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A review by jonh
The Best American Comics 2006 by Lynda Barry, Rick Geary, Jessica Abel, David Heatley, Kim Deitch, Alex Robinson, Chris Ware, Harvey Pekar, Alison Bechdel, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Ben Katchor, Anders Nilsen, Olivia Schanzer, Jesse Reklaw, Justin Hall, Robert Crumb, Joe Sacco, Joel Priddy, Gilbert Shelton, Seth Tobocman, Jonathan Bennett, Rebecca Dart, Esther Pearl Watson, Hob, David Lasky, Jaime Hernández, Lloyd Dangle, Ivan Brunetti, John Porcellino, Lilli Carré, Tom Hart, Kurt Wolfgang
4.0
Re-Read 9/29/2018
A fine-enough collection. Not as invigorating the second time around.
---
*****
This is an excellent collection, excellently curated. I'm glad graphic novels--as a medium--are receiving the recognition they deserve.
It's been a while since I finished reading this, so I can't speak to any of my absolute favorites, except that most of the names I already recognized and respected--Alison Bechdel, R. Crumb, Kim Deitch, Chris Ware--had great contributions. And I discovered a few new names that I want to further investigate: Joel Priddy, Lilli Carre, Rebecca Dart, Gilbert Shelton, Tom Hart and Kurt Wolfgang.
As with any anthology, there's going to be duds, and those duds are going to vary depending on your personal taste. But for me, at least, there weren't any selections I outright disliked. A few did not keep my interest, but I'm open to a different perspective on future reads (and with a collection like this, there will be many future reads).
The only part of this anthology I didn't like was the author section at the back of the book. The bios were fine, but most of the author commentaries just reiterated what was already told in their graphic work. Majorly redundant, though I appreciated that a few of my favorite authors questioned the value of authorial input, believing that the work spoke for itself. Again: your mileage will vary depending on your personal opinion.
This collection also solidified a certain ethos that seems to exist among most graphic novelists. Not all of them, mind you, but a lot of graphic novelists I've read seem possessed of an introspective and melancholic disposition. A dour view of the world and of the people in it. It's a disposition I share, which may explain why I like the medium so much.
But of course, that's not all that graphic novels have to offer. The interplay of text and pictures, the variety of storytelling in this anthology, is astounding. No matter their worldview, these are talented creators and their work should be appreciated. ABSOLUTELY check this out.
A fine-enough collection. Not as invigorating the second time around.
---
*****
This is an excellent collection, excellently curated. I'm glad graphic novels--as a medium--are receiving the recognition they deserve.
It's been a while since I finished reading this, so I can't speak to any of my absolute favorites, except that most of the names I already recognized and respected--Alison Bechdel, R. Crumb, Kim Deitch, Chris Ware--had great contributions. And I discovered a few new names that I want to further investigate: Joel Priddy, Lilli Carre, Rebecca Dart, Gilbert Shelton, Tom Hart and Kurt Wolfgang.
As with any anthology, there's going to be duds, and those duds are going to vary depending on your personal taste. But for me, at least, there weren't any selections I outright disliked. A few did not keep my interest, but I'm open to a different perspective on future reads (and with a collection like this, there will be many future reads).
The only part of this anthology I didn't like was the author section at the back of the book. The bios were fine, but most of the author commentaries just reiterated what was already told in their graphic work. Majorly redundant, though I appreciated that a few of my favorite authors questioned the value of authorial input, believing that the work spoke for itself. Again: your mileage will vary depending on your personal opinion.
This collection also solidified a certain ethos that seems to exist among most graphic novelists. Not all of them, mind you, but a lot of graphic novelists I've read seem possessed of an introspective and melancholic disposition. A dour view of the world and of the people in it. It's a disposition I share, which may explain why I like the medium so much.
But of course, that's not all that graphic novels have to offer. The interplay of text and pictures, the variety of storytelling in this anthology, is astounding. No matter their worldview, these are talented creators and their work should be appreciated. ABSOLUTELY check this out.