Panel Discussion: Classy Graphic Novel Edition!

I have just not been digging on weekly comics this month. But I have read some killer new graphic novels, which apparently have panels in them as well.

(Click for Full Res)

Most Surprising Revelation - Logan (Brian K. Vaughn & Edwardo Risso)
"I'm the best there is at a couple of things in this world....but what we just did ain't one of them." Someone better tell the fanfic writers that! I think these are some really nice drawings of Wolverine looking a little more human than usual. I like the the second panel of the unused pencils even more...
He just looks so sulky. Don't worry Wolverine, if it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone!


Best Acting - Kaspar (Diane Obomsawin)

In this true story of wild child Kaspar Hauser , author Obomsawin portrays the titular protagonist as a funny, bright, and sympathetic character. His design is simple, but it fits a character who sees things in a uniquely literal way, having been raised in isolation into his late teen years.

I love the bottom two panels of this page; his pride at being able to repeat the names of his guests comes through via the simplest of expressions.
Although he has virtually no education of experience with the outside world, Kaspar is never portrayed as stupid, and his reactions upon each new encounter gets right to the heart of the thrill and pain of discovery, such as this sequence where he plants his name in seedlings, only to have it wrecked.


The thing I love most about his facial expressions is how the first time his plants get stomped on, he cries in disappointment and heartbreak. But the second time it gets ruined (damn cat!), he's just like, "Screw this." I identify with this, possibly more than I should.

When Kaspar is eventually civilized enough to rejoin society, he still retains his acutely sensitive, tell-it-like-it-is attitude.



Most Terrifying Use of Superpowers - Freakangels
Most of the time, the Freakangels just work on building infrastructure for their little corner of post-Apocalypse London and bicker amongst themselves and look stylish and cute. But when a gang of outsiders start to threaten their town, the Freakangels break out the psychic powers and they do not mess around.

AHH! They tore his ribcage apart! That is not a responsible use of powers, you damn kids! This is what happens when there are no square adult superheroes to mentor the under 25 crowd. Vigilante justice is all well and good until you start using telekinesis to extract peoples' bone from their chests. If Superman was here he'd give them such a lecture!

Comics So Good They Should Not Be Free II: Freakangels

I repeatedly confuse Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis. I have this problem with alliterative names that have the same number of letters and it's caused a lot of problems...well I won't bore you.

The point is, my problem is finally solved, because Warren Ellis is currently writing something SO GOOD it would be a crime to forget whom to attribute it to. I'm talking about Freakangels, which has been released in free weekly online installments since last February.

The panels above and below demonstrate how amazingly intricate and gorgeous Paul Duffield's artwork is, but what I can't capture in a panel is how great the characters are. The first story arc was recently completed (due in trade paperback this November) and is a great example of a "bringing the team together" opener. Personalities and relationships are revealed one by one, until you find yourself immersed in a patchwork of indelible characters (my favorite is Sirkka, a bisexual hedonist with a stately attitude). Then of course then it's time for a crisis and you see how your new pals deal under the gun.

I haven't read the whole thing again in one sitting yet, but in my comic experience what's good over several months is even better with instant gratification. Enjoy!