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The Best American Comics 2012 (2012)

by Françoise Mouly(Favorite Author)

3.35 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0547691122 (ISBN13: 9780547691121)

languge

English

genre

Graphic Novels & Comics

publisher

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

review 1: It would have been better to give the editorship to someone younger who is actually interested in comics. Many of these selections aren't even comics, regardless of the book's title. And while I love Chester Brown, Chris Ware, Adrian Tomine, and Jim Woodring from way back in the day, there's honestly no one new out there this collection could showcase? Other selections, such as the one by Mad Magazine veteran Sergio Aragones, are simply embarrassing. I may sound like Comic Book Guy ("Worst. Collection. Ever.") but it might just be time to retire this series if they're just going to rehash the artists of the 1990s and earlier.
review 2: Here's what I liked: "X'ed Out" by Charles Burns, "Jimbo" by Gary Panter, "Frank and the Gut-Worshippers" by Jim Woodring, "The... more Pilot Learns To Fly" by Anders Nilsen, "The Love Bunglers" by Jaime Hernandez, "Even the Giants Get the Blues" by Jesse Jacobs, and "Read a Book" by Michael J. Buckley. I had already read the Charles Burns selection because I have the complete "X'ed Out" graphic novel. I was so enchanted with "Even the Giants Get the Blues" by Jesse Jacobs that I immediately ordered the complete book through Amazon. That's exactly why I like to get these anthologies occasionally, is to hopefully stumble across something new and exciting. So I guess it was worth it. But there were a LOT of other selections in the 2012 Best American Comics that left me rolling my eyes and shaking my head. Usually it's the autobiographical or reality-based selections that leave me completely unaffected or irritated. It would be nice to see more comics that are clever and engaging, that make me laugh, that surprise me with unexpected subject matter. More fantasy, horror, mystery, or sci-fi would be nice. Reading about war does not entertain or inspire me. Reading about yet ANOTHER loser guy who either lost his girlfriend or can't find one does not feed my brain. Except for a few bright spots courtesy of Jesse Jacobs, Charles Burns, the always-awesome Jaime Hernandez, and a few others, this book sort of makes me think comics are in a rut. But I am very picky. less

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