Why don’t you like Blankets, P.Gabby?
If you like Ghost World, then you should check out Clowes’ other works. My favorite is David Boring. I’ve also read some of his anthologies, and those are worth reading and buying as well. The one book of his that I didn’t like was Ice Haven - that was a little too damn pretentious, even for me. Or maybe I’m just not as pretentious as I thought I was. I wonder if goody’s read it.
Other alternative comics with a similar sensibility to Clowes’ work might be Adrian Tomine’s stuff. Start with Sleepwalk and Other Stories, and then Summer Blonde and Other Stories. His longform book is called Shortcomings, and that’s a favorite of Clinty and me. Also check out comics from this dude named Seth. My favorite of Seth’s is a book named Wimbledon Green. And how about Black Hole by Charles Burns? You ever read that?
Here’s some stuff I’ve read over the past week or so.
The Kents - It’s a western set in the past of the DC Universe. As you can infer from the title, it’s about Superman’s Pa’s ancestors taming the west. Although I didn’t think it was necessary to tie in this epic story to Superman, I understand that the writer (John Ostrander) probably HAD to do it because this was originally serialized by DC back in the '90s, and they needed a hook to boost sales. Despite its tenuous and superfluous connection to Superman’s heritage, this is a damn fine book. Art’s by Tim Truman and Tom Mandrake. It’s hella dense, too - each issue probably took me 15 minutes to read, and the TRADE, BABY collects the entire 12-issue maxi-series. This is possibly the best western genre comic I have ever read, and just an amazingly-produced comic. Ostrander’s a really underrated writer, and I think this could be one of his best works ever.
American Widow - This is a recent alternative/indie book that’s been garnering quite a bit of attention lately. It’s an autobiographical story about a woman who lost her husband when the towers were destroyed. The narrative is kind of a story about their love, her husband’s life, and what happened to her in the days, weeks, and months following his death. It gets pretty intense at times, but… Dammit, I don’t wanna intentionally sound like a jackass but there are parts of it that I thought were kind of repetitive to read. For example, the writer portrays the Red Cross and other aid workers and aid agencies in a very negative way. I’m not saying it didn’t happen that way, but as I was reading I couldn’t help but feel she was trying to make some sort of political statement or something. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. You all should check this book out anyway. It’ll probably win some awards at the next Eisners or Harveys. The art is exceptional for an alternative comic.
The Last Defenders - I’m a Joe Casey whore. I don’t care if this book is a spin-off of Civil Initiative bullcrap. I never really got into the classic Defenders, despite Silver Surfer’s presence on the team back in the really old days. I think the writing style was just too old-school for me and I just never got motivated to get into that comic. The Last Defenders probably pays tribute to the legacy of the Defenders but it’s also got the staple Joe Casey subversiveness. I can never criticize the craft of a Joe Casey comic because he always knows how to do something interesting. The artwork is also impressive. It’s by Jim Muniz, and I thought his stuff on Marvel Knights 4 a few years ago was complete garbage. He has really improved a hell of a lot. I can’t even tell it’s the same guy! Now his style kind of reminds me of a cross between Ed McGuinness and Paco Medina. It’s got a very nice vibe with Casey’s story, which is sort of an atypical superhero team story that tries to trick you into thinking that’s your average, run-of-the-mill team book.
Crossing Midnight volumes 1-3 - Finally picked up volumes two and three a couple days ago, so I sat down, reread volume one, and read the final two books. It’s just such a shame this book was canceled. It does have an ending, and it is satisfying in many ways, but you can just tell that there’s more to told. Volume three feels more like the end of a key chapter or arc than it feels like the end of an entire saga. Even so, this is still my favorite Vertigo book of the late 00’s. There was nothing else like. It’s a unique take on Japanese folklore, family life, and relationships. Think of… Hellboy, but crossed over a bit with FAAAAAAAAABLES!!!1, Gaiman’s Neverwhere, and Japan.
Incredible Hulk: Dogs of War - This was the Paul Jenkins/Ron Garney run from the late '90s or early 2000s. The art was surprisingly excellent, and the story was mildly entertaining. Truthfully, I probably enjoyed it more than I should have because I found it for two bucks a used bookstore. That’s a good deal for a nine-issue TRADE, BABY in my opinion, especially if it’s written by Carpet Lint’s favorite author. The story was basically a psychological exploration of the Hulk’s different personalities followed by him beating the crap out of rogue government agents trying to take him out. So, typical Hulk, but entertaining, solidly crafted, and only two bucks.
