Iran: more links via one-hoopy-frood

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دنیارابگوییدچطورآنهاانتخاباتمان دزدیده اند
Tell the world how they have stolen our election

- original article by one_hoopy_frood on LJ

Comics recs

Over on SD 2.0 besamim posted some Persepolis. If you haven't already read it, this post could be your gateway drug! I reced the book here.


Maus, by Art Spiegelman: Yes, I know this one gets reced everywhere and by everyone, but I'm genuinely fond of Maus. Firstly, the art is wonderful. If you're coming to comics from cartoon strips, webcomics or indies, you'll be comfortable. If you're coming to it from mainstream manga or superhero comics, it's a bit of an adjustment. Stripped down and cartoony in the best possible way, it packs an emotional wallop. As does the story, of course. For those out of the know, Maus is a kind of bio of Spiegelman's father's experiences in Hitler's Europe. It's a very personal bio though, which is what makes it so powerful. (ha ha Triestine, I'm using the word in spite of your distaste for it). 

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon: This is a really interesting read, but beware the odd jingoistic excesses. The book is the 9/11 Commission Report, all ~500 pages, boiled down into an easy to read graphic novel. The pencils and layouts are good: clean and readable, for comics veterans or noobs. It helps that the artist did his research. Everyone from Bush to the 9/11 terrorists are recognizable as their real world counterparts. I should warn you that there are some dicey portrayals of arabs and other people of colour, and a fair amount of rhetoric throughout. 

Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud: An interesting read for comics veterans and noobs. Scott McCloud's mad writing and drawing skills are on display throughout. His illustrations are clean and readable, and his explanations clear and concise. He takes on the difficult task of answering questions like: what are comics? what is the vocabulary of comics? and, how do comics do what they do? 

Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: I've reced this series all over the internet, but strangely, not in my own journal. Criminal is a dirty, noir series, heavily influenced by 70s crime and blacksploitation films. Everything about it is gorgeous and dirty and bleak as hell. Each trade is a self-contained arc, following a character in the nameless, broken-down City. You can read them separately, in any order, but I recommend starting with vol one and reading straight through though. While the stories stand alone, they're part of an organic network. Places and familiar faces are revisited, if only briefly. Criminal is unflinching, but never gratuitous. No shock tactics, just character development, Themes, and honest, human emotional.

Transmetropolitan, by Warren Ellis and Darrick Robertson: I'd been reced Transmet about a million times before I finally read it, for the NSD book club. It's very Ellis: packed with neato sf tropes and profanity. It's also a lot of fun. Spider Jerusalem, the gonzo journalist protagonist, is certainly fun to follow, but for me the star of this book is the art. I spent more time picking out the visual references and easter eggs, than I did reading the books. ;) 

Preacher, by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon: This series is not for everyone. But that's Garth Ennis for you. It's violent, profane, crude and dirty. There are few admirable or redeeming characters, and the humour is quite often offensive. Preacher is the story of the Reverend Jesse Custer, who's been gifted with the Word of God, his girlfriend, the kickass Tulip, and best friend, Irish vampire Cassidy. It's a supernatural/religious/adventure series, where the adventures are more Tarantino than heroic, and the influence of western movies is endemic. John Wayne makes regular cameos and one of the series' antagonists, the Saint of Killers, is  based on Eastwood's character in Unforgiven. Longtime readers might remember that Unforgiven is a favourite of mine, so it's no surprise that the Ancient History arc, which explores the Saint's backstory, is one of my favourite of the series. Along with everything else, Preacher is frequently hilarious and thinky; it has Hidden Depths.

Scalped, by Jason Aaron and RM Guera: Scalped is set on an American Indian reservation that's gotten rich off casino proceeds. Only, not everyone is sharing in the wealth. The ordinary residents of the reserve are poverty stricken, and abused by their corrupt band chief Lincoln Red Crow. FBI agent and former reserve resident, Dashiell Bad Horse, is sent in undercover, to help bring down Red Crow's organization from the inside. There are some significant issues with the portrayal of Native Americans in this series. Aaron tends to get sloppy, and mix and match the histories of different tribes. Watch for the random totem poles. o.O But don't let that put you off entirely. Aaron gives good hard boiled and grit in this series. The narrative is consistently tight and layered, and the art is gorgeous. 

Apache Skies, by John Ostrander and Leonardo Manco: Apache Skies is a beautifully illustrated series that follows Rawhide Kid on his last adventure. The Apache Kid has been murdered, and his friend, Rawhide Kid is out to track down his killers. Along the way he meets up with Apache's former lover, the incomparable revolutionary Rosa, and they team up to bring down the rail baron who ordered Apache's death, and rescue a group of Apache children, who've been consigned to a residential school. It's a classic, highly political western, about a queer cowboy and an Apache woman, teaming up to fight racist, capitalist white guys. And it's really, really good.

The Lone Ranger, by Brett Mathews and Sergio Cariello: This is an ongoing series published by Dynamite that gets much less attention than it deserves. It's good, guys. The series begins with an origin story that retains the vital elements of the Lone Ranger mythos, but updates it. Apparently some fans of the classic serials were (and continue to be) unhappy with the graphic violence. Obviously I don't see the problem. ;) I'm not sure what to say about this book, except that it makes the Lone Ranger cool again, and it treats Tonto as a human. Instead of a sidekick, he's a fully realized character; brother and ally to the Lone Ranger. There's a purity of purpose to the Lone Ranger that this series captures beautifully. It's easy to see how western comics informed the development of early superheroes, because this Lone Ranger could comfortably stand beside Superman.