Review: Mister Wonderful

How this review of Mister Wonderful can into being, was an act of fate. Not the kind of fate in which a pair of star crossed loves eyes might over a cup of coffee, or that the reviewer is the heir to some kind of mythical thrown, but a kind of fate none the less. While looking through a stack of discounted graphic novels at a local comic book store (support your local store goddamit), I spied the unusually formated Mister Wonderful, written and drawn by the insanely talented Daniel Clowes.

Now this is strange for two reasons of course, firstly, how anything by Mr. Clowes had slipped under my radar irked me a little, but secondly and more importantly, what was it doing in the discount rack at all? For a book of this caliber to have gone unpurchased for so long, to the point of reduction no less, was a crime!

It was only when I got it to the counter, that it was explained to me, that the previous day a man had entered the store, specifically looking for something by Clowes, and how the guy behind the counter had forgotten the book was in the discount section, did I see the reasoning behind it being there unfolding. "I even kinda knew it was there-" said the guy working there "just something told me not to sell it to him." And there we have it folks, no matter how forced or contrived it may sound, this review comes to you from forces outside of this reviewer's control.

But more importantly, was this fate to be a blessing or a curse? I suppose the real question is, would a review bother to make the introduction to his review so flowery if it wasn't a good read. Mister Wonderful, from start to finish, is nothing short of, well, Wonderful.

Originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine, it is the story of Marshall, a hapless middle aged loner, being set up on a blind date after a train wreck of a relationship, resulting in Marshall living alone for the last 6 years. However, when his blind date arrives, the equally self deprecating and damaged Natalie, the book turns from Clowes' usual witty social narrative, to something that stands on a pedestal above any of his previous endeavors.

Building upon Marshall's paranoia, Clowes breaks usual format conventions, pushing the narrative in interesting ways. Using Marshall's inner monologue in caption boxes, Clowes layers them over Natalie's speech, making the reader feel our repressed protagonists panic and distain, as he tries to block out his thoughts enough to focus on Natalie's words. On top of this, Clowes uses the book's format to his advantage. The landscape layout allows for some explorative spreads and typography, something the book is all the better for.

I cannot recommend Mister Wonderful more highly (as well as Clowes' other work for that matter). As a fan of comic books, you will get to see a master at work, pushing the medium to it's limits in exciting ways and to the average reader, you will find a witty and surprisingly charming story, of life after love. While it's not as lengthy as most books in it's price range, what the book lacks in pages it makes up for in heart. Miss this book at your peril.

Retro Review - Marvels

The year is 1939, and man plays God. In a lab, scientist Phineas Horton creates an android that when exposed to air, becomes a burning pyre. This technological breakthrough was shown to a crowd of journalists, who deemed the flaming man a menace to society. So like everything man fears, they hid it away in the darkness, where they dared not look upon him, for in doing so they would admit their fear for all things different. But the truth will always ring out. Nobody contain a thing that shines so brightly, a Human Torch is born, and with it, a Golden Age of Heroes. The first of many Marvels.

In 1994 a creative powerhouse of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, created a 4 part mini series called Marvels. This was not simply a book about super heroes, at least not in the traditional sense. This was a story about humanity, and it's reaction to the heroes it saw on a day to day basis. The book follows a freelance photographer named Phil Sheldon, a man who through his skills as a photographer, the world would see the full golden age of heroes. And while this world may not exist, the people in it and their sentiments, almost always echoes through Sheldon, are as real as writing gets.

By stepping outside of the usual costumes and needs for a steady flow of action-to-action transitions, Busiek is allowed to give a very human feeling to comics that is not often seen in Marvel books. However, this is not to say the sentiment is always pleasing. As all good writing should, Marvels is not afraid to show us humanities flaws, commenting on racism, war and our devotion as a species to the media. 

But it is also a celebration of the Golden Age of comics, through the book we get a solid understanding of not only the time period in which the comics were set, but how wonderfully constructed those original books were, in terms of character, story arches and sheer artistic visionary for the medium of comics itself. It is a homage to the great creators of the era, Lee, Kirby, Ditko, Heck, Wood and many more pioneers of the field, without whom not only this book would not  have existed, but arguably the whole world of comics and the culture surrounding them, that we get to enjoy today.

While Busiek's writing on this book is absolutely stellar, it is undoubtedly matched by the art of Ross. Each panel is beautifully rendered, to a level of photorealism rarely seen in comics before or since this book. Busiek undoubtedly provides the soul of the book, but Ross' work could tell a tale all of it's own. 

But this is not to understate the beautifully laid type of Richard Starkings. Starkings decision to use a serif typeface in the books prologue is one of the greatest typographical choices made in the world of comics. It is so obvious to look at, that to the average reader it just blends into the background, but not only does this choice of type compliment the time period and art style, but it establishes the tone for the whole graphic novel. This is a serious piece of work, it is more than a comic, it is something to Marvel at. 

Starkings opts to use a traditional hand rendered font for the rest of the books speech, that is so effective, you will step away from Marvels forgetting you've read a thing, and more that you've experienced something on a whole other level.

There are no words this reviewer can use to influence your decision to buy this book (and nor should there be), but it is in the most sincere efforts, that this reviewer urges you to seek out Marvels. It is a timeless effort that is not only beautifully crafted, but is a celebration of comics as a whole. Yes, the book deals with some issues and yes, there is quite a lot of dialogue as apposed to action sequences, but this could be argued as a refreshing change of pace. 

If you claim to like comics, even in the loosest sense, you owe it to yourself to read and enjoy Marvels, as despite your preference to art or story, the book is the most shining example of a work in which it is impossible to pick a stronger part, and that dear reader, is something to Marvel at.

Moving on Up!

Why hello there dear reader. Don't be alarmed, I know the fact this blog post is not in a Tumblr could disorientate some of you lovely people, but don't panic just yet. This is a transitional period, and it's OK to feel a little woozy. Just keep calm and follow my lead.

I decided after the guffawing and general stick waving of the older generation, under the impression that the Tumblr having the occasional repost or funny cat picture, was somewhat distracting from the overall goal of the blog's original sentiment. Reviewing comics, fast and furiously.

So in light of this fact, and the fact my Tumblr has become somewhat of a personal account, I intend on using THIS blog, right here, as the main base of operations, while the Tumblr will bring in the punters and serve as 'further reading / viewing' for this blog. Simple.

So here we go, Blog time!