I discovered Lio not longer after the strip debuted, and it rapidly became one of my favorite, if not sole favorite, comic strips.Its a little hard to explain what Lio is about. The title character is a small boy who is absolutely brilliant and utterly twisted -- you can easily imagine him growing up to be a mad scientist. His pets are the oft-seen giant squid and spider, and the less-seen dragon and extraordinarily arrogant cat (possibly the only character in the strip the Lio actually obeys.)The imagination level of the strip is on a par with Calvin and Hobbes, and I honestly think Mark Tatulli, the strip's creator, may be the long-awaited heir to Bill Watterson's throne. Now, this isn't as "innocent" as C&H was -- there's no sweetness or sentimentality here. But its gone the same "I wish my childhood was like that" feel.Its also important to note that its done with (practically) no dialogue. The lead characters (basically, Lio and his dad) never speak, and any other dialogue is only used when absolutely necessary. That alone speaks volumes to Tatulli's skill as a cartoonist.And for fans of comic strip in general, the strip is a treat, because Lio occasionally gets "involved" with characters from other strips. This collection includes "visits" to Peanuts, Cathy, and Mary Worth (of all things) to name three off the top of my head. (Though unfortunately, the screamingly funny For Better or For Worse strip will presumably appear in the next collection.)I can't recommend Lio highly enough. If your taste in comic strip runs towards The Family Circus and For Better or For Worse, its not for you. But if you like twisted comics, Lio is a must read. And you'll be able to brag you were a Lio fan before everyone else was.