Seattle cartoonist Peter Bagge continues the chronicles of Buddyhis bitter, aging grunge scenesterin the eighth edition of Hate, but hes also got a new graphic novel out, Other Lives (Vertigo, $24.99), which deals with weightier themes than squabbling suburbanites and 90s nostalgia. In particular, hes curious about those unhappy types who thrive as Internet avatars in virtual reality games. Real-world neuroses and confessions keep seeping into the supposedly safe, alternative cyberworld. Misery and violence bleed through the screen in both directions. And even as one character in Other Lives scoffs at such delusional role playing, he himself cops to being a plagiarist and liar in his own life. Nobodys willing to be honest about themselves. True identities get lost in the clamor and posing of the Web, which Bagge depicts in a less comic, rubbery style than his usual linework. Tonight hes joined tonight by former local artist James Strum (Market Day), who also chronicled our 90s grunge heyday. BRIAN MILLER
Sat., April 17, 6 p.m., 2010