Rating: 
Summary: Early work by Ware. Magnificent book design.
Review: "Quimby" offers many pleasures, though this is not as substantial as "Jimmy Corrigan" is (or as "Rusty Brown" promises to become). Much of the work in this volume was done by Ware as an undergraduate(!) at U of Texas. It's probably not the best intro to Ware (that would be Jimmy Corrigan, or a recent issue of Acme Novelty Library), but it is a very welcome volume for those already hooked on his brilliant comics and witty sidebars. Much of this material was published in early Acme Novelty issues, but there's enough new and redisigned material here to justify Ware fans buying this one, even if you (like me) have the earlier editions already.
Rating:
Summary: Early work by Ware. Magnificent book design.
Review: "Quimby" offers many pleasures, though this is not as substantial as "Jimmy Corrigan" is (or as "Rusty Brown" promises to become). Much of the work in this volume was done by Ware as an undergraduate(!) at U of Texas. It's probably not the best intro to Ware (that would be Jimmy Corrigan, or a recent issue of Acme Novelty Library), but it is a very welcome volume for those already hooked on his brilliant comics and witty sidebars. Much of this material was published in early Acme Novelty issues, but there's enough new and redisigned material here to justify Ware fans buying this one, even if you (like me) have the earlier editions already.
Rating:
Summary: Chris Ware is the most amazing talent of this era.
Review: I will start off by saying that Chris Wares Masterpiece, Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth, is the best graphic novel ever produced, and should serve as the example of how true graphic novels, so long pushed to the fringes of acceptable reading, alongside the latest issues of X-Men, and Batman comics, can be one of the most engaging, and expressive forms of literature. As a comic fan I don't mean any disrespect to other comic books, I grew up reading them, and still do read some. But I don't read works like Jimmy Corrigan as a regular comic book. In fact this graphic novel fails in the comic book format, and you couldn't possibly experience it as it was intended when it was originally delivered over quite a few years in seperate volumes of Wares comic series The Acme Novelty Library. It was obviously a great work when released at long intervals, but in order to truely apreciate it you must read it all together, and prefferably in one sitting. Then you take in everything, with no months, or even years of time to errode what you have read before.Quimby The Mouse, as a collection of previous weekly newspaper strips, and other comics, doesn't have the grand overall story of Jimmy Corrigan, but it also never fails to deliver any of the emotion, honesty, and visual amazement of the later masterpiece. Wares use of the comic strip to discuss his dealing with the death of his grandmother is just as moving as the semi-autobiographical Jimmy Corrigan's dealing with meeting his long estranged father, though a bit more non linear, and abstract in many parts (though quite to the point in some). With the release of this book, and also that of his sketchbooks (under the name of The Acme Novelty Datebook Volume One) This man shows that he puts truth and his real feelings in everything he does, even the most simple, and silly of comics. All of his work makes one feel as if there is more to it than just what you are seeing on the page, or is even possible to understand by simply reading the strips. In fact often to get everything out of a particular strip you must decipher different paths leading you through various overlapping sets of panels that, when followed correctly, tell you the story of everything in said strip, from a tree in the yard, to a pocket full of change. Ware is a master whose works deserve to be taught in college literature courses, and art schools alike. If any one person could ever finally raise the graphic novel to an acceptable level in the art world then Chris Ware is that person, and he doesn't even have to try to do as much. All he has to do is keep creating works such as he already has, and the future will look back on him as the person who opened the door for graphic novels to become more than just the weirdo cousin of Spiderman and the like. I look forward to anything else that he decides to bring us in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Another Slim Volume from the Master
Review: Nice layout and lettering almost makes up for the unfunny mouse cartoons and the miniscule text of the "confessional" autobiographical ramblings of this "genius". Gorgeous colors. Exquisite cover. Some of the pages have been "defaced". Mrs. Knoll thinks this book is "Beautiful". You will too. Bravo, Mr. Ware, bravo. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Another Slim Volume from the Master
Review: Nice layout and lettering almost makes up for the unfunny mouse cartoons and the miniscule text of the "confessional" autobiographical ramblings of this "genius". Gorgeous colors. Exquisite cover. Some of the pages have been "defaced". Mrs. Knoll thinks this book is "Beautiful". You will too. Bravo, Mr. Ware, bravo. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Another Slim Volume from the Master
Review: Nice layout and paneling almost makes up for the unfunny mouse cartoons and the miniscule text of the "confessional" autobiographical ramblings of this "genius". Gorgeous colors. Exquisite cover. Some of the pages have been "defaced". My wife thinks this book is "Beautiful". You will too. Bravo, Mr. Ware, bravo. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Another Slim Volume from the Master
Review: Nice layout and paneling almost makes up for the unfunny mouse cartoons and the miniscule text of the "confessional" autobiographical ramblings of this "genius". Gorgeous colors. Exquisite cover. Some of the pages have been "defaced". My wife thinks this book is "Beautiful". You will too. Bravo, Mr. Ware, bravo. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Review of Quimby and more-so, revue of Quimby's revues...
Review: Quimby the mouse is very very good; better than any of the pretentious little comics that Fantagraphics calls "the best..blah blah blah..works of art...blah...of the century!" Honestly, most of them aren't better than the Marvel and DC comics that they facetiously mock (I'd much rather meet Batman than David Boring). I am not going to tell you it's "the best thing I've read all year (!)" or "true brilliance (!)" like some excited putzy twerp who thinks they've found a niche for themselves in comics ("Oh why don't I fit in anywhere! woe is me! nobody understand my art pain!") It's just good. Very good. That's all. Quit reading. All of these long revues are worthless. look at the stars, go with the gut.
Rating:
Summary: Review of Quimby and more-so, revue of Quimby's revues...
Review: Quimby the mouse is very very good; better than any of the pretentious little comics that Fantagraphics calls "the best..blah blah blah..works of art...blah...of the century!" Honestly, most of them aren't better than the Marvel and DC comics that they facetiously mock (I'd much rather meet Batman than David Boring). I am not going to tell you it's "the best thing I've read all year (!)" or "true brilliance (!)" like some excited putzy twerp who thinks they've found a niche for themselves in comics ("Oh why don't I fit in anywhere! woe is me! nobody understand my art pain!") It's just good. Very good. That's all. Quit reading. All of these long revues are worthless. look at the stars, go with the gut.
Rating:
Summary: Review of Quimby and more-so, revue of Quimby's revues...
Review: Quimby the mouse is very very good; better than any of the pretentious little comics that Fantagraphics calls "the best..blah blah blah..works of art...blah...of the century!" Honestly, most of them aren't better than the Marvel and DC comics that they facetiously mock (I'd much rather meet Batman than David Boring). I am not going to tell you it's "the best thing I've read all year (!)" or "true brilliance (!)" like some excited putzy twerp who thinks they've found a niche for themselves in comics ("Oh why don't I fit in anywhere! woe is me! nobody understand my art pain!") It's just good. Very good. That's all. Quit reading. All of these long revues are worthless. look at the stars, go with the gut.
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