Monday, January 1, 2024

The Best Comic Book of 2023: WHERE THE BODY WAS

 

    I was reading Where the Body Was, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' latest graphic novel, on my Ipad when the power went out a few weeks ago. Instead of getting up and checking on things or finding a light, I kept reading. I was so engrossed and entertained with the book that the power going out was a meaningless distraction. It was that good. Lately, Brubaker has dismissed putting out monthly comics. I suppose it's a financial decision (everyone these days seem to ominously foretell the death of the comic book store). While I miss his weekly books, the good thing is that we can read a mini-series in one chunk on it's release date, and his books are usually so good it's easy to read them in one sitting. And Where the Body Was is one of his best in recent years. The basic premise is that it follows a bunch of characters on a suburban street in the 1980's. Everyone gets their own story and every story ties into one another. The thing is...there are no weak links. Every story is great; from the cheating housewife to the kid playing superhero to the drug addicted twenty-somethings to the guy pretending to be a cop. Like most of his books, it plays with time and regret, but also features crime and violence. Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips did the art, and as usual, the book looks fantastic. While this isn't a book featuring anything new or bold, it's just a great writer and artist working at the top of their game. 



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