It is important to emphasize that not all of these books are
2013 releases. This list reflects when I read these books. I am also going to
make a point of not talking about close friends books. Integrity and all that.
Here we go.
Memories- Katsuhiro
Otomo-
This year I finally tracked down this long out of print
collection of some of Otomo’s short stories. Spoilers, it is really good. Highlights
are Magnetic Rose and the spiritual predecessor
to Akira and Domu called Fireball. You
can find these occasionally on EBAY for about 60-80 bones. Well worth the
investment.
Jim Rugg is one of my absolute faves on the comic’s
scene. His sense of humour and
incredible drawing ability combine to make some of the most potent comic works
out there. This most recent magazine is a collection of short strips that Rugg
has collected alongside a bunch of one sheet advertisements and pinups. This is
not exactly a comic book as it is an anthology of Rugg. Super mag is a place that allows Rugg’s ample design chops a chance
to shine all the while showing off great little strips like US Ape and Duke
Armstrong that work as shorts but might not be able to sustain their own full
length book.
This book was a long wait but well worth it. Creating a book
that appeals to kids while still appealing to his legions of adult fans is
quite the trick. Pope accomplishes this with aplomb by mashing in influences any
long time comic fan can recognize while covering each page in his trademark
rich inks and style. One major drawback
to this book is its size. Pope draws his originals larger than most and the
transition to a child friendly size hurts the work. A teaser of the first 24
pages of the book that was released in a single floppy issue format further
emphasises this weakness. Compared side by side with the finished book it is
hard to not regret the format decision.
Slam Dunk-
Takehiko Inoue.
This is the first sports comic I ever really got into. It is
all about a newbie with a lot of potential learning to play BBall with his
high-school team. There is a lot of HS drama, which I love, and some over the
top fight stuff, which is okay. The vast majority of it though is hard-core
realistic basketball games. The first game, which is a scrimmage, takes three
200 page volumes to finish. It is very thorough. Dribbling, passing, boxing
out, shooting, rebounding. We learn as the main character learns and we get
invested. The stakes of these games combined with all the motivations for the
characters all really make the results matter. PS the drawing is first rate and
the games scenes really move. I wish there was a hockey comic like this. I
might have to try my hand at one.
I love this long running strip. It is ramping up, it seems,
for some big status quo shifts in 2014. Eve and the Gang are all getting out of
the cute messing up your life section of your 20’s and are, it seems, about to
get a bit more serious. The revelations and quiet moments have all been really
impactful this year. Gran keeps getting better and better and I am really
dreading/looking forward to what she puts these characters through next.
Jupiter’s Legacy-
Frank Quietly and Mark Millar.
After one issue it was crystal clear where this story was
going and how it was going to get there. Three issues in all my guesses were
right, despite that though the ride has been very entertaining in large part
due to Frank Quietly’s art which is worth the price of admission alone. In a
year where supporting a questionable artist’s art (Orson Scott Card) became a
big issue, Mark Millar is a bit of lightning rod in the comics scene. This
story is thus far my favorite of Millar’s since Authority, which I guess
unsurprisingly also featured Quietly on art. So yeah, story is okay, predictable but fun
and violent, the art is an 11 out of 10.
