Comments on: So many comics clogging up the queue!

By: MarkAndrew

MarkAndrew — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:22:20 +0000

And, yeah, it was great. I didn't read it and go "holy shit!" but it kind of parked itself in my head and now that I got it figured out I think it was REALLY well written.

By: MarkAndrew

MarkAndrew — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:53:27 +0000

Y'just knocked Exit Wounds to the very top of my "too read" pile. (Which is getting scary big.)

Polly and the Pirates was cool.

By: Rob Spalding

Rob Spalding — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:22:37 +0000

I've not had a chance to read Mouse Guard yet, though I want to.
I noticed something in the panels you posted in the review, it looks a lot like the Redwall novels by Brian Jaqcues.
If anyone has read both, are they similar in anything but a superficial way?

By: Josh Elder

Josh Elder — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:48:16 +0000

"Josh Elder was kind enough to send us a couple of signed copies earlier in the school year and oh my GAWD you should have seen the reaction in class. I doubt thereâ€™s been such an awestruck reaction to mail since Moses bringing down tablets from the mountain."

That may be the best endorsement I've ever received. I seriously may have to put that on the back cover of the next book.

Glad the kids dig it, Greg! And I may be coming out for the Emerald City con next year -- if so, maybe I can swing by your class for a visit.

By: Tomer

Tomer — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:10:43 +0000

Actually, Rutu Modan is female. It's not the spelling like Aaron said, but a nickname.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:45:31 +0000

Aaron: that's all well and good, but if "Joann" can no longer be considered a purely "feminine" name, why should "Ruth"? Rutu Modan could easily be male. My point remains: pictures help. And I'll apologize again, and point out that the fact that Sfar is a man doesn't change my opinion of the book at all. Mr. Witt: that's actually not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how it would work. Considering I have somewhat catholic tastes (to use a fine word a blogger once used to describe me), I'm not sure if I could narrow it down. I'll have to think about it.

By: Aaron Kashtan

Aaron Kashtan — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:23:49 +0000

I believe that Rutu is the Hebrew spelling of Ruth.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:13:37 +0000

You know, pictures of creators in the books would help with this stupid gender thing. There's a very nice picture of Rutu Modan in Exit Wounds, and I think we can all agree we'd have no idea about her gender if it weren't there. There's nothing at her web page to indicate a gender. I actually did a Google search on Sfar and saw nothing to indicate that he was a man, so I apologize. It's very annoying. And let's be honest, it's not a name like Kristian Donaldson, which could easily be either (he's a man, in case you're wondering, and how did I know that? a freakin' picture in a comic book!), because I've never even considered "Joann" to be a masculine name, even if it is French.

By: Greg Hatcher

Greg Hatcher — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:06:11 +0000

I assure you that kids do indeed love Mail Order Ninja. My students are all OVER that book. Josh Elder was kind enough to send us a couple of signed copies earlier in the school year and oh my GAWD you should have seen the reaction in class. I doubt there's been such an awestruck reaction to mail since Moses bringing down tablets from the mountain. (He made it a trade deal for some of our zines that the kids all signed to him; which endeared him to me completely as a creator. A very nice man.) I thought they were cute and funny books too, but yeah, the manga thing doesn't really do it for me either. I suspect it's some kind of culture-lag thing. For comics fans of my generation the stuff just doesn't look right and the pace is all off. But I am certain that this is my issue and not the fault of the books. I grew up on a denser style of comics page and that's still what I subconsciously look for; even knowing manga doesn't work the same way, it still never quite feels like real comics to me.

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:58:45 +0000

My Brain likes this post, but my wallet is already crying out in pain.

Black Diamond and Three Strikes are definite buys, and some of the others are definite maybe's.

(I already have Mouse Guard. Not quite as wowed as everybody else in the world is, but it sure is pretty).

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:32:55 +0000

Yeah, Greg, next time, if you see the name Joann, just check first. Sometimes it will be a woman, but most of the time it will be a guy's name.

Very nice post, by the by! You got to a bunch of books I, too, haven't been able to get around to reviewing.

By: J To The AAP

J To The AAP — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:03:38 +0000

I leafed through 'Exit Wounds' at the store last time, the premise seemed interesting and the book design is beatiful but the art didn't really work for me. I tend to dislike obvious clear line artists a bit (I even think Tintin is good, but overrated. I'll take Franquin's Spirou stories over any Tintin book any day. I know, I'm a heathen). I'll look into that Camplbell book next time I'm at the store, seems promising.

By: Aaron Kashtan

Aaron Kashtan — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:12:46 +0000

Also, the style that Lartigue refers to as "Tintin-esque" is actually called "clear line."

By: Aaron Kashtan

Aaron Kashtan — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:10:48 +0000

JOANN SFAR IS A MAN, GOD DAMN IT!

By: Lucion

Lucion — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:57:53 +0000

I love the Mouse Guard book. It looks so nice I can't help showing it to everyone, even people that have absolutely no interest in comics. The art is so charming and the mice are full of expression. This handsome hardcover is exactly what this book deserved. Excellent!

By: Mr. Witt

Mr. Witt — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:56:44 +0000

This was a great! post. Thanks for the recommendations.

But. (always one of those.) I am pushing for a bit of background from "my" reviewers (and, yes, i AM just that obnoxious that i DEMAND MOOOORE! More free content!).

I would love it if you could tag on the end of a review/series of reviews, 2 or 3 or 6 of your favorite books, just labeled "faves" or sometheing as a touchstone/reference point for me/us. that way i could better interpret the post: Hmm, this guy likes Wormwood, but also loves Beanworld, i cannot see eye to eye with him. Or, wow, he loves (dont say Moore, everyone loves him) WriterX, and SO DO I!!

yeah, i know, there are reasons not to, and maybe i could think of a few, but that would be arguing for the other side.

summary: i'd love a link/list of faves from all reviewers for context.

thanks in any event,

(oh, and its because i have a wife, child, other child, job, and not much brainpower to remember every reviewer that i read online - and there are LOTS of good ones. i'm getting old.)

By: Tim Callahan

Tim Callahan — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:03:08 +0000

I picked up Less than Heroes at SDCC the year it premiered and it was easily one of my favorite purchases that weekend. Plus, Yurkovich drew me a cool Stamp Collector sketch and said, "nobody ever asks me to draw that character," which is ridiculous, because how can you not love the Stamp Collector?!?!

By: Apodaca

Apodaca — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:58:38 +0000

Mail Order Ninja is printed in the LA Times comics section, and everything I've seen of it is completely incomprehensible and extremely unfunny.

Not great for kids, unless maybe you're teaching them about shame.