This column was going to be a huge review of Craig Thompson’s 2003 graphic novel Blankets…but there’s too many awesome comic books out this week!
For those who like titles about real life, beauty, sadness, growing-up, regret, religion, self-fulfillment, family, guilt, anger, shame, love, redemption, the redeemer, and the redeemed then here’s your review: Go Buy It.
If’n you don’t care about that stuff? You know what? YOU go buy it, too. It’s a Harvey and Eisner winner, it was picked as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 NOVELS of all time, giving it the same cache’ as a little title you might have heard of called Watchmen. It’s challenging, it’s haunting, it is a pure work of art.
You know who else likes it? Brian Bendis…and he writes Ultimate Spider-Man. That means Ultimate Spider-Man likes it, too. Both of them. Two out of Two Spidey’s agree: you should go read Blankets.
ANYWHO
BOOM! Studio’s Jenny Finn TP is great for some pre-Halloween fun. T’is a post Hellboy, pre-Del Toro romp of Mignola as writer and mostly Troy Nixley on art telling a creepy story about dockside, lovecraftian intrigue. Tentacle faces, crab eyes, that sort of thing.
Roger Langridge’s The Show Must Go On TP is another “Must-By” hit out of the park for BOOM!
looks cool enough to make me want to buy a Superman Title NOT written by Morrison, and the Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1 is expensive as heck and worth every penny.
Marvel probably thinks their biggest book this week is Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1, but I’m deeply on board with the X-Men fighting giant monsters over in Astonishing X-Men #41. Less so with Greg Pak leaving the Hulk titles with this week’s Incredible Hulks #635, but all good things must come to an end.
IDW has a new collection of Trent Kaniuga’s CREED in CREED: Omnichronos. “Who and or What?” you ask?
Creed is another one of those great, indie boom comics of the late 90’s that gets forgotten about but shouldn’t. Trent himself is an amazingly talented artist with a unique style who seemed to slip through the cracks of the industry…but is due for a come back!
And speaking of little known, forgotten independent comics, IDW has the first issue of their new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series with TMNT #1. YES I’m semi-serious. Based on how Americans consume their media, more folks have seen a Turtles movie or cartoon then have ever read a single issue of the (Real, non Archie) comic book.
Don’t let the identical red bandanas turn you off. There are some moments in classic turtle titles that still ring through the ages… forget about the pizza and the inherent gimmick of the catchy title.
At the end of the day, classic turtles weaves some of the best comic book fight choreography with relatable stories regarding family, truth, honor and living through poverty.
As does Blankets, only without the fight choreography and with talking turtles. For pathos WITH talking turtles but without fights, check out Craig Thompson’s OTHER amazing, must read title, Good-Bye Chunky Rice.
How has the internet existed for this long and nobody has done a Good-Bye Chunky Rice/TMNT mash-up yet?
