How exciting! Assuming my count is correct, this is my 52nd post for Graham’s Grumbles. And, it also means that I’ve been doing this thing for a year! I don’t think I could have guessed I’d be able to drag this out so long, but here we are! I’ve also decided to use more exclamation marks in honor of the comic book medium! So, yes, it is the column’s birthday. In lieu of flowers, it encourages donations to the Graham Becksted fund. All proceeds go to helping needy Graham Becksteds.
Anyhoo, let’s get down to business. This week I want to offer my thoughts on the five graphic novels that I read for the graphic novel class I took. The final exam is tomorrow, so now seems as good a time as any.
Persepolis
Persepolis
We were only supposed to read part one, but I got the Complete Persepolis and wasn’t clear on how much to read. It presents a very interesting perspective on the Muslim Revolution in Iran. One that makes you appreciate just how good we have it in North America. I think discussing it with the teacher and my classmates made me appreciate it more. The fact that simply creating this graphic novel and releasing it was an act of rebellion would have been completely lost on me. Ultimately though, while I do appreciate it as a piece of literature, I most likely won’t read it again for leisure.
Pride Of Baghdad
Pride Of Baghdad
A beautiful comic book that I read and owned long before this class. (Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my old copy so I had to get a new one L.) I’m a fan of Brian K. Vaughan in general, and his creator owned stuff in particular, so I was primed to like this book from the get go. It definitely didn’t disappoint. One person in the class found it a little too heavy handed, but I think it does a pretty good job of presenting a lot of different perspectives on the issues it portrays. The art is also very beautiful and worth the cover price on its own.
Watchmen
Watchmen
What can I say here that hasn’t already been said a thousand times about this book? It’s required reading for anyone who is even remotely interested in the superhero genre, and it has a ton of mainstream interest ever since the movie came out. The trade paperback that collects the 12 issue series is so popular that it has never been out of print. I’ve read it three or four times over the years, but getting to discuss it from a literary perspective gave me a whole new appreciation for it. There’s so much going on it that you miss half the story if you just read it once. In fact, you could probably teach a whole course just on it.
The Death-Ray
The Death-Ray
I did a presentation on this one. I did pretty well on it, too. So, it will forever have a place in my heart. It’s the only Daniel Clowes book I’ve read, and it’s piqued my interest. The art is uniquely Clowes and the storyline is also one-of-a-kind. It’s about a kid who gets super strength when he smokes, and is given a ray gun that pops things out of existence. But, he doesn’t really fight crime. He mostly just dicks around and nurses grudges. I think it’s the closest to a real-life portrayal of super powers that I’ve ever encountered. It’s not a book for everyone, but if you like something a little more quirky you should check it out.
Signal To Noise
Signal To Noise
This was the book I was most excited to read. Written by Neil Gaiman with art and a concept by his frequent collaborator Dave McKean, what could go wrong? Well, for starters, it’s a little dense. I think the concept is something about separating the important stuff (the signal) from the unimportant stuff (the noise). But, I’m a simple man. I prefer stories that work on a surface level, but that you can appreciate on deeper levels the more you read it. Unfortunately, I didn’t really get the surface story and I definitely couldn’t penetrate the deeper levels. That being said, there are some really beautiful images and I can recommend it at least for that.
There we go, 14 weeks of class condensed into 600 words. And you didn’t have to submit a single assignment. You’re welcome.
Graham Becksted now has to go study for a final exam. Ugh. He is the author of Graham’s Grumbles the second blog by that name that is listed in Google results when you search for Graham’s Grumbles. If you would like to be his 69th follower (thank you, bots), he can be followed on Twitter @GrahamBecksted.
Comic books and school together = Coolcoolcool.
Of those I own Watchmen & Pride of Baghdad, and have seen the Persepolis movie..does that count?