- quality volume ( ? )
November 2, 2025
Started this in April but somehow kind of delayed finishing this until now? I guess this is collected old drawings and stories but thought this was real beautiful stuff, even if it's a little less cohesive.
December 30, 2025
A collection of short stories and pin-ups and the like. Some beautiful art, some neat stories. I see from other reviews that the actual product of a physical copy is cool but as a digital copy there's none of that. It's just some neat comics.
May 6, 2025
A beautifully printed collection of short stories and odds ‘n ends from indie comix stalwart Jordan Crane.
Recommended for fans of Dash Shaw, Sammy Harkham, Frank Santoro
Recommended for fans of Dash Shaw, Sammy Harkham, Frank Santoro
June 13, 2025
I love the format of this book. Different paper stocks appropriate for each story. A collection of short stories and artwork from the past 25 years. The slice-of-life stories were great, but I also quite enjoyed the genre stories - some sci-fi stuff was cool.
August 13, 2025
Strange, morbid, and beautiful.
August 19, 2025
great art and fun stories (although maybe a lil depressing).
September 2, 2025
Weird and beautiful and freaky
September 23, 2025
The stories were uneven but the prints were very fun.
November 13, 2025
I really liked this collection a lot. Every story was meaningful and so well made!
December 25, 2025
Cool art and some sad interesting dull stories.
I really like it.😂
3.4✨🌟
I really like it.😂
3.4✨🌟
January 14, 2026
Not my style … not bad in theory
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews