The Best American Comics 2008 (The Best American Series)

Perhaps it takes a little hubris to call a collection THE BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2008, but it's hard to argue with a grouping this good. Sure, you can quibble here and there, but as a whole, this is about as good as the art form gets, showing the remarkable highs comics can --- and regularly do --- reach. And as a bonus, it's a wonderful entry for someone who is unfamiliar with comics but who wants to know more or read something in the format.

The stories are brief and varied and run the spectrum of themes and moods. Series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (creators of the excellent DRAWING WORDS AND WRITING PICTURES) teamed up this year with editor Lynda Barry (the artist behind the wildly inventive WHAT IT IS), and their combined viewpoint yields a unique collection of some truly thought-provoking work here. Both DRAWING WORDS AND WRITING PICTURES and WHAT IT IS mined a similar territory --- the forces of creativity, what makes the visionary mind bring forth clearly defined work, and how to turn thoughts into comic art --- that informs the choices they've made in THE BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2008. It's not surprising, then, that most of the choices here are from single writers/artists rather than writer-artist teams, which shows how powerful the creative combination can be.

They've also passed over standard superhero fare (although a note at the beginning explains they would have liked to include an excerpt from BATMAN: YEAR 100 but couldn't, due to licensing issues). Instead, they offer up work from a varying swath of comics luminaries, some well known and long-established in the industry (Matt Groening, Jaime Hernandez, Chris Ware) and others less known but equally provocative (Gene Luen Yang's stunning AMERICAN BORN CHINESE is excerpted here; if you haven't fallen in love with this work yet, now's your chance).

Some comics benefit more than others from this presentation. Alison Bechdel's long-running comic series Dykes to Watch Out For is one of the best examples of how brilliant, funny and poignant comics can be, and while it's wonderful to see it getting recognition here, the five one-page strips collected seem out of place and out of context. As a whole, though, most of the samples in the book come as sweet surprises, something new coming out of the blue (Kevin Pyle's THE FORBIDDEN ZONE is a wonderfully pleasant surprise that pops out toward the end).

Barry and series editors Abel and Madden deserve credit for the fine pacing they've given THE BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2008. The mood flows naturally and smoothly from one work to the next, which is not an easy feat given the variety of works they've chosen to work with. It's a major pitfall of most anthology collections --- the juxtaposition of voices can be a jarring reminder of how non-cohesive the books can be --- but the editors here sagely avoid it. When you finish, you're aware that you've read more than two dozen different creators' works, but they've all been selected so well that the lingering effect is the seamlessness of the artful quality contained within.

--- Reviewed by John Hogan

This was definitely the best in the series so far. Lynda Barry turns out to have been a really inspired choice for guest editor, because she picks a set of entries that are virtually all outstanding. She even illustrates her introduction, which is both a nice touch and a clever way of pulling together a lot of the ideas about anxieties and self-reflection that pervade the pieces she's cosen to include. All in all, this volume is a tour-de-force. I only hope BAC 2009 is half as good.

My favorite pieces:

"Burden" by Graham Annable. A young man trying nobly to tie up his brother's loose ends turns into something completely different at the end. The reveal reverberates through the entire story and really does pose a difficult - and interesting - moral question.

"Seven Sacks" by Eleanor Davis. This story about a boatman ferrying some unsavory characters also poses a good, tough moral question and forces some self-reflection. But, more importantly, it's absolutely gorgeous. Davis calls up an increasingly wicked-looking set of creatures that just absolutely pour atmosphere into her little fable. And, is it just me, or does she pay homage to both Jeff Smith and Neil Gaiman in the process?

"Mammalogy" by Eric Haven has terrific art and makes for a hilarious romp through time, space, imagination, television, the superhero genre, and gastronomy. The best part may be the blurb in the back of the book detailing Haven's inspiration for the story.

"Turtle, Keep it Steady!" by Joseph Lambert. A very clever retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare with absolutely outstanding art. The grooving animals send the music right off the page, and the hilarious metaphor about the speed at which the Hare lives his life is very well-chosen. As is the whale in the last panel. I have no idea why that whale cracks me up so much, but it really does.

"Cupid's Day Off" by Evan Larson is really pretty trifling, but his art and his imagination had me laughing uproariously throughout the whole thing. Who knew that an alien fornicating with a football could be so funny? I guess probably everyone, but still...

"George Sprott" by Seth. A really fascinating and postmodern journey through the life of a washed-up Arctic explorer cum TV man. The art is lovely, the layouts are very well done, and the emotional impact hits all the right notes.

Now, there are lots more things I liked too. Alison Bechdel is here, and so is Chris Ware. And Gene Luen Yang's "American Born Chinese". And lots more. They're all good (although I don't understand Jaime Hernandez and probably never will) and they're well worth your money. This is just a great anthology.

...This comic anthology certainly gives up more entertainment than the meagre cover price would indicate. I've always liked Lynda Barry, so I was doubly grateful to see what exceptional pieces she included for my perusal, as well as being completely blown away by her incredible intro. My gosh that lady can...er...comictate...comiculate(?)...I dunno, whatever it is, she can do it and I enjoy the heck outa' it!

Anyhoo', I really enjoyed the works included in this quite hefty tome, and the balance between tried and true, familiar (at least to me!) and brand new, and unknown was really quite refreshing and welcome. Kudos should be given to layout as well, since the stories flowed smoothly, and at the end of the book I felt well satisfied with the read, and hopeful for the next edition.

The "Best American" series has always been a good "go-to" resource, especially if one is looking to expand "favorite authors/artists" list, and this edition is no exception. Once you've gotten from the front cover to the back, then I would recommend you check out The Best American Comics 2007 (The Best American Series (TM)), as well asThe Best American Comics 2006 (Best American), and if you enjoyed Ms. Barry's intro as much as I did, you really should also take a look at What It Is, which is an absolutely incredible "book" (I think the term "work of art" is more correct here) about...about what, really...? Writing? Illustrating? Creating? I guess I'd say all that and more, but you'll have to decide for youreself, and either way, you get a brief look in this edition's intro. All in all, this is a wonderful collection of works, and a great introduction to the world of sequential art, for those among us who are yet uninitiated. Come on in, the water's fine!

The competition between Best American Comics and the Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories now moves into its second year. I can't compare the two for 2008 just yet because so far I've only read the Best American version but I'm pleased to announce so far it's a good year. For the second straight year since its debut in 2006 the quality of BAC has improved, hopefully the portent of a bright future for alternative comics.

This volume features the triumphant return of `Kaz' whom I haven't seen in a compellation since the legendary McSweeney's Issue 13. Kaz is one of the very few alternative cartoonists who made enough of an impact on me that I went out and bought more of his works. Only Kaz can make me laugh out loud and then feel I need to take a hot shower for laughing. His disturbing, generally disgusting humor is definitely not for everyone but I'm personally thrilled to see him included again.

Arguably the biggest name in alternative comics, Matt Groening, makes a surprising appearance showing he's still on top of his game. We also get the inevitable appearances by Seth and Chris Ware who always put in great performances. Seth's story is a near carbon copy of his book `Wimbledon Green' which I gave a generous four out of five stars to while Mr. Ware's entry is very typical of his work with a bleak, depressing tone contrasting against his bright, technically precise visuals.

This is when I like to give a shout out to stories I particularly enjoyed. Graham Annable illustrates the dark tale of a man who literally carries the burden of his brother on his back while he tries to right his brother's wrongs. In `The Thing About Madeline', Lillie Carre tells a tale of a woman who finds herself on the outside of her life looking in. Jamie Hernandez writes a nice retro story in `Gold Diggers of 1969' emulating the look of a 1960's comic albeit with a modern theme. One of my favorites was the surreal `Percy Gloom' by Cathy Malkasian. This is one that was interesting enough that I might consider looking into picking up more of Ms. Malkasians works. The Forbidden Zone by Kevin Pyle was a short but interesting retro comic.

There was nothing in this compilation that really leaped out at me. The quality remains steady throughout but never knocks it out of the park. If I was to describe this collection in one word it would be `Solid'. Last year I felt that the Anthology of Graphic Fiction put together a better collection although it may be an unfair comparison since Best American Comics limits itself to a single year. I'll have to see how they stack up this year.