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The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist #5-6
The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist: Volume 3
This volume of The Escapist collects issues five and six of the popular, Eisner Award winning quarterly series and features the late Will Eisner's return to the Spirit, in a crossover tale with the Escapist! Fans of classic comics will not want to miss what became Eisner's last comics work, completed just two weeks before the death of the legendary comics godfather. Also in this volume is the comics writing debut of award-winning author and Guggenheim fellow Chris Offutt, illustrated by Thomas Yeates. Dan Best and Eddie Campbell contribute a fully painted story from the 1939 World's Fair in Empire City, and 2004 Russ Manning Award winner Eric Wight brings a polemic story from writer Jason Hall to life. Among the other notable contributors are Howard Chaykin, Paul Grist, Shawn Martinbrough, David Hahn, Roy Thomas, Matt Wagner and indie stalwarts Jeffrey Brown and Jason!
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2006
About the author
Michael Chabon
146 books8,985 followersMichael Chabon is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, D.C., he spent a year studying at Carnegie Mellon University before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1984. He subsequently received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine.
Chabon's first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988), was published when he was 24. He followed it with Wonder Boys (1995) and two short-story collections. In 2000, he published The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, a novel that John Leonard would later call Chabon's magnum opus. It received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.
His novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union, an alternate history mystery novel, was published in 2007 and won the Hugo, Sidewise, Nebula and Ignotus awards; his serialized novel Gentlemen of the Road appeared in book form in the fall of the same year. In 2012, Chabon published Telegraph Avenue, billed as "a twenty-first century Middlemarch", concerning the tangled lives of two families in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2004. He followed Telegraph Avenue in November 2016 with his latest novel, Moonglow, a fictionalized memoir of his maternal grandfather, based on his deathbed confessions under the influence of powerful painkillers in Chabon's mother's California home in 1989.
Chabon's work is characterized by complex language, and the frequent use of metaphor along with recurring themes such as nostalgia, divorce, abandonment, fatherhood, and most notably issues of Jewish identity. He often includes gay, bisexual, and Jewish characters in his work. Since the late 1990s, he has written in increasingly diverse styles for varied outlets; he is a notable defender of the merits of genre fiction and plot-driven fiction, and, along with novels, has published screenplays, children's books, comics, and newspaper serials.
Chabon's first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988), was published when he was 24. He followed it with Wonder Boys (1995) and two short-story collections. In 2000, he published The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, a novel that John Leonard would later call Chabon's magnum opus. It received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.
His novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union, an alternate history mystery novel, was published in 2007 and won the Hugo, Sidewise, Nebula and Ignotus awards; his serialized novel Gentlemen of the Road appeared in book form in the fall of the same year. In 2012, Chabon published Telegraph Avenue, billed as "a twenty-first century Middlemarch", concerning the tangled lives of two families in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2004. He followed Telegraph Avenue in November 2016 with his latest novel, Moonglow, a fictionalized memoir of his maternal grandfather, based on his deathbed confessions under the influence of powerful painkillers in Chabon's mother's California home in 1989.
Chabon's work is characterized by complex language, and the frequent use of metaphor along with recurring themes such as nostalgia, divorce, abandonment, fatherhood, and most notably issues of Jewish identity. He often includes gay, bisexual, and Jewish characters in his work. Since the late 1990s, he has written in increasingly diverse styles for varied outlets; he is a notable defender of the merits of genre fiction and plot-driven fiction, and, along with novels, has published screenplays, children's books, comics, and newspaper serials.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 22, 2018
A secret - I bought this book for the contribution of one man. Being Will Eisner's final published work and his only-time return to the Spirit, I felt that I had no choice. Will, as always, proves my faith in him justified. His peculiar look at two pseudo-superheroes, complete with tongue-in-cheek reference to their fictional nature was well worth it. Great art, good humor (the Spirit's assistance of the Escapist's escape was a terrific slapstick moment) and a fitting farewell for Will - revisiting his most famous character and paying tribute to the man who helped bring much attention and affection to the comic creators of yesteryear.
The other stories were mostly solid, if not exceptional. I enjoyed Steven Grant and Norm Breyfogle's romance comic pastiche, while Eddie Campbell and Paul Grist came up with slightly predictable, but enjoyable tales. Jeffrey Brown and Jason Hall bring A-games, and Thomas Yeates' art is always worth looking at (the story behind his tale wasn't so bad either, but a little bit pat). And Chaykin remains, as always, Chaykin.
The other stories were mostly solid, if not exceptional. I enjoyed Steven Grant and Norm Breyfogle's romance comic pastiche, while Eddie Campbell and Paul Grist came up with slightly predictable, but enjoyable tales. Jeffrey Brown and Jason Hall bring A-games, and Thomas Yeates' art is always worth looking at (the story behind his tale wasn't so bad either, but a little bit pat). And Chaykin remains, as always, Chaykin.
July 20, 2019
This started really strong with Eisner and then the World's Fair story and the different art styles, but then reprinting some of the less interesting histories and then taking a deep dive into the crazy pool with stories that were either bludgeoning you with messages or just deeply offensive, especially in the treatment of women, I easily rate this the worst of the series. Easily.
July 26, 2020
I gave previous volumes in this series 3 stars. I'm giving this one 4 stars, mostly because it has a Will Eisner Spirit story in it. I also really liked the Tom Yeates and Paul Grist stories.
I still wish these books had been printed in standard comic book size though, so they'd be easier to read.
I still wish these books had been printed in standard comic book size though, so they'd be easier to read.
October 5, 2021
I really liked this story, quite interesting and amazing.
January 18, 2013
These comics were really well done in paying homage to one of the best books I've ever read. Some of these entries were particularly powerful and I like how they evoke the different eras of comics. Having recently learned about Jack Cole it was interesting to see him referenced a few times as well.
July 17, 2009
These are such fun. Why don't I own #4?
June 22, 2011
The "actual" escapist comic from Chabon's Kavalier and Clay. Fantastic graphic novel that ties into all these things described in the book itself.
March 8, 2012
A fun idea, but one or two volumes were enough for me.
June 17, 2014
Pretty cool collection. Really likes the variety of the style of stories. Some were much better than others though.
January 21, 2016
4.5 really
January 31, 2017
Another collection of artists playing with Michael Chabon's fictional fictional characters. The Will Eisner contribution is a treat.
August 6, 2015
Perhaps the best of the three companion volumes to Kavalier and Clay. Varied and fun.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews