One of the nice things about having been out of comics until roughly a year ago is all the backlist stuff I get to catch up on. When I hear or read about something interesting, rather than randomly picking a jumping on point, my preference is to go to the beginning of the series and run through the TPB volumes until I catch up. Inevitably I continue reading the series in this form which means I’m perpetually behind whatever the current floppy release is, but I can live with that.
So here, in no particular order, are the some of the titles I’ve been pursuing in TPB, what volume I’m on and my invaluable opinions about the book to the point that I’ve read.
100 Bullets – The first series I took on in this manner. The first three or four volumes have been the gold standard for me in the non-superhero genre but the last couple have been a little bogged down by the depth of the plot and the always increasing character count. I suspect the last 15 or 20 floppy issues (4-5 TPB’s?) are going to absolutely rock and it’s hard to believe we’re nearly three years away from seeing that.
Fables - My current favorite. Will I get in trouble for giving Willingham credit for something worthwhile after his latest gaffe? Nah. I think everyone has enjoyed this book. Of all the series in this rundown FABLES is probably the least original in premise and yet the most fun and absorbing to read. I’m up to volume four but will be picking up five soon. The Wolf is the lynchpin for the story and Willingham handles him deftly but he also manages to instill a huge cast of secondary characters with original voices and it's fun to see how Willingham uses each characters fairy tale roots to shape their personality and role in FABLES. The main story of the Fables -- being run out of their lands by the Adversary -- has a strong Lord of The Rings feel to it, but that's somehow appropriate given the near fairy tale status LOTR is now afforded.
The Losers - Series most likely to be made into an unsuccessful movie. I’ve read through volume three so far and it’s very good but if you were to synopsize this for someone unfamiliar you’d end up ticking off about a dozen standard fiction clichés. It’s to Diggle’s credit that he can take those and spin a solid, intriguing story. Maybe more than any other book, the art sells this one for me. Jock’s got it down; every scene is distinctive, the angles are wonderful, the storytelling perfectly matched to the script. I can’t imagine the book being the same if he were to leave.
Powers - I’ve just read volume one so far. Not a bad story but the damn thing could be a foundation text for decompression. And, egad, Bendis’s dialogue can be distracting. Reading the notes at the end of the book revealed two things I didn’t catch as I read: the city the events are set in is actually named “Powers” which is simply pointless and Bendis was apparently trying for a Noir feel. I guess he failed. If you’re a fan of Film Noir then you know the themes and Bendis misses most of them. Just coloring the book dark and a bit moody isn’t the key, but oh well. I’ll eventually read the other volumes, but I’m in no big hurry.
Sin City - Speaking of Noir. Frank Miller does get there but he hammers you over the head with it. I’m wrapping up volume four currently and will wait to read the others some time later in the year. I give Miller a lot of credit for a visually stunning book but his scripting is unimpressive and his storytelling lacks any sentiment or refinement. I like at least a small amount of wit and elegance in these type of stories and SIN CITY is devoid of that completely.
Queen & Country - I’ve read volume’s one and two. Probably the most intelligent read of this bunch and by far the most nuanced. I haven’t read much by Greg Rucka but I’m going to make a point to change that. Rucka does his homework and it shows in the storytelling. I prefer Brian Hurtt’s artwork to Steve Rolston, it’s grittier and – I know you get in big trouble for saying this – less cartoony. I’ll be interested to see how the other volumes play out with each apparently using a different penciller.
Transmetropolitan - Midway through the second volume on this one and unlike many of the other titles on this list, I can only take it in small doses. It’s good, but Ellis just wears me out in places. Darick Robertson’s artwork is so loaded with iconic twists and sly little winks -- at pretty much everything -- that I find myself flipping through the books just looking at the pictures. Some of it reminds me of old Mad Magazine spreads, which seems intentional but might just be my imagination.
Y The Last Man - Fun. You can see how the success of this book would take people by surprise. Yorick is a strong lead and Brian K. Vaughan has taken some care to explore feminist themes in a plausible, yet not superheated, fashion. Like 100 bullets the book has slowed down a bit under the weight of multiple characters and plot-threads, but it’s one I stay up to speed on and look forward to the next TPB release.
So there you have it. I’m slowly making my way through and having a lot of fun in the process. I can say almost without exception that most of these writers are far more enjoyable in their own venues than they are when they write some established title. I still have several major series to undertake including Gaiman’s Sandman, Preacher and Invisibles and would appreciate any other suggestions.
Kurt, a few thoughts--
SIN CITY--You're absolutely dead-on in your assessment, however what I think makes this fun is sort of a meta-statement: being devoid of wit and elegance is exactly what readers (myself anyway) love about crime noir a la Raymond Chandler and to a lesser (wittier?) extent, Dashiell Hammett.
TRANSMETROPOLITAN--This is what made me fall in love with Ellis. And yeah, I can see how reading the TPB would make you want to take it in small doses. It read much better as a quasi-monthly.
POWERS--Brilliant, brilliant premise. Artwork? To this day I remain unimpressed with Oeming. Too bad Maleev or Lark couldn't have drawn this. Otherwise, yeah, it's pretty much a textbook for decompression, but Bendis really blended noir and capes exceptionally well with this one.
Awesome reviews; I just picked up the first volume of Preacher myself, and hope to compare notes with you on that one as well.
Keep up the good work!
Chris
Posted by: Chris | September 03, 2005 at 02:33 AM
One suggestion: pick up the first volume of the Ex Machina series. Really creative stuff.
Posted by: Chris | September 03, 2005 at 02:34 AM
Thanks Chris. A couple of responses:
Chandler devoid of wit? Bite your tongue. But I'll agree that Miller's doing it intentionally.
I'm definitely finding that some books are best read monthly and some I prefer to read in TPB where slower plotting isn’t so excruciating. Case in point: EX MACHINA. I came into it typically late, picked up the first six issues on eBay and loved it. Then switched to the monthly and couldn’t handle the pacing – I need it in larger doses. So now I’m buying it in TPB. I just have to train myself to ignore that instinct to buy the latest of everything as it hits the shelves.
Posted by: Kurt | September 03, 2005 at 08:47 AM