Batman: The Killing Joke - Alan Moore

       My reaction to the text of the Killing Joke is that I loved it. It is so intellectual and asks so many questions. Does it really just take one bad day to turn person mad? I believe that is true in certain people's situations, but in others there are people who can overcome tragedy. In the novel, Gordon still was sane and had his mind focused on abiding the law, even though Joker tortured him beyond believe. I love Batman's speech at the beginning and at the end. It shows how connected these two characters are, the Joker and him. It also shows how he still is a hero, because in the end he still just wants to help him. The end joke is also a sweet moment with Batman laughing at Joker's joke. Very climatic and symbolic.
        Connections may seem hard to make in a Batman graphic novel, but there is a lot to be made. I can connect with the fact that I've had really bad days and thought to myself I may be crazy at the end of it. Joker went crazy because his wife was killed then that very night he fell into acid and his face was disfigured. I've had days of tragedies where loved ones have passed and even days where physically I was hurt by a car accident or even jumping of a golf cart. We've all had bad days and it is what we do after them that defines our character, even sanity.
          I really enjoy the medium this story is in, but if I had to adapt it into another medium it would be a live-action movie. I believe an animated movie would be too similar and not add enough to enhance this story. I have fortunately seen the animated movie attempt of this story and it didn't enhance it enough. Seeing this story in live-action in itself would be a big thing to enhance and change the story. I would add little more details here and there maybe how Batman locked Joker up in the first place. Either way I really enjoy the story the way it is, in the medium selected.      
     

Ms. Marvel - G. Willow Wilson

   
       For this weeks blog I read, amongst a lot of things, Ms. Marvel. I'm a huge superhero fan and so this immediately drew to me. I have been really curious about this character for awhile now. She is a new character that has been very popular recently. I found out a lot of things I didn't know for one I now know her powers and that she is an inhuman. Her origin story is very interesting and definitely resembles youth in this day. Reminded me of Spider-Man a little bit. Her powers are very interesting as well. She can be anybody she wants. She has the ability to transform her body into almost anything. It bring sup an interesting point. She is a Muslim teenage girl and she just wants to be like everyone else and now she can. she first starts out just mimicking the original Ms. Marvel, not until later does she expect who she is and become her own superhero. I think this story can really speak to teenage girls and even buys to truly expect who they are. It also highlights the idea that everyone is a hero in their own way. I also want to mention that the comics deal with her Muslim heritage in a respectful way that benefits the story. It may not be the way I would have gone with, but it works well in the story's context. Overall I went into this comic not knowing much, and came out enjoying what I read.

Asterios Polyp -David Mazzucchelli

          This week I will be talking about Asterios Polyp, which is now one of my favorite graphic novels. David Mazzuchelli tells a unique and very emotional story that is truly amazing. He uses the the medium to full effect. Every character has his/her own dialogue font and speech bubble. In a scene towards the end of the novel Asterios is arguing with his wife and there speech bubbles show that very well. Even later they are rekindling and their speech bubbles combine and wrap around each other in a very scene. Another thing to note is the color scheme it typically sticks to primary and soft colors which is a trend it follows through on. The graphic novel helps in times where Asterios twin takes over as the narrative and even when the two of them talk to each other. I also really like when Asterios just becomes shapes and looks like not finished being drawn in the book. The novel itself is very funny. It uses dark comedy to a positive effect. The novel starts off joking about how his house burnt down again. The novel is also very smart in how it deals with a lot of astronomy metaphors. The book even ends with you presumingly thinking an asteroid killed the earth. You would think that is a sour note to end the book, but it honestly isn't in this case. It is sorta left open, but it did't bother me. Asterios's name kind of foreshadows it so it didn't come out of left field. I really enjoyed this book with it's use of the graphic medium and the creativity it brings.

Summer Wars (2009)

   

     I did not care for any of the Manga comic selections I read. I think it is just honestly not my taste or genre of comics. In this weeks blog I much rather talk about the animation we watched in class, Summer Wars. It was directed by Mamoru Hosoda. I've never heard of this film, but fell in love with it instantly. I thought the characters were great and heartwarming. I story started off as a sweet romantic comedy, but then the story added this whole action computer hero element. They created this whole internet world and it is so fascinating when the story transitions into it. Every character has his/her own avatar with a specific look to it. The designs are very inspired by Japanese culture, which I like a lot. Each avatar character is colorful and unique and represents the person playing him or not when used in a comedic way. Even with the action element I still found myself really enjoying the romantic plot. I really wanted the two main characters to get together. They had a fake romance, but I really wanted it to become real. I wish I had the chance to finish the movie. I know any chance I get soon I will finish the movie on my own. This movie definitely turned me into a fan of this style. If this is what manga is then I'll have to give it another chance.

Papyrus - De Gieter

     

   
     This week for my Wide World of Comics entry I read Papyrus. It is written by De Gieter and the story takes place in Egypt. First thing I'd like to mention is I really enjoyed the color palette. The artist really highlights the use of primary colors palette and it enhances the playfulness to the comic. The story already centers on younger characters, so the two work well together to the benefit of the comic. I like the whole vibe the comic brings. It reminds me some what of the adventures of tin tin. Young adventure story with a global vibe. It is only global to me because I don't live in Egypt. I think overall Gieter did a great job.

March - John Lewis

       
       After last week's Maus, I thought we would be on to a lighter subject this week. I was wrong. This week I read March by John Lewis. Both March and Maus are graphic novels about very darker subjects. Maus is about the author's father during the Holocaust and March is about the author himself's journey through segregation. While Maus had the benefit of using it's graphic medium to lighten the subject, March does not follow that. It is a biography and shows all the nitty, gritty in full detail. It does stay focusing on Lewis's quest for peace over violence. He talks about his times meeting Martin Luther King Jr., memory of Rosa Parks arrest, and his participation in sit ins. I don't necessarily agree the graphic novel medium enhances the story o the degree I'm grateful for it, but it still is an enjoyable read. It is always interesting yet sad to read about another person's journey through tragic events. In this case it shaped Lewis into a fascinating writer and artist. He uses this novel to inform a new generation.

Maus - Art Spiegelman

           Maus is the graphic novel telling the horrific story of the holocaust through the use of comics as a medium. Art Spiegelman tell's the story of how his father survived the holocaust while also telling a modern day story of his and his father's relationship now. The one thing to note is that Spiegelman tells this story in a very creative and powerful way. He depicts the Jews as mice and nazis as cats. This formula is never broken even when the fourth wall is broken or with the modern day story. The cat/mouse depiction is such a powerful way to depict race in this graphic novel. This is thrown in your face with a quote from Hitler, before you read the first chapter. The quote is "The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human". This really sells you the cat/mouse idea. Another reason I think this convention was used to bring this novel to a larger audience, that's the same reason it is in comic form. Teens will read this and be informed, not just adults. I also believe the cat/mouse depiction is a method of changing the memory of the reader. By now, we have all heard of the horrors of the holocaust, but there is something about making all the characters animals that give the story new impact. Your seriousness changes when you are seeing cats and mice, but then you read more and see that there is no holding back by the artist. It gives a familiar event in history a new view point, that is highly effective. 

          Another creative and unique thing Spiegelman does is make this novel two stories going on at the same point that are decades apart, but the same main character. You have the Holocaust going on in Poland then the modern day story going on in New York. The New York story is actually Spiegelman preparing for to write this novel by writing down and hearing the story from his father who is an elderly man now. We see how this story has affected him now right in the beginning of the story. His wife and Spiegelman's mother has committed suicide and he has gone through two heart attacks. He doesn't even want Art writing about the personal stories, like how he met Spiegelman's mother. I really liked how Spiegelman initially transitions to the Poland story then how he continues to transition. He first shows his father's younger self in a circular panel, then when he would want to go back to the modern day story there was no panel. Mostly dialogue, but still an effective way to help the reader with the back and forth. Spiegelman shows he can be very effective in creativeness and storytelling. Spiegelman brings a new twist to an important event in history. He doesn't try to make this awful time in history light, but tries to bring in a larger audience and change perspective. 

Mr. Natural - Robert Crumb

To be honest I was a little trepidatious going into this week's reading knowing its underground comics. I read Mr. Natural amongst a few other things and I have to say Mr. Natural feels sort of out of place in this genre of comics. Yes. he's a huge dick and curses a lot, but not too much "sex and rock n roll" going on here. Crumb's design of Mr. Natural is very simplistic and he always feels out of place in the timeline of the comic. I think that is too the benefit of the character. It gives him that oddness that goes well with his personality. He's just a sort old bald dude with a long beard and wears just a robe/sheet thing. He's always causing troubles for other people and does things for his benefit mostly. I read one comic where he would not stop messing with a shuman monk until he loses his calm and goes crazy. Mr. Natural steals from him, encourages others to steal from him, and just downright won't let him rest. I feel the reason that Mr. Natural is considered an underground comic is that during this time period and era of comics it was "natural" to cheer on this anti-hero if I may say that only causes destruction. Mr. Natural never learns a lesson and us (the audience) reading the comic don't learn anything either. We are given that opportunity to not have to think about right and wrong and to enjoy in other's misfortune.

The Spirit - Will Eisner

 For this week's blog I read a few of "The Spirit" comics by Will Eisner. I'm a huge superhero fan so these drew to me, but come my disappointment to find out that it isn't really a superhero comic. I guess a mask and gloves don't make someone a superhero. That was the fundamental rule to me as child, but either that doesn't make the spirit bad comic books. They are very good and my favorite part is Eisner's use of detail in very panel. He never just throws in a sun or cloud, well it's always raining so you don't see the sun much anyways. To my point though. Eisner uses detail for every character he draws too. There is never a group of characters that all have the same puzzled or sad face. Everyone is drawn a certain way for a certain purpose. I also thought it was really unique how every comic had a different design for the spirit font/title. You don't see that anymore. You would think it would get old after ten issues or something, yet every issue has it's own unique feel to it. Although a negative to that would be that it takes away the sense of community of a collection of spirit comics. When you own a lot go comics you know they are all the same by looking at that front page of all if them and seeing that same title design. Either way, Eisner's attention to detail and creativity definitely makes this an enjoyable read.

Chasing Amy (1997)

For this week's blog I watched the suggested film, Chasing Amy. It was directed by Kevin Smith and made in 1997. This was a strange film to me, but that is usually the case with all of Kevin Smith's films. He has taste for the wacky and raunchy, which are two good words to sum up this film. Seeing this is a comic class I will stick to try and talk about the comic aspects of this film. The opening credits is all in comics which I really liked, also the comics are the comics created by our two main characters. The two main characters are played by Jason Lee and Ben Affleck, they are the artists of "Bluntman and Chronic". These comic heroes are inspired by Kevin Smith's famous character Jay and Silent Bob. The film starts out in a comic convention with two kids heckling Lee's character that he is only a "tracer", which I found really funny. He actually applies the ink to the comic after Affleck's character draws it. I also liked later on in the convention there is a black guy promoting his new comic and saying that African-American characters are never portrayed as heroes in comics. It's a funny skit that goes a little crazy after Affleck remind him about Lando from Star Wars. In the film's climax after the two main characters have a falling out we see that they ended the series with Chronic dying which is cliche, but it's pointed out by another convention attendee for the laughs. All in al it's  definitely a Kevin Smith directed film that has good comic moments reminding us he's a comic fan at heart too.

Little Nemo - Winsor McCay

For this week's blog I read a few different Little Nemo comic strips, including the one above. Little Nemo is a comic strip where each strip is a different dream adventure of the child, Nemo. Each strip is him sleeping where he dreams of a new adventure often a cosmic one. I feel with the name of the main character and title called "Little Nemo" it is inspired by the classic hero, Captain Nemo and his adventures. I believe the main question McCay had was "What would Nemo have been like as a child?" or "What would he dream of?". Possibly, these questions were the inspiration for Little Nemo.   Each comic strip serve a self contained story and even end in the same way (at least I've read so far). The ending is my favorite part. Each strip always ends with Nemo falling down in his adventure, whether he is falling through space or falling of his gladiatorial horse. When he falls down in his dream, he is actually falling down in real life off his bed. That ends the story of the comic strip. I love that unity of the strips. Even only reading a few strips, every time I see Nemo falling in some way I know that it is the end of the strip and this adventure. One thing I liked in the comic strip above which I read is that the color scheme is really simple. It is really only black and white with the inclusion of a few shades of orange as an accent color. I myself really like those colors together, so it was nice to look out. Not all the comic strips keep with that formula. The way newspapers were made could have changed that and made way for new opportunities to print color. Either way Little Nemo was a really fun read especially if you read a few of them. 

Understanding Comics

Scott McCloud is the author of Understanding Comics. He tells about the unique world of comics in the form a book that is an actual comic. He breaks the fourth wall and tells his story himself as the main cartoon character. He tells the history of comics starting with Ancient Egypt hieroglyphics. I never thought of hieroglyphics as comics until I read this. It is an interesting view because they are in the comic form and do tell a story. Some even without words. McCloud also shows us the difference between cartoons and comics. McCould himself is a cartoon, but a comic is a medium for cartoons. Chapter two talks about how icons can express ideas without saying a word. It is so true and goes back to the old saying a "picture can say a thousand words". I also like the how the space between panels is crucial. The transition from panel to panel is just as crucial. You need know what to show and what not to show. Chapter eight was my favorite because it is all about color. It is the only chapter in the book that has color. It brought a real surprise to the book and really helps the reader see the impact of color. It is really conveyed well through different versions of himself in different colors. I like how McCloud ends the book, he encourages the reader to explore the comics on his/her own. I like that because everyone has different taste and will get a different perspective. I myself read only superhero comics on my own time, but everyone is different. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the world of comics.