Award-winning Shortcomings cartoonist Adrian Tomine returns to the multiple short story format familiar from early issues of the iconic series. These new full-color stories showcase Tomine's trademark humor and observational skill, making Optic Nerve #12 a great entry point for new readers. "A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture" deftly manipulates traditional comics idioms to tell a story of horticulture, patents, and misunderstood art forms, while "Amber Sweet" is a disconcertingly modern tale about a case of mistaken identity.