Aaron has delved into East Bay history to produce this complex set of interweaving stories. He has done a ton of work on this issue, combining information gleaned from over 40 individuals. The stories are as obscure (to most people) as they are engrossing, and a whole secret history of Berkeley's Telegraph Ave. is revealed. Entrepreneurial booksellers and their long-standing feud, street vendors, and the Symbionese Liberation Army all make appearances. There's also back-story on Cody's Books, Shakespeare and Co., and Black Oak Books. And of course Aaron still manages to personalize it, with a pervasive sense of sentimentality and charm. Although the zine's central focus is on Telegraph, the underlying story is of the complicated relationship we often have with place.

Cometbus #52 introduces us to a new ragtag cast of punks and weirdos, struggling to build a community amongst their own personal troubles. The citizens of sleepy St. Louis attempt to persevere through love and theft and death. Issue 52 explores the idea of support and how often in punk communities, it can appear to be lacking. In the end, your surrogate family is the only family you have left.

After twenty years Aaron returns to his duties as a Green Day roadie and heads to Asia. A few things have changed with the band over this period of time, but, not so much for Cometbus: "Because, you see, I hadn't changed that much. Not enough." The result is a fascinating tour document and an incredibly personal story of relationships reconciling themselves.

After the achievement of cataloging the history of Berkeley bookstores and chronicling his Asian tour with Green Day, this issue beckons back to unique friendships like the one Aaron has had since 1988 in Berkeley with a woman named Yula and a collaborator named Andy as they shift and evolve, involving many entertaining side-plots. It's about Aaron finding himself, casting his interests in stone, and friendships maintained through the post. And it's all held together by a wraparound Jordan Crane cover!