Redartz: Greetings,
folks! Today I'm taking a fairly common topic and turning it sideways; sort of
(and a special tip-of-the-hat to our friend Humanbelly, for inspiring today's
title with one of his recent comments). Everyone has a favorite comic story,
probably several (too difficult to choose just one). Many of these favorites
are shared by many other readers, and often have achieved legendary status.
Think of the Kree/Skrull War, the Galactus Trilogy, Avengers/Defenders war,
Korvac saga. Or DC- there are the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Great Darkness
Saga, Dark Knight Returns, Flash of Two Worlds. You get the idea; these are all
stories which have (quite rightfully) earned their place in four-color history.
Whether it's a single issue story or a multi-issue blockbuster, these are all
stories which many, if not all, of us (and most comic fans) have read.
We are not
talking about these stories today. My question for you: what is your favorite
comic story that most folks probably have never read; perhaps never even heard
of? Think of us sitting around in
your living room, chatting about the greatest comic stories; surrounded by longboxes. These boxes are full of comics we share a love for, but you pull out
a particular personal favorite that has flown “under the radar" of most
readers. “Say, what is that?" I inquire. "This", you reply, "is the book that I
mention when someone asks me to recommend something they've never read
before."
To start off
the discussion, I've rooted out three of my personal favorites. One humor, one
adventure, and one historical; from three different eras, two of which may familiar to many of you, the
other which may not be.
First
selection:
An indie comic from
our beloved Bronze Age, “I Saw It” - the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima. This
comic, by writer/artist Keiji Nakazawa, was published in 1982, and was my first
exposure to anything like Manga. Nakazawa, as a small boy, experienced
firsthand the bombing that ended WWII,
but survived to adulthood. He became a comic artist, and used the
opportunity to tell his tale. No blame or guilt is placed here, he simply describes
(quite graphically) the effects of the bombing, and how they affected his later
life. Extremely powerful reading, and enlightening.
Second
selection:
Jonny Quest
#2, from Comico, 1986. This is a superb story by writer William Messner-Loebs,
penciler Wendy Pini and inker Joe Staton. This comic tells the story of
Jonny's mother, and of how Race Bannon came to join the Quest group. I'll not
go into great detail here (these aren't reviews, merely a tidbit to whet your
appetite), but this story is dramatic, touching, and still features the
adventure we'd expect from JQ. I've reread this comic again and again, , and it
touches me every time. If you're a fan of Jonny Quest, you really should read
this...
Third
selection:
My humor
selection is from the modern era: Simpsons/Futurama
Crossover Crisis II, published by Bongo Comics in 2005. No doubt most are familiar with the Simpsons,
and probably Futurama (Matt Groening's sci-fi romp), but perhaps haven't read
any of their comics. This is a two-part story, written by Ian Boothby (a
greatly talented writer, IMHO) and drawn by James Lloyd and Steve Steere, Jr.
Long story short: the Simpsons are drawn into the future with Bender, Fry and
the rest. The whole story is absolutely hilarious. 'Easter eggs' abound for
fans of comics, literature and pop culture. Just a tiny sample of the
references: underground comix, Star Wars, 2001:A Space Odyssey, Conan, the
Village People and binary number theory. You will spend hours scouring each
page for all the little touches and laughing all the while. I certainly did!
Now, how
about you? What obscure gems do you recommend? I can't wait to hear about
them...