Author: Now Read This

By Glenn Fabry (Vertigo)
ISBN: 987-1-5638-9678-3

Comic books aren’t just stories. Often the cover is as important and thrilling as the contents – if not moreso. Let’s face it; we’ve all bought something for its appearance only to be disappointed by its interior. So it’s a relief and a delight to thoroughly recommend a comic-cover-art book where the visuals are as extraordinary as the material they were selling.

Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon produced Preacher for five years; a wry, cynical, powerfully satirical, humanist condemnation of religion, politics, “Causes” and the Status Quo. It was also one of the best adult comics ever produced. On the front of each issue – as well as sundry spin-off specials and miniseries – was a cover by that master of human expression and deadpan under-playing: Glenn Fabry. This book collects 87 magnificently painted covers, with attendant commentary and working drawings and sketches for each of them.

This is a lovely thing to look at, a wonderful reminder of the series itself, and an absorbing insight into the work-process of one of our greatest illustrators.

© 1995-2000 Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. All Rights Reserved.

By James Herbert & Ian Miller (Pan Books)
ISBN13: 978-0-33032-471-7

In the early 1990s, many British publishers, fired up by the mainstream sales of Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns and Maus, dipped their corporate toes in the waters of graphic novel publication, with varying degrees of commercial and aesthetic success. Macmillan, through its Pan Books imprint, was one that took it all very seriously and it’s a crying shame that it was so lacking in rewards for its bold efforts.

This slim apocalyptic tome went with an already popular property. Horror author James Herbert began his writing career (twenty four novels and counting) with The Rats (1974) following up with sequels Lair in 1979 and Domain in 1984. The three novels told of a post-Holocaust Britain where mutated Giant Black Rats have risen as humanity declined. In The City (technically Herbert’s 17th book) – and more of an episode than a narrative – an armoured figure known as The Traveller fights his way into the devastated ruins of London. The decimated Capital is now the undisputed kingdom of the rats and their truly monstrous queen, and the lone human is on a mission of murder, but he also has a secret personal purpose for going into the hellish ruin.

Dark, simplistic and terrifying, the story is elevated to nightmare heights and depths by the astonishing, grotesquely beautiful art of painter and illustrator Ian Miller. Armageddon has never been better realised, the skies have never looked uglier and ruins never more familiar. His mutants are appalling to see and his intense line-work and domineering colours will haunt you.

Horror is tough to write and nearly impossible to illustrate. This book manages to tell no real story and make it scarier every time you return to it.

©1994 James Herbert. Illustrations ©1994 Ian Miller. All Rights Reserved.

By various (Fantagraphics Books)
ISBN: 978-1-56097-873-2

The latest volume of the alternative, cutting edge cartoon-arts anthology once again presents new creators to augment the fabulous regulars and also has the added bonus of an all-new Al Columbia cover – plus a long, copiously illustrated interview with Tom Kaczynski.

Sophie Crumb contributes 1910 Anon, The Vile Creatures of Merdeville, France, Kids, The Murdock Mystery and Sad Bird, whilst Dash Shaw introduces himself with the colourful and bizarre time-warp melodrama Look Forward, First Son of Terra Two.

Ray Fenwick reveals The Five Oracles of Gossip whilst Émile Bravo’s We are All Equal: The Equation takes a silent look at discrimination. Robert Goodin reinterprets an old Indian (by which I mean The Asian Empire not the native American cultures) fable in The Ten Fools and Post-Modern discontent is examined in the wonderfully rendered Success Comes to Westmont, IL by newcomer John Hankiewicz, after which the aforementioned Tom Kaczynski supplements that interview with the short strip Phase Transition. Jeremy Eaton (a long ex-pat Brit) contributes the wonderfully engrossing – and dark – Winchester Cathedral, the first of many contributions, I hope.

The fifth instalment of Nothing Eve is next, and although still fascinating to look at, its protracted nature is beginning to mar the enjoyment – hopefully a future collected complete version will rekindle the spark – and Kurt Wolfgang also contributes the jolly filler, 22 Tattoo Ideas. Oddly the eighth episode of Paul Hornschemeier’s urban pot-boiler Life With Mr Dangerous is as compelling as ever it was and the suburbanite pastiche Hope Gropius is another delight from Tim Hensley.

Without doubt though, the absolute prize of the book is the concluding half of Jim Woodring’s wordless tale The Lute String, originally printed in Japan and starring your favourites and mine, Frank, Pupshaw and Pushpaw.

Whether you’re new to comics, new to the areas beyond the mainstream or just want something new; these fresh, cutting edge artworks are there to refresh, renew and re-read. You may not like all of it but you will respond to something here. You really should try it…

Mome © 2008 Fantagraphics Books. Individual stories are © the respective creator with the exception of We are All Alike © 2008 Dargaud by Bravo with rights arranged through Sylvia Coissard Agency. All Rights Reserved.