This was lent to me by my boyfriend when he found out I was going to be reading Kavalier and Clay, so I decided to sort of just add it onto the end, as it’s not very long. The introduction by Michael Chabon is quite a treat, as you get to see what Sammy and Rosa are up to twenty years down the line (no mention of Joe). I always find it a little strange to say goodbye to characters, especially after such a long novel, so it’s nice to get a little glimpse of what they’re up to, even though they’re not really real or anything.
The comic follows the efforts of Max to resurrect the Escapist comics that his father was so fond of. He also enlists the help of his friend Denny, and a girl, Case. Together they try to find a way to bring The Escapist back to life.
The story itself is short and sweet, and the characters are easy to warm to, much like Kavalier and Clay. The writing is all by Brian K. Vaughan from what I gather, but what is really interesting is the half dozen or so different artists used to put it all together.
The Escapists also contains a comic within the comic – you get to see parts of the story that the gang are working on interwoven with their own plight, and this is where the use of several different artists really comes into its own. It’s not only an easy and effective way to split up the different parts of the narrative, but it’s also just plain cool to have different ways of looking at things. There are also a few cool transitions from one artist to another, over the course of several panels. You can see where one has left off and the other has taken up. I’m not sure if maybe they have tried to mimic each other’s styles, but it looks good either way.
That’s all for this one, really. It didn’t take me long to read, so I don’t really consider it a separate endeavour. But if you read and enjoyed Kavalier and Clay, then it’s a nice little epilogue.
Next time: Your Voice in My Head by Emma Forrest.
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