doclinkin wrote:I like some artists coming out of Brazil, though I haven't yet decided if I like the intentional wackiness of the Ba/Moon team. If you get a chance, check out 'Mesmo Delivery' by Rafael Grampa (due for re-release to a larger market in March).
Do you mean the large torso and anatomy and stuff? Besides that, they can't really help what they draw. Haha Fraction, Way, and Whedon might just like writing crazy stuff for them. And I love reading it. I just love how much nuance they both have in body language and facial expressions, while still being able to draw really incredible and off-the-wall kinetic action scenes. And their designs are really cool. Have you read CASANOVA? Even with only 14 issues and it being some of Fraction's first earliest published material, it is possibly my favorite comic of all time. Not best, just favorite (although it's really, really good).
If you haven't seen, Moon and Bá are coming out with a new 10-issue series called DAYTRIPPER. Starts in January and out of Vertigo. The solicit is trying to sell it off as the next great "indie comic," comparable to the work of Craig Thompson, Paul Pope, and (shockingly to me, more on this further down) David Mazzucchelli.
And re: Grampa, I'll definitely put it on my very long to-read list.
I generally like Brubaker quite well, he never cheats me. Realistic characters, gritty, believable dialogue, plot. His recent run on The Immortal Iron Iron Fist was pretty solid. I like him even better when he's not dealing with capes and tights. I'll definitely track down 'Sleeper' and 'Incognito'. Have read the first three 'Criminal' books and highly recc' em.
I really loved Brubaker's 'NYPD Blue'-esque series 'Gotham Central' about the ordinary flatfoot cops trying to protect and serve in a world with lunatics like the Joker running loose. (Better than the similar themed Michael Avon Oeming 'Powers' series, though that was quite good as well). I also liked Lowlife, his semi-autobiographical indie release about his own early predilection towards crime.
Yeah, Brubaker's one of my current favorites and I've been wanting to read GOTHAM CENTRAL for a long time. I really enjoyed Brubaker and Lark's run on DAREDEVIL, so seeing more of that collaboration would definitely be good. My only concern is this: I don't watch procedurals like LAW AND ORDER on TV for free. Am I paying $10 for what I could get for 44 minutes of my time on USA, but set in the DCU?
I trust that Brubaker, Rucka, and Lark do good work like they generally do, but I'm still a little wary. And there's still A LOT of other stuff I want to read that I'll get to first.
Pretty sure I talked about Asterios Polyp earlier in the thread. Architect loses his apartment in a fire, along with his life's work. Escapes to as far as his pocket money will take him. Tries to rebuild his life from scratch while thinking about why his life and marriage failed.
Visually striking, Mazzuchelli is the first artist I've seen to run with the concepts suggested by Will Eisner's 'Comic's and Sequential Art' -- that the very line you choose and palette you select, even the lettering can suggest the inner emotional life of a character and how they perceive the world.
A remarkable work. I'm curious to see what he writes next, or if he blew his artistic wad on this alone. Doubt it, his draftsmanship and characterization transcends even the cute artistic trick.
Just from the acclaim I've read all over the net, from comics-related sites to the more literary oriented to the more general-pop-culture, I'm shocked Mazzuchelli had it in him to just up and write a classic independent comic. The man's already a legend on the more corporate, superhero side, drawing arguably two of the best stories to come out of DC (BATMAN: YEAR ONE) and Marvel (DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN). But to write something himself that gets so much widespread praise... I'm so impressed and really can't wait to read it. And if I'm as blown away as I hope I am (although I really will have to temper my expectations so that I don't start off with unfair hopes), I wonder what he'll try next.
Just caught a preview of Darwyn Cooke. I'm interested. Good to know. Where'd you hear about it?
I frequent the Bendis Board to get most of my pop culture information. And being Bendis's board, a lot of that "pop culture" isn't actually that popular and is comic-related. But yeah, I read about Cooke doing these adaptations about a year ago, but wanted to read the novels first. But Cooke's adaptation has gotten such rave reviews over the past few months that I'll probably just give it a blind shot soon and read the novels some time over the next year.
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Also finally read all of Grant Morrison's THE INVISIBLES in the past few months, which was an incredible experience. Have you read that, doc? How do you feel about Morrison's work in general? He's gotten up there as one of my favorite creators in any medium ever.
What's everyone reading now (prose or comics)?
I can practically never read any prose I want to read leisurely because I'm taking two English classes, so I have to read two novels every week (this week: Woolf's THE WAVES and Achebe's THINGS FALL APART). So I spend any time I want to spend reading in my free time reading comics. Right now, I'm reading the latest FABLES trade, and next up is BLACK HOLE by Charles Burns. Then probably finally ASTERIOS POLYP.
