Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Little Nemo in Slumberland #2

   I'm a huge fan of Winsor McCay, whose amazing comic strip, Little Nemo, long ago set the high water mark for comic strip art.

   The Sunday-only strip ran (more or less) from 1905 to 1925, and the fact that it's still remembered is a testament to his amazing, vivid, museum-quality artwork.

   So creating a comic book bringing that strip back for modern readers has to be a daunting task. Surely most artists would either quail in the face of having to craft such precise, detailed and inventive art - in fact, I suspect most would run away screaming.

   But give credit to artist Gabriel Rodriguez, working with color artist Nelson Daniel, because they succeed! The art they create here is nothing less than amazing.

   On display is an amazing array of imaginative characters, mad architecture, dreamlike plants and a vast world of dreamlike creations.

   I can't say it's as good as McCay - but it's remarkably close.

   Writer Eric Shanower does a subtle update for the material, adapting several of the original strips into a lovely tale about James "Nemo" Sullivan's dreamlike journey to Slumberland, where he meets royalty, an imp, a giant inch-worm and much more!

   If you're a fan of the original strip - or you just enjoy terrific art - then you owe it to yourself to buy this series. It's exceptional!

Grade: A

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