a-city-on-mars-now-in-paperback
Explanation
This is a promotional image rather than a traditional comic strip. It shows the book "A City on Mars" by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, with text overlays announcing "OUT TODAY! CLICK TO BUY!" along with "WON A HUGO!" and "ANDY WEIR SAID IT WAS GOOD."
"A City on Mars" is a non-fiction book by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith (Zach being the creator of SMBC) that examines the question of whether humanity should settle in space and whether we have really thought through the challenges involved. The full subtitle reads: "Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?"
The humor in this promotional image is subtle and self-deprecating. The endorsement "Andy Weir said it was good" is a deliberately informal and understated way to reference a blurb from the author of "The Martian," one of the most famous space-themed novels of recent years. Rather than quoting the blurb formally, Weinersmith reduces it to the most basic possible summary. The book winning a Hugo Award (a prestigious science fiction and fantasy award) is also presented in a casual, hand-scrawled style rather than a formal announcement, consistent with Weinersmith's self-deprecating humor. This image was used in place of a regular comic to promote the paperback release.