Wanted

I was very pleased with the product and the amount of time it took to arrive.

The trade is introduced by Brian Vaughan, ironically he says "At their worst, superhero stories are just dopey male power fantasies, but at their best, these myths don't just entertain, they work as powerful allegories that help us understand who we are." In my opinion "Wanted" falls firmly in the former category... or it would except 'dopey' implies a level of harmlessness that "Wanted" lacks.

This is the story of a thoroughly unlikable loser who gets the sort of life he couldn't even dream about before by picking up a gun and killing everyone he dislikes or who got in his way. Plus some random by-standards just for the heck of it. It's a book about killing lots of people while looking cool and feeling no remorse. It's a glorification of the sort of thinking that leads to high school shootings.

Reads like a high schooler's creative writing project - "I can include profanity and sex, isn't that cool! So every other word will be a profanity! Yeah!" Unfortunately, the result is sophomoric, predictable, and lacking any sophistication. The art is ok (a poor man's Brent Anderson), but the focus on gory close-ups and leaking brains makes it clear the intended audience is 16 year olds who need a quick read between Halo games. Very disappointing.

I read the individual comics prior to purchasing the hardcover. I found the hardcover to have extras that I would not have gotten in the seperate issues. I enjoyed the hardcover even more the second time I read the story. I would recommend reading it prior to the movie to understand some of the scenes.

By all means this is a must have, This graphic novel took the genre of adult graphic novels to a new level. With an engaging story line, many plot twist, and wonderful character development you won't be able to put this book down until you turn the last page...then you'll want to read it again. Lastly, It's just plain better than the movie.