Things I have read recently
I've been in quite a bad, unfocussed way for a little while now, so I have been reading a lot of books with pictures and other things that don't hurt my brain too much. These are some of them:
The Escapists by Brian K. Vaughn which, unlike Michael Chabon Presents The Escapist isn't Escapist stories but a comic book set in the same 'place' as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. A young man uses his inheritance to buy the rights to the long dormant character of the Escapist and with the help of his best friend and the girl he has a crush on, tries to launch his own take on the character. It's much better than the concept makes it sound - and Michael Chabon includes a little forward about Sam and Rosa at a comic convention in the '80s which is worth the price of admission all by itself.
Time Masters: Vanishing Point written by, uh, Dan Jurgens, I think? It is a BOOSTER GOLD related limited series and also ties into the Return of Bruce Wayne and I don't care. For some reason, Hal Jordan and Superman are also involved. Why? Does Hal Jordan even have his own solo title anymore? Does anyone care if he does? It is the most comic booky comic I have read in ages. There are people riding dinosaurs and stuff.
Day Tripper is a wonderful breath of fresh air in comics in general and the indie scene in particular. By Brazilian twin writer-artist team Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, each issue looks at a point in the protagonists life and is basically impossible to explain without spoiling it. Beautiful and unique.
Black Paradox by Junji Ito. EVERYONE LOVES JUNJI ITO. Only one translated chapter/story floating around, but if I understand correctly, it's going to be about people who meet in a suicide-focussed chat room and then try to off themselves only to have things somehow go horribly wrong? The one chapter out was really quite good, and less vomit-inducing horror than some of Junji Ito's other stuff (I AM LOOKING AT YOU VOICES IN THE DARK).
GOTH by Otsuichi and Ooiwa Kenji. Shoujo-ish character designs with intense blacks and whites and very little in between. About two high school students who bond over their morbid fascination with serial killers, while one fantasizes about murdering and dismembering the other. WHOLESOME (it is not wholesome but it is pretty good).
Sugiru 17 no Haru by Fuyumi Ono. A really well done countryhouse mystery/ghost story. Quite lovely to look at, the few standard fare chapters are worth it for the gradual weirdness they allow to build before things get particularly awful for a pair of siblings visiting their widowed aunt and her son.
Zashiki Onna by Mochizuki Minetaro. A terrifying woman starts stalking a university student when he makes the mistake of looking out to see who's pounding on his neighbour's door. Really good. It has the sort of art that makes you think the mangaka could only draw stories about creepy, distorted human beings in horror stories.
Mike by P.G. Wodehouse. CRICKET. I think I'll go enjoy some of that right now, actually.
The Escapists by Brian K. Vaughn which, unlike Michael Chabon Presents The Escapist isn't Escapist stories but a comic book set in the same 'place' as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. A young man uses his inheritance to buy the rights to the long dormant character of the Escapist and with the help of his best friend and the girl he has a crush on, tries to launch his own take on the character. It's much better than the concept makes it sound - and Michael Chabon includes a little forward about Sam and Rosa at a comic convention in the '80s which is worth the price of admission all by itself.
Time Masters: Vanishing Point written by, uh, Dan Jurgens, I think? It is a BOOSTER GOLD related limited series and also ties into the Return of Bruce Wayne and I don't care. For some reason, Hal Jordan and Superman are also involved. Why? Does Hal Jordan even have his own solo title anymore? Does anyone care if he does? It is the most comic booky comic I have read in ages. There are people riding dinosaurs and stuff.
Day Tripper is a wonderful breath of fresh air in comics in general and the indie scene in particular. By Brazilian twin writer-artist team Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, each issue looks at a point in the protagonists life and is basically impossible to explain without spoiling it. Beautiful and unique.
Black Paradox by Junji Ito. EVERYONE LOVES JUNJI ITO. Only one translated chapter/story floating around, but if I understand correctly, it's going to be about people who meet in a suicide-focussed chat room and then try to off themselves only to have things somehow go horribly wrong? The one chapter out was really quite good, and less vomit-inducing horror than some of Junji Ito's other stuff (I AM LOOKING AT YOU VOICES IN THE DARK).
GOTH by Otsuichi and Ooiwa Kenji. Shoujo-ish character designs with intense blacks and whites and very little in between. About two high school students who bond over their morbid fascination with serial killers, while one fantasizes about murdering and dismembering the other. WHOLESOME (it is not wholesome but it is pretty good).
Sugiru 17 no Haru by Fuyumi Ono. A really well done countryhouse mystery/ghost story. Quite lovely to look at, the few standard fare chapters are worth it for the gradual weirdness they allow to build before things get particularly awful for a pair of siblings visiting their widowed aunt and her son.
Zashiki Onna by Mochizuki Minetaro. A terrifying woman starts stalking a university student when he makes the mistake of looking out to see who's pounding on his neighbour's door. Really good. It has the sort of art that makes you think the mangaka could only draw stories about creepy, distorted human beings in horror stories.
Mike by P.G. Wodehouse. CRICKET. I think I'll go enjoy some of that right now, actually.