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Title: Late Far Side strips don't age as well as you'd hope
Review: While my childhood trips to the Far Side were frequent and satisfying--like the finer bulk candy any sensible ten year-old will gorge themselves with when provided the opportunity--I find Larson's humor much more hit and miss as an adult. And I've always had the feeling that, like most cartoonists producing daily strips, Larson's well ran dry after several of his collections hit the shelves. The eight slim Far Side collection rehashes his familiar body of characters (Tarzan, bears, ducks, domesticated dogs, and the shallower end of our gene pool) in situations much less "zany" and endearing than you might recall. The gems are few (and none funnier than the classic "Midvale School for the Gifted" strip you've no doubt seen on many an educator's office wall), and most of the gags that land are of the slightly-bemused chuckle variety here. Stick with either of the two full-size collections for all of the undiluted sentimentality Larson's good for.
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