3.5. Some very good things, some boring things, a couple artists whose work I hadn't heard of before but enjoyed a lot. ( )

I should look for more of these Best American Comics of... ( )

Although I've collected (and sometimes read) a number of items from the Best American Short Stories and Best American Mystery Stories, only recently did I learn of the Best American Comics series. To try out out, I selected the 2008 volume, because it was edited by a cartoonist for whom I've long had a certain affection, Lynda Barry. As one might expect from such a collection,it is a mixed experience. The range is extraordinary, from amusing to perplexing to obscure to violent and disturbing. These are not (with a couple of exceptions) the sorts of comics that would make it into your family newspaper (for anyone old enough to remember when daily newspapers existed). They are more likely to be featured in alternative weeklies (as found in progressive cities and towns) and in head comics (which gained their name from being sold in "head shops").

The 2008 volume includes works by 26 artists. I found few of them to my tastes, and many to be somewhat too obscure for comprehension. My favorite set was the contribution from Matt Groening -- of his Will and Abe series. I also enjoyed Eric Haven's "Mammalogy", Jaime Hernandez's "Gold Diggers of 1969", and Rick Geary's "The Bloody Benders". Jason Lute's "Berlin" (an excerpt of a larger work) I thought to be notable for the quality of the art and the power of his characterizations. Based on my experience, I'm not very inclined to seek out other volumes in the series. However, I'm glad to see that due to the creativity and imaginations of a new generation of artists that the comics genre is alive and well. ( )

Great collection. I particularly liked John mejias' depiction of learners of English in public schools. Gene Yang is also a favorite of mine and his graphic novel American Born Chinese is featured here. ( )

These are great, someone else does all the work ( )