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59th out of 175 books
—
147 voters
The Escapists
by
Brian K. Vaughan,
Jason Alexander, Steve Rolston, Philip Bond, Eduardo Barreto, Matt Hollingsworth , Dave Stewart , Paul Hornschemeier
,
more…
Wizard Top Ten and multiple Eisner Award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan tells the tale of three aspiring comics creators with big dreams, small cash, and publishing rights to one forgotten Golden Age hero - The Escapist! Inspired by Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, this is Vaughan's love letter to his chosen medium...more
Hardcover, 176 pages
Published
December 12th 2007
by Dark Horse Comics
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"The Escapists" is a spinoff from Michael Chabon's novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", where a young man resurrects a beloved but forgotten superhero called "The Escapist" by self publishing a new series of comics with his friends. The comic takes off thanks to some inspired grass roots publicity stunts and a contemporary, exciting vision of a stale character, until a media corporation takes note and decides to buy up the franchise using bullying tactics.
I won't give away the e...more
I won't give away the e...more
Genre: Comic Book
I totally love this comic! It's loosely related to Michael Chabon's _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay_, however, it's not necessary to have read that novel first in order to enjoy this comic - I haven't read it yet.
_The Escapists_ is about three modern comic book creators (a writer, artist and letterer) in Cleveland and their attempts to revive the classic comic book hero The Escapist (originally created by the legendary Kavalier and Clay). Their story is interspers...more
I totally love this comic! It's loosely related to Michael Chabon's _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay_, however, it's not necessary to have read that novel first in order to enjoy this comic - I haven't read it yet.
_The Escapists_ is about three modern comic book creators (a writer, artist and letterer) in Cleveland and their attempts to revive the classic comic book hero The Escapist (originally created by the legendary Kavalier and Clay). Their story is interspers...more
Got this going cheap in a charity shop round the corner from my flat - didn't even know this book existed till I found it. Very pleasant surprise - it's basically a sequel to my favourite recent novel, Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, written by one of my favourite graphic novelists, Brian K Vaughan. Dangerous, of course, retreading such hallowed ground, but this book doesn't disappoint, capturing the themes of the original, but setting them in the present day inst...more
Having loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, I had to pick this up when I saw it remaindered in a store. It was fun, as expected. Nothing special, but fun. The best parts are the excerpts for the "new run" of The Escapist. The art there is stunning - it has the flavor of being 40s and noir, while being thoroughly modern. It sort of reminds me of the best art in Sandman but with more extra flourishes (as befits this kind of story). Too bad the rest of the story doesn't live up to t...more
Nov 08, 2011
Bookstorequeer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Chris
Shelves:
borrowed,
graphic-novel
I picked this book up on a recommendation, without having any idea of what it was about. It's a very meta read but it fits so well with my current job (at a newly founded comic book company, UysFaber), that it really struck a chord.
The writing is tight, very fun and smart, and the art is great. I really enjoyed the panels from the comic they were writing that were included, because they were such a vastly different style. It was fun to see that the artist had obviously gotten to stretch their wi...more
The writing is tight, very fun and smart, and the art is great. I really enjoyed the panels from the comic they were writing that were included, because they were such a vastly different style. It was fun to see that the artist had obviously gotten to stretch their wi...more
Mar 06, 2011
David
added it
I really enjoyed this. Chabon's Kavalier and Clay is perhaps the greatest work I've ever read, and I was nervous to read something else regarding it, for fear of leaving a bad taste in my mouth. However, I really enjoyed everything about this piece. I've read a couple of graphic novels/comics/whatever they are officially called, and find that I do enjoy them if they are done well. I still don't think I know all the best strategies to reading them correctly, but as long as I enjoy the few I read,...more
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Michael Chabon and Dark Horse Comics out to be ashamed of themselves for allowing such a cliché-ridden claptrap filled with one-dimensional characters, going through situations by the numbers be published in the first place. It's an inexcusable waste of the artistic talents of Philip Bond, Steve Rolston, Ed Barreto, and Jason Alexander. And the ending...?
Jack Kirby said it first and much better, Mr. Vaughan. Please stay in Hollywood and continue to create bad television. Leave comics well enough...more
Jack Kirby said it first and much better, Mr. Vaughan. Please stay in Hollywood and continue to create bad television. Leave comics well enough...more
Perhaps I came away feeling this was only okay because my expectations were so high; Kavalier and Clay was an amazing novel, and Brian K. Vaughan is one of my favorite comic writers. Unfortunately, the writing here is more on the cliche, slightly amateurish side a la Runaways instead of closer to Ex Machina or Y: The Last Man where Vaughan truly shines.
That said, there's still plenty here to like. Chabon's intro is adorable and well-written as ever, the art is lovely in places (and the cover ill...more
That said, there's still plenty here to like. Chabon's intro is adorable and well-written as ever, the art is lovely in places (and the cover ill...more
I do not read comics. I don't consider myself a comic book kind of guy. I think my two biggest gripes with comics and graphic novels are 1) the writing often sucks and 2) when they are good (and I haven't read many), they're over too damn soon. The Escapists most certainly gets a check for complaint number 2. It's so good!
The graphic novel is a compilation of a limited issue put out by Dark Horse Comics. It's a spin-off of Michael Chabon's novel The Adventure of Kavalier and Clay, though I don't...more
The graphic novel is a compilation of a limited issue put out by Dark Horse Comics. It's a spin-off of Michael Chabon's novel The Adventure of Kavalier and Clay, though I don't...more
A new generation of Cleveland comic book creators try to reinvent The Escapist (from Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay) and reintroduce him to the general public with some questionable publicity stunts.
Brian K. Vaughan, one of the best comic writers out there, nails so many parts of the book. He devotes plenty of time to explaining why Cleveland's home to so many real and imaginary comic book creators. His creative team is lifelike and (like always) uses entertaini...more
Brian K. Vaughan, one of the best comic writers out there, nails so many parts of the book. He devotes plenty of time to explaining why Cleveland's home to so many real and imaginary comic book creators. His creative team is lifelike and (like always) uses entertaini...more
In this book, the real world where comics are drawn, penned, lettered, and published seems more fantastic and unreal than the comics themselves.
Max narrates the story from what seems to be the point of view of a comic book enthusiast / aspiring writer when all of a sudden it becomes his own super hero story; involving just as much action and adventure as any other comic. Find out what drives true creativity!
Max narrates the story from what seems to be the point of view of a comic book enthusiast / aspiring writer when all of a sudden it becomes his own super hero story; involving just as much action and adventure as any other comic. Find out what drives true creativity!
With a hook into Michael Chabon's book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, this graphic novel follows 3 young adults as they attempt to resurrect an old-time comics hero, The Escapist. Their work takes them on a ride involving the reality of their own creation, a corporate villain who wants to buy them out, and their own personal trajectories through friendship. Good book.
Michael Chabon has engendered a supplementary cottage industry to his 'Kavalier and Clay.' Here, in a cool bit of deconstruction, the prolific Brian K. Vaughan contructs comics about comic book artists recreating the comic books of the Kavaliers and Sam Clay. He does it well. Nice introduction by Chabon himself to further blur the line between fictional and actual narrative.
You pretty much can't go wrong with Brian K. Vaughan, and The Escapists is no exception. While Michael Chabon has turned the fictional comic hero of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay into its own little franchise of graphic novels, this one is sort of a sequel to Kavalier & Clay.
The idea is that after his father's death, a young man discovers his father's treasure trove of Escapist comics and collectibles and becomes a fan of the series himself. With his friends, he sets out to...more
The idea is that after his father's death, a young man discovers his father's treasure trove of Escapist comics and collectibles and becomes a fan of the series himself. With his friends, he sets out to...more
Surprisingly terrific companion piece to The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I picked the book up on the strength of the creators, having enjoyed Vaughan's work on Marvel Comics' Runaways and Steve Rolston's pencils on Oni Press' Queen and Country... but I didn't expect to enjoy their take on The Escapist (and by proxy, the creators involved with The Escapist) so much.
I found the book interesting, but nothing really special in the end which disappointed me. It may have been the final chapter, and maybe even the final page of the book was what finally made me annoyed with it. The final page was just an over the top and expected cliche, and I guess I expected more from BKV.
Dec 07, 2009
Sbuchler
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Sbuchler by:
Tom
Shelves:
scifi-fantasy,
read-in-2009
Genre: Comic Book
I totally love this comic! It's loosely related to Michael Chabon's _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay_, however, it's not necessary to have read that novel first in order to enjoy this comic - I haven't read it yet.
_The Escapists_ is about three modern comic book creators (a writer, artist and letterer) in Cleveland and their attempts to revive the classic comic book hero The Escapist (originally created by the legendary Kavalier and Clay). Their story is interspersed...more
I totally love this comic! It's loosely related to Michael Chabon's _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay_, however, it's not necessary to have read that novel first in order to enjoy this comic - I haven't read it yet.
_The Escapists_ is about three modern comic book creators (a writer, artist and letterer) in Cleveland and their attempts to revive the classic comic book hero The Escapist (originally created by the legendary Kavalier and Clay). Their story is interspersed...more
The plot really did not connect with me, so I found the book uninteresting, though I know plenty of comic-loving people who would probably enjoy it. I did like the art of the story-in-the-story, and how the main dialog continued in the speech bubbles of the comic they were making. That was clever.
I loved this! I really enjoyed Kavalier and Clay...so this was such a fun way for the story to progress into something new. The storyline is great and I absolutely loved how they intertwined the Escapists Comic into the story line of the book. If you have read K&C - you must read this and if you have not, you will still enjoy this.
Aug 08, 2011
Nick Tomashot
added it
Just finished - great read! Graphic Novel extension of Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay set in Modern Clevelend. Leaned a great trick about how to hack Otis elevators using the floor buttons to go directly to your floor -- gotta try it to see if it works...
What I actually liked about this book is that it's self-conscious art. I have a soft spot for self-conscious art. And I think graphic novels are better at being self-conscious than most other mediums. I liked it, but I wouldn't call it Great.
My favorite comic book character might forever be the imagined hero of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and this was an excellent way to spin off that story into a new context with the same theme of the joy of creativity.
Once again, good enough on it's own, but to really be appreciated, you should read Kavalier & Clay first (and you should read it anyway!) The story focuses on a trio of friends in present-day Clevland who come upon the rights to The Escapist and try and re-start his career in a new comic series,all the while inspired by how the real Kavalier & Clay tried to promote their comic. This mini actually builds off of the mythology created in the Amazing Adventures Of The Escapist books (espeica...more
I was surprised at what a fitting little addendum to The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay this ended up being.
Brian K. Vaughn pays hinge to both Chanon's book and the city of Cleveland and its comics history.
Brian K. Vaughn pays hinge to both Chanon's book and the city of Cleveland and its comics history.
A short, cute little tale spun from the world of Chabon's Cavalier and Clay novel. While I have no desire at all to read the comic recreating "The Escapist" title itself, this mini-series tells the tale of a modern day guy obsessed with reviving the "golden-era" Escapist hero. It alternates between the present story and the comic the protagonist is writing, with some very clever dialog bleeding between the two. There are some good, if obvious, plays on the theme of escaping and escapism, plus a...more
What a great “addition” to the Kavalier & Clay universe. Michael Chabon’s introduction for this book was fantastic. I absolutely loved this tribute to Chabon’s awesome book!
Vaughan is by far the best writer to date. The quality of his books surpass anything mainstream and this book adds to an already impressive catalogue.
I picked up the first issue of this series a 2 years ago and finally got to find out what happened. Fun story and gotta love the James Jean cover!
I need way more Vaughan and Chabon in my life. Time to rectify that as soon as my giant stack of literary guilt is at least a little diminished.
I started reading this book without any preconceived notions. I have to admit that it was a very good read. The story was actually two stories interwoven together. The main story was of a Jewish kid and his friends trying to resurrect his late father's hero. The second story is actually of the Escapist (the hero).
This book was very straightforward, but did contain a few surprises. I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't recommend this book to those that read graphic novels for just the kick butt sup...more
This book was very straightforward, but did contain a few surprises. I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't recommend this book to those that read graphic novels for just the kick butt sup...more
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Born in Cleveland in 1976, Brian K. Vaughan is the Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster Award-winning writer and co-creator of the critically acclaimed comics series Y: The Last Man, Runaways, and Ex Machina (picked as one of the ten best works of fiction of 2005 by Entertainment Weekly).
Recently named "Writer of the Year" by Wizard Magazine, and one of the “top ten comic writers of all time” by Comic Boo...more
More about Brian K. Vaughan...
Recently named "Writer of the Year" by Wizard Magazine, and one of the “top ten comic writers of all time” by Comic Boo...more
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