Filed under: Features | Tags: animalman, Bestof2011, DCNew52, Essex County, Flashpoint, frankenstein
We’re only on Day 6, but it’s clear that there’s a theme developing in our Highlights of 2011 feature – Comics Anonymous really do love and admire the people that create comics – and today is no different as Craig tells us about one of his all-star creators of 2011.
For me, this year has mainly been about the discovery of two exceptional comic book writers – both of which have had a very strong 2011. The first of these is Jeff Lemire. Jeff first came to my attention via his Flashpoint tie in Frankenstein and the Crusaders of the Unknown, but it wasn’t until reading his DCNew52 #1 issues of Animal Man and Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E that I started to take notice of this guy’s skills. It’s not often that I’ll seek out a person’s full body of work after reading only a few issues of something, but that lightening struck twice this year. Since his #1s, I’ve made sure of getting my hands on his extensive Essex County collection and his own series Sweet Tooth. Unfortunatley the demands of my weekly stack seem to have taken priority (heaven knows why?!) so I’ve not spent as much time with these two as I’d have liked, however what I have read of Essex County so far has blown me away and I fully intent to stick up a full review in the near future.
Lemire has an extraordinary way of making the characters he writes very rounded – these aren’t just funny looking people dancing around on a page, they really come to life. Not until issue #1 of Animal Man did I believe that a DC comic could handle such ordinary subjects as everyday family life – and by doing so, it really added an extra level of personality to this book. Similarly with Essex County – if I didn’t know that Jeff was a young man, I’d believe that stories he’s telling are his own recounts of his life. I’m sure there’s plenty he has tapped into from his own experiences, but the strength of a good writer is making you believe in the ones that are completely made up.
Added to the discovery of Mr Lemire, I was fortunate enough to meet him at the year’s Thought Bubble and he was also kind enough to give us a review for the blog – coming soon! He’s a genuinely nice guy and both a talented writer and artist.
Also check out our reviews of Animal Man #1 and #2, as well as Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E #1
Craig @hastiecraig
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