Creator Thomas Ott tells a haunting, unnerving tale of luck, greed, unknowable omniscient forces and cosmic irony. Told completely without text, through expressive, detailed scratchboard panels, it’s an utterly original and mesmerizing work of imagination.

After electrocuting an inmate, an executioner finds a strip of paper with a series of numbers printed on it. He begins to see these numbers popping up wherever he goes. Soon he figures out how to use them to his advantage.

It’s a simple tale, and even though you kind of know where it’s headed, it feels more inevitable than clichéd. The result is fascinating.

Grade: A

The Number 73304-23-4153-6-96-8 is currently available.