Week Fourteen

I read JTHM in high school but when I saw it on the reading for this week I decided to go back and read it all over again to look for anything new that popped out at me. It really is one of the most graphic (gory) comics out there today. The gore factor reminds me somewhat of underground comics and how violent they could be. But JTHM is really something else, Ive never seen another comic that focused and delved so deeply into the conscious of a homicidal maniac. It seems like it should disturb a lot more people than it does. Perhaps this is because people are always entertained and fascinated by violence, blood and sex.

I also read the online comic "The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal". It was surprisingly good. The chapters werent that long but they moved the story forward. It was also nice to see some of the panels without any text and have them slowly lead to panels with them talking. The title fits perfectly, although theres nothing "epic" about what they are doing, the reader is pulled into the story because of the characters themselves. this comic doesnt need fancy drawing or action at every turn. It has its own quiet charm.

Week Thirteen

This week I re-read Watchmen. Its one of my favorites, especially because of the ending. Alan Moore is a genius he takes the generic super heros found in comics and turns them into relatable characters. The ending is amazing because everything up until that point seems like it could happen in actual life, then the ending comes and completely changes all of it. I like the art work, it is a reminder of the older comics with heavy lines and shadows. The paneling is easy to follow, it really helps the flow of the story.

Week Eleven

I read Bones a little bit in high school but I decided to revisit it this week. Bones is probably one of my favorite graphic novels. The characters are all iconic, its hard to forget them one you "get to know" them. Bones is done so well that even though a bug is represented by a triangle, its character and personality are so well done that the reader can easily skip over the fact the it doesn't look like a bug at all. All of the main characters are relatable in one way or another. Bones is simply a good comic to read, I haven't met a person that doesn't enjoy reading it.

Week Nine

Im no stranger to manga but it did confuse me that the readings were supposed to be read left to right instead of right to left like every other manga I have seen. Of course this may have just been the way it was scanned in. My favorite from the list was Blade of the Immortal, I was very fond of the style of the art. I notice that a lot of the older manga has many volumes and seems quite a bit longer than other manga I have seen.

Week Eight

I read "King" this week and was pleasantly surprised that it didnt bore me. Most of the time, if I already know about something I do not want to hear about it again but this put MLK in a different perspective for me. We are all taught about MLK in school and the civil rights movement but how much of that stays with us? "King" takes the audience into the Life of Martin which is something that the history books dont give us.

The three volumes each differ in how they are put together but all three have silhouette characters that remind me a lot of linoleum prints. The drawings are plane like with hard edges, something that is a personal favorite of mine. The third book had more color than the first two. I wonder if it was to add drama and evoke more emotion from the audience when MLK is shot. Not to say that I dont like the color, it is actually one of my favorite parts of the third book. Washes of color over the drawings that set the mood for the panel but dont go too into detail.

Week Seven

Maus is different than any other graphic novel I have read. At first, I was a little bored with it but as the story progressed I found that I really enjoyed reading it. This isnt a light-hearted read that most people think of when they think of comics or graphic novels. However, I dont mind that.

What was really interesting is that, to me, it seemed like the story could be written without the pictures and it would still be interesting. But the illustrations really did make it a compelling read. I liked that Art used animals to deal with stereotypes, it made the character interactions more interesting to me. Using mice and cats was clever, people easily recognize the relationship between them. By using those animals it puts people in the mindset that these two groups of people were really enemies and there is no mistaking it.

Week Six

Underground comics themselves don t shock me, what does surprise me is the fact that they are still around and so widely accepted. I am not a huge fan of the really raunchy comics like "Tits and Clits", I prefer ones like Dirty Duck and Mr. Natural. Neither comic tries to show sex on every panel but instead has a mature humor that keeps me on my toes. Dirty Duck is quick witted and I get the feeling that he's well educated but, he throws that away in favor of being vulgar and sarcastic. I find myself re-reading some of the dialogue just because I didnt quite get it the first time through. I like those comics, raunchy and mature with a quick wit that makes you think.

Week Five

In most graphic novels and comic I see, there are usually test boxes. I found it interesting that in "Contract with God" the text was free floating. Some of the text is also illustrated which you don't see too much of anymore. I like the drawings, they remind me of copper etchings. The first story was interesting, I didnt like the character but I suppose thats okay, I think as long as the author can make you feel for a character they are doing their job.

In the Street Singer, I am particularly fond of the way the singer ignores the Diva's boasting. It made me laugh a little that she was trying so hard and he was just focusing on his food. But then again, he acts like he doesn't care about anything in life except food and booze. Wow, I can honestly say that i didnt like any of the characters but I do like the novel. It does a good job of making you sympathize with the characters then dropping you completely by killing them or making them into horrible people. Its hard to like some of his characters because of this.

Other than being on the fence with the characters I really liked this novel. It shoes the gritty and unpleasant side to life that happens to everyone. I noticed that jews were a common theme throughout the book, did Eisner do that because of the times he grew up in or was it for a different reason.

Week Four

I always did like superheroes so it is no surprise that I liked Plastic Man. The old superhero cartoons have a quirky dialogue to them that I find very charming. They also put in crude situations that makes the comic seem like it is in a world like our own, one that we could go to. Plastic Man is a different sort of hero, he has so many flaws and that is what attracted me to the character.

In almost every adventure comic I can spot the comic relief. They are usually someone chubby and play the goodnatured "village idiot" role. I dont have a problem with it other than the fact that they are all usually the same.

When reading Tin Tin I found that I didnt really like the fact that the dialogue bubbles were pressed right up against each other. It kind of gave me a headache reading it. Also, I suppose I am just not a fan of comics like Tin Tin, for some reason Im just not entertained.