BAG IT AND BOARD IT

As this latest post in the ongoing "Bag It and Board It" series should make clear, we're changing up the format here at the ol' D.D. Following the grand expedition that was "60 Weeks With the Justice League," I'm finally buckling down and getting serious about making some comics of my own, for which this blog should ultimately serve as a home. And with that in mind, I'm moving away from reviews--if you can even classify any of my ramblings in such a fashion. I will, however, keep you all posted, from time to time, on the books I've been reading (and by "books" I mean trades and graphic novels, although maybe at some point I'll toss in some floppies, to boot). This'll take us through the next few weeks; I let "Bag It and Board It" fall to the wayside while I was wrapping up "60 Weeks," and so I've got some catching up to do...

BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2009
Charles Burns: editor
Jessica Abel and Matt Madden: series editors

Tim Hensley, "Shh!"; Daniel Clowes, "Justin M. Damiano"; Peter Bagge, "Artist vs. Artisan"; Kaz, "Underworld Strips"; Doug Allen, "Hillbillys 'R' Dumb"; Aline Kominsky-Crumb, "Why I Write Only About Myself..."; Robert Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb, "Our Beloved Tape Dispenser"; Michael Kupperman, "Indian Spirit Twain & Einstein"; Dan Zettwoch, "Spirit Duplicator"; Matt Broersma, "The Company" (excerpt); Adrian Tomine, "Shortcomings" (excerpt); Mimi Pond, "Over Easy" (excerpt); Art Spiegelman, "The Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@#*!!"; Ron Regé Jr., "Cruddy"; Gabrielle Bell, "When I Was Eleven"; Tim Hensley, "Gropius in 'Ring Tones'"; Gary Panter, "Dal Tokyo"; Ben Katchor, "Disinfected Youth," "Gravel Migration," and "The Wide Riders"; Jerry Moriarty, "Annoyed X Girlfriend," "Dad Coming Down the Cellar Stairs," "Sally in the Public Toilet," "Tree Pee," "Summer Shower," and "Church Miracle"; CF, "Mosfet Warlock and the Mechlin Men"; David Sandlin, "Lo-Bot-O-My-Heart," "Slumburbia," and "Heart of Darkness"; Dash Shaw, "The Galactic Funnels"; Jason Lutes, "Berlin" (excerpt); Tony Millionaire, "Maakies with the Wrinkled Knees Strips"; Sammy Harkham, "Black Death (Chapter Two)"; Chris Ware, "Jordan W. Lint"; Ted Stearn, "Fuzz & Pluck in Splitsville" (excerpt); Laura Park, "Freaks"; Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, "Skim" (excerpt); Koren Shadmi, "Antoinette"; Kevin Huizenga, "Glenn Ganges in Pulverize"; Tim Hensley, "Jillian in The Argument"; Al Columbia, "5:45 A.M."; Gilbert Hernandez, "Papa"; Anders Nilsen, "The Hand That Feeds" (excerpt); Tim Hensley, "Hope Gropius"

FABLES VOL. 10: THE GOOD PRINCE
Bill Willingham: writer
Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, Andrew Pepoy: artists
Lee Loughridge: colorist
Todd Klein: letterer
James Jean: original series covers

FABLES VOL. 11: WAR AND PIECES
Bill Willingham: writer
Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy: artists
Lee Loughridge, Niko Henrichon: colorists
Todd Klein: letterer
James Jean: original series covers

SUPERBOY: THE BOY OF STEEL
Geoff Johns, writer
Francis Manapul, artist & cover
Brian Buccellato, colorist
Steve Wands, letterer
Special thanks to Richard Zajac for Part 5

TITANIUM RAIN Book One
Words: Josh Finney
Visuals: Josh Finney & Kat Rocha
Guest Contributors: Martheus Wade, Emil Petrinic, Michael Colbert, Jules Rivera, Damian Smith


Just a few thoughts while we're here. First, the Best American Comics series continues to impress me (even if I am behind in reading them). Sure, not everything scratches my itch, but the books have consistently introduced me to works I hadn't found elsewhere--and I spend a fair amount of time looking into this sort of thing. Second, Fables is a really, really great series, and I'm ashamed it's taken me so long to get this far--and that I'm still a number of trades behind. Third, I didn't know anything about Superboy before a friend let me borrow this book, and now the character makes a lot more sense to me; the story was pretty damn entertaining, too, although not enough to get me to go out and buy any Superboy material. Finally, Titanium Rain was the sleeper hit out of this pack. Flipping through it in the store, I was a bit put off by the heavy use of photo referencing, but I decided to pick it up anyway, based on the fact that it's published by Archaia, whose books I tend to really, really dig. And boy howdy, I'm glad I did buy it. The story is outstanding, and the art, existing as it does in the almost photo-real uncanny valley, perfectly suits the themes of enhancing humanity with an advanced integration of technology into the body. Wonderful stuff, highly recommended. Book Two can't get here soon enough!


All images this post copyright their respective publishers.