Again, comics stuff...

Expanding some on last night's post about the new Previews order:

A couple of weeks ago, some creators and editors from Tokyopop came to our libraries, a series of programs I had set up. They were mainly promoting their new manga-inspired graphic novels, produced by American creators. One of the creators who came was Amy Kim Gantner, creator of Sorcerers and Secretaries. And of the three books Tokyopop sent me to read, I enjoyed that one the most. (Well, the chapters they sent me, anyway, the book wasn't finished yet at that point.) So I'm looking forward to reading the whole thing. At the programs, one of the editors (Luis Reyes) had talked up a book called MBQ, and I asked him to send me a copy. I read it, and enjoyed it as well, although I thought it was maybe a little over the top in places. But I liked it enough to want to read the next book, so that's why these two made my November order.

And just a quick word about the Seven Soldiers of Victory collection... I have been complaining about the four Infinite Crisis lead-in miniseries, and that's because I think they're pretty deeply flawed comics. But one of the biggest flaws is, for comics that are intended to showcase the diversity of stories that can be told in the "DC Universe," they all feel pretty much the same. The science fiction one just feels like superheroes in space. The magical/mystical one still feels just like a big superhero fight story. They don't really have their own flavors.

With his Seven Soldiers books, though, Grant Morrison has created a bunch of diverse-feeling stories that come together into one whole. This project showcases the sort of variety that DC Comics ought to be offering in a way that the Crisis stuff--thus far--has completely failed to do. And it's a bunch of differently-toned stories all written by one writer, whereas the Crisis lead-ins should have felt more different due to being written by different people. And I don't want to be one of those guys venerating Grant Morrison as a comic-book god with a golden touch, but at least he seems to be trying harder than his peers...

Plus, he seems to be interested in telling new stories, instead of devoting his entire career to building on stories created by others. (And yes, I suppose I am calling Geoff Johns a parasite. Wanna make something of it?)