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The Best American Comics #3
The Best American Comics 2008
This newest edition to the Best American Series--"A genuine salute to comics" (Houston Chronicle)--returns with a set of both established and up-and-coming contributors. Editor Lynda Barry and and brand new series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden--acclaimed cartoonists in their own right-- have sought out the best stories culled from graphic novels, pamphlet comics, newspapers, magazines, mini-comics, and the Web to create this cutting-edge collection "perfect for newbies as well as fans"--The San Diego Union Tribune. This newest volume features luminaries like Chris Ware, Seth, and Alison Bechdel alongside Paul Pope's "Batman" and beloved daily cartoonists like Matt Groening.
Lynda Barry is a writer and cartoonist whose comic strip, �Ernie Pook’s Comeek” celebrates its 30th year in print in 2007. She is a recipient of the Washington State Governor's Award for her novel, The Good Times are Killing Me, which she adapted into a long-running off-broadway play. The New York Times called her second novel, Cruddy, �A work of terrible beauty”. She received the 2003 William Eisner award for Best Graphic Album and an American Library Association Alex award for her book, One! Hundred! Demons!. She lives and works in southern Wisconsin.
Jessica Abel is the author of the graphic novel La Perdida, as well as two collections of stories and drawings from her comic zine Artbabe. Matt Madden is a cartoonist and author of 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style. Their textbook about making comics, Drawing Words & Writing Pictures, is forthcoming.
Lynda Barry is a writer and cartoonist whose comic strip, �Ernie Pook’s Comeek” celebrates its 30th year in print in 2007. She is a recipient of the Washington State Governor's Award for her novel, The Good Times are Killing Me, which she adapted into a long-running off-broadway play. The New York Times called her second novel, Cruddy, �A work of terrible beauty”. She received the 2003 William Eisner award for Best Graphic Album and an American Library Association Alex award for her book, One! Hundred! Demons!. She lives and works in southern Wisconsin.
Jessica Abel is the author of the graphic novel La Perdida, as well as two collections of stories and drawings from her comic zine Artbabe. Matt Madden is a cartoonist and author of 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style. Their textbook about making comics, Drawing Words & Writing Pictures, is forthcoming.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2008
About the author
Lynda Barry
46 books1,185 followersLynda Barry is an American cartoonist and author, perhaps best known for her weekly comic strip Ernie Pook's Comeek.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
September 9, 2009
It was an ominous sign when Lynda Barry went on in the introduction about her love for The Family Circus, the feeblest comic strip ever. This volume only confirms that Barry, who has done some good work of her own in the past, has dreadful taste when judging other cartoonists. This collection is simply wretched. Lame page after lame page makes you wonder whether any cartoonist working today has any actual talent.
August 22, 2019
Mixed bag but it got me to read comics i wouldnt have otherwisr read. Some of the text was really small though due to the formatting so that made it a little difficult to read
August 17, 2023
So many treasures in this one, but I'll give best in show to "The Thing About Madeline" by Lilli Carre, who it turns out did the artwork for The Less books by Andrew Sean Greer.
February 8, 2009
Of the three "Best American Comics" which have been released I found this one the least satisfying.
The two earlier collections were page-turners from beginning to end. While reading this I found myself putting it down and forgetting about it.
I love Lynda Barry, especially for her recent book: "What it is." The stories tended towards child like narratives, and that makes sense with Barry's work, and if I was in another mood - a mood to be enchanted by memories of my own childhood, I would have enjoyed it. But I was looking more for content based around 2008, which I think was a tense, politically complicated, depressing year. I was looking for reflection and redemption, and was not in the mood to remember or fantasize.
The two series editors (not Lynda Barry) wrote a really boring introduction. Lynda Barry's contribution was an emotional roller coaster, and she made the most memorable comic in the book.
In particular the Matt Groening section was tedious to read, and I felt like he was included for his name and not for the level of the work.
They should have David Shrigley (the British "outsider" artist) or Dave Eggers (McSweeneys editor) take the 2009 editor position. Either of them would have more inspired selections. They both have a talent for inspired and innovative ideas...
The two earlier collections were page-turners from beginning to end. While reading this I found myself putting it down and forgetting about it.
I love Lynda Barry, especially for her recent book: "What it is." The stories tended towards child like narratives, and that makes sense with Barry's work, and if I was in another mood - a mood to be enchanted by memories of my own childhood, I would have enjoyed it. But I was looking more for content based around 2008, which I think was a tense, politically complicated, depressing year. I was looking for reflection and redemption, and was not in the mood to remember or fantasize.
The two series editors (not Lynda Barry) wrote a really boring introduction. Lynda Barry's contribution was an emotional roller coaster, and she made the most memorable comic in the book.
In particular the Matt Groening section was tedious to read, and I felt like he was included for his name and not for the level of the work.
They should have David Shrigley (the British "outsider" artist) or Dave Eggers (McSweeneys editor) take the 2009 editor position. Either of them would have more inspired selections. They both have a talent for inspired and innovative ideas...
February 15, 2018
Reading this ten years in the future, it's nice to see that the world wasn't so dramatically different in 2008 that these comics make no sense. Well, I should say, it's nice to see that many of these comics make no sense now just as they made no sense then.
What I'm trying to get at: Lynda Barry picked a wild bunch here. There are a few touching stories and clever allegories, but for the most part, this is a collection of the weird stuff. Personally, I like the non-fiction comics in these collections, and while there's a good one in here about a Great Plains serial killer family, Barry's choices tend towards humorous fiction. If that's your jam, you'll probably like 2008's batch better than me.
What I'm trying to get at: Lynda Barry picked a wild bunch here. There are a few touching stories and clever allegories, but for the most part, this is a collection of the weird stuff. Personally, I like the non-fiction comics in these collections, and while there's a good one in here about a Great Plains serial killer family, Barry's choices tend towards humorous fiction. If that's your jam, you'll probably like 2008's batch better than me.
September 5, 2015
Lynda Barry's introduction is awesome and she discusses her favorite cartoonist Bil Keane of Family Circus. But I've come to realize these anthologies are not for me - rather, they are for people who do not know what kind of comics they like or who are interested in a broad range. Everything I liked in this anthology I had already read elsewhere, and since the style of comics drawing and writing I like is somewhat specific and narrow I'm not open to many new things.
June 29, 2016
4.5
So excited when I saw what I thought was Eleanor Davis's work on the cover (it was!).
Filled with funny, relaxed, more traditional comics, and some short graphic stories that are more literary. A fun mix that is really well paced. I raced through it, but paused between each of the more serious stories, and sometimes flipped back for a second read.
So excited when I saw what I thought was Eleanor Davis's work on the cover (it was!).
Filled with funny, relaxed, more traditional comics, and some short graphic stories that are more literary. A fun mix that is really well paced. I raced through it, but paused between each of the more serious stories, and sometimes flipped back for a second read.
December 15, 2008
I wasn't gaga about as many comics in this year's compilation as I usually am, but the ones I liked I really liked. Favorites: "Something About Madeline", "Graveyard", and the one about the art teacher in the Bronx.
April 7, 2022
The book gets 5 stars for the first story alone (Burden by Graham Annable). I think about it often, which is what good stories are for imo. Even the inner covers were a cute comic. Love Alison Bechdel and Gene Luen Yang always. The Thing About Madeline by Lilli Carré was also hauntingly thought provoking. Both The Monkey and the Crab by Shawn Cheng & Sara Edward-Corbett and Seven Sacks by Eleanor Davis started off like fables and quickly got dark. Rick Geary took the opposite approach and started dark then provided context. Matt Groening and Kaz aren't my style. Gold Diggers of 1969 by Jaime Hernandez had an amazing amount of character building in a story story (might have been an excerpt?). Turtle Keep it Steady by Joseph Lambert put a musical twist on the race with the rabbit. Cathy Malkasian's cult tale was heartbreakingly realistic. Seth's story rambled intentionally and was an interesting way to narrate.
April 12, 2020
Reading this in 2020, it feels more like a flashback session than necessarily a collection of indelible comics that will pass the test of time. Some of the selections seem fairly random — like, it was great to see Alison Bechdel in here, but the selection of "Dykes to Watch Out For" strips feel pretty arbitrary and unrelated. And I'd forgotten all about Kaz — it seems like forever since I've read a Kaz strip — but ditto, I have no idea why this particular strips were chosen. Mostly it was a pleasant surprise to be reminded of so many artists who used to be in the Chicago Reader back when it could afford to be a clearinghouse for indie cartoonists.
November 11, 2016
I always wantto like comics yet find that I'm not actually all that into them. They're overwhelming to me -- the pictures and the text. And so small. I prefer picture books. Tiny panels are too difficult to read and I always wonder if I'm reading them right.
Anyway, there were several delightful comics in here that made me think maybe I can be into comics! But the majority of them were not for me. Eh.
Anyway, there were several delightful comics in here that made me think maybe I can be into comics! But the majority of them were not for me. Eh.
November 19, 2021
I really can't get enough of these collections, and even if there are moments when I wish the full story would be included instead of the snippet that is provided, I'm glad to know of a comic/writer's existence through these. Too many enjoyable ones to list, but I particularly liked Graham Annable, Rick Geary, Jaime Hernandez, and Jason Lutes.
November 27, 2021
[guessing at the star rating / mining my old FB notes now that they are almost impossible to find]
i found this anthology when searching for lynda barry stuff last month (she's listed as editor). for every really good segment, there was an equally boring one. and then i couldn't find any of these good leads at the library! so i won't be wasting any more time on anthologies :(
i found this anthology when searching for lynda barry stuff last month (she's listed as editor). for every really good segment, there was an equally boring one. and then i couldn't find any of these good leads at the library! so i won't be wasting any more time on anthologies :(
October 1, 2018
I like the guest editor; I don't like the series editors. Solid collection, but was annoyed that the comics were ordered by the authors' last names. I prefer it when the editors arrange a particular order, like a mix tape.
October 29, 2021
--Unable to read a lot of it due to very small print/writing in panels. Not many of the stories or themes was of any interest to me and even the few that were interesting sere mostly of a morbid nature.--
July 21, 2025
I thought Lynda Berry picked a great collection of the year's comics. It's comics from the Bush era so the Iraq War does play a part in some of the stories. There's stuff in here from Alison Bechdel, Derf, Rick Geary, Matt Groening, Jaime Hernandez, Jason Lutes (Berlin is terrific. Go read it.), Seth, Chris Ware and Gene Luen Yang. Lots of good stuff to sample here and then go out and find the whole thing.
April 8, 2026
العدد ده احلى من اللي فاتوا .. بحس ان السلسة دي هي مرجع لحد عايز يتعلم كوميكس ويشوف أساليب رسم متنوعة
علشان كده بصور الكتب الفنية دي كاملة وبنزلها ع قناة عن الفن ع اليوتيوب
@3nelfn
وبصور كمان الكتب الورقة عامة اللي بستعيرها من المكتبة عامة ع انستجرام
@mai.designer92
علشان كده بصور الكتب الفنية دي كاملة وبنزلها ع قناة عن الفن ع اليوتيوب
@3nelfn
وبصور كمان الكتب الورقة عامة اللي بستعيرها من المكتبة عامة ع انستجرام
@mai.designer92
August 12, 2017
I think the book it's excellent
March 21, 2018
So good. And the forward by Barry rocks. I love this series.
June 6, 2018
Hit and miss as anthologies usually go, but the ones that hit are terrific.
October 23, 2018
Like popcorn!
November 17, 2019
discarded
January 3, 2020
Solid collection of strange little stories. More coherent than the 2007 volume, thankfully, and I really enjoyed the intro comic.
June 23, 2020
3.5. Some very good things, some boring things, a couple artists whose work I hadn't heard of before but enjoyed a lot.
October 27, 2020
do you read a lot of comics and graphic novels? do you rarely read comics and graphic novels?
this book is for you.
this book is for you.
May 15, 2021
Good variety of quirky comics.
December 26, 2021
J'ai particulièrement aimé celui de Lilli Carré.
January 3, 2024
guys i love comics so much its not even funny and i love lynda barry so much its simply ridiculous
June 29, 2026
The font was so tiny I needed a magnifying glass.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews