The Ettatorial for the Week of 11-12-08
A small and disappointing week of releases this week has convinced me to go to a trade paperback selection for my pick of the week. So without further ado, here’s a trade paperback that you might have missed, and really should check out.
Noble Causes Archives Volume One is my recommendation for you this week. I bought this title after hearing how much fun it was, and I was not disappointed. Part of Image Comics Archives line, this mammoth trade paperback reprints a 26 issues of the series, or to put it in other words, a whopping 597 pages of reading material! In black and white, similar to Marvel’s Essentials line of books, the book costs a very reasonable $19.99 (or less depending on retailer discounts). The high concept of the series (at least when it first began) was the soap operatic elements of a family of heroes, and all of their trials and tribulations. Comparisons to the Clarmont and Byrne issues of Uncanny X-Men for the series are well founded, as that general vibe is prevalent. Full of heroics, the series is in the most general sense of the word a superhero title. But the focus soap opera elements make it into a whole other creation, one which makes the soap elements in other books seem rather tame by comparison. And while I hate the soaps, I never once disliked how this book and story are told. Author Jay Faerber originally started the book as a one shot, followed by a couple of mini-series, and eventually those rolled into the regular series run. The artists for the book vary in style and skill, as each mini and special were different, but never once do you get an artist on the title that makes the story unappealing or hard to follow. As I stated above, the book collects 26 issues of the series, and a second upcoming volume will collect the rest of the series, giving a complete run in just two massive volumes. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an entertaining and over-looked series, and for anyone looking for a bargain in their reading material.
So there you go folks, your pick for the week. We’ll see you back here next week, same time, same channel.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
