. ▁ ▁Brown ' s ▁open ▁and ▁self - de prec ating ▁example ▁left ▁an ▁impact ▁on ▁cart oon ists ▁such ▁as ▁Jeff rey ▁Brown ▁and ▁A riel ▁Sch rag , ▁and ▁his ▁sparse ▁layout s ▁on ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁Anders ▁N ils en . ▁ ▁Upon ▁the ▁serial ' s ▁conclusion , ▁rev iewer ▁Dar cy ▁S ull ivan ▁called ▁it ▁" a ▁major ▁step ▁forward ▁for ▁the ▁artist , ▁a ▁leading ▁light ▁in ▁adult ▁com ics ". ▁ ▁American ▁cart oon ist ▁Gilbert ▁Hern ande z ▁ha iled ▁The ▁Play boy ▁and ▁I ▁Never ▁L ik ed ▁You ▁as ▁" pro bably ▁the ▁best ▁graph ic ▁nov els ▁next ▁to ▁M aus "; ▁British ▁cart oon ist ▁Edd ie ▁Campbell ▁called ▁them ▁" the ▁most ▁sensitive ▁com ics ▁ever ▁made "; ▁and ▁American ▁com ics ▁writer ▁He idi ▁Mac Donald ▁called ▁I ▁Never ▁L ik ed ▁You ▁" a ▁master pie ce " ▁that ▁is ▁" the ▁equal ▁of ▁any ▁' coming ▁of ▁age ' ▁movie ". ▁ ▁Charles ▁Hat field ▁pra ised ▁Brown ' s ▁hon esty , ▁keen ▁observation , ▁and ▁narr ative ▁strength , ▁and ▁called ▁the ▁" hide ▁with ▁me " ▁page ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁favour ites . ▁ ▁Crit ic ▁ ▁described ▁the ▁work ▁as ▁" an ▁example ▁of ▁sob ri ety ▁and ▁rest raint , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁har sh est , ▁most ▁hop eless ▁te en age ▁port ra its   ... ▁in ▁any ▁medium ". ▁ ▁S cri p ter