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The Best American Comics #8
The Best American Comics 2013
The Best American Comics showcases the work of both established and up-and-coming contributors. Editor Jeff Smith—creater of the classic comic Bone, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville—has culled the best stories from graphic novels, pamphlet comics, newspapers, magazines, mini-comics, and web comics to create this cutting-edge collection.
382 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2013
8 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Smith
622 books1,430 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Born and raised in the American mid-west, Jeff Smith learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and watching animation on TV. In 1991, he launched a company called Cartoon Books to publish his comic book BONE, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville. Against all odds, the small company flourished, building a reputation for quality stories and artwork. Word of mouth, critical acclaim, and a string of major awards helped propel Cartoon Books and BONE to the forefront of the comic book industry.
In 1992, Jeff’s wife Vijaya Iyer joined the company as partner to handle publishing and distribution, licensing, and foreign language publications. In the Spring of 2005, Harry Potter’s U.S. publisher Scholastic Inc. entered the graphic novel market by launching a new imprint, Graphix with a full color version of BONE: Out from Boneville, bringing the underground comic to a new audience and a new generation.
In 2007, DC Comics released Smith’s first non-creator owned work, SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, a four-part mini-series recreating a classic serial from comic’s Golden Age. Between projects, Smith spends much of his time on the international guest circuit promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.
Born and raised in the American mid-west, Jeff Smith learned about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and watching animation on TV. In 1991, he launched a company called Cartoon Books to publish his comic book BONE, a comedy/adventure about three lost cousins from Boneville. Against all odds, the small company flourished, building a reputation for quality stories and artwork. Word of mouth, critical acclaim, and a string of major awards helped propel Cartoon Books and BONE to the forefront of the comic book industry.
In 1992, Jeff’s wife Vijaya Iyer joined the company as partner to handle publishing and distribution, licensing, and foreign language publications. In the Spring of 2005, Harry Potter’s U.S. publisher Scholastic Inc. entered the graphic novel market by launching a new imprint, Graphix with a full color version of BONE: Out from Boneville, bringing the underground comic to a new audience and a new generation.
In 2007, DC Comics released Smith’s first non-creator owned work, SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, a four-part mini-series recreating a classic serial from comic’s Golden Age. Between projects, Smith spends much of his time on the international guest circuit promoting comics and the art of graphic novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 16, 2013
About the best one could hope for, given the editorial direction this shitty anthology has taken in recent years. This year, not every single excerpt is about womens' violent relationship with sex. I, for one, applaud the decisions to admit some excerpts which do not primarily deal with womens' violent relationships with sex. Of course there are images of knives being pressed against penises, depictions of men as rapists, men beheaded by women, kidnapping of women by men for sexual purposes, men devouring women entirely after they have served their sexual uses to men...in short the same old shit we have come to expect -- men as violators and harmed womens' revenge fantasies. But as I said, NOT EVERY EXCERPT HERE FOCUSES ON WOMENS' VIOLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH SEX -- there are a few stories that are just stories. So, in sum, NOT EVERY EXCERPT FOCUSES ON WOMENS' VIOLENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH SEX.
October 31, 2013
I'm always happy to see a new volume in this series. Whether one agrees that these are literally the "best" comics of the year or not, it's certainly at least an anthology of excellent work. Styles tend to skew more towards the arty, but if you don't like a particular piece, just skip to the next one. Some of these are excerpts from longer works, some of which I'll have to track down and read. Sad to see that Jessica Abel and Matt Madden are stepping down as series editors as these anthologies have really thrived under their guidance. Looking forward to the next one. Only a year to go ...
December 29, 2013
Each year, I look forward to this anthology with anticipation. The featured guest editor for the year, can greatly influence one's experience of the books' selections as a whole. The last several years have featured such luminaries in the field from Lynda Barry to Neil Gaiman.
This year featured Jeff Smith of "Bone" fame, though a few of the selections were excerpted from books I had already become familiar with during the year, the biggest let down were the scant number of artists I was not familiar with. These on the whole sadly, I found dull and uninspiring.
The best part was the cover art of the guest editor on the back of the book! That was worth a chuckle.
This year featured Jeff Smith of "Bone" fame, though a few of the selections were excerpted from books I had already become familiar with during the year, the biggest let down were the scant number of artists I was not familiar with. These on the whole sadly, I found dull and uninspiring.
The best part was the cover art of the guest editor on the back of the book! That was worth a chuckle.
August 29, 2014
Yep, another great collection. Most of the pieces I liked the most I already knew, although a few surprised me. I really liked Smith's criteria for picking inclusions. And it's nice to have small chunks of less comfortable works to try out.
Overall standout: Sam Alden - I've asked the library to buy one of his books.
Oh, and it's nice to be reminded of how much I like Terry Moore.
Overall standout: Sam Alden - I've asked the library to buy one of his books.
Oh, and it's nice to be reminded of how much I like Terry Moore.
August 24, 2020
A mixed bag.
A couple of good bits by great authors but overall, Jeff Smith's picks are very safe which makes this anthology kind of boring.
A couple of good bits by great authors but overall, Jeff Smith's picks are very safe which makes this anthology kind of boring.
December 1, 2013
Here is my history with comics: as a young child, I read a lot of Harvey Comics, such as Richie Rich and Baby Huey. Then I graduated to Archie, and finally to superheroes (I was a Marvel guy), and I collected those until I was in my '30s. But the world of comics is much larger than the mass commercialism of those lines.
Therefore it was nice to check The Best American Comics 2013, where there is no Archie nor anyone in spandex or a cape. Edited by Jeff Smith, the book is a cornucopia of different styles, with something for almost anybody.
However, there is an inherent problem. Many of the comics selected are excerpts, which means we only get a few pages of a much larger work. Either the excerpt is too short to grab much context, or one is left wanting more. Also, as with any collection with this many selections, some of them left me scratching my head.
I suppose my favorites were those that were most traditional; Craig Thompson's Habibi, which is kind of an Arabian Nights story; Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson's Story Time, which is in the form of a fable told by and to dogs; Tony Puryear's Concrete Park, a gritty urban crime tale; and Terry Moore's Rachel Rising, the one that I would most likely check out in its entirety.
There are also some terrific history-based comics in here, such as Colleen Doran, Derek McCullough, and Jose Villarrubia's tale of an Irish pirate queen in Gone to Amerikay; Derf Backderf's My Friend Dahmer, about the serial killer's youth; Joseph Lambert's Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller; and Paul Pope's vigorously researched 1969, about the Apollo 12 moon landing.
There are also some cute and quirky comics that are like daily funnies. The best of these is Evan Dorkin's Fun Strips. My favorite is the "Rejected Make-a-Wish Applicants": "I'd like to take as many with me as possible;" "I want Katy Perry and instructions on how to do love to her;" and "I wish to taste human flesh." Gabrielle's Cody is a great comic short story that has the look of Robert Crumb.
There are some in here that I just didn't get at all, such as Michael DeForge's Manananggal and Kate Beaton's Velocipedes. Some had good stories but shaky art, such as Leela Corman's Unterzakhn and Eleanor Davis' Nita Goes Home.
By far the best selection in the book is the very first one, Alison Bechdel's excerpt from Are You My Mother? Bechdel writes and draws memoir comics, and this one is about her relationship with her mother, incorporating the psychoanalytical theories of Donald Winnicott, A Little Night Music, and Middle English poetry. I just might have to get the entire book, as Bechdel may be the best comic book writer working today.
Therefore it was nice to check The Best American Comics 2013, where there is no Archie nor anyone in spandex or a cape. Edited by Jeff Smith, the book is a cornucopia of different styles, with something for almost anybody.
However, there is an inherent problem. Many of the comics selected are excerpts, which means we only get a few pages of a much larger work. Either the excerpt is too short to grab much context, or one is left wanting more. Also, as with any collection with this many selections, some of them left me scratching my head.
I suppose my favorites were those that were most traditional; Craig Thompson's Habibi, which is kind of an Arabian Nights story; Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson's Story Time, which is in the form of a fable told by and to dogs; Tony Puryear's Concrete Park, a gritty urban crime tale; and Terry Moore's Rachel Rising, the one that I would most likely check out in its entirety.
There are also some terrific history-based comics in here, such as Colleen Doran, Derek McCullough, and Jose Villarrubia's tale of an Irish pirate queen in Gone to Amerikay; Derf Backderf's My Friend Dahmer, about the serial killer's youth; Joseph Lambert's Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller; and Paul Pope's vigorously researched 1969, about the Apollo 12 moon landing.
There are also some cute and quirky comics that are like daily funnies. The best of these is Evan Dorkin's Fun Strips. My favorite is the "Rejected Make-a-Wish Applicants": "I'd like to take as many with me as possible;" "I want Katy Perry and instructions on how to do love to her;" and "I wish to taste human flesh." Gabrielle's Cody is a great comic short story that has the look of Robert Crumb.
There are some in here that I just didn't get at all, such as Michael DeForge's Manananggal and Kate Beaton's Velocipedes. Some had good stories but shaky art, such as Leela Corman's Unterzakhn and Eleanor Davis' Nita Goes Home.
By far the best selection in the book is the very first one, Alison Bechdel's excerpt from Are You My Mother? Bechdel writes and draws memoir comics, and this one is about her relationship with her mother, incorporating the psychoanalytical theories of Donald Winnicott, A Little Night Music, and Middle English poetry. I just might have to get the entire book, as Bechdel may be the best comic book writer working today.
October 27, 2013
FAVS THIS YEAR
Jesse Jacobs THE DEVINE MANIFESTATION OF A SINGULAR IMPULSE
James Kochalka AMERICAN ELF
Eleanor Davis NITA GOES HOME
Malachi Ward TOP FIVE
Derf Backderf MY FRIEND DAHMER
Laura Park GEORGE
Kate Beaton HARK! A VAGRANT
Evan Dorkin FUN STRIPS
Michael Kupperman SCARY BATHTUB STORIES
Jeremy Sorese LITTLE HEART
Jesse Jacobs THE DEVINE MANIFESTATION OF A SINGULAR IMPULSE
James Kochalka AMERICAN ELF
Eleanor Davis NITA GOES HOME
Malachi Ward TOP FIVE
Derf Backderf MY FRIEND DAHMER
Laura Park GEORGE
Kate Beaton HARK! A VAGRANT
Evan Dorkin FUN STRIPS
Michael Kupperman SCARY BATHTUB STORIES
Jeremy Sorese LITTLE HEART
December 31, 2013
BAC is always a mixed bag, and there were some pieces I really didn't like this time around (still trying to wrap my head around the inclusion of James Kochalka strips from 2008...). But there were some amazing pieces by Vanessa Davis, Eleanore Davis, Gabrielle Bell, and Jesse Jacobs to name a few.
June 9, 2015
Closer to a 3.5, but very, very good for a collection. Some familiar artists, and some I've earmarked for me to become familiar with :D
I look forward to the other collections and some of the other stories/authors they can expose me to.
I look forward to the other collections and some of the other stories/authors they can expose me to.
November 21, 2014
Did not enjoy the selection as much this year.
February 7, 2024
Of all the volumes of this series that I’ve recently read, this is the one I’ve liked the least. Should I blame Jeff Smith? Probably.
September 30, 2018
This collection was pretty average. There were some that I loved and some that I detested, but most of them were sort of just "meh." I found myself gravitating towards the tremendously dark, cryptic, and weird ones.
My favorites were:
The Divine Manifestation of a Singular Impulse by Jesse Jacobs, Turn Back by Sam Alden, Manananggal by Michael DeForge, The Good Wife by Sophie Goldstein, and The Strange Boy by Derf Backderf.
I would love to check out more from those above. I already know I ADORE Michael DeForge's artwork, as I've read other things by him, but it's cool to have found some other people to research.
Everything else just seemed so bland and "safe," like some cartoonists were afraid to push the envelop with their art. There were a large amount of excerpts, so maybe in the context of the larger work the stories got better. However, if this is supposed to be a collection of the "best" and if you give me a plain, boring-ass excerpt then I'm going to have to pass on the main body of work the excerpt came from. I'm glad I found a few that I liked though, you never really know what to expect when diving into a big collection like this.
Not gonna bother with individual summaries, some didn't even really have much of a plot and were more there to evoke a feeling, but here's a breakdown of my scores for each section:
70 Nights of Pleasure- 2 stars
The Story of Gráinne Ní Mháille- 3.5 stars
American Elf- 1 star
You Lied to Us!- 2.75 stars
Story Time- 4 stars
Raiders- 3 stars
1912- 3.5 stars
A Husband and a Wife- 2.5 stars
Mirror- 2.5 stars
The Speaker- 4 stars
The Divine Manifestation of a Singular Impulse- 5 stars
Turn Back- 5 stars
Manananggal- 5 stars
The Good Wife- 4 stars
Four Comics- 3.5 stars
Nita Goes Home- 2 stars
Concrete Park- 3 stars
Top Five- 3 stars
The Strange Boy- 4.5 stars
A Killer Surprise- 4 stars
George- 4 stars
Velocipede- 3 stars
Fun Strips- 1.5 stars
Saints in the Store- 2 stars
Scary Bathtub Stories- 3.5 stars
Cody- 3 stars
In the Rough- 1 star
Love Me Forever! Oh! Oh! Oh!- 4 stars
Discipline- 3.75 stars
1969 2.5 stars
My favorites were:
The Divine Manifestation of a Singular Impulse by Jesse Jacobs, Turn Back by Sam Alden, Manananggal by Michael DeForge, The Good Wife by Sophie Goldstein, and The Strange Boy by Derf Backderf.
I would love to check out more from those above. I already know I ADORE Michael DeForge's artwork, as I've read other things by him, but it's cool to have found some other people to research.
Everything else just seemed so bland and "safe," like some cartoonists were afraid to push the envelop with their art. There were a large amount of excerpts, so maybe in the context of the larger work the stories got better. However, if this is supposed to be a collection of the "best" and if you give me a plain, boring-ass excerpt then I'm going to have to pass on the main body of work the excerpt came from. I'm glad I found a few that I liked though, you never really know what to expect when diving into a big collection like this.
Not gonna bother with individual summaries, some didn't even really have much of a plot and were more there to evoke a feeling, but here's a breakdown of my scores for each section:
70 Nights of Pleasure- 2 stars
The Story of Gráinne Ní Mháille- 3.5 stars
American Elf- 1 star
You Lied to Us!- 2.75 stars
Story Time- 4 stars
Raiders- 3 stars
1912- 3.5 stars
A Husband and a Wife- 2.5 stars
Mirror- 2.5 stars
The Speaker- 4 stars
The Divine Manifestation of a Singular Impulse- 5 stars
Turn Back- 5 stars
Manananggal- 5 stars
The Good Wife- 4 stars
Four Comics- 3.5 stars
Nita Goes Home- 2 stars
Concrete Park- 3 stars
Top Five- 3 stars
The Strange Boy- 4.5 stars
A Killer Surprise- 4 stars
George- 4 stars
Velocipede- 3 stars
Fun Strips- 1.5 stars
Saints in the Store- 2 stars
Scary Bathtub Stories- 3.5 stars
Cody- 3 stars
In the Rough- 1 star
Love Me Forever! Oh! Oh! Oh!- 4 stars
Discipline- 3.75 stars
1969 2.5 stars
May 31, 2017
3.6 Stars
This is a good anthology by Jeff Smith, creator of Bone (which was pretty cool, loved by many, but could have been better) and RASL, which wasn't that great.
A bit more than half of the selections were, in my humble opinion, Ok to Amazing, while the remaining 4o% or so ranged from Crap to OK.
The overall theme seems to be: weird.
Here are my favourites:
'Mirror' (Excerpt) from Are you my mother? by Alison Bechdel
- Sophisticated, heavy, lesbian mother/daughter relations. Fascinating and makes me want to read the full one for sure.
'The Speaker' from Dark Horse Presents by Brandon Graham
- Weird and Original
'Divine Manifestation' (Excerpt) by Jesse Jacobs
- I've read the full version already. Very weird and thought-provoking.
'Turn Back' (Excerpt) from Haunter by Sam Aulden
- A cool water colour hunter/hunted adventure comic
'Manananggal' from Whatthingsdo.com by Michael DeForge
- Super-weird mind-bending alien sex/parenting bizarre-o stroink
'The Good Wife' by Sophie Goldstein
- comfort-stretching, disturbing, intriguing weirdness
'Story Time' from Dark Horse Presents by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
- Fun micro-fantasy
'1912' (Excerpt) from Unterzakhn by Leela Corman
- An interesting look at early 20th Century Jewish female life and culture
'A Husband and a Wife' from Kramers Ergot by Sammy Harkham
- Weird and gory to point of being somewhat funny and corny
'Scary Bathtub Stories' from Tales Designed to Frizzle by Michael Kupperman
- Pretty darn funny, in part because I also have an ambivalent relationship with the taking of baths
('My Best Friend Dahmer' is a great GN on its own too, with an excerpt featured here)
May 25, 2025
I've already read a bunch of these at this point but it's still nice to revisit some of these. Terry Moore is always at the top of my reading list even though he's popular enough to not need to be in here. Still Rachel Rising was a terrific series. Then you've got Alison Bechdel, Craig Thompson Colleen Doran, Even Dorkin, Jill Thompson, Faith Erin Hicks, Derf Backderf and Kate Beaton to name a few. Check this out and then check out their books.
September 18, 2023
I likes some of the other collections better but this was alright. Highlights for me:
Cody by Gabrielle Bell
Rachel Rising excerpt by Terry Moore
My Friend Dahmer excerpt by Derf Backderf
The Divine Manifestation Of A Singular Impulse by Jesse Jacobs
Haunted excerpt by Sam Alden
Friends With Boys excerpt by Faith Erin Hicks
Cody by Gabrielle Bell
Rachel Rising excerpt by Terry Moore
My Friend Dahmer excerpt by Derf Backderf
The Divine Manifestation Of A Singular Impulse by Jesse Jacobs
Haunted excerpt by Sam Alden
Friends With Boys excerpt by Faith Erin Hicks
February 12, 2020
I have read many of these anthologies and this is by far my favorite. I went on to read and enjoy many of the works featured in it an always share it with someone who wants to get into graphic novels/comics!
October 26, 2017
Good volume.
February 21, 2018
With few exceptions, I didn't connect to these comics. They were violent, depressing, or dull.
March 1, 2018
Some of them were interesting but most of them did nothing for me. I had hoped to find someone work that I really liked but hadn't seen before. But no such luck, what a shame.
June 10, 2018
I picked this book up because of Kate Beaton’s illustration on the cover and ended up finding some new authors/illustrators
January 27, 2020
Lots of good stuff
May 29, 2021
So fun to see a variety of stories and styles. Great way to find other titles and authors to explore.
January 14, 2022
As with nearly any compilation, I enjoyed some of it, but not all.
March 25, 2022
3.5. There are some really stellar comics in here, but then there are some that feel juvenile or dated.
September 20, 2024
A great collection of comic. Some better than others, but an enjoyable read for the most part. Much of the art was very good.
August 10, 2016
(review in progress)
tldr: the first half of this anthology generally sucked; the second part was enjoyable overall.
First of all, the cover and inside cover art is SPLENDERIFOUS. I mean, that's why I checked out this anthology and was even looking forward to reading it. (Seriously, I can't get over the cool inside cover illustrations.)
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel (excerpt)
"No" describes my reaction to this excerpt and the title. I think I must be too stupid to read these kinds of comics because I swear I didn't understand half of it.
The Speaker by Brandon Graham
Interesting, but sometimes things seemed unclear and a little scrambled. Kind of cool.
The Divine Manifestation of a Singular Impulse by Jesse Jacobs
Duly creepy (that cat thing...) and sometimes delightful (dinosaurs and furry things!). Sometimes I was unsure what the dialogue was supposed to be because it was one long phrase with no punctuation.
Haunter by Sam Alden (excerpt)
Art not really my thing. Story seems like it might be interesting.
Manananggal by Michael DeForge
Mind-effery...so also, no. I disliked this one.
The Good Wife by Sophie Goldstein
Interesting and creepy. Suspends reality for a bit.
Habibi by Craig Thompson (excerpt)
Hey, this excerpt could redeem this lackluster (and by lackluster, I mean creepy and far off the map and not in a good way) anthology so far. Cliffhanger, but still awesome. So much detail in every panel. Stunning, really. I want to get around to reading this (if I could just find it at my library).
The Story of Gráinne Ní Mháille by Colleen Doran and Derek McCulloch (excerpt)
Amazing art. The excerpt makes me want to read more.
American Elf by James Kochalka (excerpts)
Some of it is funny and enjoyable, some of it isn't.
You Lied to Us! by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado (excerpt from Giants, Beware!)
This is a great little excerpt that involves three kids hunting for giants.
Story Time by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
I really like this comic (and the dogs are so cute). The art is amazing and the story easily fits into a few pages (which, in my opinion, takes a lot of skill). This is the kind of stuff I was expecting when I checked out this book.
tldr: the first half of this anthology generally sucked; the second part was enjoyable overall.
First of all, the cover and inside cover art is SPLENDERIFOUS. I mean, that's why I checked out this anthology and was even looking forward to reading it. (Seriously, I can't get over the cool inside cover illustrations.)
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel (excerpt)
"No" describes my reaction to this excerpt and the title. I think I must be too stupid to read these kinds of comics because I swear I didn't understand half of it.
The Speaker by Brandon Graham
Interesting, but sometimes things seemed unclear and a little scrambled. Kind of cool.
The Divine Manifestation of a Singular Impulse by Jesse Jacobs
Duly creepy (that cat thing...) and sometimes delightful (dinosaurs and furry things!). Sometimes I was unsure what the dialogue was supposed to be because it was one long phrase with no punctuation.
Haunter by Sam Alden (excerpt)
Art not really my thing. Story seems like it might be interesting.
Manananggal by Michael DeForge
Mind-effery...so also, no. I disliked this one.
The Good Wife by Sophie Goldstein
Interesting and creepy. Suspends reality for a bit.
Habibi by Craig Thompson (excerpt)
Hey, this excerpt could redeem this lackluster (and by lackluster, I mean creepy and far off the map and not in a good way) anthology so far. Cliffhanger, but still awesome. So much detail in every panel. Stunning, really. I want to get around to reading this (if I could just find it at my library).
The Story of Gráinne Ní Mháille by Colleen Doran and Derek McCulloch (excerpt)
Amazing art. The excerpt makes me want to read more.
American Elf by James Kochalka (excerpts)
Some of it is funny and enjoyable, some of it isn't.
You Lied to Us! by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado (excerpt from Giants, Beware!)
This is a great little excerpt that involves three kids hunting for giants.
Story Time by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
I really like this comic (and the dogs are so cute). The art is amazing and the story easily fits into a few pages (which, in my opinion, takes a lot of skill). This is the kind of stuff I was expecting when I checked out this book.
July 30, 2014
Fantastic!
I partly blame Best American Comics for making me quit conventional superhero comics. And this is a good thing. Have you read the standard DC/Marvel fare as of late? It's the same boring old thing over and over again. Some person with a psychological problem gets bestowed with silly unexplainable powers , wears tights and goes about overcoming their problems by fighting unrealistic criminals. The plots are all the same, the endings all the same, the characters all laughably the same and as soon as everyone notices, the series ends and reboots. And something tells me it's been this way for a while, I've just been too blind to see it.
On the other hand, we have indie comics. Best American Comics collects SOME of the indie comics that have come out in the US over the course of a year (it's impossible to review EVERYTHING and they admit to this right in the intro). So, when you don't have tons of money getting thrown into an art form and don't make it all about selling, what do you get? Well, you get distinct, beautiful, original, exciting, challenging, heartfelt and down to earth comics. It doesn't even matter whether these comics are truly "the best." It just matters that they are great. And boy are they ever. Standouts are many, but the selections by Jesse Jacobs and Leela Corman come to mind. I will certainly be checking these guys out.
Do yourself a favor and discover the other world of comics out there. The real one.
I partly blame Best American Comics for making me quit conventional superhero comics. And this is a good thing. Have you read the standard DC/Marvel fare as of late? It's the same boring old thing over and over again. Some person with a psychological problem gets bestowed with silly unexplainable powers , wears tights and goes about overcoming their problems by fighting unrealistic criminals. The plots are all the same, the endings all the same, the characters all laughably the same and as soon as everyone notices, the series ends and reboots. And something tells me it's been this way for a while, I've just been too blind to see it.
On the other hand, we have indie comics. Best American Comics collects SOME of the indie comics that have come out in the US over the course of a year (it's impossible to review EVERYTHING and they admit to this right in the intro). So, when you don't have tons of money getting thrown into an art form and don't make it all about selling, what do you get? Well, you get distinct, beautiful, original, exciting, challenging, heartfelt and down to earth comics. It doesn't even matter whether these comics are truly "the best." It just matters that they are great. And boy are they ever. Standouts are many, but the selections by Jesse Jacobs and Leela Corman come to mind. I will certainly be checking these guys out.
Do yourself a favor and discover the other world of comics out there. The real one.
December 23, 2013
A random grab at the library from the display shelf. Some of them are great. Some should come with a tab of acid. Some I want more of. I would subscribe to Evan Dorkin's Fun Strips if I could. Maybe I can but his website is down right now. Cartoonists don't get e-tailing I guess. Actually it looks like all of Live Journal is down right now. That's what you get for dealing with the Russians!. Kate Beacon's Velocipede is delightful. Elanor Davis's Nita Goes Home is an pleasing mix of styles/genres/themes or whatever. I'm going to hunt down and finish the rest of Tony Puryear's Concrete Park.
Skipped a few of the long/boring-looking ones but I'm sure they would have been good in some way.
Skipped a few of the long/boring-looking ones but I'm sure they would have been good in some way.
December 22, 2013
This years mammoth Best American Comics, 2013 anthology (edited by by Jeff Smith, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden this year) contains some wonderful complete works and some excerpts that peaked an interest as well. It's a perfect book for me due to my lack of time available to seek a lot of these artists and books out. I enjoyed the fact there were more female artists included this year, (like the except from Alison Bechdel's excellent, autobiographical "Are You My Mother? and Eleanor Davis' "Nita Goes Home").
There are so many great artists in this edition but a true standout is Terry Moore's creepy and beautifully inked, "Rachel Rising" (An excerpt is included here). I read earlier this year that the books are being adapted for a television series and I certainly want to read the books before this happens..
There are so many great artists in this edition but a true standout is Terry Moore's creepy and beautifully inked, "Rachel Rising" (An excerpt is included here). I read earlier this year that the books are being adapted for a television series and I certainly want to read the books before this happens..
January 22, 2016
Yeah, these books are always a lot of fun. This one had a few misses, but also a few great comics which I really enjoyed: "The Strange Boy" (about Jeffrey Dahmer), the goofball "Scary Bathtub Stories," the sort of warmly morbid "Cody," a meditation on marriage called "Love Me Forever! Oh! Oh! Oh!," and the depiction of the second lunar landing in "1969."
But a special mention to Joseph Lambert's "Discipline" about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. His depiction of the sensory world as experienced by a young Helen Keller is brilliant in the way it uses the medium of the comic. A bit difficult to describe, but if you check out the comic you'll immediately get what I'm saying.
Anyway, there's a lot of other good stuff in this compilation, as well. If you're into comics-as-literature (I never exactly know how to refer to this genre...), I suspect it's already on your radar.
But a special mention to Joseph Lambert's "Discipline" about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. His depiction of the sensory world as experienced by a young Helen Keller is brilliant in the way it uses the medium of the comic. A bit difficult to describe, but if you check out the comic you'll immediately get what I'm saying.
Anyway, there's a lot of other good stuff in this compilation, as well. If you're into comics-as-literature (I never exactly know how to refer to this genre...), I suspect it's already on your radar.
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