December 27, 2016

SOME COMICS I READ OVER THE PAST YEAR

  • DC Universe Rebirth – This is a weird thing to exist, it’s essentially a straight-up apology for the much-maligned “New 52” reboot from 2011. “Shh, it’s ok, we will never, ever try to make things simpler or more diverse or get rid of a character ever again,” it seems to be whispering. I started reading superhero comics a year after that reboot and while I think there were a lot of problems with it, I also don’t care that not all 900 Batman supporting characters from the before-times made it through, so a lot of the nostalgia appeal is lost on me. The ending made me laugh out loud, gotta admit I never saw it coming.
  • Gotham Academy Yearbook arc – Basically filler material featuring short stories about Gotham Academy characters from artists who don’t normally do superhero stuff, like Zac Gorman. Some of it’s enjoyable but the series is far too new for it to be all self-referential like this, so it feels like doing a clip show after two episodes.
  • Invincible Summer #23/Clutch #26 Split Zine 2015 – This is an annual diary collaboration from Portland zinesters Nicole Georges and Clutch McBastard. I’ve read a few of these before, back when I lived in Olympia and had access to the library’s awesome zine section, and they were always delightful. This one features Liz Prince but only 2 pages of Clutch comics. Kinda disappointing, really.
  • JiruJiru DiaryA delightful series of one-panel autobio manga. I searched for more information on the artist, Nekojiru, and sorta wish I hadn’t.
  • Kelly: The Cartoonist America Turns To – I’m glad that I can physically hold a collection of The Onion‘s amazing editorial cartoons and flip through it, but I was disappointed when I realized it wasn’t a complete collection (to be fair, it’s not marketed as such). One notable omission is the John Edwards one, which to me is the quintessential Kelly kartoon. There is a later one included, so maybe they thought having two on the same subject was redundant, but it’s not as strong.
  • Prez – Great art, great concepts, but it kinda fizzles out towards the end.
  • The Flintstones – This reimagining of The Flintstones from Prez writer Mark Russell is sublime, and I mostly hate The Flintstones. Here’s a sample page to give you an idea.