The “extras” to which I am referring are the following sentences, basically.
For obvious reasons I lack the energy to write at length about anything. This stinks, because there’s an awful lot I want to write at length about: my take on Kevin Smith’s Daredevil run, the Postal Service’s album Give Up, how good the last two or three weeks’ worth of Marvel comics were, Jeffrey Brown, the limits and strengths of supercomics and altcomix, and so forth. But I just don’t have it in me. (This also applies to all the emails I owe people–I’m sorry!) I still want to blog, though, for my sanity’s sake, hence this round-up.
If you want to see how thoroughly the Internet influences mainstream comics, check out this Pulse interview with writer Chuck Austen. About half of it is devoted to talking about just how much shit this guy attracts (some of it deserved, some of it not, most of it inane) on message boards.
Ninth Art’s Paul O’Brien points out just how stupid it is for Marvel’s teen-girl-targeted (and quite good) series Emma Frost to have Greg Horn’s painted salutes to Scores girls on its covers every issue. I read this series, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why they couldn’t see that the covers and the content are almost diametrically opposed.
Jim Henley and I disagree about a lot, but this post on the Jesus Castillo case and the role of government is beautiful–the best yet written on the subject. Hear, hear, Jim.
Jim also takes a look at Neil Gaiman’s much-ballyhooed Elizabethan Marvel tale, 1602, and finds it wanting. I see many of Jim’s points, but this seems like too much of a “wait and see” series to cast judgment just yet.
Eve Tushnet offers her usual inspiringly fresh take on several comics, evsicerating one for its sophomoric politics (always a fun thing to do with comics). She also talks about some Daredevil books I recommended to her in her quest for a decent treatment of DD’s Catholicism. She gives ’em mixed reviews, which I’d love to respond to, if I had it in me.
(In the meantime, here’s some more Daredevil recommendations, from Ninth Art. Can’t vouch for ’em all, though.)
Eve’s also discovered what layout is all about, and offers a good introduction for the layman.
Alan David Doane and Big Sunny D doubleteam the Big Two Altcomix Titans, Chris Ware and Dan Clowes. Each offers his thoughts on Ware’s Acme Novelty Datebook (here and here) and Clowes’s Eightball #22 (here and here). Man, EB22–talk about a book you need a lot of energy to, well, talk about!
Sunny also posts on the dangers of shopping for expensive comics when you’re not bankrolled by a major clothing corporation. Apparently this applies to some people.
Alan, meanwhile, links to Sequential Swap, a graphic novel trading site. Seems like a good idea to me, particularly for those who are put off by the steep pricetag of some collections.
Johnny Bacardi liked the Daredevil film more than Eve but less than me. He also offers his own thoughts on the general musings on the maturity and purpose of superhero comics that have been making the rounds these days.
Speaking of which, here’s a lively debate about the superhero genre from the Comics Journal message board, in which superhero fans give as good as they get, and which actually lasted till page four until someone said “Frank Miller is a fascist.” I think that’s a record. (Link courtesy of NeilAlien.)
Bowie Quote Alert at Bill Sherman’s!
Courtesy of Dirk Deppey, here’s a Portland Tribue article on Craig Thompson of Blankets fame. You’ve all read this book by now, right?
Unlike me, Dirk apparently does have it in him to wax thoughtful: He does so on the true ramifications of the Jesus Castillo case, on the politics and purpose of Free Comic Book Day, and on the nature of layout (his recommendation of Scott McCloud’s excellent Understanding Comics is heartily seconded by yours truly, pretentious comicscholars be damned.)
Thanks very much to everyone I’ve linked to. Your inspiring and intriguing thoughts are some of the only things that are keeping my spirits afloat these days. Go, Team Comics.