EVERYTHING BUT IMAGINARY #180: RETURN OF THE BEST COMICS I'VE NEVER READ

[Blake Petit]

Periodically, we here at Everything But Imaginary Global Headquarters find a new comic that just blows our minds – something that we’ve never read before that makes us foam at the mouth and rush out to tell everybody to start reading. Sometimes we can’t find anything really worth reading, so we open ourselves up to suggestions from you, our Highly Educated Readers. And sometimes we do both at the same time, like this week. Astonishingly, it’s been almost a year since I wrote one of the columns in this theme, and friends, that’s far too long. On September 14, 2005, I recapped some of the new comics I read while evacuating from Hurricane Katrina in The Best Comics I’ve Never Read – Evacuation Edition. Today, it’s a much more benign column. Today it’s simply more of the best comics I’ve never read.

If you’ve never read one of these columns before, the rules are simple. I’m going to name some comic book stories – restricting myself to those comics currently available in collected form, either hardcover, paperback or digest – that I’ve never read and always wanted to, or that I’ve heard good things about. I’ll also name a few stories that I have read but most of you haven’t… and you should.

What sparked the idea to return to this topic is actually our own Adam Chapman, who did a fine job of discussing the classic Spider-Man story Kraven’s Last Hunt in last week’s When Worlds Collide column, and I realized that I’ve actually never read this classic story. For you who may not have read it either (or Adam’s column – shame on you), this is the final showdown between Spidey and his old foe Kraven the Hunter, who decides that to defeat his old enemy, he must become him. Spidey winds up six feet under and Kraven takes on his name. It’s pretty grim as far as Spider-Man stories go, but this six-part story by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck has long been considered a classic. To my eternal chagrin, it came out only just before I really started reading comics big-time, and I’ve never managed to track down copies. Fortunately, Marvel just released it as the first in a line of hardcovers of classic stories remastered with new colors and better production values, for the relatively low price of $19.99. I’ll try to track this down and add it to my collection soon.

Another comic I want to discuss was recommended to me by Everything But Imaginary Special Correspondant Chase Bouzigard, who made me very jealous by attending Dragoncon in Atlanta this past weekend. While at the convention, Chase was lucky enough to have a conversation with David Lloyd, best known to comic book fans as the artist of the classic V For Vendetta. What you may not know, however, is that Lloyd is the creator of a recent original graphic novel published just weeks ago by Dark Horse Comics. Kickback is described as a “crime noir thriller” that… oh, why don’t I just let you read the solicit from Dark Horse themselves?

Joe Canelli is a crooked cop working in a corrupt police force. Joe is haunted by nightmares of powerlessness. When his partner is brutally murdered and he's betrayed by his colleagues, it appears that Joe's nightmares are coming true. With his back against the wall there's only one thing he can do-turn against the criminal network that he once embraced.

So that sounds pretty nifty. I like a good crime drama, and this certainly sounds like it fits the bill. This 96-page original graphic novel was released in hardcover for $12.95.

Darren Aronofsky is quite a storyteller. His film Pi was a very quirky, unique sort of science fiction thriller, Requiem For a Dream was gripping and horrifying, and when his name was bandied about as a possible director to reinvigorate the Batman franchise, I thought he would make a good choice. Christopher Nolan wound up getting the job (and did a fan-freaking-tastic job, I must say), and Aronofsky went on to start work on a new film which wound up being a comic book first. The Fountain, released earlier this year from DC’s Vertigo imprint, tells three unique stories. In the past, a Spanish Conquistador seeks the Fountain of Youth to preserve eternally his love for Queen Isabel. In the present, a scientist seeks to cure the woman he loves from a deadly cancer. In the future, a space explorer tries to save a tree that represents his late wife. And all three of these stories, apparently, are about the same man. This sounds very bizarre, but very good, and I very much want to read this story before I see the movie, which will be coming out fairly soon.

I also find a urge to read one of the lesser-appreciated creations of Jack “King” Kirby. Marvel recently released a hardcover omnibus of his entire run on The Eternals. Now my interest, admittedly, is spurred by the current (very good) miniseries by Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr., but that doesn’t make the interest any less genuine. For all of the King’s great creations, the Eternals have always struggled to find their place in the Marvel Universe. (This is due in large part, no doubt, to the fact that Kirby never actually intended them to be a part of the Marvel Universe proper, but I digress.) I’ve read a lot of different takes on the Eternals over the years, but I’ve never read the original. Now that the new version is firing on all cylinders and Marvel has seen fit to re-release the original, I think it’s high time to do so.

Now for a few comics that I’ve read, but I doubt most of you have. Consider this your required reading assignment. I’m an English teacher, I can do that sort of thing. Most of you, by now, have heard my frequent and unabashed praise for Don Rosa’s epic The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. In this twelve-chapter tale, Rosa used bits and pieces of stories told by Scrooge’s creator, the legendary Carl Barks, to compose a deep, rich life story for the character. The result is an adventure comedy unparalleled in modern comics. Superb writing, beautiful artwork… I stand by what I said about this in my original review of the trade paperback last year: “This is one of the best comic book stories ever told, and if it starred guys in spandex instead of feathers and spats, it would already be spoken of in the same breath as Watchmen, Marvels and Kingdom Come.”

“Yeah, Blake, we know,” you’re saying. “You’ve got a thing for Ducks. We’ve heard it before.” Phooey on you. Do I go to your column and start heckling you? But regardless, I’ve got something new for you. Rosa’s work was so epic that, as it turned out, he couldn’t quite stop at those twelve chapters. After the “Life and Times” storyline ended, he would occasionally go back and tell another tale of Scrooge’s youth, stories that took place in-between the chapters of the original story. Gemstone comics has now collected all of those stories in a new volume, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion, that coincidentally is available today! This book contains all of Rosa’s in-between chapters as well as two other stories that don’t quite fit the framework, but very much fit the theme. “Of Ducks, Dimes and Destinies” is a story in which Scrooge’s nemesis Magica DeSpell travels back in time to steal Scrooge’s first dime from him as a youth. Then, in “Dream of a Lifetime,” the insidious Beagle Boys steal a device to enter Scrooge’s dream and wind up battling Scrooge through a series of adventures from his incredible life. I’ve read all of the stories in this volume, but that’s not going to stop me from picking it up and loving it. Rosa is one of the single finest storytellers in comics today, and everybody who likes a good story should get this graphic novel.

Before we move on from the Disney comics, though, I want to give a little love to Byron Erickson and Giorgio Cavazzano’s incredible graphic novel Walt Disney’s World of the Dragonlords. A few years ago these two were commissioned by Disney’s German publisher to write a twelve-part fantasy serial starring Huey, Dewey and Louie. This graphic novel was the result. The boys, along with Scrooge and Donald, get sucked to another dimension where a race of troll-like monsters have enslaved humans and dragons alike in a quest for domination. The ducks get separated and, on their own, each start to help the resistance. This really is a unique fantasy story and a unique Disney comic, and fans of either really should pick up this wonderful story.

Finally, I’m going to throw out some love for the great Jeff Smith. His epic fantasy adventure Bone has long been a favorite of mine, and I’ve recommended it even before it concluded its 55-issue run. Some of you may not have read that story yet. Well, now you’ve got three ways to read it. First of all, there’s the original nine trade paperbacks which together collect the entire series. Each of these go for about twenty dollars and collect about six issues of the comic. It’s a great story, but if you haven’t read it yet, are you willing to shell out $180?

How about $40? Smith has re-released the Bone: One Volume Edition, a single mammoth volume collecting the entire series for a fantastically low price. Or is your problem that you just can’t get into black and white comics? No more excuses, pal. Scholastic has begun re-publishing the series in a line of $10 digest-sized full color volumes. The first four are available now, with five to go. No more excuses, guys. Read this comic.

So those are my picks – comics I’ve never read, a few I have. So now it’s your turn. Go out and read these comics and report back. Or – and this is the fun part – you can give me a reading assignment. What are some comics that you think are just the bee’s knees, but that haven’t gotten the audience they deserve? Again, try to restrict your recommendations to books currently available in collected form (just makes it easier to get a hold of the full thing), but other than that, the sky’s the limit. Let’s share some recommendations, gang. Let’s get reading.

Favorite of the Week: August 30, 2006

I was kind of nervous about this comic, because whenever anyone tries to “update” the original Captain Marvel, the results seem somewhat disingenuous, but the first issue of Judd Winick and Howard Porter’s The Trials of Shazam! made it to the top of my reading pile last week. Winick has a surprisingly strong grasp on the character, and Porter has tried a new art style that just blew me away. If the rest of this 12-issue series is as good as this first issue, Captain Marvel may well just fight his way back onto the A-list.

Blake M. Petit is the author of the superhero comedy novel, Other People's Heroes, the suspense novel The Beginner and the weekly “Think About It” humor column at Think About It Central. His new comic, Evertime, is coming soon from Tightlip Entertainment. E-mail him at Blake@comixtreme.com and visit him on the web at Evertime Realms.

[Terry Verticchio]

Here's some more incentive, Blakey.

I remember when the Kraven story came out (God, I feel old) and I collected the entire series. I should go back and read it again.

I collected Bone for a while and the final issue, but I guess $40 is pretty cheap for the entire series.

Great column, as usual.

[Andrea Speed]

The Fountain, released earlier this year from DC’s Vertigo imprint

I reviewed that when it came out in hardback - http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/sho...light=fountain - and as you can see, I liked it very much.

It is bizarre, and highly so - you may have to think about it, especially the ending - but by god, it's a kick in the gut.

[DocDoom]

After the first time you mentioned the Scrooge McDuck book, i went and bought it. It was really cheap considering the page count (17.99 or 14.99.. i think) and it is a long read.. long and meticulous... i think it took me a whole month to read it (of on and off reading), and i read the text pages after each issue.. and it is one of the best character studies i have ever read. The duck family allways stood out among the Disney character for me.. but now they are my favorites by a mile!!!! I went to Disney World after i read the book, and i took all the pictures i could of the duck-related things over there.. http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?i...hot0268wr0.jpg and i freaked when i saw Donald walking around!!!!
And the reason i picked it up was because of your suggestion...

Thanks Blake!!

A+ for me!!

[Blake Petit]

Glad to hear that, Doc!

That does mean you're going to get the new volume, right?

[DocDoom]

Yeah, that and the Ducktales DVD's.. is season 1 out yet???

[Blake Petit]

Yep -- came out a few months ago. Although it's separated into "volumes" rather than seasons. With a daily syndicated show, the first season was a full 64 episodes, which is what you need for daily syndication. The first DVD volume has about the first 25 episodes... although for some unfathomable reason, it DOESN'T have the five-part miniseries that LAUNCHED the series!

[chrismozer]

Eternal weren't meant to be part of the Marvel U.?? That's news to me.

[AmazingMattMan]

iv been ordering the colored bone books from scholastic and those are pretty sweet. except for the fact that i ordered vol2 over a year ago and i havent heard anything about it

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by chrismozer

Eternal weren't meant to be part of the Marvel U.?? That's news to me.

Originally, no. But Marvel wanted it to be part of the universe, so they started to filter into the other stories, especially elements like the Celestials, and voila.

So does anyone have any recommendations for ME? That's my favorite part of these columns.

[Duodenum]

Godland isn't the most underground comic, especially to a 200 buck a week comic book reader like you! However, I don't recall ever seeing it on your lists any week, so if you haven't read that i'd do so immediately! It reminds me of Lee+Kirby SOOOO much

[Croyd Crenson]

So does anyone have any recommendations for ME? That's my favorite part of these columns.

Well, you like Fables, right ? Have you ever tried The Elementals or, for something a little bit different using the fantasy genre, Ironwood ? Both series are from Bill Willingham (he writes and drws them both) and are excellent. I think the whole Ironwood series is collected in 2 TPB's. The Elementals... there was a TPB collecting the first issues years ago, but i think it's out of print, sadly.

I also don't see the Concrete mini series named a lot when it comes to favorites. Dark Horse recently re-edited them in TPB's which are Serenity-sized.

How about $40? Smith has re-released the Bone: One Volume Edition

What is Bone, exactly ?

[Dalarsco]

The best comic I've never read is New X-Men by Grant Morrison, which is especially shocking considering that the X-Men are my favorite branch of the MU. I will be rectifying this gap in my reading with the New X-Men Omnibus this November.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by Croyd Crenson

Well, you like Fables, right ? Have you ever tried The Elementals or, for something a little bit different using the fantasy genre, Ironwood ? Both series are from Bill Willingham (he writes and drws them both) and are excellent. I think the whole Ironwood series is collected in 2 TPB's. The Elementals... there was a TPB collecting the first issues years ago, but i think it's out of print, sadly.

I also don't see the Concrete mini series named a lot when it comes to favorites. Dark Horse recently re-edited them in TPB's which are Serenity-sized.



What is Bone, exactly ?

I've tried both Elementals and Ironwood, and enjoyed 'em both. Neither are readily available, though (the Ironwood TPBs have been out of print for some time, I believe). They're on my perpetual "want list" when I scour back issue boxes at conventions, trying to complete the runs.

As for Bone -- ah, my friend, I'm glad you asked. Bone is Jeff Smith's epic fantasy about a trio of small, white creatures (the "Bones") who wander into a medieval valley full of giant rat creatures, dragons and incredibly powerful dreams. They fall in with an old woman and her granddaughter and wind up becoming key figures in a war between the humans and the rat creatures. Bone starts out as a comedy with dashes of fantasy and turns into an epic fantasy -- I'm talking Tolkien-level fantasy -- with lots of great comedy beats. It's one of my favorite comics of all time.

[Blake Petit]

I leave for three days and there's not a single recommendation? Since when did you people stop having OPINIONS?