comics of the 2000s

lord_darkseid had a recent post where, among other things, he posted his favorite 25 comic stories of the past decade. And that got me to thinking, what are my favorite comics of the past decade? And I gave it some thought, and was surprised to see that a lot of my favorite stories are actually more than ten years old - the "Marathon Men" from DORK #9 (?) is top notch in every respect, and it's from 1997!! I don't buy a lot of new comics, and part of that is because the market for the comics I do like tanked sometime around 2000, and part of that is I got other priorities, and part of that is I buy a lot of old comics instead.

But, anyway, I do actually manage to buy some comics now and then, and here's my favorites of what I read of the work produced between 2000 and now. Plenty of stuff I missed, so don't get offended if I left off a swell work of genius.

SCHIZO #4 - You'd think Ivan Brunetti was merely another manic-depressive autobio shock-brush-jock - and he is - but the oversize SCHIZO demonstrates his cartooning chops AND the quiet, contemplative interior that lurks within his horrifying outer candy shell. Great strips about Francoise Hardy, Piet Mondrian, Val Lewton, Louise Brooks, and the simple horror of being alive. Plus girls.

SAFE AREA GORAZDE - Joe Sacco kicked the decade off with this comics-journalism epic about the Bosnian war. The world took a year or so to consider it and immediately went on to start some more wars. I think his artwork's a little stiff here but you can't help but be impressed at the skill, the effort, and the significance of this work.

THE BIG SKINNY - Carol Lay's been doing one-page strips for Salon for years, enlivened with longer serials ("Joy Ride"), but this book - a combination self-help, autobio, nonfiction package - is something new and unique. Yes, it's a weight-loss book, but it's a lot more comprehensive and a lot less stupid than any other diet book you'll ever see. Entertaining to read even if you're super healthy and a potential lifesaver if you aren't.

(edited to add) EIGHTBALL #22 - ICE HAVEN - Clowes combines "Rope" and "Our Town" as a kidnap mystery plays out in a small town as seen through the eyes and the different cartooning styles of various characters. Tight, engrossing, surprisingly moving.

RUSTY BROWN - Chris Ware scores with the exploits of Rusty Brown and Chalky White, two midwestern lumps whose lives are dominated by obsessions with junk culture. One rises above, one sinks below. Ware's formalist style leaves many cold, but RUSTY is shorter, funnier, and either less ambitious or more accomplished than his JIMMY CORRIGAN work.

BIZARRO COMICS - DC commissioned dozens of indy-alt cartoonists to do their take on Superman, Batman, etc, and the result is a cheerful mashup of fun comics starring everybody's favorite characters acting less like angsty super champions and more like normal people. This book puts paid to the lie that indy cartoonists hate super-heroes, but people keep repeating it anyway.

MASTERPIECE COMICS - R. Sikoryak has been cranking out these old-school comics/classic literature pastiches for years for various publications but this is the first time they've all been collected in one place. His mastery of every single cartooning technique known to man is on full display here - Bazooka Joe comics, EC comics, golden age DC, Little Lulu, there's nothing this man can't appropriate and make his own in the service of adapting "Wuthering Heights" or Dante.

ANGRY YOUTH COMICS - Johnny Ryan burst onto the comics scene like a giant scabby scene-bursting monster, freaking out the squares and shocking little old ladies everywhere. I cannot stress how offendingly funny his work is, and his deceptively simple linework hides some real draftsmanship.

PLANET OF BEER - "Smell Of Steve, Inc" finally released this incredible book collecting his/its weekly alt strip. Absolutely a must-have for deadpan hilarious adventures involving Black Aquaman, Fonzie, the titular search for the Planet Of Beer, Pope Fonzie, President Carter and Kenny, and much much more. No "Ziggy With A Hat", though.

TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE - Mike Kupperman has been dropping weird little bombs of oddly stiff cartooning into various publications for years, and his solo book is, like his "Snake & Bacon" collection, a mind-melting aggregate of awkward laughs. Unrelated concepts smash into each other as if illustrated by the Eisner-Iger shop after a night of hallucinogens, all wrapped into a neat little package.

Honorable mention: reprints of older works and books about comics:

KIRBY by Mark Evanier
BAT-MANGA by Jiro Kuwata with Chip Kidd
ART OUT OF TIME by Dan Nadel
I WILL DESTROY ALL THE CIVILIZED PLANETS by Fletcher Hanks / Paul Karasik
RICHIE RICH / THE HARVEY GIRLS by various / Dark Horse

No manga on the list, that's a different list, I think. Who knows.