3 out of 5

Happy Endings is meant to be a themed collection, pitching that phrase to a mix of writers and/or artists and letting them interpret it as they see fit.  This gives you some sarcastically happy endings, some happy endings, some sad endings, and some stories that could pretty much go anywhere.  The problem with themed collections is that unless the theme is something pretty definable or genre-related – like these are all horror stories, or all of these stories feature naked quad-boobed aliens – you’ll always end up with a mixed bag.  There’s something to this about just giving people a seed from which creativity may spring, but it’s also sort of a letdown when one or two people knock it outta the park and the others just fit an existing story around a concept.

And so: Happy Endings.  Some absolute ‘names’ like Mignola and Bendis and Miller swilled with some notable indie kids.  Dark Horse has done well by the anthology, and this collection is worth it if you have the shelf room and nab it on sale.  Otherwise, despite a couple of really effective moments – Mignola’s daughter turns in a great story, and Miller’s is sorta typically over-the-top but atypically to the point in a hilarious way – this slim collection’s high points are slowed down by some wandering filler.  The indie stories are indie to the core, appealing stylistically but half of them don’t go anywhere, and Sam Keith, vying for the opening story, flashes in and out of his narrative in an attempt at meta something or other that just doesn’t draw you in.

Just okay.