It's a Bird...

I have a blurb for this on my sidebar, but I feel like getting a little deeper into it. And isn’t what blogs are for?

I spend a wonderful couple of hours this afternoon with the graphic novel “It’s A Bird…” written by Steven T. Seagle and art by Teddy Kristiansen. This is a book that I think deserves a place among the all time great graphic novels, such as Frank Muller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s “Watchmen” (for any of you out there that are not familiar with these books- they are widely considered among the best mainstream comic novels ever produced)

The book tells the story of Steve, a guy who has become a comic book author, a career path that surprises him since he spent much of his childhood not liking comics because he associates them with the death of his grandmother when he was five. When we meet the Steven of today, he is dealing with his father going missing, a long term relationship, and being offered by his editor the chance to write the character he most associates with the tragic events of his past, Superman.

It's amazing the way Seagle weaves his charactersers views of the man of steel with the events going on in his life. Not once does it feel forced. They help us to see what is going on in (the character) Steven's mind, and his emotions.

The art by Teddy Kristiansen is perfect for this volume as well. The style changes for the different aspects of Superman's world we look at, and there was not once where I thought he made the wrong choice.

This book works on so many different levels, and doesn't misfire on any of them. From human drama, to superhero deconstructionism, and even as an insight to the creative process of an author. It's one of the finest comics I've read in a long long time, and I really hope some others out will share in the experience of this book