Random Quotes: Abhay on Bendis on Comic Criticism
"I want Comics to be what I want it to be, instead of what it actually is."
Go and read Sean Collins' piece at CBR on the Bendis rant (follow the CBR links to it) against what passes for comic criticism and journalism and then scroll down to read Abhay Kholsa's response to it. Abhay may be one of the most stream-of-consciousness comic critics out there. His writing ranges from performance art to esoteric insight but at least he's usually entertaining.
I caught his feelings on Matt Fraction and Keiron Gillen and, sadly, found myself nodding along with Abhay. Casanova and Phonogram are two of my favorite series from the past 5 years. Both really got me excited for the creators and creations. I want to see more of these books. I need to see more of these books. And what do I get instead?
Uncanny X-Men.
Now I've got a box of X-Men books upstairs. If I want to read an X-Men story, I've got plenty to chose from. I don't need more. So why do I have to read an X-Men book if I want to read Fraction or Gillen? Now, I'm not disparaging them because they've got a good job and something that pays but I know what I want. I want Casanova. I want Phonogram. And I get X-Men.
As Warren Ellis said so long ago and is still true today, "this is what they want." I realized a while ago that I'm not part of the same group that they are.
With all of this Bendis brouhaha, I'm surprised that no one has even mentioned the awesome picture that Kevin Huxford is using on his post on Bendis. I want to get that shirt and wear it to the next convention I go to. Don't know why but I do.