settingshadow's review
3.0
a fun graphic depiction of the Escapist. It adheres closely to Kavalier & Clay canon. Nothing breathtaking that wasn't done in Kavalier and Clay proper, but a joy to see the story laid out as a real comic.
kindleandilluminate's review
4.0
A fun & enthralling companion to Michael Chabon's excellent novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. This volume of Escapist comics purports to be an anthology of the "real" Escapist (and Luna Moth) comics over the decades, placing the fictional series in real comic and superhero history. The excerpts are drawn and written in a variety of styles (one of my favorites is the audacious bit of Escapist manga -- the Golden Chi? How can you not love that?), and accompanied by scholarly essays and introductions to the legacy of Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay.
This wouldn't be particularly interesting for anyone who hasn't already read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, but for those who have, I highly recommend it. And for those who haven't, go read Kavalier and Clay. It's great. Then come back and enjoy the Escapist.
This wouldn't be particularly interesting for anyone who hasn't already read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, but for those who have, I highly recommend it. And for those who haven't, go read Kavalier and Clay. It's great. Then come back and enjoy the Escapist.
jackieeh's review
4.0
This gets a sentimental fourth star because a) this is such well-executed fanfiction and b) I loved Kavalier & Clay so, so much. The premise is that Chabon used to read Escapist comics as a kid and this is a selection of works from every era. As a framing device, this is right up there with Frankenstein and all those other I-found-these-papers-in-an-attic-I-so-didn't-write-this stories, and I always love those.
Favorites: "Sequestered" was hilarious, "Old Flame" was gorgeous, but "The Lady and the Tiger" stole. the. show. From one-liners about malfunctioning Subarus that I over-identified with to repudiated kisses atop famous buildings (gah!), to the shades-of-grey conclusion, this was one that both hearkened back to the novel in all the right ways and stood on its own.
Nicely done, boys.
Favorites: "Sequestered" was hilarious, "Old Flame" was gorgeous, but "The Lady and the Tiger" stole. the. show. From one-liners about malfunctioning Subarus that I over-identified with to repudiated kisses atop famous buildings (gah!), to the shades-of-grey conclusion, this was one that both hearkened back to the novel in all the right ways and stood on its own.
Nicely done, boys.
lexlibris's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
I loved Kavalier & Clay & this was fun but a little too meta & inside itself. could do without the “historical” pages about the comic company’s history. I just wanted the comic part
phunkypbj's review
3.0
Fun book, that gives the history of the fake comic book characters that the characters from [author: Michael Chabon]'s book [book: the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay] made up (the Escapist, Luna Moth, etc). It also gives, basically, a history of the comic book and, to illustrate the evolving comic book style, employs multiple talented comic book artist that, I imagine, if you are familiar with comic books are artists of note.
borrowedbooks's review
2.0
a fun companion to The Amazing Adventures of Kavilier and Clay, but it's a little difficult to follow what "era" each monthly is supposed to represent
marcosfaria's review against another edition
3.0
Tem Harvey Pekar sendo Harvey Pekar, Will Eisner sendo Will Eisner (na sua última história) e acima de tudo tem um jogo delicioso de verdade e mentira. O único ponto fraco é a história sobre o Vietnã.
quillshott's review
4.0
A fantastic addendum to Chabons's phenomenal The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. This small book takes the tales of The Escapist and views them as if he were a genuine part of North American comic-book history. There are multiple comic stories updated from the "lost archives" of Empire Comics and "never-before-seen" strips, all printed as if The Escapist wasn't a character Chabon created for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, but if he were part of a well-studied, factual lore. It's great to read these historical accounts of how the character evolved, the hardships, the "camp" era, the forgotten days and the long-awaited rejuvenation. It's a must-read for people who fell in love with Kavalier & Clay, but I daresay you should avoid it if you didn't read the novel, the magic just won't be there for you.
garleighc's review
4.0
It's crazy to me that all these comics spouted from the Kavalier & Clay novel. My favorite was probably the one about Luna Moth; I always love a good bookworm story. The wide variety of artistic styles makes it easy to keep devouring the individual comics within this book.
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