BDcomics

A collection of some of the most intelligent and challenging books in
the medium.

These archives are .cbr files (.ComicBookRar)
Either use CDisplay to read the comics (recommended),
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folder of your choice.
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Neil Gaiman & Dave Mckean

Signal to Noise

Originally serialized in The Face, Signal to Noise is the story of a
film director dying of cancer. His life's crowning achievement, his
greatest film, would have told the story of a European village as the
last hour of 999 A.D. approached -- the midnight that the villagers
were convinced would bring with it Armageddon. Now that story will
never be told. But he's still working it out in his head, making a
film that no one will ever see. No one but us.

Signal to Noise is a poignant story, rich in humanity, depth, and
communications theory! A beautifully designed and printed book,
showcasing McKean's stunning artwork and Gaiman's story, Signal to
Noise will make you re-evaluate your thinking about the potential of
the medium and a book you will be proud to share with your friends.
They will thank you for it!

27.13mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=41HOXM5Q

Black Orchid

About the same time that Neil Gaiman took a little-known hero called
the Sandman and created the rich mythology of Dream and the Endless,
he reinvented another obscure character, Black Orchid, a plant-based
heroine with ties to the likes of Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing. In this
three-part story, Gaiman gives a whole new slant to the character,
replacing a standard, gimmicky vigilante with a thought-provoking new
entity entirely.

Gaiman's story is brilliantly and expressively told through the art of
Dave McKean. McKean employs very little color in his art -- most of
the characters and settings are painted in shades of grey. Orchid
moves through her drab surroundings in hues of purple. Other colors
accent the landscape -- glints of light, flecks of blood, shades of
leaves.

Black Orchid is a beautiful tale, though at times violent, and I
wonder why this character has been ignored in the years since its
release. She deserves to see the light of day again. Soon.

88.7mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=414O1J5E

Violent Cases

Both Gaiman's precise and nostalgic writing and McKean's lavishly
painted art will challenge your ideas of what a comic book is. A
narrator remembers his childhood encounters with an old osteopath who
claims to have treated Al Capone. Gradually, 1960s England and 1920s
Chicago begin to merge into a tale of memory and evil. This is the
first published work of the acclaimed writer of The Sandman series;
fans of that series should not miss this.

15mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=36TWEMZW

Mr Punch

McKean's art elevates the visuals above the basic flat 2D of most
comics, most impressively his use of photographic elements, adding
depth and a sense of realism. It more than compliments Gaiman's
writing, demonstrating yet again why these two are one of the best
creative teams in comics. McKean's work here is still some of the best
of his career - sharp, inventive and captivating. The whole design of
the book is something to behold, right down the twisting fonts,
showing why he is the arguably the best when it comes to doing what he
does, as well as the most prone to 'homage'.

Having the Punch and Judy puppets as the only "real" elements (apart
from backgrounds and props) is a masterstroke. Mr Punch himself is a
terrifying figure, a puppet, all pointy angles and staring eyes. Even
his speech, larger than the other fonts, stands out against smears of
white as he laughs and taunts. "That's the way to do it!" The
characters are, for the most part, painted, except in the case of
reflections, in photographs and half-recalled memories.

When the narrator is seen in the present day, it is in shadow (another
form of puppetry), a silhouette through gauze, and mostly at funerals
or weddings, the beginning and the ends of families. Most
tantalisingly is the back cover of the book, where a small boy lies
sleeping, helping the phantasmagorical atmosphere along. This
combination of words and pictures create such an engrossing world that
we are sucked right in, sometimes uncomfortably as we witness the
exploits of the clearly mad Mr Punch and the parallels in life.

Gaiman has said that MR PUNCH is the work he is most proud of, which,
looking at his body of work, is saying something. It's a dark and
unsettling look at how we perceive that strange and exciting time
known as childhood long after we've grown up.

And that's the way to do it.

20.6mb

http://rapidshare.de/files/4266589/Mr_Punch_.cbr.html

The Wolves in the Walls

Truth be told, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's picture book The Wolves
in the Walls is terrifying. Sure, the story is fairytale-like and
presented in a jaunty, casually nonsensical way, but it is absolutely
the stuff of nightmares. Lucy hears wolves hustling, bustling,
crinkling, and crackling in the walls of the old house where her
family lives, but no one believes her. Her mother says it's mice, her
brother says bats, and her father says what everyone seems to say, "If
the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over." Lucy remains
convinced, as is her beloved pig-puppet, and her worst fears are
confirmed when the wolves actually do come out of the walls.

Up to this point, McKean's illustrations are spectacular, sinister
collages awash in golden sepia tones evocative of the creepy beauty in
The City of Lost Children. The wolves explode into the story in
scratchy pen-and-ink, all jaws and eyes. The family flees to the cold,
moonlit garden, where they ponder their future. (Her brother suggests,
for example, that they escape to outer space where there's "nothing
but foozles and squossucks for billions of miles.") Lucy wants to live
in her own house...and she wants the pig-puppet she left behind.

Eventually she talks her family into moving back into the once-wolfish
walls, where they peek out at the wolves who are watching their
television and spilling popcorn on slices of toast and jam, dashing up
the stairs, and wearing their clothes. When the family can't stand it
anymore, they burst forth from the walls, scaring the wolves, who
shout, "And when the people come out of the walls, it's all over!" The
wolves flee and everything goes back to normal...until the tidy ending
when Lucy hears "a noise that sounded exactly like an elephant trying
not to sneeze." Adult fans of this talented pair will revel in the
quirky story and its darkly gorgeous, deliciously shadowy trappings,
but the young or faint of heart, beware! (Ages 9 and older)

http://rapidshare.de/files/4268562/The_Wolves_In_The_Walls.cbr.html

The Sandman Collection

01 - Preludes & Nocturnes

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman was launched in 1989. This extremely popular
series was bound into ten collections. Featuring Dream of the Endless.
There are seven brothers and sisters that have been since the
beginning of time, the Endless. They are Destiny, Death, Dream,
Desire, Despair, Delirium who was once Delight, and Destruction, the
one who turned his back on his duties.

Preludes and Nocturnes begins the series. In it, Dream, escapes his
prison. He must go on a quest to find the tools of his office, his
helm, pouch and ruby. The journey will take him - and us - through the
gates of hell itself. It will also teach Dream an important lesson
about relying on tools, and introduce us to the other star of the
series, Death.

67.43mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=309KU0GA

02 - The Dolls House

The immense popularity of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is due in large
part to the development of his characters. In The Doll's House, the
second book of the Sandman magnum opus, Gaiman continues to build the
foundation for the larger story, introducing us to more of the Dream
King's family of the Endless.

The Sandman returns to his kingdom of the Dreaming after nearly a
century of imprisonment, finding several things out of place; most
importantly, an anomaly called a dream vortex has manifested itself in
the form of a young girl who unknowingly threatens to rip apart the
Dreaming. And there's the smaller matter of a few nightmares having
escaped. Among them is Gaiman's creepiest creation: the Corinthian, a
serial killer with a miniature set of teeth in each eye socket.
Because later volumes concentrate so much on human relationships with
Gaiman's signature fair for fantasy and mythology, it is sometimes
easy to forget that the Sandman series started out as a horror comic.
This book grabs you and doesn't let you forget that so easily.

64.2mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=25YO1X2W

03 - Dream Country

The third book of the Sandman collection is a series of four short
comic book stories. What's remarkable here (considering the publisher
and the time that this was originally published) is that the main
character of the book--the Sandman, King of Dreams--serves only as a
minor character in each of these otherwise unrelated stories.[cut]
(Actually, he's not even in the last story.) This signaled a couple of
important things in the development of what is considered one of the
great comics of the second half of the century. First, it marked a
distinct move away from the horror genre and into a more fantasy-rich,
classical mythology-laden environment. And secondly, it solidly
cemented Neil Gaiman as a storyteller. One of the stories here, "A
Midsummer Night's Dream," took home the World Fantasy Award for best
short story--the first time a comic was given that honor. But for my
money, another story in Dream Country has it beat hands down. "A Dream
of a Thousand Cats" has such hope, beauty, and good old-fashioned
chills that rereading it becomes a welcome pleasure.

32.32mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=33KVOZ9H

04 - Season of Mists

In many ways, Season of Mists is the pinnacle of the Sandman
experience. After a brief intermission of four short stories
(collected as Dream Country) Gaiman continued the story of the Dream
King that he began in the first two volumes. Here in volume 4, we find
out about the rest of Dream's Endless family (Desire, Despair,
Destiny, Delirium, Death, and a seventh missing sibling). We find out
the story behind Nada, Dream's first love, whom we met only in passing
during Dream's visit to hell in the first book. When Dream goes back
to hell to resolve unfinished business with Nada, he finds her missing
along with all of the other dead souls. The answer to this mystery
lies in Lucifer's most uncharacteristic decision--a delicious
surprise.

There is something grandiose about this story, in which each chapter
ends with such suspense and drive to read the next. This book is best
summed up by a toast taken from the second chapter: "To absent
friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each
and every one of us always give the devil his due."
61.31mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=38CP2KXS

05 - A Game of You

You may have heard somewhere that Neil Gaiman's Sandman series
consisted of cool, hip, edgy, smart comic books. And you may have
thought, "What the hell does that mean?" Enter A Game of You to
confound the issue even more, while at the same time standing as a
fine example of such a description. This is not an easy book. The
characters are dense and unique, while their observations are, as
always with Gaiman, refreshingly familiar. Then there's the plot,
which grinds along like a coffee mill, in the process breaking down
the two worlds of this series, that of the dream and that of the
dreamer. Gaiman pushes these worlds to their very extremes--one is a
fantasy world with talking animals, a missing princess, and a
mysterious villain called the Cuckoo; the other is an urban microcosm
inhabited by a drag queen, a punk lesbian couple, and a New York doll
named Barbie. In almost every way this book sits at 180 degrees from
the earlier four volumes of the Sandman series--although the less it
seems to belong to the series, the more it shows its heart.
38.25mb

http://rapidshare.de/files/4223431/Sandman_Volume_05_-_A_Game_of_You.cbr.html

06 - Fables and Reflection

Perhaps the title of the book provides some clues to the over-arching
themes of these stories. However, there is more at hand than the
conflict between reality and fantasy that is to be expected in
anything whose main character is the bringer of dreams. In 'Fear of
Falling,' a young actor finds his courage in a frightening dream. And
in 'Three Septembers and a January,' we are given the tale of Joshua
Norton, the Emperor of the United States, who found happiness in the
give of insanity. Then it suddenly is July in revolutionary Paris.
Thermidor tells the story of a woman bearing the head of Orpheus, due
to sing the song that will end one dream and begin another.

Next, a book shows a werewolf lost in a dream of love the path to its
reality love. In 'August,' a Roman emperor gains the secret of how to
hide from his fears. 'Soft Places' finds Marco Polo wandering the
desert separated from his caravan. Or perhaps, he is only wandering in
his mind. The grand piece of the book is a lengthy retelling of the
legend of Orpheus, which provides some explanation for the future
wanderings of his disembodied head. In 'Parliament of Rooks,' the
arguments of Cain and Abel invade the sleep of a young child. In the
final story Haroun al Raschid, the ruler of Baghdad, bargains with the
Lord of Dreams for a special kind of eternity.

All the stories are linked by theme and variation, as well as the
presence of the Sandman. Perhaps, intentionally, the relationships are
vague and hard to pin down, using the touch of chaos to enhance the
dreamlike quality. Of course, the advantage is to the author, who
needs to tell only enough to keep the reader interested. In addition
to the drawn illustrations, the book makes excellent use of digital
and photographic work to enhance the effect of the stories themselves.
The overall design, the product of Dave McKean, is remarkable,
enhancing instead of competing with the stories themselves.
86.4mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=308RFQSG

07 - Brief Lives

Delirium, the youngest of the Endless, who was once Delight, needs a
change. She decides to find her missing "prodigal" brother. She begs
Dream to accompany her and surprisingly, (for reasons we don't
discover til later) he agrees. But their prodigal brother is none
other than Destruction, and as Dream and Delirium soon learn, few can
seek Destruction unscathed. One of Gaiman's many skills is the use of
doublespeak, and this story is no exception. It is a brilliant
interplay of past accounts and current journeys, mirroring each other.

"What's the name of the word for things not being the same
always.....there must be a word for it. The thing that let's you know
time is happening. Is there a word?"

"Change" replies Dream, and that is the basis for this story. It marks
the realization of what Dream boths needs and yet cannot accomplish -
he must change to survive, or cast about the seeds of his own future
destruction.

"Brief Lives" is the glory of an already impeccable series. It is for
me, the jewel in the crown of the entire Sandman saga. It manages to
be haunting, thrilling and hysterical all at the same time.
59.7mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=40MARHRY

08 - Worlds End

Like Fables and Recollections and Dream Country, World's End is a
collection of individual stories that have little do with the Sandman
arc. Unlike its predecessors, however, there is greater continuity
between the stories.
The stories within World's End are all linked to a singular event:
travelers gathering 'round and exchanging their weirdest, most
interesting tales (admittedly, an almost done-to-death literary
device). Gaiman breathes new life into this convention by inserting a
dizzying amount of layers into the storytelling function. In a
wonderfully witty Introduction, Stephen King compares the collection
to "nested Chinese boxes:" stories existing within stories within
stories. Gaiman really flexes his writing muscles here, constructing
highly imaginative parallel universes that eerily mirror our own world
(fans of Gaiman will note that "A Tale of Two Cities" borrows heavily
from the essay he wrote for the SIMCITY 2000 game). He also inserts
his most shocking plot twist to date at the end of the book, which
forms the basis of the last two books on the Sandman collection and is
guaranteed to pique the continued interest of the Sandman readership.

I really enjoyed the diversity of the art; to note, the visually
arresting rectangular and vertically arranged panels done by Alec
Stevens in the aforementioned lead story "A Tale of Two Cities;" John
Watkiss' crispness and use of clean lines; the tasteful, subdued tones
of Michael Zulli and frequent Sandman collaborator Dick Giordano in
"Hob's Leviathan."
38.4mb

http://rapidshare.de/files/4261639/Sandman_Volume_08_-_Worlds_End.cbr.html

09 - The Kindly Ones

Simply put, "The Kindly Ones" is a study of Morpheus' collapse, and,
as such, follows the conventions of tragedy. And in true tragic
fashion, Morpheus' downfall is precipitated from within: in this case,
an unerring commitment to his office and the responsibilities
contained therein, even when adhering to those principles ensures his
inevitable demise. Clever as he is, Gaiman never truly indicates why
Dream so resolutely marches towards this fate: is Morpheus punishing
himself for the sins of his past; does he believe we all have
predestined ends, and his particular position obligates him to make
choices consistent with it, consequences be damned; is he simply not
as insightful as he appears, and naively making choices that are
destroying him? Although, by this point, he has appeared in nine
volumes, Dream continues to elude facile generalizations of his
character and remains deliciously enigmatic. Even the lot of Morpheus
at the end of this volume is uncertain; death and life appearing to be
rather fluid and interchangeable concepts, much like the ankh symbol
worn by his adorable, and equally paradoxical, older sister, Death.

As Mikal Gilmore notes in this insightful Introduction to "The Wake,"
the title not only points to those 'kindly' ladies, the Furies, but
others whose acts of kindness (Hippolyta, Thessaly, even Morpheus)
similarly precipitate Morpheus' fall, either purposely or not. It is
remarkable Gaiman has constructed a character whose humanization and
kindness eventually destroys him. You certainly won't find this level
of psychological sophistication in your average run-of-the-mill comic
title or novel.

This volume gets my vote for the pick of the series; not an easy task
when you consider the immense quality of its predecessors. But there's
a sense of urgency in the unfolding of the plot, a self-awareness that
things are coming to an end, leading to the inescapable conclusion
that this title is the crescendo of the Sandman library. All the
unresolved plotlines in the earlier volumes flourish here and result
in the climactic conclusion. We learn that the fate of Morpheus is
intertwined with the fate of the series itself, and I for one can't
think of a more appropriate ending.
70.1mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=30MN67Z8

10 - The Wake

This collection concludes the original run of the Sandman. It is a
fitting finish to the series, with enjoyable stories and some
remarkable artwork.

John Muth's "Exiles" is next to last in the book, and is a real treat.
Part of its topic, an extreme of loyalty, is quielty touching. The
look of this piece, however, is what makes it, ink-drawing in a style
inspired by Asian classics. The style is quite unlike the watercolors
that Muth has used so well (e.g. in Moonshadow), except in its
wonderful expressiveness.

The final piece in this book, "The Tempest" returns to an earlier
story and Shakespeare and concludes it. Charles Vess illustrated this
in the manner of which he is master: elegant pen work and muted color.

"Wake" is a satisfying end to the original series. Even after the
series' long run, it maintains the highest standards of artwork and
storytelling. If you enjoy comics at all, you're sure to enjoy this.
47mb

http://rapidshare.de/files/4269285/Sandman_Volume_10_-_The_Wake.cbr.html

Grant Morrison, Dave Mckean

Batman - Arkham Asylum

Arkham Asylum goes beyond just comic and comic book cliches and
standards. It is, without doubt, the most complex and sophiscated
graphic story treatment ever given to a superhero. Reading this 15
years ago, it sent a chill up my spine. Now it just envelopes me
totally.

Morrison's writing is so deep, so rich that it's almost like a
exploration of the complicated insanities that exist within the Batman
and his numerous foes. But beyond this rich tapestry of psychological
drama that unfoldes, is an outstanding backstory of Amadeus Arkham. At
once tragic and haunting, it gives the reader a profound sense of
understanding and appreciation of this most famous instituion in
Gotham City.

If Morrison's writing is graphic literature as its supreme best, then
McKean's art is simply without peer in this medium. Using an arsenal
of styles and tools that includes paint and photography, McKean's
artwork will leave you more than just spellbound. It literally is
graphic art that is a masterpiece to behold. And this on every single
page.

Perhaps the only left to be said of this is to get the new 15th
Anniversary edition, which includes the original script and sketeches
that gives a further understanding to the complexity that went into
creating this masterpiece.

For myself, it will rank as the best Batman story, even above The Dark
Knight Returns, which I thought was unsurpassable. 15 years on, and
this remains the pinnacle in superhero storytelling.

58mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=188L9CO1

Alan Moore

V for Vendetta

Words by Alan Moore - Art by David Lloyd - Published by DC Comics
(US), Titan Books (UK) - First published 1988 - Originally published
in Warrior Magazine and as V for Vendetta 1-10

Describing where V for Vendetta lies in the comics cannon is tricky.
Without wanting to over-state its importance, this particular reviewer
considers it as fascinating and enjoyable a piece of serious science
fiction as George Orwell's 1984 and Rildey Scott's Blade Runner. On
our first reading, over 10 years ago, it really felt that big, that
important and that much of a classic. Rereading it, despite the fact
that the dark near-future predictions remain thankfully off mark, the
distopian vision remains as horrific and potent as ever.
V for Vendetta

We won't expose too much of the story, as the unfurling mystery is a
roller-coaster ride of twists and turns. It's set in a fascist,
post-apocalyptic Britain, with a cowed population ruled by a police
state that, like Orwell's, is always watching. Like a modern day Guy
Fawkes, the story's lead character (known only as 'V') is committed to
bringing down the government of his day. We see his plans unfold
through the eyes of Evey Hammond, an innocent and impressionable young
woman V rescues from the clutches the corrupt police force.

Because all culture is controlled by the state, V is a cultural oasis,
allowing Moore to flex his erudite muscles, quoting liberally from
literature, music and other media. This can be overwhelming at times,
though it serves the purpose of enhancing the stark difference between
the sparse official media controlled by the state and church, and the
rich cultural heritage that is kept hidden from the populace.

David Lloyd uses gorgeous subtle shading throughout the book, creating
a gloomy London bathed in an inky wash. At times this can evoke a
sense of noir thirties nostalgia, again showing the debt it owes to
George Orwell, while simultaneously twisting everything into a gloomy
futuristic world of overt control.

This is book has an eloquence and beauty to it, stemming from both the
writing and the artwork, both of which are at the peak of their craft.
The book remains one of Alan Moore's finest works, no mean feat
considering we consider Moore to be up there amongst the all-time best
writers to grace comics with their work. If you're interested in the
medium, this book is an absolute must. And if you're new to comics,
this provides an excellent place to start for anyone who likes edgy
science fiction thrillers, especially if they like their sci-fi to
come with a little politics, a little culture and the odd explosion.

111mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=36DIIA6N

Watchmen

It may seem hard to imagine today, but back in 1985, nobody was
particularly familiar with the idea of superheroes with human
emotions, psychological problems, or anything other than square jaws
and simple morals. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen helped
change all that. It's a story about ordinary people who, by design or
accident, decide to wear costumes and fight crime. The resulting
alternate future turns the superhero genre on its head, questioning
the validity of caped crusaders in a realistic world spanning 50
years.

Watchmen is an extraordinary piece of work. It is designed to be read
at least twice - there's no way you could get the most out of this in
one reading, as so much is built up before we have a chance of
noticing it. On first read, you may find yourself smacked in the face
by an awesome ending. Second time through, you'll wonder how you could
have missed all those clues.
Watchmen

Every cut in the action is linked to the next scene, often with
overlapping dialogue and meaning. Symbols, from pyramids to the
famously defaced smiley, pervade the artwork, providing visual
references to the story's themes. Images as simple and everyday as
falling objects are laden with depths of meaning by a process of
association and repetition, so that reading the book and piecing
everything together is a blatant intellectual challenge to the reader.
Pulling together the strands of the book as you read through is as
satisfying as completing the last clue in a crossword or placing the
final piece in a jigsaw puzzle.

The book is aimed at people who are familiar with the superhero genre,
as there's a lot of stuff in here that those with little knowledge of
the medium will be forced to ignore. Because the book deconstructs the
genre, a working knowledge of it is essential. This means it isn't
particularly accessible to the beginner and, despite its deserved
classic status, it would not be an easy starter for someone unused to
the form.

198mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=355B4HQB

From Hell

The mad, shaggy genius of the comics world dips deeply into the well
of history and pulls up a cup filled with blood in From Hell. Alan
Moore did a couple of Ph.D.'s worth of research into the Whitechapel
murders for this copiously annotated collection of the independently
published series.

The web of facts, opinion, hearsay, and imaginative invention draws
the reader in from the first page. Eddie Campbell's scratchy ink
drawings evoke a dark and dirty Victorian London and help to humanize
characters that have been caricatured into obscurity for decades.

Moore, having decided that the evidence best fits the theory of a
Masonic conspiracy to cover up a scandal involving Victoria's
grandson, goes to work telling the story with relish from the point of
view of the victims, the chief inspector, and the killer--the Queen's
physician. His characterization is just as vibrant as Campbell's; even
the minor characters feel fully real. Looking more deeply than most,
the author finds in the "great work" of the Ripper a ritual magic
working intended to give birth to the 20th century in all its horrid
glory.

Maps, characters, and settings are all as accurate as possible, and
while the reader might not ultimately agree with Moore and Campbell's
thesis, From Hell is still a great work of literature.
150mb

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=237OD0HH

Batman - The Killing joke

*Batman: The Killing Joke*, apart from being Tim Burton's favorite
comic book, is Alan Moore's most concentrated achievement (working in
a shorter format), and, rare amongst adolescent passions, gives me the
same pleasure today as it did when I was a wee boy. It is a dark,
visual poem, running the gamut from high episodic drama to an
interesting attempt at sentimentalism in its (definitive?) portrayal
of the Batman/Joker dichotomy. Sure, Moore often falls back on trite
phrases and mechanical epithets, but the book's strengths far outweigh
my elitist quibbles, both in conception, writing, and visual delivery.

Illustrator Brian Bolland has touched the limits of what can be done
in the mainstream comic medium, surpassing even Dave Gibbons in
*Watchmen* (that undisputed *Citizen Kane* of graphic novels). I've
counted roughly 230 individuated facial expressions in this book's 48
pages, every cameo and minor character penciled, inked, colored,
storyboarded into life, the backdrops brimming with nuance and
articulated detail, the coloring as lurid and suggestive as Steven
Soderbergh's color-coded triple-narrative in *Traffic*. The Joker
alone is granted 62 articulated facial expressions (19 during the
course of his pre-Joker psychodrama), ranging from bright, sportive
lunacy (each facial shot individuated) to an almost genuine grief and
sadness towards the end. The spinal-paralytic Barbara Gordon, who
appears in only 26 panels, is granted a dramatic reality remarkable
given her minor role in the story. The portrait of her staring in
bemused horror at the Joker (standing in the hallway with Hawaiian
shirt, camera, and revolver), while the scene turns "orange" in
anticipation of bloodshed, is the most memorable facial expression
I've ever seen rendered in a comic book. As a close runner-up, the
Joker's hang-dog look on page 41, as he asks Batman sincerely, "Why
aren't you laughing?", is the only *convincing* moment of unfeigned
sadness the Joker has ever given us, in any comic book.
20.7mb

http://rapidshare.de/files/4311670/Batman_-_The_Killing_Joke.cbr.html

Art Spiegelman
Maus A Survivors Tale.

Winner of the Pulitzer prize for literature, Art Spiegelman's "Maus: A
Survivor's Tale" is a unique and unforgettable work. This two-volume
set of book-length comics (or "graphic novels," if you prefer) tells
the story of the narrator, Artie, and his father Vladek, a Holocaust
survivor. "Maus" is thus an important example of both Holocaust
literature and of the graphic novel. The two volumes of "Maus" are
subtitled "My Father Bleeds History" and "And Here My Troubles Began";
they should be read together to get the biggest impact.

Artie is a comic book artist who is trying to create art that is
meaningful, not just commercial. As the two volumes of "Maus" unfold,
he gradually learns the full story of his father's history as a Jewish
survivor of the World War II Holocaust. There is a complex "book
within the book" motif, since the main character is actually writing
the book that we are reading. This self-referentiality also allows
Spiegelman to get in some satiric material.
The distinguishing conceit of "Maus" involves depicting the books'
humanoid characters as having animal heads. All the Jews have mice
heads, the Germans are cats, the Americans dogs, etc. It is a visually
provocative device, although not without problematic aspects. To his
credit, Spiegelman addresses some of the ambiguities of this visual
device in the course of the 2 volumes. For example, Artie's wife, a
Frenchwoman who converted to Judaism, wonders what kind of animal head
she should have in the comic.
"Maus" contains some stunning visual touches, as well as some truly
painful and thought-provoking dialogue. Vladek is one of the most
extraordinary characters in 20th century literature. As grim as the
two books' subject matter is, there are some moments of humor and
warmth. Overall, "Maus" is a profound reflection on family ties,
history, memory, and the role of the artist in society.
A fantastic and erudite essay on Art Spiegelman's Maus by Robert
S.Leventhal can be found here:

http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/holocaust/spiegelman.html

part 1 - "My Father Bleeds History"

http://rapidshare.de/files/4306724/Maus_One.cbr.html

part2 - "And Here My Troubles Began"

http://rapidshare.de/files/4307721/Maus_Two.cbr.html

// posted by Niloy @ 3:19 PM