As tweeted over a week ago, I purchased a tablet (a Samsung
Galaxy Tab 2, for those interested) and dived into this whole digital comics
thing with gusto. I’ve mainly used
Comixology, and began by purchasing a few things I’ve wanted to read for a
while, like Batman Incorporated and Superman: Red Son. Why do they make it so scarily fucking easy to buy shit!?! Strangely I find the digital format to be
somehow less committal than real comic books (which doesn’t make sense, I could
always sell my real collection if the urge ever took me), and exploited the
opportunity to dip my toe into a few waters I probably otherwise would have
stayed out of, like the first six issues of the new (but how much longer do we
consider the “new 52” as “new”?) Green Arrow which were nothing special, and
Deathstroke, which I’m finding to be violent trash (in a good way). There’s not too much though that I feel
compelled to actually write about, despite my enjoyment of almost everything on
at least some level, with the exception of the following two books.
What Am I Going To Do Without You? – It had not even been 24
hours into my digital comics discovery tour before I stumbled upon this
beautiful book by Patt Kelley. Strange
and beautiful like a Wes Anderson movie, What Am I Going To Do Without You?
begins with the discovery of a dead dinosaur in the woods that quickly becomes
a news sensation. Life goes on for a
small group of unconnected characters though, and sometimes your world can just
be about being bullied, or walking your dog.
At the centre of the tale is the love story of an old couple that is
further solidified when the husband is told he only has a short time to
live. There is a beauty and innocence
here that is so moving and touching, which somehow avoids absurd contrast with
the cartoonish art style. The characters
feel real, and the story reminds us that when the sky falls, being with our
loved ones is what’s really important.
And that dogs are amazing.
I got this from Comixology but it’s also available from the
Top Shelf website, but was a little disappointed when shopping for a print
version for my Mum that it’s available in digital format only. What Am I Going To Do Without You? Made for a
wonderful break in my usual super reading and I highly recommend this book to
anyone with a human heart in their chest.
You can get it here: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/what-am-i-going-to-do-without-you/805
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 The opinions and controversy surrounding
Before Watchmen has been well documented, debated, discussed and blogged about
and I’ll assume that readers will have already formed a solid opinion regarding
the politics of this series’ release. I’m
not here to sway that perspective, I will simply state that of all the Watchmen
characters I feel Ozymandias is the one with a back story worth telling, so
with trepidation I waded in to waters I’d been warned about. What we get is an almost cinematic origin
story that while serviceable, may fall flat with anyone who has watched a few
superhero movies in the last decade.
Thankfully, the stunning artwork of Jae Lee more than makes up for it,
making the look back at the character’s childhood seem dreamlike and
surreal. Each page features panels
arranged in an almost architectural style, suggesting windows as Ozymandias
explores his own memories. I love the
example of how perception of a memory can slightly skew the truth, as the child
Ozmandias defends himself against a bully, the kick to the leg seems to result
in explosion as if delivered by shotgun.
You’ve probably already decided how interested you are in
Before Watchmen. I don’t much care for
the other stories in the series, but I’m sticking with this. It might not set a benchmark for story, and
we already know what Ozymandias is destined to do. But this book is too pretty for me to ignore.
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