The Playboy

I couldn't find this anywhere in the city (full disclosure, I didn't look THAT hard) but was able to get it through ebay, and after having quickly consumed Chester Brown's other stuff I was excited to read it, especially knowing that it was another autobiographical work.  This one actually overlaps with I Never Like You, the two acting almost as companion pieces to one another. 
While I liked it, I think it was my least favorite of his books so far.  Dealing mostly with the struggles of a young boy coming into his sexuality, it's very matter of fact, and like his other books, doesn't really try to build to any grand conclusions so much as it is just telling things the way that they are.  I have it on good authority that a new edition (re-release) is scheduled so if you can wait that long it'll probably be a bit easier to track down.
The Playboy

I Never Liked You

So needless to say, I'm a pretty big fan of Chester Brown at this point.  My third book of his in almost a week, I now have to wait while an out-of-print version of his book The Playboy arrives in the mail... sigh...
So this book is another autobiographical one from our Chester, following his early teens, dealing with his first feelings of love and what it means.  It's technically a coming of age story (if you really feel the need to classify it) but it's also the kind of story that, for a guy like me coming from a small town, I really related to.  It brought up a lot of my own memories, thoughts, and feelings from childhood and that is no small feat.
I can't recommend Chester's writing highly enough, he is a man worth reading and worth supporting as a storyteller and artist all rolled into one.  I anxiously await whatever the hell he's got!
I Never Liked You

Louis Riel

So I'm officially a BIG Chester Brown fan now.  Full disclosure, even though I'm a bit of a history geek and I know a descent amount of this country's history I didn't know a damn thing about Louis Riel or the founding of Manitoba and Western Canada, but now I do - and this book makes me want to read more about it - which I'm sure is part of it's intention.  Brown makes this feel like I'm watching a great film - it's books like these that should become part of the Canadian history curriculum - not only would it actually make kids want to read, but I can only imagine the kind of conversations that it would stir up.  The way that Brown shows the visuals is both simple and elegant at the same time.  There are several moments where he hangs on a framing for dramatic effect, and my does it ever work.  This is the kind of book that I can see myself buying copies of to give away as gifts.  A really great read - and like his other book I read it has an in-depth "notes" section at the end that kind of makes you feel like you're listening to a commentary by the author. 
If you're a history nut then you absolutely, without question, NEED to read this book.
Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography

Paying For It

I was recently at TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) and when I bumped into a friend they mentioned Chester Brown to me, and what this book was about - his autobiographical tale of being with prostitutes (or escorts, if that word is offensive to you).  I find sex, the nature of sex, how people deal with it emotionally and mentally, to be pretty fascinating stuff so it didn't take much for me to pick this up.  At the very surface of this book it's essentially an argument for decriminalizing prostitution (not legalizing it though - which is an interesting argument in which the book goes into great passionate detail).  There is a rather large appendices where the argument becomes much more one sided (albeit entertaining!), but the comic is that in which I can't imagine someone (anyone) reading this and it not 'causing them to think differently about something than before.  It's the kind of book that makes you question your own thoughts and beliefs on such a subject.  This book isn't trying to answer questiions, but to ask them.  You may not like what he's saying - you might hate it - but you can't deny that it's interesting - and for some people - the thoughts hold true.  The main character's journey begins when they decide that romantic love is bullshit and that all they really need to do is pay for sex when they want it and the rest of the time they can just be enjoying their friend ships.  Brown makes a solid argument when he says that more people are are made miserable by romantic relationships than they are happy.  As a happily married man I do agree that couples such as my wife and myself are in the minority.  Relationships are hard things to do - but also like is pointed out in the book - isn't how that how you know something is worth doing?  By it being hard?
I picked this book up at TCAF but I'm pretty sure it's available now.  I know that I for one will be attempting to pick up more of this man's stuff in the very near future.  If you're even remotely interesting seek it out and support Canadian literature!
Paying for It