Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross - This is the same guy who did Superman; Secret Identity, and wow this one is good too. It retells the early history of the marvel universe, hitting on a lot of the big points (though not necessarily the points I would have chosen). It's cool because, as Busiek points out for himself in a commentary, I didn't read these original stories when they came out, many of them I never read at all. I know them as Marvel lore, but I don't know them in context. I didn't have a timeline in my head of the early marvel universe, so that was cool. Secondly cool, its all from the persepctive of this photographer for a paper. It's a very human and outside perspective. All these stories we read from over the hero's shoulder, kind of omniscient, and at hte very least, with a point of view far above all the people watching from below. In Marvels we watch from below with this guy, you miss most of the action, most of the super-plot, most of the details, but you see how people left behind react, it was really cool. It's like what Frontlines in the current marvel universe should be, but isn't. Lastly, the art is pretty good. It's not precisely my style, it's very realistic with this old-timey sheen to it. But for the story it's perfect, since it seems like a documentary in comicbook form. It's a really good book.
Mouse Guard 1592 - Oh wowwwww! This book was wonderful! I've been putting it off since christmas, I have no idea why, it's the best one I got for christmas! Last night I decided to rearrange the comic book shelf in order of superiority, and this one is 4th or 5th I think. It's a simple story, and it's very short. It's just this little anthropomorphized mouse civilization, protected by the Guard mice against wolves and weasels and such. It didn't seem like it should be that good, I only got it on recommendation. But there is something so simple and amazing about the story, I read it straight through. I don't know how to describe the art style, it's almost folky, kind of inexact, but it fits the feeling so well and it just looks so good. It is short, and it's expensive for it's shortness, it's hard to justify it for an hour of reading. But it is so unique and interesting and pretty, it's totally worth it. I can't wait for the second volume to come out.
Astro City by Kurt Busiek - Same guy as did Marvels and that superman book, and wadaya know, he's still a really good writer. The first 6 issues of this book are just fantastic. He has a way, in both those others I mentioned and in this, of giving completely new spins to the same old stories. He's developed a whole world here, a fleshed out city with a cavalcade of super heroes and villains and citizens, many of whom we meet extensively, but few of which are given any explanation, context, or origin. We are just thrown into this city like we've always lived here. Granted, he relies on a lot of archetypes, fantastic four, dr. strange, superman, wonder woman, batman, etc, so we recognize these characters even if they have different names and costumes. Nonetheless, he tells the story from the perspective of the person living through the battle, or the super villain who gets out of jail and tries to make good, or the super hero who tries to date. Completely unique and captivating stories in a completely standard and normal superhero city, it's really great. After the first 6 the series isn't as solid. There are issues or runs of issues that are as amazing as the first 6, then there are a few that just don't quite do it for me. The last volume had a wonderful perspective, of two brothers on opposite sides of the non-powered law; yet somehow it didn't come together and catch me like other ones did. Nonetheless its a fantastic series and totally worth reading. Just read those first 6 and you'll be hooked.
Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean - Yikes, what a crazy book. This book is a psychological nightmare. The premise is Batman's journey into Arkham, it having been taken over by the patients. It's one of the scariest books I've ever read in a mental sense. The Joker is the most frightening I've ever seen him. The books is very primal and instinctual. Reading Morrison's notes afterward it's clear there's a lot more going on than I'm going to pick up. Like Watchman it's kind of literary with symbolism and repeating themes and all that stuff I generally don't see. But that's not to say it's not good, it's great, it's just deeper than I am. The art is this crazy ass mix of photo reference (and sometimes photos), manic design, violent scattered painting, 30 days of night like blurring and shadows, and more. It's a weird book to read, messes with your head a little bit if you are into it.
Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly - This is a short series, basically about home towns. The main girl strays away from hers and is constantly running out on whatever new situation she's in. The writer and artist both have a love for these small stories, and for these small towns. Maybe I didn't grow up in a small enough town or identify it well enough as home, maybe (definitely) I haven't wandered enough to understand wanderlust, but this book didn't really connect with me. It seemed important, it seemed touching, the pictures he put in the back from readers of their hometowns were really cool. But I didn't read the caption on a single one, and I didn't identify with the main character, and I skimmed through the summation at the end because it seemed boring to me. I don't know, seemed like it would really work for lots of people, just not me.
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