brizreading's review
2.0
This should really be called Best American Indie Autobiographical Adult Comics That Are Not Graphic Novels or Ongoing Comics like Saga.
I was pretty disappointed; there was a very heavy weighting towards autobiographical zine-style web comics, many with just okay craft (in other words, ugly drawings :/). I find that whole sub-genre incredibly self-indulgent and boring. Like, dudes, we can aaalll draw shitty drawings about how we feel shitty sometimes - or (EVEN WORSE) felt shitty once when we were teens (OMG PLZ NO MORE ABOUT HOW EMO YOUR TEENAGE YEARS WERE). Aaghh. I feel like an asshole, since the autobio comix are often "pour your heart out about your gritty mental health issue", and so it feels especially mean to dislike it. BUT I DO.
I think there's more to the craft of comix than just panel pacing and panel structure. The actual art inside, the dialogue, and A PLOT!
Even the relatively better-crafted stuff, like the comic by Adrian Tomine, was centered around an excruciatingly painful family dynamic (stuttering, deluded daughter trying her hand at amateur standup while cancer-ridden mom is super supportive and cynical dad is frustrated and NOT supportive). That was one of the better ones - there was a lot of skill in how Tomine unveiled the dynamic, and the drawings were great. But I was, by the end of the book and having read N more similar emo-gutter-porn, like, JEEZ IS THERE ONLY ONE SETTING ON THIS THING?
I was pretty disappointed; there was a very heavy weighting towards autobiographical zine-style web comics, many with just okay craft (in other words, ugly drawings :/). I find that whole sub-genre incredibly self-indulgent and boring. Like, dudes, we can aaalll draw shitty drawings about how we feel shitty sometimes - or (EVEN WORSE) felt shitty once when we were teens (OMG PLZ NO MORE ABOUT HOW EMO YOUR TEENAGE YEARS WERE). Aaghh. I feel like an asshole, since the autobio comix are often "pour your heart out about your gritty mental health issue", and so it feels especially mean to dislike it. BUT I DO.
I think there's more to the craft of comix than just panel pacing and panel structure. The actual art inside, the dialogue, and A PLOT!
Even the relatively better-crafted stuff, like the comic by Adrian Tomine, was centered around an excruciatingly painful family dynamic (stuttering, deluded daughter trying her hand at amateur standup while cancer-ridden mom is super supportive and cynical dad is frustrated and NOT supportive). That was one of the better ones - there was a lot of skill in how Tomine unveiled the dynamic, and the drawings were great. But I was, by the end of the book and having read N more similar emo-gutter-porn, like, JEEZ IS THERE ONLY ONE SETTING ON THIS THING?
mountsleepyhead's review
3.0
3.5 stars
These Best American Comics anthologies are almost always pretty good, and they are one of my favorite things to recommend to people who think comics are just dudes in tights punching bad guys. My review is less about where this book ranks on its own--because on its own, in a vacuum, it's excellent and full of incredibly interesting artists and voices--but where it ranks in the Best American Comics series. It's not my favorite, but it's better than some of the more middle of the road entries.
There are some great artists (and some great ones I had never heard of, which is why I read these things in the first place) but there were 3 very lengthy excerpts from graphic novels that really hamper the amount of artistic diversity of the anthology. There's like, 30+pages of Cece Bell's excellent El Deafo, but at that volume you're already reading a fourth of the book and it doesn't make a lot of sense having so much of it occupying valuable space that could be showcasing other artists. The anthology also features lengthy segments of Nina Bunjevac's Fatherland and Lance Ward's Adult's Only,which, to the excerpt's credit, was my favorite discovery of this anthology. So it's a double edged sword. And yet, the selection from Ward's graphic novel could have been half as long and I still would have wanted to read the whole thing, so I'm going to stick to my line in the sand about graphic novel excerpts. It's important to include them, since that is where some of the best work is beign done, but it has to make sense and be self-contained (and probably no more than 10 pages at the absolute max).
That said, guest editor Roz Chast does a great job balancing excellent new work from Best American Comics stalwarts like Chris Ware, Lynda Barry, John Porcellino, and Adrian Tomine, with newcomers whose output is limited to their Tumblr or very small self-published comics (notably Anne Emond, Keiler Roberts, and Sophia Zdon, and their contributions are the sort of stuff that can make these anthologies so special). As is the case with anthologies, I didn't love everything and actively disliked a couple of entries, but hey, that's the fun of these things! Outside of the large swaths of excerpts, this is one of the better Best American Comics anthologies.
These Best American Comics anthologies are almost always pretty good, and they are one of my favorite things to recommend to people who think comics are just dudes in tights punching bad guys. My review is less about where this book ranks on its own--because on its own, in a vacuum, it's excellent and full of incredibly interesting artists and voices--but where it ranks in the Best American Comics series. It's not my favorite, but it's better than some of the more middle of the road entries.
There are some great artists (and some great ones I had never heard of, which is why I read these things in the first place) but there were 3 very lengthy excerpts from graphic novels that really hamper the amount of artistic diversity of the anthology. There's like, 30+pages of Cece Bell's excellent El Deafo, but at that volume you're already reading a fourth of the book and it doesn't make a lot of sense having so much of it occupying valuable space that could be showcasing other artists. The anthology also features lengthy segments of Nina Bunjevac's Fatherland and Lance Ward's Adult's Only,which, to the excerpt's credit, was my favorite discovery of this anthology. So it's a double edged sword. And yet, the selection from Ward's graphic novel could have been half as long and I still would have wanted to read the whole thing, so I'm going to stick to my line in the sand about graphic novel excerpts. It's important to include them, since that is where some of the best work is beign done, but it has to make sense and be self-contained (and probably no more than 10 pages at the absolute max).
That said, guest editor Roz Chast does a great job balancing excellent new work from Best American Comics stalwarts like Chris Ware, Lynda Barry, John Porcellino, and Adrian Tomine, with newcomers whose output is limited to their Tumblr or very small self-published comics (notably Anne Emond, Keiler Roberts, and Sophia Zdon, and their contributions are the sort of stuff that can make these anthologies so special). As is the case with anthologies, I didn't love everything and actively disliked a couple of entries, but hey, that's the fun of these things! Outside of the large swaths of excerpts, this is one of the better Best American Comics anthologies.
7sarah7's review
2.0
I’m such a huge fan of “The Best American” anthologies but this was my first time reading a “Comics” one. Unfortunately, I️ don’t think these work as an anthology at all. Most of the stories are excerpts from graphic novels, or a collection of stand-alone comics from the same artist, so each story feels stilted and unfinished. There were a few standouts that I️ mentioned on my updates (Cece Bell, Liana Finck, Lynda Barry, Joe Sacco) but in general I️ disliked most of the comics. I️ think the word “comics” instead of “graphic novels” or a similar term misleads readers into thinking there will be at least a slight element of humor in at least some of the comics, but, be warned, there are only majorly depressing (and not in a good way) or just confusing comics in this. The two stars are for the few standouts I️ mentioned above. Would recommended just reading those ones.
ursulamonarch's review
5.0
This is my favorite Best American Comics collection! Thanks to Roz Chast.
emdashbookparty's review
4.0
This is a truly stellar collection of comics, representing a wide range of artists, storytellers, and styles. Favorites included: Killing and Dying (Adrian Tomine), Syllabus (Lynda Barry), The Hospital Suite (John Porcellino), All the Paintings Here Agree (Liana Finck), El Deafo (Cece Bell), Broadside Ballads (Kate Beaton), Bike Fast (Sophia Zdon), Mom (Dave Lapp), and Adults Only (Lance Ward)
francomega's review
3.0
Good mix of established artists like Kate Beaton, Chris Ware, Gilbert Hernandez, and Adrian Tomine and fresh voices. Standouts among the latter for me: Powdered Milk by Keiler Roberts; Fashion Cat by Alex Schubert; Shut Your Piehole, Johnny Pinetop by Joe Ollmann; and Don't Leave Me Alone by GG.
Though Fashion Cat rules.
Though Fashion Cat rules.
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