The 9th Art: Before Blake and Mortimer: The Memorable Pulp of The U Ray and The Fiery Arrow
The U Rayis not perfect, but it’s bursting with adventure that has inspired one of the greatest comic writers of our time.
The U Rayis not perfect, but it’s bursting with adventure that has inspired one of the greatest comic writers of our time.
This sprawling epic is a reminder that the human condition can call us to something more.
Peyo’s original Smurfs series offers readers a glimpse into a beautiful, sylvan world of medievalist wonder and adventure.
This graphic novel was clearly crafted by two men who share a love of older superhero comics, even as they used their work to interrogate the genre and the world that produced it.
The series, which focuses on the adventures of the daring duo of Francis Blake and Phillip J. Mortimer, has a feeling, a style, all its own. Edgar P. Jacobs and his successors craft fully fleshed-out worlds that draw readers in, making us sad to leave at the end of each work.
Much discussion of Yang’s work has focused on the ways that he expertly depicts the interplay (and clash) between East and West within the context of deeply human stories. However, far less ink has been spilled over the role that Christianity has in this interplay.
The old cowboy has had the great luck to be written and illustrated by people who love and believe in the original Luke, people who recognize that we still need joyful stories about heroes.
Pogo’s use of politics complements the other layers of art and satire perfectly. In a world where we are surrounded by bad art made for purely political purposes, Walt Kelly’s work is a breath of fresh air.
To read Franquin’s Spirou and Fantasio comics is to blur the line between child and adult and to enter a world of wonder of which we could all use a taste.
Penguin’s choice to publish Marvel comics under their “Classics” label is provocative, but is it justified? This month’s comics column considers this question while reviewing the new Penguin volumes.
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