The Best and the Worst of 2011 Comic Books

Yes, the time has come to say goodbye to 2011 and ring in 2012. Here’s a look back at the Best and the Worst of 2011* Comic Books.

The Best On-Going Series

Echo #261. Echo by Terry Moore
Average rating: 4.7/5 stars
Reading rating: Teen

Moore’s Echo finished with a bang (or did it?) this year. A story of Julie, the unlikely superhero, and stopping the end of the world, Moore’s work is consistently great and on-point. For those scared of the tome that is Strangers in Paradise, check out this much shorter work.
Read my reviews of Echo.
Purchase Echo.

Punisher #52. Punisher by Greg Rucka, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Clark, and Matthew Southworth
Average rating: 4.3/5 stars
Reading rating: Teen

I never thought I’d like a Punisher book as much as I love this one from Rucka. Dive into the gritty world of Frank Castle, his mission, and the fall-out of villains, reporters, cops, and victims. With some beautiful art to accompany it.
Read my reviews of Punisher.
Purchase Punisher.

Batwoman #23. Batwoman by J.H. Williams, W. Haden Blackman, and Amy Reeder Hadley
Average rating: 4.3/5 stars
Reading rating: Teen

The most anticipated comic (for me) ever. Anyone reading my blog is probably not surprised that I love Batwoman. Kate Kane is probably one of my favorite characters ever, and in combination with Williams’ art, this title has been making me very happy. I only want more.
Read my reviews of Batwoman.
Purchase Batwoman. Continue reading “The Best and the Worst of 2011 Comic Books”

Stuck Rubber Baby Graphic Novel Review

Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse

Erica gives this comic five starsStuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse

Stuck Rubbery Baby is a coming-of-age tale about a white gay man Toland Polk living in the South during the Civil Rights movement, which he somewhat accidentally becomes involved in. The graphic novel is a great commentary on how the Civil Rights movement affected everyone in Toland’s community. The story is narrated by a future Toland looking back on his life.

Toland starts off as a very young man living in his recently deceased parents’ house with his sister and her husband. Future narrator Toland is out of the closet and living with his long-term partner. And the story proceeds to lay out the path between the two.

Cruse’s art is particularly masterful in what it shows us about people. He tends to draw people’s heads a little larger than their bodies, which helps illustrate their different expressions and emotions clearly. Cruse is also really talented when it comes to what he shows in his scenes and what he doesn’t. He can convey the evils and horrors of a lynching and make it resonate from the characters to the reader without being unnecessarily graphic.

Toland and the rest of the characters pop off the pages beautifully. I was enamored by this book from start to finish. As I’ve stated here before, I’ve read a lot of books about the journey of self-acceptance and coming out as queer (and have, of course, gone through the experience myself), but Cruse does a wonderful job at making Stuck Rubber Baby more than just a coming out story; it’s far more of a Bildungsroman as Toland makes his complete transformation into adulthood. Continue reading “Stuck Rubber Baby Graphic Novel Review”