European comics

I read a number of European comics this week.  All the ones I read very new and range from funny to serious to action.  The subject matter is handled differently from American comics.  The majority of the humor is more caricatured and satirical.  Out of all the books I read this week, the one I enjoyed the most was Blacksat.  The comic was in another language but the art work is superb.  Each panel is illustrated so that you don't need to understand what is being said.  Every once in a while, I may not know what is exactly happening but I get the main point.  The art style gets the cool perspective and gestural figures that I love.  Cool angles and expressions kept me interested.  The use of extreme perspective is something I always admire in art and this is among the top examples.   The facial expression are mind blowing, capturing the right moment in the action.  All the characters are animals but are illustrated in such a way that you dont even notice.  If anything, the different animals enhance the storytelling.  The personality of the individual shapes the type of animal they are.  The police chief is a dog, which are loyal.  The underground bar is filled with reptiles and nocturnal animals.  A shady character is a rat or some kind of vermin, either a rat or a possum.  The crime boss or main antagonist is a slimy reptile.  The different animals were my favorite part of the comic.    I definitely want to find an English version.

Buddha Vol 1

Tezuka's Buddha is a great manga.  I was surprised how good, entertaining and emersive it is to read.  Most manga I have read in the past are cool to look at and have decent storylines but none of them have the narrative that Buddha brings forth.  The writing itself is good enough on their own and dont need the pictures to illustrate the action.  The illustrations for each panel are composed very well.  They kept me involved.  The story and pictures are so good that I was able to link sequences between panels as I was reading. Before reading, I read some reviews and it seemed like a book that is used to set up what is going to happen when the main character is born.  As a result I thought it would be boring or not as intriging.  As I wrote above, this is not the case.  Never once was I bored and considering how many pages there are, it is a very fast read.  The story as a whole is well thought out with elements of history like the attire and class discrimination.  These elements create believability that I like in books.  Although the characters look child friendly, there is some pretty deep violence and nudity.  Not enough to say its vulgar but it makes a nice contrast and can be funny at times.  I enjoyed every part of this manga.  I plan on reading the next volume to see what happens to the new born child.

Comic Books

In class we read two types of comics.  A variety of Marvel and DC comics as well as more down to earth comics.  Starting with the super hero comics, many of them are early comics of the series.  From what I observed, the dialouge between characters are limited.  The mjority of the dialouge are the character's thoughts and feelings about a particular situation.  The actual dialouge is corny and uses phrases like, "Holy Calito".  The sequences are well done and gets you from panel to panel.  I found that some are hard to read and leave me to figure out the action.  The transitions go from action to action then switches to another character and their situation.  I like this format, it makes sure that I only concentrate on one character at a time.  These comics take me back to watching the Justice League and other superhero characters on t.v.  The other comic I looked at was more down to earth and related to me and everyday situations.  The stories are enjoyable and keeps me interested, especially when it relates to history.  The comic on the conquesedores and their conquest of a Native American village was intense.  Very action packed, to the point that I was dying to know what happened next.  Both genres of comics held my interest and broadened the way I looked at comics.

Maus

This is the best book I have read this year.  Every part of the novel pulls me in a direction, whether it is laughter or suspense or sadness.  All range of emotions are conveyed in this novel.  Beside the historical side, the characters are expertly realized.  I made a connection with each character.  So much so that I can hear the voices of the individuals.  There is a sense of self and truthfulness, to where there is no adjustments at all.  The character in the book is how they are in real life, not just based on a real life person.  The novel has many good points, too many to mention.  I was drawn in from the very beginning.  The life of a man who lived through the Holocaust, the story he tells ring volumes of feeling.  The progression to wealth and the continual deterioration until nothing is left. It pulls on your heart strings.  The differentiation between races are interesting and makes it easy to tell which group of people are talking.  The illustrations do a great job of moving you through.  The movement is so well done that I refused to put the book down.  This novel is a superb example of a biography even if it is done in comic form.  There is an essence to this novel, a tragic event with a hopeful future.  The fight for freedom no matter what obstacle.  A "do what you have to do" mentality in order to stay alive.  I felt the constant need for shelter, the cold nights in a barn, the restlessness of being caught; every chapter shows me something more.  I feel many people know about the Holocaust in general but I believe there is a deeper connection that happens when there is a specific point of view.  There are things that happened that I couldn't dream of, just thinking about the struggles puts me in the situation instead of just the reader.  This is why the novel grabs me so tightly, such personal experiences encourages me to learn of my own past.

A Contract With God

This is the first graphic novel I have read.  I prefer this to most comic books.  A fully fleshed out story with a message in the end.  The way the different stories are woven around each other creates a cohesive overall story.  The saying, "Its a small world" comes in mind.  It reminds me that all things are connected.  The first story is very interesting, including religion as a center focus.  The story is relatable in the sense that such a tramatic experience can change a person and distort their perseptions of the world.  I have seen such things from personal experience.  The whole concept of making a contract with God is true but not in such a concrete form.  The act of writing out the details of a contract sounds a little upsurd.  Although, it does reflect how many religious people follow religion.  They make a contract and do good things, God makes a challenge to test your faith, some stay strong, while others abandon their faith completely.  Over time they might come back or as the story illustrates, try to bargain for a new contract, one not made with your intentions but based on others.  Corresponding to the bible, it says,"Not to test God".  The consequenses wont be as seavre but it is something that is not done.  The book as a whole flows with ease and makes it fast to read.  This is now one of my favorite books

Peanuts

The Peanuts comic strip is the most entertaining to read.  The humor is simple yet complex in the underlying themes such as politics or ethics.  The Journey Through the Tribune is one such comic.  Filled with facts and information while adding some humorous comments here and there.  I find that comics like these are enjoyable to read.  Step by step tour without having to go there yourself.  The use of having characters that are in the newspaper talk about being in the news paper is clever.  This comic seemed to be longer than most Peanuts that I've read.  It would be categorized as a movie compared to the other strips which would be closer to t.v shows.  The style and dialogue clearly reflect the era.  Retro in intent and full of one liners.  The 50's dialogue comes off as corny and very salesman-like.  Propaganda filled saying and the sense that the characters talk short and fast is an unappealing aspect.  Despite my personal preference, Peanuts are a classic and gives a warm feeling of the old days when I was a kid watching Charlie Brown. 

Krazy Kat

The transitions are kind of standard.  Some have awkward jumps, more movement between panels.  The style is gestural, not much regard for reference but focused on expression and action.  The relationship between the pictures and the words are remotely balanced.  The words fit the pictures and even strong emotion like anger.  They are easy to read.   Action is expected in these strips are at least a sense of movement. These strips are about a satire of sorts or conflict between the two main characters.