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(Book)
Tony Millionaire, Danny Hellman, Roger Langridge, Kyle Baker, Evan Dorkin, Hunt Emerson, Farel Dalrymple, Dylan Horrocks, Eddie Campbell, Dave Cooper
Released: 23 June, 2006 |
I've never been an avid reader of superhero comics, my only exposure to many of the characters coming from the numerous Hollywood blockbusters that have either been quite entertaining or total pants (worn on the outside of the costume, obviously). With that in mind, whilst browsing the shelves of Gosh comics for several hours (my wife having fled to the safety of the British Museum), I spotted this particular anthology. The eye-catching cover by Jaime Hernandez unsurprisingly caught my eye, and then the list of contributors on the back confirmed that this was indeed not your normal superhero collection but -drumroll please – something else. I looked through the list of artists and writers involved and could feel the geek-o-meter rising by the second Hunt Emerson? Great! Peter Bagge? Result! Roger Langridge? Whoo and indeed Hoo! Actually I could name all seventy two creators involved, but I suspect you'd get bored before I do, so I'll stop there. James Kochalka? Awesome! Ok, I'll really stop now. Suffice to say, if you're into alternative or independent comics, this book is a treat.
It seems that DC Comics gave these artists free reign with their characters, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and others (some of whom I'd admittedly never heard of) and they've obviously had a lot of fun doing exactly that! In one strip, with a slyly funny script by Aaron Bergeron and terrific art by John Kerschbaum, Batman visits his shrink, decides he's been cured of his neuroses, and heads off to sail around the world, not before holding a 'Cave Sale' Ö
Small boy: How much are these boomerangs?
Bruce Wayne: BAT-a-rangs are 50 cents apiece.
Small boy: D'ya have any not shaped like bats?
Bruce Wayne: No.
Another strip featuring a lovelorn Wonder Woman contains Dave Cooper's disturbingly attractive artwork, while even American Splendor's Harvey Pekar gets in on the act, scripting and starring in his own Superman story as a Bizarro Pekar. Meanwhile Hunt Emerson and Paul Grist tackle that most difficult of subjects, the Batman musical, and while it won't be troubling the West End anytime soon, it's a fun idea. Looking at the book as a whole, you can see the affection these artists have for the characters – playful but never mocking or rubbishing the genre.
In fact, the great thing about this 200 page collection is that it's chock full of strips and if you don't find a particular story appealing (a few didn't do it for me), the next page will probably contain one you do!. If you have a passing interest in the superhero genre or alternative comics, this is an interesting combination of the two, and worth a gander. RRP of £12.99, while Amazon have it for under £9. Holy Online Shopping, Batman!
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