Silverfish

Listed in "500 Essential Graphic Novels" as: Crime/Mystery (Best of the Rest)
Contains: Silverfish (Original Graphic Novel)
Year: 2007
Publisher: Vertigo
Writer: David Lapham
Artist: David Lapham (w/ greytones by Dom Ramos)

Well, here we are already, faithful Comics Questers!  What's it been?  A little over 12 hours?  I'M BACK ALREADY!!!

That's due in part to the fact that I couldn't put the sensational work that is David Lapham's Silverfish down.  So, let's not waste any more time with nonsense before we tear right into that sucker...

It all starts as good fun.

Mia Fleming is not too fond of her stepmother, and that's putting it lightly.  But her father and stepmother are headed off for a weekend with some friends, leaving Mia and her asthmatic little sister, Stacey, at home.  Mia decides to call some friends of her own and begins venting to them how much she dislikes her stepmother.

They decide to go rifling through Suzanne's (that's the stepmom) things.  The friends decide to start making prank calls to some of the numbers in Suzanne's address book.  The replies they get arouse suspicion.  They look through more of the belongings of this lady who calls herself Suzanne and find large sums of cash, a knife, and all sorts of evidence of a double life.

Finding out this much dirt on ol' "Suzanne", the kids just couldn't leave well enough alone.  They continue making more silly calls.  They may have found the reason that Suzanne seems to be hiding in Daniel, a man that one of the girls taunts and continues to call.  Little does she know that she's probably stumbled across the sickest, most sadistic individual she's encountered in her life...

My experience with this book reaffirms the old adage: "Never judge a book by it's cover."

I didn't want to read this one.  I wasn't excited at all about it.  I looked at the cover and was thinking, "Look at this cover.  Looks like a mom and her child running away.  It's all pink and weird.  It's probably just some mom and her kid running away from some tripped-out... thing and the plot's probably so buried I'll just smash myself in the head with this book after finishing until I die..."

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Coming in at a relatively short 160 pages, this may be the perfect graphic novel.  Lapham gets in, establishes the characters' motives and desires and then grabs the reader, hanging on until the very last panel and never letting go.

The story is, contrary to my anticipations, actually not complicated at all.  The story starts off with just the right amount of intrigue, just a few pages.  Then we shift to getting everything set up as the kids begin finding out numerous things about Suzanne, making the reader more and more uneasy as they begin to flirt more and more with disaster.  Lapham also conveys the insanity of the character Daniel with some very psychotic and disturbing images, but doesn't go over the top with it.  Just right.

The art style is heavy and gritty against black panel borders, the perfect feel for this work in which even the few light-hearted moments are tainted with a sort of uneasy feeling.

In fact, how else can I say it?  What else can I say?  Slim, quick, sharp-hitting, suspenseful, dark, memorable...  Perfect.

I may have already said too much and I'm not gonna spoil any more of this one for you.  If you have any interest at all in crime fiction, graphic fiction, or an absolute suspense story thrill ride, stop what you're doing and go get this now.

Mr. Kannenberg's rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 5
19 down, 481 to go

Next time: We've worked our way up to another Top 10 pick from Mr. Kannenberg's book!  Join me (though I should have done it about a month earlier) as we take a look at The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation.

Stay well until then, folks...  :-)

The Books of Magic

Listed in "500 Essential Graphic Novels" as: Fantasy (Best of the Rest)
Contains: The Books of Magic #1-4 (Mini-Series)
Year: 1990, 1991
Publisher: Vertigo
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson (One issue each)

Hello, faithful readers...

Ahhh...  At last we've reached another one of my favorite creators and authors.  Mr. Neil Gaiman.

It had been ages since I'd read any of his stuff.  Even longer since I wasn't rereading something that I'd picked up that he'd written.  When I decided upon The Books of Magic and came to it in my little reading order I've got arranged for the blog here, I couldn't wait to dive in...  Especially given the premise.

We open with four DC Universe practitioners of magic and the occult (a man in a black coat, John Constantine, Dr. Occult, and Mister E.).  We flash back and forth between shots of these mighty wizards and a young, rather Harry-Potter-on-a-skateboard-looking young boy.  The magicians are discussing the young boy and how "he has the potential to become the most powerful human adept of this age."

Their task, and the premise of this volume, it seems, is to approach the boy (whom we come to know is named Tim Hunter), show him things of the world(s) of magic, and then present to him a choice.  Does he want to have anything to do with magic or not?

Each of the four mages get their turn with Tim (one in each issue, each illustrated by a different, very gifted artist), showing him different realms, explaining to him the histories and nature of magic, and guiding him through all sorts of varying experiences hoping to get him to make the right decision at the end of all their ordeals.

These four issues were simply stunning.

Gaiman takes young Tim from the beginning of time to the end of the universe with these four mysterious characters, touching upon everything from the Judeo-Christian version of the creation of the universe to druidic magicians draped in animal skins to the Egyptians to Merlyn to various practitioners of sorcery from the DC Universe (besides the four guiding Tim) to the absolute end of everything.  The ride itself, as we turn every corner with the young protagonist, is truly something special.  I've never seen such a study of so numerous and varied myths concerning magic.  Gaiman handles each as if he were a grand master himself.

And these various journeys that the guides take Tim on...  Amazing.

We are led through diverse landscapes in plot and artistry as Gaiman makes each issue so unique it could stand on its own.  The artists, though using a similar style to one another throughout, each put their own benchmarks on their art.  They lead us through near psychedelia, dark urban landscapes, faerie kingdoms, and massive cosmic wars.  A breathtaking exhibition...

Another amazing thing about this volume is that this was only the beginning, the warm-up, the getting started...  Tim hasn't even made his choice whether he'll wield the forces of magic yet and Gaiman and the artists wow us again and again in what was basically an introduction to a character that ended up getting another 75 issues to take similar journeys.

We've not seen the last of Tim Hunter here on Best Comics Quest!.  The first volume of the actual ongoing series entitled The Books of Magic: Bindings is here on the list in Mr. Kannenberg's book, as well.  If it's half as good as this one, we're gonna be in for a treat.

This book was a great read and certainly the best of the last few that I've read.  It was also a great return to Gaiman's work for me and something that's got me excited to potentially check out the entire run of The Books of Magic.  If you're even a slight Gaiman fan, are intrigued by the occult, or just down for a great adventure with all sorts of fantasy elements, you'll definitely wanna pick this one up.

Mr. Kannenberg's rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 5
12 down, 488 to go

Next time: SSHHHH!

I'll whisper at you then.  Be well, all...




 

Identity Crisis

Listed in "500 Essential Graphic Novels" as: Superheroes (Best of the Rest)
Contains: Identity Crisis #1-7
Year: 2004, 2005
Publisher: DC
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Art: Rags Morales (Penciller)
       Michael Bair (Inker)
       Alex Sinclair (Colorist)
       Michael Turner (Original Series Covers)

Well, kiddies...  To touch briefly on what I was talking about last post, "Crecy" did not arrive at the library so I could pick it up for review.  With the "Superheroes" genre being one of the more dominant ones in Mr Kannenberg's book and in my collection, I decided to head back in that direction and pick up "Identity Crisis".

I thought I had read this entire book before.  Like the insane person that I am, I went back to consult the list I keep of every book I've read since college.  I didn't finish it...  Which baffles me because having just finished it up within the last hour, I honestly don't know how I could have begun this magnificent story and not read through to the end.

We open with two lesser known members of the Justice League, Elongated Man and Firehawk, sitting atop a tall roof staking out some sort of weapons deal.  The two are discussing some things about members of the league, some myths, things such as that...  Firehawk's just a youngster and Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) is a longtime member of the league.  She's sort of intrigued with all he knows about the more legendary members.

The conversation shifts to Ralph's wife, Sue.  Firehawk wants to know how they met, how they got together, all the romantic, magical, beginning-of-the-perfect-relationship stuff...  And it is perfect.  As Ralph tells the story, we can see how he fell for her, how adorable they were together, how much he loves her, always has, and always will.  He recounts the tales of their love with a sweet smile on his face.

But, as we might have anticipated it was going to, fate and plot would have it that this beautiful thing is going to come to an end.  Ralph gets a frantic call from his wife, Sue, the lady-of-his-dreams that he's just finished telling Firehawk about, and he panics and races to get home to her.

He's too late.

Artist Rags Morales gives that above image of what Ralph finds when he gets there.  His dear wife severely burned and murdered.

The best murder mystery superhero comic since "Watchmen" begins.

Identity Crisis was truly stunning.  It's been quite a while since I've seen a superhero story that portrays the characters as human as it does.  I mentioned "Watchmen" above.  It's likely since then.

In fact, they're so human that you may forget you're reading a superhero comic at some points.  I mean, it's very important to the whole concept of this thing that these people are superheroes, but it's just that: These PEOPLE are superheroes.  Meltzer's smooth characterization and dialogue coupled with the art of Morales, Bair, and Sinclair put me in the discussions that these characters were having and transported me into their world...  More fully than I have been for a long time.

Brad Meltzer employs all of his talents as a mystery and thriller writer and applies it to a superhero setting, as well.  There are several characters looking for Sue's killer the whole time, clues being dropped, and susupense being stirred up all the while.  This was the perfect superhero story for a writer with his skills to do and this mastery, paired with and matched by the art team, combined to make a great story and a great comics series all-around.

And while we're touching on the subject of artwork, Michael Turner's (rest well, sir) artwork on the original series covers was nothing short of absolutely fantastic.

Look at that cover (to issue 2) above.  Have you ever seen Hawkman look more bad-ass?  Wally (The Flash) look more sorrowful?  Ollie (Green Arrow) and Hal (Green Lantern) look more intense?  And what lovely ladies in the front there...

Yes, as I said, I don't know how anyone could start this and not finish.  It was absolutely great.  It's left such a mark on me that I've now got a new superhero comic to recommend to so many of my friends who aren't into the medium.  I think it might even be better than "Watchmen" in that capacity because perspective readers would see some characters that they recognize and instantly grow close to them, feeling their loss, pain, sadness, and humanity.

I really can't fathom anyone not finding at least SOMETHING that they'd like about this book.

My utmost recommendation to comic geek and non-comic-reader alike.

Mr. Kannenberg's rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 5
9 down, 491 to go

Please join me next time when we'll get into "Whiteout", the second "Top 10" pick from "500 Essential Graphic Novels" that I'll be reviewing.

Be well and I'll see you then!

Blankets

Listed in "500 Essential Graphic Novels" as: Non-Fiction (Top 10)
Contains: Blankets (Original Graphic Novel)
Year: 2003
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Writer: Craig Thompson
Artist: Craig Thompson

Well, here we are, gang. 

As outlined in a prior post, I'm going to do a "Top 10" pick from the "500 Essential Graphic Novels" book every fifth book.  This is review number five, so here we go...

With the last couple entries wrapped up, getting little satisfaction out of those books, I began to despair.

Was this first trip to the library picking up a load of graphic novels gonna be a bust?  Maybe I could only enjoy graphic novels of a sci-fi, horror, or superhero nature!  Am I so short-sighted that anything I read in the medium that's outside my comfort zone, I'll automatically pick apart?

These questions and many more plagued my brain as I began to worry about its future not even five books into this little project.  Then I picked up Craig Thompson's "Blankets".

It's a semi-autobiographical work about Craig Thompson (yes, the same guy that wrote the thing).  Unlike Seth in "It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken" (which I previously reviewed), this tale is actually about the author and truly autobiographical.

It primarily tells the tale of Craig Thompson growing up in a strict Christian home, but also touches upon so much more.  The chapters of the nearly 600 page work also show us Thompson's childhood, school life, his relationship with his younger brother, some very unfortunate events of his youth, his first love, his passage into adulthood and multitude other things entwined within the aforementioned.

I'd heard people rave about "Blankets" in several places, picked it up and taken a peek at it in bookstores, and seen the awards that it had piled up.  I'd been skeptical that such a book could ever win me over.  Me, with my love of mind-bending multiple read epics, my love of superhero comics and sometimes explicit horror...  Could a book with this subject matter or this art style hook me?

Oh, man, did it ever.

This book is excellent.  Craig Thompson says he wrote it from the simple premise of what it feels like to sleep next to someone for the first time.  He takes us on a journey in these pages.  The journey travelled seems to be important pieces of his entire life up until the time the book was published laid bare, the beautiful with the visceral, for all of us to marvel at.

This wasn't the first book I reviewed for the blog that used a black-and-white style that was more cartoony than the superhero style artwork that I'm most at home with, but this book and Thompson's work are just on a different plane.

With a relatively simplistic approach, he takes the reader to atmospheres and mindscapes that in hindsight just puts me that much more in awe of the work.  No color, no flashiness, no art team...  Just Mr. Thompson and his sensational work to strike straight to your heart and give you something that you'll likely carry with you for some time to come.

This book was well-deserving of a "Top 10" spot in Mr. Kannenberg's book and may be the best thing I've read for these efforts here on the blog thus far.  A true thing of beauty that gets my utmost recommendation.

Mr. Kannenberg's rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 5
5 down, 495 to go

WE3

Listed in "500 Essential Graphic Novels" as: Science Fiction (Best of the Rest)
Contains: WE3 #1-3
Year: 2004-05
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quitely (Artist)
        Jamie Grant (Colorist & Digital Inker)

Here we go, guys...  The first entry.

First, let me clarify some things and a bit more of the mechanics of how I'm going to move through this "500 Essential Graphic Novels" book.  It's quite simple: Basically, in no particular order. 

The only small bit of order that I am going to follow requires only a bit of explanation.  The book is broken up into ten chapters, each featuring a genre of story.  Each of those chapters has a "Top Ten" section, higlighting the best 10 book in that genre, and a "Best of the Rest" section, listing the remaining featured graphic novels of that section in alphabetical order.

What I'm going to do (at least for starters) is read four (4) "Best of the Rest" books, just hopping around the book in random order, and then a "Top Ten" pick, also in random order.

Make sense?  Now, then...  WE3.

With the first official review of the blog, I wanted to start off with as much as I could with a "something for everyone" kind of book.  Also, Grant Morrison is my favorite author and Frank Quitely is a stellar artist, as well.

We open on what is apparently some sort of upscale mansion/compound. Some big, bad lug is running on a treadmill. There are shady looking characters sitting around everywhere. Drugs, booze and guns are abound.  But if we look closely in the holes in the wall or the heating grates, we see tiny glowing red eyes.

This book focuses on what is referred to early on in the work as "The War of Tomorrow". Treadmill lug and his bad guy friends are apparently those who deserve warring upon because something... some robot-like, crazy, high-tech, mech things are encased in the shadows.  In the next sequence, they bring the hurt to all these guys. Hard.

After carrying out their mission, these extremely efficient, startlingly lethal things (whatever they are, we still can't see them yet) with their crazy robot parts and metal armadillo-like tails are called back to a covert tractor trailer.  The trailer belongs to the U.S. military and these killing machines turn out to be the cutest little dog, cat, and bunny rabbit you've ever seen.

These little guys have been engineered and drastically technologically enhanced for the aforementioned "War of Tomorrow".  A war with no human soldiers, but with what some view to be more expendable animals as the fighting force.

WE3, our three little animal buddies, have done a bang-up job of razing the bad guy compound, but they were just prototypes and will be decommissioned.  The remainder of the book is the story of these three tiny animals' instinct to survive, their valiant effort to fight for that instinct, and the tale of what happens when they do.

At this point you might be thinking, "I thought you said you wanted a book for everyone? This is crazy, sci-fi, futuristic, war crap! Household pets as U.S. soldiers? Come the fudge on!"

This book is anything but that.

I challenge you to make it through even the first chapter without feeling an intense bond with these three little critters.  Morrison has woven genius here, keeping with something that his long-time fans will enjoy (with all the science-y, smart, repeat read-worthy stuff) and also giving us three of the most easy-to-love characters I may have ever seen.

Artist Frank Quitely even bonds the reader to the story right away with the original covers to this fantastic series by making us feel right at home.  You've all seen a flyer for a lost dog haven't you?

That above image is genius.  Giving us something we've all seen to make us feel more at home in this fantastic work.

And while we're on the subject of Quitely's art: this book has art and images like I've never seen.  Look below.  Have you ever seen someone getting shot to shreds look so beautiful?

Or you longtime readers of comics (or readers of sequential art at all): Have you ever seen a panel sequence like the one across the top of this two-page spread?

This was a work where writer and artist worked perfectly together.  It's obvious that Morrison and his script were in the director's chair, but Quitely and Grant execute to perfection in making this thing an experience, not just a "comic book" or a work of sequential art. Morrison tells a story using somewhat less-than-usual dialogue. The first thirteen pages of the story contained no words at all, but evoked enough emotion, aesthetics, and awe to where the reader didn't need anything else.

I chose this one for my first entry because I'd read it before, Morrison is my favorite author, and I love the work. I wanted to give you something that shows that (while I love some superhero stories) comics are more than just musclebound guys in tights.  Comics can be absolute magic.

If this stellar work doesn't show that to you, I don't know what will.

Mr. Kannenberg's rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 5 out of 5
1 down, 499 to go