Invisible People by WIll Eisner

Will Eisner was one of the most recognizable names in comic history. He invented the graphic novel and changed sequential art doing what he loved. He has a yearly comic award that shares his name. For these reasons I have always wanted to read some of his work. However, the logical starting point, The Spirit, his serialized "superhero" story, has never appealed to me  - I do not think it will live up to its reputation. As a result I took the suggestion of a number of friends and critics whose opinion I trust and started with Invisible People (W.W. Norton).

This book is nicely put together, which can be especially important for graphic novels. There are no cut off images in the cracks (although Eisner doesn't seem to have that style) and no problem with binding. The book is divided into three stories, all of which deal with the anonymity and alienation of city life in a different way. Each story has a distinct flavor and contained plot, but they are designed to be read together.

I greatly admire the plotting of the stories. There is no wasted space, which astounds me as someone who has read their fair share of modern comics. The stories flow from one point to the next and it never seems choppy or rushed. 

The dialogue is a little sub-par at some points. Every time a character says the line "they are an invisible person," it feels forced and stale. For the most part though it is passable and standard, but nothing spectacular.

The substance of the stories is strong. They do an excellent job of imagining the lives of people we pass everyday and have no clue exist. The stories are simplistic in some ways: They are set in an earlier "simpler" time, the characters themselves are mostly archetypes, many of the complexities of the city are ignored to focus on the main themes listed above. However, these simplifications are not made unconsciously. Will Eisner states in his introduction that he chose to set the stories in the 1930's because the intricacies of modern city life are far more complex and difficult to navigate. Eisner is trying to paint a picture that does not need a modern backdrop. These stories could have been set in almost any major city throughout history - with obvious occupation and technology changes - and they would still work. This is because they are not simple. They are probing and capture a detailed image of one of the failures of city - particularly American city - life, the inability of its inhabitants to connect with everyone around them. 

The world of these stories is a mechanical system. Reminiscent of the great bureaucratic dystopian stories like Kafka's The Trial, the sense of immobility in the shadow of an oppressive and unforgiving way of life is beautifully realized in all its despair.

Individually, the drawings are mostly unspectacular, but competent work. Sequentially the art flows well from one point to the next. They manage to capture facial expressions and moods of the characters well. Overall, good cartooning, but not my favorite art.

Verdict: I would recommend this book to anyone interested in comics in the classic vein. I will read more of Will Eisner after reading this book, but I am in no rush to do so. 

Let me know what you think below. I know this blog is slowly turning to the other kind of bi-weekly, but one day soon it should be back to twice a week!

Thanks for reading!

The Works of "Jason" - An Alert

Going to try something different already! I am going to talk about the work of an author I whose work is relatively new to me, but all around spectacular. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. 

 

The above picture is from a book of one of my favorite cartoonists, who uses the nom de plume, Jason. In the picture two boyhood friends play on a tree hanging over a cliff. In the previous scene the friend dressed in all white has jumped and swung around. Now his friend tries to imitate him but as you can see, he hesitates, he is concerned. It is from this page that the larger story gets its title "Hey... Wait!" 

I want talk a little about Jason and this page provides a good idea of the quality of his work. Although he is well received by critics, I think Jason is still an under-appreciated artist. His work not only delves deeply into the core of humanity, but its funny and easy to read. So far, I have read through two of the larger collections of his work published in translation by Fantagraphics: What I Did and Almost Silent. The first one surprised me. I was not expecting the poetic easy flow of his drawings and sparing use of dialogue (something that I feel is clear in the panel above). The second confirmed my opinion. 

If you have any interest in comics or are a purveyor of story in any form. I would give the work of Jason a read.  

For more information check out Comic Book Resources: Robot 6 Blog's Comic College on Jason.