Comics and... that's about it

Waw, I think for once I have two many comics right now. I certainly have enough to read at least two chapters a night, which I think is pretty cool. Anyway, I read three trades recently of varying quality.

First was Fun Home, which was a very well-written autobiography about the writer/artists relationship with her somewhat dysfunctional family, particularly her father. And not wacky dysfunctional, though not quite depressing dysfunctional. The writer paints a vivid picture of her life with her father, who seemed to be more interested in preserving their house than raising children. The narrator explains that he is now dead in what could have either been an accident or a suicide. There's no way to be certain and evidence really points toward accident, but a suicide is not out of the question since father had been somewhat ostracized by the community for being gay and supposedly having trysts with teenagers (actual evidence really points to him seeing guys in their twenties, and I don't remember it mentioned that he was actually with any teenagers).

The story jumps around in time a lot, but not in a "Hey look, I'm creative" way. It's really more of a "I'm writing based on what I know about my father and it doesn't work in a linear manner" sort of way. The father is really an enigma despite having so much character details given. This is because everyone in this world is complicated. Jerks aren't always jerks, nice people aren't always nice people. The father seemed insensitive in many ways, but he seemed to care about his family in others. But in what way he cared is unsure. There are times he seems shallow and times he seems sincere. He (and the author) always seem to bear bored expressions and I think the author is trying to show that despite some issues she has with her father, they're quite alike (especailly when they can both freely talk to each other about being gay).

Thankfully, this isn't a woe-is-me story, but the fact that the author seems to make book references in every chapter seems mildly pretentious (and I think the author sort of sees herself that way, though she sees even more annoying people who fix their own views and make half-assed assumptions about literary subtext), though it works logically and well in the context of the story, since these are books that shaped her and how she looks at the world. It's an art student thing I guess. Still, while I understand what she's saying when comparing her father to Dedalius, it strikes me as a bit overwrought. Still this is a great book and a very well told life story. But I wouldn't put it at the level of Lious Riel or Maus as a powerfully told comic biography.

Fantastic Four: Books of Doom was a big disappointment, especially after reading volume one of Sleeper a few weeks prior. In fact it didn't need the Fantastic Four title at all seeing as how the FF never show up in any signifigant way (only a few scenes with Reed Richards). The book is supposed to be the life story of the most accomplished, power and beloved tyrant ever, Dr. Doom, but Doom's rise to power is surprisingly boring. It doesn't help that the artist has a rather bland style for this supposedly grandiose story. The writer, Ed Brubaker, has done much better stuff, so I was expecting something... more poetic. This is really sort of criminal

I also get the feeling that Doom was handed a bit too much in this book. He always always struck me as more of a self-made villain rather than someone who got his power because his mother was a sorceress and some monks thought he had a destiny because he face blowed up. Now, the fact that Doom sees flawless in this story makes sense, due to the story's end, but he should also come off as more arrogant (which is one of his few flaws). His final conquest is OK but it really adds nothing new to the character. The big twist at the end seems sort of pointless as well and in no way really effects the nature of the story.

Lastly, the latest volume of Walking Dead was pretty good, but the torture part of the story rivaled Hostel in terms of unpleasantness. I find Robert Kirkman's story-telling is good, but I think that he's even better at making the reader excited about the next story. He's good with the cliffhangers and the setting up interesting subplots. It's not the execution is bad or even a let down in anyway, they just don't pack the same punch as the set ups (though the torture scene was pretty harrowing. Penis violence, even off panel, is owie). Still, great book. Reads a little too quickly though.