Some final notes to wrap up the past week; plus, I tend to fixate on covers, for some reason.
I forgot to mention that Gilbert Hernandez’ new graphic novel Sloth came out this past Wednesday…probably because I haven’t bought it for myself yet. Hey, look, I’m strapped…I’ll get it eventually, I promise. In the meantime, you can read this swell review courtesy one Alan David Doane.
The second issue of the Flash relaunch came out this week, and, having read it, I’ve decided that my 20+ years of Flash-reading has pretty much come to an end. I really don’t care for this new series. No, no, I’m not going to start an internet petition about it or anything, but this new series has just failed to grab me. Primarily, it’s the writing…it just feels disjointed and random, and I’m not feeling any kind of connection with any of the characters. If you can’t get me interested in what the Golden Age Flash is up to, well, something’s gone wrong. Shame, too…I really do like the covers.
The San Diego Con is over, and I’m sure the convention center employees are currently hosing out the entrails and hauling in the giant-size Febreze air fresheners. I’ve been checking the regular comic news sites (starting with Mighty Tom Spurgeon and working my way outward) and have been seeing…well, not a whole lot of big news items that grab my attention.
Most interesting is the announcement that Matt Wagner will be reprinting his original black and white Grendel comics from the early days of Comico, just in time for the character’s 25th anniversary. I used to own these comics, but long since sold them off…and, as usual when I sell something off, I ended up regretting it some time later. Those early Grendels had a charming…crudeness (for the lack of a better word) about them that was lost in the slicker and more experimental Grendel comics that were to follow. Plus, I thought the covers were quite eye-catching.
Anyway, it’ll be nice to have these comics again, is what I’m saying. I got burnt out on the Grendel comics partway through the ninetieth-or-so Grendel Tales spin-off, but the initial concept is still a grabber…even in those early’zine-level funnybooks.
FRIENDS MAKE WITH THE FUNNY: Pal Tom has things learned from the San Diego Con (“Batwoman isn’t really a lesbian. But her boyfriend really likes to watch, so…”) and pal Dorian lets us know what would happen if comic news were written truthfully (“Investors announce ‘we hate making money,’ launch new comic company.”). And look at pal Ian, just sitting there.
