The popularity of the graphic genre continues to rage, and The Best American Comics is a diverse, exciting annual selection for fans and newcomers ...
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Jan 07, 2011
Osho
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Moore and Pekar have chosen a good assortment of comics for this inaugural volume in The Best American Series. Comics chosen represent a range of graphic styles and topics. Notably, manga and Heavy Metal are absent. All of the comics, whether factual reports from the battlefield or fantasies about life after death, have a linear narrative (though Dart's narrative is plural). Crumb, as is often the case, provides the most visual texture and richness (though Reklaw does a creditable job with backg
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Oct 24, 2011
Scott
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Picked up all the books in the "Best American Comics" series over the weekend. $4 on the ultra-clearance rack for all of them! Well, also, an ex co-worker hooked it up pretty hard. So, that was cool.
But yeah, this series... I've always felt a little underwhelmed with these books when I run across 'em. There's usually some really good stuff, some decent stuff, but all totally jumbled. When I look at the list of 100 comics that they narrowed down to arrive at the final...25( More...
But yeah, this series... I've always felt a little underwhelmed with these books when I run across 'em. There's usually some really good stuff, some decent stuff, but all totally jumbled. When I look at the list of 100 comics that they narrowed down to arrive at the final...25( More...
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May 11, 2007
D'Anne
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As are all of the Best American series, this book is a mixed bag. There are some comics that are amazing and others that I can't help thinking, "This? This is the BEST?" Thus my three star rating. However, there are individual selections that I easily would give five stars to, starting with David Heatley's "Portrait of my Father." There was a excerpt from this in Issue #13 of McSweeney's and I loved it then (if you're interested in contemporary comics, picking up this Best Am
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Jan 12, 2010
Glen
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It's true that the graphic story medium remains a ghetto, even though successes in the last couple of decades such as Alan Moore's Watchmen and Art Spiegelman's Maus I did a lot to renovate it. The majority of American comics, and the graphic novels collected from them, are filled with what Cory Doctorow calls underwear perverts, otherwise known as superheroes. Japanese comics, while exhibiting a wider variety, have a similar issue in that much manga simply repeats what has been successful in th
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Jul 21, 2009
Adele
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Three bucks at Borders, hell yes. I love comics, especially new-wave indie "graphic novel" comics. Actually this is the only kind I like (besides Calvin and Hobbes)but the term "graphic novel" just seems really snobby. My favorite comic author/drawers are Adrian Tomine, Daniel Clowes, and Chris Ware, though only the last has work featured in the 2006 edition. The comics I liked in the book really deserve five stars-- some were just fantastic. The rating is brought down b
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Jul 21, 2011
Krystl
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As I mentioned earlier, I don't appreciate the disdain for superhero comics evident in the introduction and forward to this book. Moving on past that, this is a wonderful idea to collect different comics together in one spot for people that aren't exposed to many different comics in their daily lives but still want to be! Mostly, this book is getting a high star rating just because of that for me. It wasn't that I was completely in love with hardly any of the comics-it's just that I support the
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Jul 16, 2010
Hotavio
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America's Best Comics 2006 was an impulse bargain purchase. The compilation contains comics that utilize a variety of styles, subjects, and themes. Some have definite messages, while others seem less poignant.
There were several which I endeared myself to: "Complacency Kills," with its documentation of the high level of anxiety amongst forces in Iraq; "La Rubia Loca," a tale where a dejected woman finds her purpose in helping others; and in "Thirteen Cats More...
There were several which I endeared myself to: "Complacency Kills," with its documentation of the high level of anxiety amongst forces in Iraq; "La Rubia Loca," a tale where a dejected woman finds her purpose in helping others; and in "Thirteen Cats More...
Nov 25, 2009
Christy S
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An ode to the art of writing *and* drawing and the creators who are able to make these two mediums flow into a story. It made me long for a good full length graphic novel– a story I can stick with that will last longer than a page or two. Except for the one about the 13 cats the author had as a child, a page for each describing how they were obtained and what happened to them. Graphics are somehow the perfect way to portray highly disfunctional families. Is it because you can see facial expressi
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Feb 16, 2009
Dave
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Is a lot of things by a lot of different people. So, some I say Is very good! (I say this about David Heatley, Portrait of my Dad, and Jesse Reklaw, Thirteen Cats of my Childhood, and I will say good about anything of the Chris Ware and the Ivan Brunetti). A lot of else is Boring or I don't get (The thing, Rabbithead, by Rebecca Dart, is a I don't get. The thing from Crumb is a thing that is not bad, but is so much like what he do in So long ago. Why is best of 2006? 2006 is so Not so much happe
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Mar 30, 2009
Nicole
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Reading this collection was like watching a high school talent recital showcase. Some pieces were like performance art, which is to say they were totally unaccessible to me. Some were like spoken word, a bit too political for my taste but still enjoyable. Some were like folksy singer/songwriters, right up my alley and totally fabulous.
I kept a list of the comics I liked and I have every intention of finding more of their work. Which is the point of an anthology, right? Exposure More...
I kept a list of the comics I liked and I have every intention of finding more of their work. Which is the point of an anthology, right? Exposure More...
Nov 14, 2011
Robert
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Although the whole "Best" designation comes across as quite arbitrary (perhaps inevitably so), I enjoyed most of the stories collected here by guest editor, Harvey Pekar. Some artists are ill-served with presentations of excerpts from longer works - the Jessica Abel and Alex Robinson pieces aren't particularly so compelling that I wanted to read the rest of each respective story; and though both had excellent visuals, neither one seemed to be a strong enough chapter to stand well enoug
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Apr 30, 2008
Michael
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Guest editor Harvey Pekar does a good job of culling a consistent group of comics from the 100 that Moore presented him, but fails to show the full spectrum of what comics can tackle, which according to his introduction was a goal of this anthology. Not surprisingly Pekar's picks deal predominantly with either the mundane, the ultra-real, or the political. Now there are certainly a few exceptions to this - most notably Rebecca Dart's magical "Rabbithead", but for the most part the be
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Jun 19, 2008
Josephus
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Houghton Mifflin don't know comics almost like Bo don't know diddley. There are a ton of great artists and neat little vignettes in here, but there are also some really token-ized appearances by The Great Ones that don't make a whole lot of sense outside of their broader storylines.
For example, there's an excerpt from Jessica Abel's La Perdida, from maybe one-half or two-thirds of the way through the story. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't imagine that a collection of great fic More...
For example, there's an excerpt from Jessica Abel's La Perdida, from maybe one-half or two-thirds of the way through the story. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't imagine that a collection of great fic More...
Sep 06, 2010
Lord
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As I'm recently rekindling my desire to make graphic/sequential narratives again (or 'bd' = bande desinee, as they're referred to in the Francophone sphere of the world that I live in), I thought the first thing I needed to do was to get caught up to speed with what's going on right now in the world of sequential narrative graphics. I don't like using the term "comics" because to me comic = funny, which is a limiting description of what bd's are, it's condescending, and doesn't accurat
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Nov 10, 2007
Tamara
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The Best American Comics 2006 is a great combination of 30 well drawn comics, sharp writing, and political awareness.The book manages to have a good balance of color an d black and white comics and well as traditional versus more modern styles.
My favorite comic in the collection was "Nakedness and Power" which is a political comic discussing the oppression of Africans as well as the current oppression of Americans in reference to oil prices.The pictures in this comic are c More...
My favorite comic in the collection was "Nakedness and Power" which is a political comic discussing the oppression of Africans as well as the current oppression of Americans in reference to oil prices.The pictures in this comic are c More...
Jul 13, 2007
Dave-O
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With at least two other comics anthologies out this past year, this one is good but certainly not the 'best' as its title claims. Pekar's choices seem very unstructured. Some of his selections have already appeared in (the legendary) "McSweeney's 13" two years ago which was edited by Chris Ware. Ware's selections though seemed to weave a narrative of their own with a bit of comics history thrown in. A direct follow-up to McSweeney's is "An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, a
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Jul 02, 2007
Punk
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Graphic Novel. I saw this at the library and picked it up because it's got some people I've heard of and never read, some people I've never heard of or read, and Lynda Barry.
If you don't know much about modern indie comics, this book is a good sampler. It's a mix of satire, political commentary, humor, memoir, and surrealism, and the art runs the gamut from realistic to cartoony. Some of the contributions are only a page, while others are several pages -- those are often excerpts fro More...
If you don't know much about modern indie comics, this book is a good sampler. It's a mix of satire, political commentary, humor, memoir, and surrealism, and the art runs the gamut from realistic to cartoony. Some of the contributions are only a page, while others are several pages -- those are often excerpts fro More...
Dec 28, 2009
Raina
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Inspired by my fellow librarian, Meghan, I'm reading through all of the Best American Comic compilations 2006-present. I read the 2009 edition first, and to my surprise, I find my taste in comics aligns more with Harvey Pekar (guest editor here) than with Charles Burns (guest editor for 2009). Maybe I'm a wimp and a newbie, but I like accessible navel-gazing narratives. Found a lot of new artists who I immediately searched the library catalog for. Really like this method of finding new comic
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Dec 30, 2010
Ject
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Es un tomo interesante y muy bien armado, sin embargo no todas las historias consiguieron cautivarme del todo.
Me encantaron "The Amazing Life of Onion Jack", "La Rubia Loca" y "Dance with the Ventures", pero en general el resto del volumen lo leí con desinterése inclusive saltándome algunas de las páginas en que la tipografía era demasiado pequeña como para leer nada.
Pero, repito, en general es una buena compilación, con muy buenos artistas. Eso
Me encantaron "The Amazing Life of Onion Jack", "La Rubia Loca" y "Dance with the Ventures", pero en general el resto del volumen lo leí con desinterése inclusive saltándome algunas de las páginas en que la tipografía era demasiado pequeña como para leer nada.
Pero, repito, en general es una buena compilación, con muy buenos artistas. Eso
Aug 28, 2008
Diane
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This is the first time the Best American series has featured comics, and I'm so glad they've started. There's a great selection here of satire, political commentary, self-examination, irony, humor, and oddity. If you've read McSweeney's #13, there is a good amount of overlap with this book, which is a nice way for a non-hardcore comics fan to get a taste of what's going on in the scene. (Or at least I think it's a good taste of what's going on!) I have discovered that this type of literature has
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Oct 07, 2010
Jennifer
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Got my hands on this at the library-- always special to grab one. Reading comic anthologies are how I'm introduced to new arists & writers, or new techniques. This did not disappoint.
Top Picks/Stories that Resonated:
- Amazing Life of Onion Jack (humorous & touching, great twist on superhero genre)
- Adventures of Paul Bunyan & His Ox, Babe (also humorous)
- Rabbithead (incredible visual storytelling)
- Thirteen Cats of My Childhood (memoir)
Top Picks/Stories that Resonated:
- Amazing Life of Onion Jack (humorous & touching, great twist on superhero genre)
- Adventures of Paul Bunyan & His Ox, Babe (also humorous)
- Rabbithead (incredible visual storytelling)
- Thirteen Cats of My Childhood (memoir)
Aug 02, 2010
Chris
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Like all collections, this one has its moments. Overall, I liked it, but there were few comics that really blew me away. However, those nuggets o' gold would be worth the read--as long as you can pick it up from a library or a friend, or buy it used, for cheap. Mayhap I'm just not too savvy on the the indie comic scene or perhaps I'm an elitist, but I felt like I've read many better comics online in past few years. Regardless, I think it's awesome that comics are starting to get the cred they've
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Sep 29, 2008
Matt
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Over all, a good read. There are some truly terrific comics in this collection, and most of them are well chosen. R. Crumb's and Jesse Reklaw's autobiographical works stand out, but there's also plenty of room for humor with comics like "The Amazing Life of Onion Jack."
There are several that don't deserve the title of "best" in this collection. While I respect Harvey Pekar a lot, I'm pretty sure I felt his guiding hand on some of the low-quality, heavy-handedly " More...
There are several that don't deserve the title of "best" in this collection. While I respect Harvey Pekar a lot, I'm pretty sure I felt his guiding hand on some of the low-quality, heavy-handedly " More...
Sep 11, 2007
Sundry
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I had read something about graphic novels and was poking around Barnes & Noble looking for something other than most of what they had, when I stumbled across this.
The very thing I’m looking for! The first in the new Best American series. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in the graphic novel. You get a nice sampling of various kinds of serious comic work, with some interesting graphics and some very interesting tales.
My favorites were “Passing Before Life’s Ver More...
The very thing I’m looking for! The first in the new Best American series. I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in the graphic novel. You get a nice sampling of various kinds of serious comic work, with some interesting graphics and some very interesting tales.
My favorites were “Passing Before Life’s Ver More...
Sep 19, 2010
Lt
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If these are the best Comics of the year 2006, then I fear for the genre.
The only one that really grabbed my attention was the very first one: the story of Onion Jack. The other ones did not truly seemed to be telling compelling stories. They were, at most, interesting, in a death bug sort-of-way. Not compelling, though.
The only one that really grabbed my attention was the very first one: the story of Onion Jack. The other ones did not truly seemed to be telling compelling stories. They were, at most, interesting, in a death bug sort-of-way. Not compelling, though.
Mar 27, 2009
Charlotte
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Read this book in one day sitting on the fire escape of my NYC apartment on a beautiful day in spring. I found it to be a quick, challenging, and joyful read. I could hear the unique voice of Harvey Pekar in the selections(he is the guest edior). This book definitly sparked my interest in the series.
Apr 13, 2009
angrykitty
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this is ok, but like any anthology, i find that there are some that i really like, and some that i'm forcing myself to get through.....
after having finished this, i feel like the editors of this collection were more interested in picking comics based on strangeness rather than for good storytelling or art. maybe i just went into this with a totally wrong idea......
after having finished this, i feel like the editors of this collection were more interested in picking comics based on strangeness rather than for good storytelling or art. maybe i just went into this with a totally wrong idea......
Dec 17, 2009
Lisa
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Ok, first I have to admit that I am totally biased in recommending this one as a former student of mine, Lilli Carre' has one of the better comics included in this anthology, plus she did the fabulous cover (None of which I can honestly take credit for teaching her, I might add.)
Compiled in part by guest editor Harvey Pekar, there is a quite a hodge-podge collection here, some brilliant, and a few mediocre ones, but if he was striving for real variety, he achieves it.
In More...
Compiled in part by guest editor Harvey Pekar, there is a quite a hodge-podge collection here, some brilliant, and a few mediocre ones, but if he was striving for real variety, he achieves it.
In More...
Oct 01, 2011
Ciara
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I am glad to have been introduced to such a wide variety of comic artists. Exposure is a good thing; I walked away with some new favorite authors/artists (i.e. Alison Bechdel, Jonathan Bennett, Lloyd Dangle).
Feb 28, 2011
Anna
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If this was the "best" 2006 had to offer, it really wasn't that great a year for comics... There were a couple of engaging and interesting stories but, overall, not something I'd recommend to other fans of the medium.
