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By Marc Mason
December 28, 2004
THE ESSENTIALS: 2004
When I sat down to do it, I really couldn’t put together a “top ten books of 2004” list. Not really.
One, I haven’t reviewed some of the more high-profile books of 2004: LOCAS, IN THE SHADOW OF NO TOWERS, PERSEPOLIS 2, and BIRTH OF A NATION haven’t reached this column, and to omit any of them would be an error of judgment. Two, in defiance of popular thought, I had the privilege of reading a number of terrific comics and graphic novels this year, and whittling down to a ten “best” would be difficult at best. That’s when it struck me: instead of the best, I’d pick what I considered the ten most “essential” books of the year. But what does that mean?
In this case, I chose to look for ten books that fit certain categories, and I wanted to create a list that, if you decided to go to a store and buy these ten books for someone who had never read a comic before, they would read them and walk away not only knowing what comics were really all about, but who would return as fans. Got it? Good.
Beyond that, I want to thank each and every one of you who reads and supports this column. I’m grateful to you all, whether you like and agree with me or not. I also want to thank Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall for his continued brilliance and support; he works hard to make The Shoot a top-notch place to go on the web, and it shows. He also has a gift for offering the right editorial suggestion when you need it. I also want to thank Ming, the genius operator of our servers. He’s a helpful and assuring presence, and the reason why it all looks so purrrty.
KYLE BAKER: CARTOONIST VOL.1
Reviewed 1/6/04
What makes this book so special? It’s simple, really: CARTOONIST is a wealth of original material from one of the great creators working in the field today. Baker had one of his finest years in comics ever; a second volume of CARTOONIST followed, along with BIRTH OF A NATION and his consistently hilarious PLASTIC MAN. The PLASTIC MAN book has gotten so brilliantly off the hook that they can’t even write a solicit for it anymore, because describing it sounds like the ramblings of a mental patient. But CARTOONIST, with its deeply heartfelt look at his family and its razor-sharp satire, was a tremendous way to start the year.
STREET ANGEL
Reviewed 2/3/04
STREET ANGEL makes the cut as the best pamphlet published by a small press company this year. Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca put the fun back in making comics with this little gem, shoehorning in every radical and strange concept possible. The young heroine, a homeless teen, battles ninjas, pirates, time warps and more… including the prejudice of her peers because of her status in life. Artistically reminiscent of David Lapham’s AMY RACECAR material and dialogued with an authentic flavor, this book provides a unique energy to the reader. My only complaint is that I only got to read the first two issues; can’t wait to see where they go next.
THE FIXER
Reviewed 3/16/04
This is a bit of a cheat, as the book had come out in the previous year, but since I didn’t get to it until March, it counts. Joe Sacco’s work here is brilliant; no one else has produced works of graphic journalism so consistently over the years. His second story about the Balkans conflict of the 90s is visually and emotionally engrossing, taking you to a place and a people that most in North America cannot imagine or understand. I always put down a Sacco work feeling as if I have learned something important at the same time I was being entertained. There’s a reason all of his books wind up in libraries nation-wide.
EGG STORY
Reviewed 7/27/04
Marc Schmidt’s tale seems a simple one on the surface: eggs with their own lives and personalities escape the fridge and begin leading a normal life. But beneath that basic plot is a layered tale worthy of the great Shel Silverstein. These eggs are on a quest for identity, and like humans, some will find the answers about what lurks inside them not to their liking. After all, when an eggshell is cracked, what else is left to happen but for the egg to go bad? The dark moments of the book are balanced by some wonderful humor, including one egg’s drive to become a ninja, complete with the outfit. Readers young and old will be captivated by this wonderful book.
SAME DIFFERENCE AND OTHER STORIES
Reviewed 8/24/04
I read a number of autobiographical works this year, and in the end, Derek Kirk Kim’s stuck with me the most. The title story of the book considers a road trip of depth and heartbreak, as Kim and his companion are forced to consider the harm that they caused to people they barely knew or knew not at all. Rather than getting maudlin about it, Kim wisely allows the lessons to unfold in an unforced manner, creating a lively and brisk read that keeps you captivated from start to finish. In execution, it reminded me of nothing less than a sort of raw John Irving-esque type of work. The back up stories are pretty good, too.
CARNET DE VOYAGE
Reviewed 8/31/04
I also read a number of travelogues this year, but this was by far the best. Never a huge fan of Thompson (I was mezzo-mezzo on BLANKETS) I was stunned by this book which describes his touring through Europe to support that book, as well as his side trips to more exotic locales like Morocco. As an added bonus, not only does Thompson chronicle his journey here, but he also reprints his sketchbook from the trip as well. That helps push CARNET over the top, making it more than a simple look at a vacation. I wasn’t a big Thompson fan before I started reading this for sure; but I was by the time I was done.
FANTASTIC ART: THE BEST OF LUIS ROYO
Reviewed 8/31/04
Branching out a bit, I had the good fortune to see a number of pure art books this year, but none even came close to the brilliance of this Royo collection. Printed in an oversized hardcover format on thick paper, the European master’s art could only look better if placed in a nice frame and hung in a place of honor on the wall. Beautiful women, mind-blowing locales, amazing looking creatures… Royo does work to make the heart sing and the jaw drop. I said it in my original review, and I say it again now: I look through this book and do little but wish I owned many of the originals within these pages. Awesome.
MADROX
Reviewed 9/28/04
When I went looking for the best pamphlet series being published by either DC or Marvel this year, it boiled down to PLASTIC MAN, EMPIRE, SHE-HULK or this gem from the still fertile mind of industry vet David. A rare case of a limited series that has improved with every single issue published, this story if the Multiple Man and his struggle to define himself when he can actually be, well, everybody has been completely engrossing. If you’ve ever thought that life would be better if you could duplicate yourself and send one to work while you stayed home and relaxed, this book will disabuse you of that notion. And if you duplicated yourself, hoping to escape a villain, and your dupe turned out to be the one with your sense of self-preservation and ran away? You’d be Madrox.
B. KRIGSTEIN COMICS
Reviewed 10/5/05
This second collection of the late Krigstein’s work is a phenomenal archive. Bringing together dozens of long out-of-print and lost stories and restoring them to glory, this coffee table book proves again why Fantagraphics is the undisputed master of this type of project. Krigstein’s art is brilliantly ahead of its time in its style of narrative and line. You read this book and have difficulty believing that some of it is fifty years old. If I had to pick a “best” book of 2004, I’d have a hard time not picking this one. It’s just great. Not much more I can say but that.
OWLY VOL.1
Reviewed 10/19/04
Running a close second, though, would be this little slice of heaven. Andy Runton’s characters are pure perfection, working their way through simple plots like helping a friend find their way home when they’re lost, and turning them into mediations on the nature of friendship and the acceptance of others because of the strength of their souls. Eschewing dialogue for pictograms adds to the “all-ages” nature of the book, but at heart, it’s the depth of the stories that take OWLY and make it great. The more I’ve read it, the more I admire it and what it accomplishes. There’s an emotional power here that cannot be denied.
Love or hate my choices? Let me know by dropping me an e-mail. In the meantime, I’ll be back in 2005 with fresh reviews, including another mammoth manga look and more. Happy New Year!
Review materials may be sent to: Marc Mason, P.O. Box 26732, Tempe, AZ 85285. You can also find me at Happy Nonsense and The Comics Waiting Room
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