Review: ‘An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories, Vol. 2’
An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories, Vol. 2
Edited by Ivan Brunetti
Yale University Press, October 2008, $28.00
Two years ago, we saw one of the biggest signs yet that comics had “made it” and were being taken seriously by the academic/literary community: the publication of a big, magisterial teaching anthology of comics, edited by Ivan Brunetti and published by the utterly respectable Yale University Press. That book was [[[An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories]]], and even its unwieldy title seemed to underline just how serious and important it was – the Anthology was the kind of comics collection that could be assigned as reading in English 214: Readings in Contemporary Literature, or some other similarly dull university course.
Inside the Anthology, Brunetti staked out a position for comics much closer to the Art History department than to English, leading off with intensely formalist works and only settling down to things like “Graphic Fiction” and “True Stories” deep into the book. (A lot of the first Anthology – and a lot of this second book as well – must be called “Cartoons” as a default; they’re clearly sequential art, but they’re closer to poems or painting series than they are to any kind of written prose. Not that this is a bad thing; I’m sure Brunetti would argue that those works show the unique abilities of the comics form.) Most impressively, Brunetti produced a book that wasn’t obvious – it wasn’t the book anyone would have expected, or a book anyone else would have compiled. (Not that the obvious anthology of great comics wouldn’t have had a use, and possible been more useful for teaching than Brunetti’s book ended up being.)
But that was two years ago, and now Brunetti, and Yale, are back with a second volume, [[[An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, Vol. 2]]], to give it its entire ungainly due. (The “An” at the beginning particularly bounces oddly off the “Vol. 2” at the end.) It doesn’t so much take up where the first [[[Anthology]]] left off as replicate the pattern (and, almost exactly, the contributors list) of the first book; it could as easily be a second attempt at the same idea as an extension. It doesn’t stake out any different territory than the first Anthology did; it focuses on mostly the same creators, and the same type of comics, and is organized in a similar, vaguely thematic, free-form fashion.
ABC has been enjoying the growing success of its adaptation of the BBC’s Life on Mars. The original program, though, struggled to keep its stories going and wrapped the series after two seasons and 16 episodes. For a glimpse of what happen next, take a look at the BBC’s sequel Ashes to Ashes, which BBC America just picked up for domestic broadcast in March.
From the UGO list of Top 50 "WTF" moments in comics, discussing Speedy and his drug habit:
Marvel released the following teasers:
As dark times lie ahead for the Marvel U, a new age of all out Avengers action begins this December in the giant-sized Mighty Avengers #21! Join the superstar creative team of Dan Slott and Khoi Pham for the next exciting chapter in the lives of Earth’s mightiest heroes! After the events of Secret Invasion, the landscape of the Marvel U has forever changed – and with that, so comes a new team of Avengers! And one of the most popular Avengers of all time, makes her long awaited return! Get ready for all of the chaos and action you can handle in this special giant-sized issue! Guest starring: the New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Young Avengers and Classic Avengers! 
The 
In case there remained any doubt, 
Warner Home Video has announced an April 7 2009 release date for Ben 10 Alien Force: Volume Three.
Director Kenneth Branagh spoke with MTV’s 
Editor Bryce Coleman was among the eight people laid off by TokyoPop last week. Positions were eliminated from around the company.
The Phantom never dies. From father to son, the legacy is passed on, protecting Africa from evil in all forms dating back 21 generations. A second generation live-action film about the ageless hero was announced by Symington Productions according to the 
