Very Good Readin'

I have been on a bit of a reading tear lately, having finished four books in a week. Some might argue that comics aren't books, but when you have to read words and decipher pictures to get the entirety of what the writer and artist are trying to make you see/feel, I would strongly disagree and even go so far as to offer that comics are perhaps more difficult to read than regular books. In regular books, the writer tells you what to see/hear/feel without letting you take what you want from the story. Comics are the complete opposite; the written story is directly influenced by the choice of artist who chooses panel placement/size to better reflect the emotions that they are trying to evoke in the reader. Working together, pictures and words tell a more complete story in that the reader is given the choice of what they will take away from it.

Two stories stand out the most in what I've read: 'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman and 'Joker' written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by a slew of talented artists. I am so impressed with the calibre of story-telling in both of these books that I've loaned them out with strict instructions to read them. Sometimes people accept books and don't read them and that bothers me. If I've gone to the trouble of bringing you a book that I think you would enjoy why wouldn't you either read it or tell me to take it back? That's clearly another post though.

Gaiman's book centres on a baby boy whose family is brutally slaughtered. The baby, having escaped death by wandering into a cemetary, is taken in by the inhabitants of the cemetary and raised as their son. He learns things from each citizen of the graveyard and eventually the full story of who he is and why he must be killed is revealed. A great read that you wish would never end, but sadly it does and I cried. For real.

Azzarello's take on Joker was absolutely devastating. We all know that Joker is crazy but this story explores just how crazy crazy can get. He drags everyone else along with him for the ride and it's terrifying and exhilarating and hysterically funny and sad all at the same time. Plus, Harley is clad in red and black PVC right from her first appearance and that's always a pleasure to see.

I love books, and have too many of them to prove it. I enjoy finding new things to read and I love passing them along. When I find stories that move me, I am inspired to try and create that feeling in my own writing. A good story is worth all the pain and suffering that it sometimes takes in order to write it. Reading these two stories and understanding how long it has taken to get them out of the writer's head and into my hands is also very comforting. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of the amount of time and energy it actually takes to write a good story, and it reminds me that I am on track with my own work. The old adage is true: you can't rush perfection.