by Jessica Abel Soundtrack collects the best of Jessica Abel's self-published Artbabe series, one of the most exciting comic books to emerge in the late-1990s. The first four were self-xeroxed efforts, and led to a prestigious Xeric Grant in 1996, enabling her to publish a more professionally packaged fifth issue. This volume presents the best of these five comic books, as well as other short strips, to a larger audience for the first time. Abel's stories are peppered with hipsters, fashion, and trendy locales - all of which have contributed to her considerable appeal - but don't let the generational trappings fool you. Her intuitive ear for dialogue and characterization have made Artbabe a hit amongst people of all ages, especially women. TP, 120pg, b&w