Friday, July 25, 2008

Gratifying Graphic Novels and Transcendental Trade Paperbacks

Friday July 25, 2008

Hola! We're back again with more fun and hopefully fascinating stuff. The topic for tonight is comics in honor of the massive Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend. I'm going to focus on some of my favorite titles that have been reprinted as trade paperbacks and are available at your local book shop. The first stop on our tour is the year 1986 when Frank Miller wrote and illustrated his remarkable graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. The Batman of TDKR is an alternate future version of the familiar hero. The book succeeds at both celebrating and reinventing the superhero genre, by returning Batman to his origins as a tough, brooding, dark character. The next book to peruse on our virtual tour is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. This series was notable for the inclusion of several notable fictitious figures from the era. The ill-fated 2003 film proved to be a dud that failed to capture the steampunk vibe of the book. The last recommended read for the evening is Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. The original series was written by Gaiman and drawn by several different artists and is now recognized as one of the high points for illustrated fiction. Gaiman's work on Sandman was a departure from the norm and helped boost DC's fledgling Vertigo imprint. These days I don't buy individual comics anymore but wait for the reprints in book form. Give them a try and see if your eyes and your mind don't open a bit for it.


The picture of the week was created using Project Dogwaffle.
Click on the image for a full-sized view

The loops of the week are some stylish rhythm synth parts.

The PC game of the week was Future Pinball once again. Thank goodness this game doesn't eat quarters like the classic pinball games it is based on.


Send your comments and feedback and I’ll read it all and respond to some of it.

Bye for now!

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