Comic Book Marathon

Hm, quite late, but at least I got to read most of my purchases already. Next weeks column will be similarly late, since I will be out of town.

PLOT: SECRET STORY OF PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION

Will Eisner, in his final graphic novel, attempts to right an injustice against the Jewish people. This nonfiction graphic novel tells the story of a series of faked documents that "proved" of a Jewish plot to overthrow late 19th-Century governments. Apparently, these documents are still circulated around the world as "evidence" of a Jewish conspiracy, and have been used many times in the past justify anti-Semitic policies. While Eisner may get his point across, the result is not especially entertaining.

The problem with this graphic novel, I think, is that when writing about a nefarious conspiracy to defame, the author needs to be careful not to embellish or deviate from proven facts. Otherwise, the writer would be partially guilty of the same sort of truth distortion that his subjects are. Eisner seems to acheive this impartiality, but at the expense of an interesting narrative. The book is as dry and unartistic as a statistical pamphlet. Perhaps this novel will stand a testament of Eisner's belief in fairness and justice, but unfortunately it remains a poor example of why the man is considered a master of the sequential arts.

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST Vol 2

This series is turning into quite a nice surprise. Nothing particularly groundbreaking or new here, just a solid adventure story about a young man and his brother who are on a quest to restore their humanity after an alchemy experiment goes wrong and causes them to change from flesh to metal. A variety of a colorful alchemists and enemies keeps the series light, while the underlying quest gives the series a dark undercurrent reminiscent of The Fugitive and Cowboy Bebop. Highly entertaining and engrossing.

AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS Vol 1

More silly surrealism in the vein of Scott Pilgrim and Street Angel. But is it as successful as those groundbreaking projects? The problem with this kind of thing is that it isn't very deep, so if it doesn't grab you right away, it falls pretty flat. I would put this in the "flat" category (especially when the zombies show up, ugh) but there's a definite sense of inventiveness here. So, kinda neutral, but enough to look out for the second volume. [Full issue #4 online]

SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL #6 (OF 7)

It's a fine tradition.

STEVE DITKO READER Vol 3

Gone missing at my shop. Should be in next week. *sob*

Other Stuff of Interest

DAREDEVIL VS PUNISHER #1 (OF 6) - WFTT, David Lapham's year of the mainstream continues...

VILLAINS UNITED #3 (OF 6) - WFTT. I also heard that Suicide Squad might be showing up in the new Justice League cartoon? Hmmm...

Y: THE LAST MAN #35 - WFTT. For better or for worse, Brian K. Vaughan may be the most consistent mainstream writer in the business. I tend to think it's for the better.


"You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste the afterlife?"