Comic books have a nasty habit of forever being associated with superheroes. Even among people who should know better: regular comic book readers.
But tying the medium of comics and graphic novels to just stories about Spider-Man and Batman is a bit like saying the novel simply exists to showcase the works of Jane Austen. And who wants that?
Take this week, for instance. The three most exciting works being released aren't even fiction, let alone have anything to do with fighting crime, fighting space aliens or fighting a spandex costume that rides up the crotch. Check out this variety:
- Make Me a Woman, Vanessa Davis A collection of Davis's wonderful autobiographical strips, illustrated in beautiful watercolors.
- Footnotes in Gaza, Joe Sacco Reportage in graphic novel form isn't as widespread as I'd like, but no one does it better than Sacco. This new softcover edition looks at the bloody and heartbreaking 50-year history of Rafah, a small town on the Gaza Strip.
- Everybody Is Stupid Except Me and Other Astute Observations, Peter Bagge He might be most known for his seminal late 1990s series Hate, Bagge has reinvented himself as commentator thanks to a regular gig with Reason magazine. This collects many of his opinion strips.
With such a savory selection of nonfiction comics, it got me thinking: Which nonfiction writers would I like to see on a comic book? I've put together a list of journalists, bloggers and commentators and paired them with an artist. Find out the combinations I came up with after the jump.
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Dan Savage
The artist Takehiko Inoue
Sports, an activity so full of movement, seems like an odd fit for comic books, a medium that is by and large static. However, if you've ever read the manga Slam Dunk, you know in the right hands even a sport as kinetic as basketball can jump off the page. Slam Dunk creator Inoue could take Simmons's wit and encyclopedic basketball knowledge and turn it into the ultimate fantasy sports book.
What do you think? Which nonfiction writer would you like to see try his or her hand at writing a comic?
Other comics to check out this week
- Strange Tales II #1 Another assortment of alt-comix creators trying very hard not to desecrate Marvel's beloved intellectual properties.
- Superior #1 Mark Millar has said his dream is to write Superman. Instead of waiting for his chance, Millar has done the next best thing and created his own Superman analogue instead.
