Action * Mystery * Adventure
On this week's episode, Andy and Derek take a look at two very different titles. They begin with a long, extensive look at Will Eisner's The Spirit: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC Comics). In fact, their discussion of the new Spirit collection takes up the vast majority of the show, lasting for almost and hour and forty-five minutes! So there's a lot of ground that the guys cover with this book, although in many ways they only just scratch the surface. Both Derek and Andy are huge fans of Will Eisner, and The Spirit in particular, so the conversation never flags. They highlight a variety of the stories that are collected in this volume, pointing out why they are important in The Spirit's history. But they also mention some of the notable Spirit strips that aren't included in the book, wondering why a few were excluded. They also speculate on why, and lament the fact that, there wasn't a new introduction (or even a new afterword) written for this anniversary volume. The Neil Gaiman piece that is included in the book was originally written for 2005's much shorter The Best of The Spirit. Derek, in particular, feels that this important collection would have benefited from a new introductory essay that would have provided more context, especially for those unfamiliar with Eisner's legendary figure. Still, the 75th anniversary volume is one of the guys' highlights of the year so far and deserves a place on every comics reader's shelf. Next, they shift gears for a completely different kind of book, William Keops Ibañez's minicomic Blazing Quantum. This is a collection of short stories created between 2005 and 2011, at times (apparently) autobiographical and at times historical, that lead to an unlikely and potentially fantastical ending. Most of the pieces revolve around a young high-school student named Billy and his everyday interactions, and frustrations, with family and friends. This is a promising self-published title that has both Andy and Derek anticipating the next installment. And they are sure to keep visiting Ibañez's's website for the latest updates on his art and when they can expect a new issue of Blazing Quantum.
Further episodes of The Comics Alternative
Further podcasts by Stergios Botzakis & Derek Royal
Website of Stergios Botzakis & Derek Royal