Ice Haven (2005)

This ''narraglyphic picto-assemblage,'' Ice Haven, is inspired by the true story of child murderers Leopold and Loeb, but it also owes a debt to detective novels, neo-tech philosophy, Charlie Brown, creative-writing workshops, reality TV, and Daniel Clowes' own canon of lonely misfits. The creator of Ghost World has done his usual meticulous job of nailing character, tone, and inner monologue. (''I feel like this music is cleansing me of all the crap in my life up to this point,'' says one girl, who reacts to losing her virginity by listening to Chopin. ''It's like listening to ice water.'') But his Art Spiegelman-like experimentation with different illustration styles — without losing his own unique line — is what make the pages such jewels.