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9-11 VOLUME 1 (Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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Dark Horse Comics
Creators: Various
Price: $9.95 US/$16.95 CAN |
This is going to seem weird, but stick with me.
I write comics reviews every week. Some on the weekend, and some on Wednesday, when new comics books hit direct-market comics shops. I have a full-time job, with an early shift. I don't have a lot of time to read the comics I pick up at the store before I sit down to write a few new reviews. Often, I don't get around to writing about some books, or even reading some of them. Pressed for time.
This week was no exception. Actually, I was more tapped out time-wise than usual. I read Howard the Duck. Loved it. I read Scion. Another good issue. And then I was faced with the two volumes of the new 9-11 benefit books from Dark Horse and DC Comics (as well as other contributing publishers, like Chaos! Comics and Image Comics). Big books. Part of me wanted to just watch reruns and munch on a chicken quesadilla.
I started to read 9-11 vol.1. And I read. And read. I became engrossed. I revisited emotions from Sept.11. I was reminded of the debates and the philosophy that arose in the aftermath. I got the chance to see some top comic-book industry talent at work. And I got to see some stunning work from artists whose names were new to me.
That beats a rerun of Friends any day.
There are too many stories told here to examine each one. There are too many creators pitching in to mention all of them. There are too many ideas, too many feelings, too many perspectives. That multitude makes for a dense but richly rewarding and challenging read. The corresponding second volume published by DC Comics boasts a more hopeful tone, but this book stands out as the superior one of the set.
This book boasts stories and art that serve as calls to arms, patriotic needles in the arm. But there are pieces that examine the broader issues. Though he's been battered and built up again, Uncle Sam's hands aren't exactly clean, as some artists point out. Others still rage at God.
Some artists offer comfort. Others encourage catharsis. Some contributors point to the horizon and focus our attention on hope. It makes for a well-balanced read overall. Room is made for a variety of views, some of which are even in conflict with one another. The overall tone of the book is a stark one, but not depressing. Despite the surreal nature of some of the pieces (notably some one-page pinups), the emphasis is placed on the reality of Sept.11 and the days that have followed.
While I thoroughly appreciated the intelligent discourses on the subject matter and the personal remembrances of an awful day, what I enjoyed most about this book was the variety of creators -- noted, unknown and in between -- who contributed. I "met" some fresh new talent, and my excitement about the state of comics and its diversity was renewed.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
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