essentially sequentially
Well, it's been quite a while since I added another update to the collection of titles I call my Favorite Comics List. And as I was compiling, shuffling and pruning the new group of entries, I thought a bit about this whole phenomenon.
Although most of my opinions on what's a "favorite" are fairly solid, evolving only slowly over time, there are some which can fluctuate greatly depending on what frame of mind I'm in. A good example of this is The Extremist, written by Peter Milligan. Like much of his work, it plays upon fears of betrayal and losing control of oneself. Like much of his work, it's a clinically precise exploration of a nightmarish world. But unlike much of his work, it's based on a specific reality: San Francisco's kink subculture(s). And his portrayal is highly sensationalized, to say the least. Three of the four main characters do some very harmful things to other people. Though I don't perceive a message that kinky people in general are dangerous or sick, I do think that the more uneasy the reader is with the idea of kink, the more additional impact they'll get out of this story. When I'm feeling generous, I can set my qualms aside and appreciate this comic on the strength of its writing (which is very strong)... and when I'm not feeling so generous, the comic is too damn problematic to enjoy.
While making my original list, I must have been in a forgiving mood, because this book is on it. And since at least part of me still considers it a favorite, it's staying on the list for now. But I may reach the point where I'm just not comfortable presenting that as an example of what I like. Who knows? All is subject to change.
Without further ado, the new additions:
Unterzakhn by Leela Corman
The End of the Century Club by Ilya
Skin Horse by Shaenon K. Garrity and Jeffrey C. Wells
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki
Geoffrey the Tube Train and the Fat Comedian by Alexei Sayle and Oscar Zarate
Special Exits by Joyce Farmer
MiCRA (Mind Controlled Remote Automaton) by Lamar Waldron and Ted Boonthanakit
The #%@*! Coloring Book by Krystine Kryttre
M by Jon J. Muth, adapted from the film by Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou
Spacetrawler by Christopher Baldwin
Forget Sorrow by Belle Yang
Bogie by Claude Jean-Phillipe and Patrick Lesseur
Recipe for Disaster by Penny Van Horn
Army@Love by Rick Veitch and Gary Erskine
Jeff Hawke by Sydney Jordan and Willie Patterson
Superwest by Massimo Mattioli
Gone to Amerikay by Derek McCulloch and Colleen Doran
Tales of the Aniverse by Randy Zimmerman and Susan Van Camp
Although most of my opinions on what's a "favorite" are fairly solid, evolving only slowly over time, there are some which can fluctuate greatly depending on what frame of mind I'm in. A good example of this is The Extremist, written by Peter Milligan. Like much of his work, it plays upon fears of betrayal and losing control of oneself. Like much of his work, it's a clinically precise exploration of a nightmarish world. But unlike much of his work, it's based on a specific reality: San Francisco's kink subculture(s). And his portrayal is highly sensationalized, to say the least. Three of the four main characters do some very harmful things to other people. Though I don't perceive a message that kinky people in general are dangerous or sick, I do think that the more uneasy the reader is with the idea of kink, the more additional impact they'll get out of this story. When I'm feeling generous, I can set my qualms aside and appreciate this comic on the strength of its writing (which is very strong)... and when I'm not feeling so generous, the comic is too damn problematic to enjoy.
While making my original list, I must have been in a forgiving mood, because this book is on it. And since at least part of me still considers it a favorite, it's staying on the list for now. But I may reach the point where I'm just not comfortable presenting that as an example of what I like. Who knows? All is subject to change.
Without further ado, the new additions:
Unterzakhn by Leela Corman
The End of the Century Club by Ilya
Skin Horse by Shaenon K. Garrity and Jeffrey C. Wells
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki
Geoffrey the Tube Train and the Fat Comedian by Alexei Sayle and Oscar Zarate
Special Exits by Joyce Farmer
MiCRA (Mind Controlled Remote Automaton) by Lamar Waldron and Ted Boonthanakit
The #%@*! Coloring Book by Krystine Kryttre
M by Jon J. Muth, adapted from the film by Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou
Spacetrawler by Christopher Baldwin
Forget Sorrow by Belle Yang
Bogie by Claude Jean-Phillipe and Patrick Lesseur
Recipe for Disaster by Penny Van Horn
Army@Love by Rick Veitch and Gary Erskine
Jeff Hawke by Sydney Jordan and Willie Patterson
Superwest by Massimo Mattioli
Gone to Amerikay by Derek McCulloch and Colleen Doran
Tales of the Aniverse by Randy Zimmerman and Susan Van Camp