This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on July 7, 2008.

The Case of the Mummy’s Gold, the fifth collection of the Penny Arcade webcomic, was released last week. It captures all of the comics posted by writer Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and artist Mike “Gabe” Krahulik from 2004. There is also an introduction by Holkins, a forward by Star Trek‘s Wil Wheaton (who is something of a patron saint for geeks everywhere) ,and commentary by Holkins on every strip.

If you’ve never experienced the Penny Arcade comic strip, it’s definitely worth a look for anyone interested in video games and geek culture. If you’ve never read it before, a full archive of the strip’s entire run can be found at the Penny Arcade website. It’s vulgar (the strip is meant for an adult audience), but also extremely clever.

The art is fantastic (and fantastically violent at times), as Krahulik really began to find his stride in 2004. This volume is also home to one of my favorite strips, “The Utility of Rare Erotica.”

While it may be a little inappropriate for kids, older teens and adults who love video games and follow the ups and downs of the industry will love this collection.

Verdict: Highly Recommended