Assorted Graphic Novels - 10.20.07
Collections of comics I Should Have Read Sooner Than This.



Castle Waiting - Linda Medley

This is one I'd been meaning to read for a very long time. I'd always heard it was good and I'd occasionally seen bits of it and thought the art was nice. But now that I've read it... I don't know what took me so long to get around to it.

I got the collected volume, which was excellent, as this allowed me to read everything all at once. And it's quite a story - though not because it's particularly epic or action-packed or intensely dramatic. Rather the opposite, really: it's about daily life and ordinary people. There are no prophecies to fulfill, no quests to undertake, just people and their relationships, which are, for the most part, full of love and good humor. That may sound boring, but it's absolutely not. Medley writes so deftly; her touch is light and yet full of remarkable depth of honesty and emotion, and the friendships she describes resonate with wonderful warmth and reality.

She also has quite an unusual cast - for those who aren't familiar with the stories, Castle Waiting is populated by a motely assortment of characters who bear echoes of fairytales, some with a very clear heritage, while others are more subtle, offering only tantalizing hints as to where they might come from. Yet the world and the personalities in it feel entirely solid and cohesive; there is no feeling of haphazard mashup, but instead a sense of a fully realized place with history and depth.

Somehow, the wild variety of the characters and the bizarre nature of their lives is treated as completely ordinary, and therein lies the greatest and loveliest power of these stories. The focus is not on the strangeness of the people or the differences among them, but again, on their mundane interactions and how very human they are, despite what they may look like or do. Minor arguments, homely romances, innocent mischiefs - Medley writes of these things with gentle keenness, and her art - clean and deceptively simple inks - works perfectly with her words. Indeed, the visuals have the clarity and elegance of the European style, and the incredible expressiveness of the characters gives further testimony to Medley's understanding of people.

Castle Waiting is a beautiful work, and I suppose I am trying exceptionally hard to convey this because I know a lot of people will denigrate it as "girly" or somehow dissmissive because it's not full of angst and violence and Edgy Stuff. (And don't get me wrong; I quite enjoy said Stuff and usually cringe at being labeled girly in any way.) But I believe that there needs to be more stories in general and more comics in particular that find value in the emotions and relationships that Medley deals with. Sometimes it's the small things that really matter, especially since they're what all of us can relate to.



Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 - David Petersen

I mentioned this when I first saw it at Comic-Con 06, and now the single-issue comics have been collected into a very fine book. The premise is simple, and rather reminiscent of classic Redwall: mice have a semi-medieval civilization in a dangerous world, and thus, there's the Mouse Guard, the protectors of the people (so to speak).

I'm afraid I found the story quite formulaic, and the characters rather bland. The writing is serviceable, but certainly nothing at all extraordinary. However, the art is absolutely incredible. Delicate, intricately textured inkwork, with rich, earthy colors - it's a real pleasure to look at. From what I've seen, the quality of the art from Archaia Studios Press seems to be quite splendid, and I'm really glad Mouse Guard got the treatment of proper publication, as it makes for a gorgeous book.

So the verdict is writing: C, art: A+



Invincible, ultimate collection, volumes 1 and 2 - Kirkman, Walker, Ottley, Crabtree

Another series I'd been meaning to read for a while, mostly because a friend had frequently raved about it with zeal. And dang, she was right, this stuff is brilliant. Now, I don't care for the tights-and-capes crowd much at all. And the highschool-student-with-secret-powers-and-job thing is one of my absolute least favorite scenarios. Invincible, as a teenage superhero, has both these ingredients. But! I love this comic now. *Note: Vague spoilers to follow.*

First off, the art rocks, even though there was a change of artist. But Walker and Ottley both have an extremely strong, crisp style with holds a perfect balance between realism and stylization. There's also a fantastic ability to command both goofy humor and brutal violence, which is essential for something like this.

This comic is remarkably well written, and especially so given the genre. The standard superhero story is classic and/or ancient history, and at this point, even "new takes" (such as Making Super-ness Ordinary ala comedic mockery and juxtaposition, or Subverting The System ala cynical and angst-ridden skewering) now seem trite. But Kirkman is thoroughly aware of all this, and dances with cliches without stumbling into those pitfalls himself. Sure, there's plenty of sly humor as well as doses of dark grimness, but overall, the comic has a fresh and creative feel.

Admittedly, it wasn't completely extraordinary at first, but that made the later developments far more startling. I can't remember the last time I was so completely surprised by a plot twist. And the best part was, it worked. There's no sense of cheap thrills, just serious, intelligent storytelling. And the art is an integral part of that. I mean, that typically goes without saying in the comic medium, but Invincible stands out as an example of really knowing how to use the visuals for visceral - and often quite devastating - effect.

But besides being a truly impressive series, it's also a ridiculous amount of fun. From the little jokes in the drawings to the parodies in the characters, it's so entertaining. (It does help if one has some familiarity with comics, DC in particular, but my knowledge is far from comprehensive and I certainly enjoyed it.) As an additional bonus, these "ultimate" collections have lots of behind-the-scenes sketches and commentary, as well as neat extras like guest art and scripts. Definitely ideal for both fans and newcomers.



Usagi Yojimbo, volumes 20 and 21 - Stan Sakai

This has been such an important comic to me, I sometimes forget that other people might not know it. But reading these two books (which I hadn't gotten to before) reminded me how totally outstanding this is, and man, I have got to make sure everyone is at least aware of these stories. For the unaquainted, Usagi is a ronin, a masterless samurai in Edo Japan. He is also a rabbit. The entire world is populated by anthropomorphic animals BUT this is not about furries; in fact, the animal aspect of the casting is generally secondary to everything else. The people who write the forwards to these collections - usually highly regarded writers themselves - always stress this point. I suppose some people might look at the animal characters and assume the stories are therefore "for kids" or otherwise not to be taken seriously. But that's hardly the case.

Sakai is a master storyteller and consumate artist, and combined with his extensive historial knowledge and detailed period research, he is one of the very best creators in comics I can possibly think of. Usagi Yojimbo has intense action and lyrical stillness, political intrigue and innocent humor, and thrumming through it all, the kind of heart and soul one so rarely finds these days in any medium.

The characters are, of course, a major part of this - especially the recurring ones, who grow and devlop as the storylines go on. There's an immense complexity to the series, as plots and people become intricately interwoven; and yet, it all flows naturally, never feeling overly entangled. This seemingly effortless simplicty with underlying complication also fits the titual character.

Usagi himself is a the epitome of the calm, thoughtful warrior, possessing a ferocity of skill matched only by his compassion and humility towards others. He is a true and honest Good Guy, which in these postmodern times might seem unbelievably naive and dull. But it's the reasons behind his behavior and the history that shapes his personality that makes him a really interesting and strongly developed character, well worth following through the continuing series.

Each book can stand alone, and most of the stories can be read individually as well (they are intitally released as single-issue comics), but I think it's extremely gratifying to read the books in order. You get to appreciate the richness of the stories through a wider lens; while each piece is excellent, it's even more impressive and exciting to see the bigger picture.

Some side notes: I'd highly recommend starting with the first book and progressing from there; although the early art is quite different (and it's often tempting to begin with the latest, coolest-looking work), it's still very solid. Also, this is NOT manga - no big shiny eyes, chibi deformation, etc. Just because it's a comic about Japanese things, doesn't mean it's manga, yanno? However, there are occasional references that are little "extras" if one is at least somewhat familiar with Japanese pop/historical culture; for example, the characters of the popular samurai manga/tv series Lone Wolf and Cub and Zatoichi appear as "Lone Goat and Kid" and "Zatoinu", respectively. It's not necessary to know these things to enjoy the stories, but they are fun if you recognize them.

Oh, and just's you know, Stan Sakai is one of the nicest comic guys I've ever met. I saw him both years I went to Comc-Con and he was so cool. I couldn't really do anything except stammer incoherently, but he was really gracious and friendly and even drew me sketches. Awesome!