We finished watching Batman Year One today. Here is my criticism of the movie: The scene where Gordon begins his affair with Essen is immediately followed by the scene where Gordon breaks off the affair. It happens so fast you say, "What, really? It's over already?" They should have put another scene in between. Something with Bruce Wayne.
I liked it overall. And this concludes my discussion of Batman Year One on this blog. For real! For real.
Now I have a logistical issue. I have two days left in the week. I had planned on reviewing for our Understanding Comics quiz on Thursday and then giving the quiz on Friday. But there's a pep rally Friday, which means one of my classes won't have time to take the quiz. I don't want the other class to be a full day ahead, so no quiz on Friday. And I make it a policy not to give quizzes on Monday, since they tend to forget things over the weekend. So Monday will be review day and Tuesday will be quiz day. You follow me so far?
That leaves me with two days to fill with valuable academic content. Well, one day, and then a pep rally on Friday, but there will be one class that's not during the pep rally, so I need something for them to do that the other class can miss. Also I have to plan the pep rally, but that's a concern outside the scope of this blog.
The next book we're going to read is Persepolis. I picked up the books from the library today, so I'm ready to go . . . except that our first Persepolis activity is going to be going to the computer lab and doing some research on Iran in the 1980s. And the computer lab is already booked for tomorrow and Friday.
So, as I write this, I'm not sure what we're going to do tomorrow. Rest assured, however, that I will figure it out before class begins.
Showing posts with label batman year one. Show all posts
Showing posts with label batman year one. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Book Is Better than the Movie
Can you believe I didn't post anything yesterday? How embarrassing. In case you were wondering, we spent yesterday finishing up the last chapter of Understanding Comics.
Overall, the students are not big fans of the book. You would think teenagers would be eager to read an investigation into an art form's history, mechanics, and aesthetics, but . . . okay, no, you probably wouldn't think that. Why would you think that? I should have realized they would find it boring, but I was blinded by the fact that I loved Understanding Comics when I was their age. It was published during my senior year of high school. I remember reading previews of it in Amazing Heroes and The Comics Buyer's Guide, and I couldn't wait to get a copy. I bought it as soon as it came out and probably read it in one sitting. It blew my mind. I guess I had hoped it would have a similar effect on my students, but sometimes I forget that I was not a normal teenager.
In other news, the animated adaptation of Batman Year One just came out a week or so ago. This is serendipitous, as we just finished reading Batman Year One a couple of weeks ago. It was clearly a sign, perhaps from the gods themselves, so I bought the DVD and we're watching it in class. I'm having them list differences between the book and the movie, but it's a very faithful adaptation, so we haven't found many so far. One thing I noticed is that Gordon smokes in the book, and so far the movie is tobacco-free. And they cut narration and dialogue. Some of that old school Frank Miller writing works great on the page, but is not so hot when spoken aloud.
Blah blah blah. It seems like every one of my blog posts ends up being about Understanding Comics and/or Batman Year One. Soon, dear reader, soon I will move on. Starting in just a few days, every blog post will be about Persepolis.
Overall, the students are not big fans of the book. You would think teenagers would be eager to read an investigation into an art form's history, mechanics, and aesthetics, but . . . okay, no, you probably wouldn't think that. Why would you think that? I should have realized they would find it boring, but I was blinded by the fact that I loved Understanding Comics when I was their age. It was published during my senior year of high school. I remember reading previews of it in Amazing Heroes and The Comics Buyer's Guide, and I couldn't wait to get a copy. I bought it as soon as it came out and probably read it in one sitting. It blew my mind. I guess I had hoped it would have a similar effect on my students, but sometimes I forget that I was not a normal teenager.
In other news, the animated adaptation of Batman Year One just came out a week or so ago. This is serendipitous, as we just finished reading Batman Year One a couple of weeks ago. It was clearly a sign, perhaps from the gods themselves, so I bought the DVD and we're watching it in class. I'm having them list differences between the book and the movie, but it's a very faithful adaptation, so we haven't found many so far. One thing I noticed is that Gordon smokes in the book, and so far the movie is tobacco-free. And they cut narration and dialogue. Some of that old school Frank Miller writing works great on the page, but is not so hot when spoken aloud.
Blah blah blah. It seems like every one of my blog posts ends up being about Understanding Comics and/or Batman Year One. Soon, dear reader, soon I will move on. Starting in just a few days, every blog post will be about Persepolis.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Lo, There Shall Come a Halfway Point!
Aaaaaand it's Friday. Man, that was a long week. I don't know what it was--sunspot activity making people crazy? Maybe.
Yesterday was the Batman Year One test that wrapped up the first half of Creative Reading class. I've graded half the tests, and so far the students have done very well. This just goes to show you: assign a book about Batman, and you'll probably get a better response than if you assign, say, The Scarlet Letter. I don't know about you, but I did not like The Scarlet Letter when we read it in 11th grade. Maybe I should reread it, now that I'm older and wiser. Regardless, the point remains: people like to see Batman beat up criminals.
Today we played a review game. The class split into teams and I asked them questions drawn from the material we've covered. They could also, if they wanted, choose a general comics trivia question. The comics trivia questions were really easy--"What is Superman's real name?", for instance, and "What is the name of Charlie Brown's dog?" The hardest question on there was probably the one that asked for the name of the artist who drew Tintin, but we talked about that on Monday.
In my first class, the winning team got a bag of candy. At the end of the day I was out of candy, so the second time I did this I gave the winners a few points of extra credit. In both classes, the score stayed close the whole time. It was some pretty thrilling competition.
Next week, the second half of Creative Reading class begins! Get ready for thrill-packed action like you've never seen before!
Yesterday was the Batman Year One test that wrapped up the first half of Creative Reading class. I've graded half the tests, and so far the students have done very well. This just goes to show you: assign a book about Batman, and you'll probably get a better response than if you assign, say, The Scarlet Letter. I don't know about you, but I did not like The Scarlet Letter when we read it in 11th grade. Maybe I should reread it, now that I'm older and wiser. Regardless, the point remains: people like to see Batman beat up criminals.
Today we played a review game. The class split into teams and I asked them questions drawn from the material we've covered. They could also, if they wanted, choose a general comics trivia question. The comics trivia questions were really easy--"What is Superman's real name?", for instance, and "What is the name of Charlie Brown's dog?" The hardest question on there was probably the one that asked for the name of the artist who drew Tintin, but we talked about that on Monday.
In my first class, the winning team got a bag of candy. At the end of the day I was out of candy, so the second time I did this I gave the winners a few points of extra credit. In both classes, the score stayed close the whole time. It was some pretty thrilling competition.
Next week, the second half of Creative Reading class begins! Get ready for thrill-packed action like you've never seen before!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Play Along at Home
Batman Year One Test
Directions: Answer each question to the best of your ability. (50 points)
Directions: Answer each question to the best of your ability. (50 points)
1. Who wrote Batman Year One?
A. Bob Kane
B. Frank Miller
C. David Mazzuchelli
D.Richmond Lewis
2. Who drew Batman Year One?
A. Bob Kane
B. Frank Miller
C. David Mazzuchelli
D.Richmond Lewis
3. At the beginning of the book, who is the police commissioner?
A.James Gordon
B.Arnold Flass
C.Carmine Falcone
D.Gillian Loeb
4. Batman Year One is mainly about the relationship between:
A.James Gordon and Bruce Wayne
B. Bruce Wayne and Selina
C.Selina and Holly
D.Holly and James Gordan
5. Describe Gordon’s first meeting with Flass. What kind of person is Flass?
6. What event inspires Bruce Wayne to dedicate his life to fighting crime?
7. What event inspires Bruce Wayne to dress like a bat when fighting crime?
8. At first the Commissioner has no problem with Batman, but he quickly changes his mind. Why?
9. Describe the events leading up to Batman being trapped at the end of Chapter 2.
10. Compare and contrast Gordon’s and Branden’s approach to police work.
11. Who are Selina and Holly? Describe them.
12. What does the device Batman has hidden in his boot do?
13. What does Bruce Wayne decide while he is skiing in Switzerland?
14. Who is Jefferson Skeevers? Why does he testify against Flass?
15. How does Bruce Wayne behave when the Gordons come to visit his home?
16. In Chapter 4, what does Selina do to The Roman’s face?
17. When he goes to save James Gordon Jr., why does Bruce not wear his costume?
18. Describe how Bruce saves James Gordon Jr.
19. Describe the relationship between James Gordon and Bruce Wayne/Batman at the end of the story.
20. Describe how James Gordon’s relationship with Sarah Essen grows and changes over the course of the story. Give examples.
21. Describe the police department in Gotham City, at the beginning and at the end of the story.
22. Describe the art style of Batman Year One. What do you like or dislike about the art style?
23. In your opinion, is Bruce Wayne/Batman a good person? Why or why not? Give specific examples.
24. In your opinion, is James Gordon a good person? Why or why not? Give specific examples.
Extra Credit
What does Barbara Gordon make for dinner on the night of April 9th?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Time for Punching
Today we wrapped up the patterns of organization and reviewed for the Batman Year One test. I originally scheduled the test for tomorrow, but the juniors are going to be taking the PSAT, so I postponed it to Thursday.
Since this is the end of our time with Batman Year One, I returned the library's 8 copies, only a few days overdue. The other copies I own. Two of those copies were generously donated by Mr. Joshua LH Burnett, a man who cares about educating our nation's youth, and who knows a thing or two about comics.
If you enjoy comics that are funny, you should read Josh's web comic Adventure Jeff. It's about "a big-hearted mountain man who travels the world with his pet bear Max in the constant search for ADVENTURE!" And punching--sweet, sweet punching.
Adventure Jeff is not normally a robot, so the picture below is misleading, but I like it, so there it is.
Since this is the end of our time with Batman Year One, I returned the library's 8 copies, only a few days overdue. The other copies I own. Two of those copies were generously donated by Mr. Joshua LH Burnett, a man who cares about educating our nation's youth, and who knows a thing or two about comics.
If you enjoy comics that are funny, you should read Josh's web comic Adventure Jeff. It's about "a big-hearted mountain man who travels the world with his pet bear Max in the constant search for ADVENTURE!" And punching--sweet, sweet punching.
Adventure Jeff is not normally a robot, so the picture below is misleading, but I like it, so there it is.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Random Quasi-Related Thoughts GO!
My Top Five Favorite Batman Artists:
5. Jim Aparo
4. Neal Adams
3. Bruce Timm
2. Dick Sprang
1. David Mazzuchelli
In other news, we had open house at school last night. Two sets of parents told me that their kids were saying good things about Creative Reading class, which is good to know. They generally don't risk saying anything positive in front of their peers.
They are now writing essays about Batman Year One, specifically about Jim Gordon. I was going to let them choose a character to focus on, but I realized that Gordon is really the only one with a character arc. He's miserable at the beginning, he screws up a lot in the middle, and he's better off at the end. The assignment is to write a six paragraph essay that tracks how Gordon grows and changes through the four chapters. Some of them are doing a great job, and have already made good progress; some of them are not taking the assignment seriously, and have done very little, and apparently don't realize how close the end of the quarter is. Hopefully they'll figure that out tomorrow.
There was a period of time when I grew sick of Batman and couldn't stand the character, until those five fellows I listed at the top, and Christopher Nolan, reignited my interest. I still like the character, and I have a great deal of love for Year One, but I'm kind of Batmanned out at this point. I'm looking forward to moving on to Persepolis.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
"If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely. Are you ready to begin?"
The students have been doing a lot of handouts lately so I wanted to mix it up and show them a movie. The animated movie of Batman Year One is coming out October 18th. It is not, however, out today, so we started watching Batman Begins. You know, this one:
The students are watching it and taking notes on how it is similar to and different from Batman Year One. Batman Begins is not an adaptation of Year One, but it does steal various concepts, characters, and themes from the book. Corrupt cop Flass and mob boss Falcone are in the movie, for instance, and so is the SWAT-team-coming-after-Batman scene. The James Gordon in the movie is similar to the one in the book, though the movie version has been in Gotham for years, instead of just transferring in from Chicago the same day Bruce Wayne returns. And while the book starts off with Bruce returning from his travels abroad and never gives even a flashback to show where he's been, the movie spends a great deal of time on his training.
But you don't have to do this assignment, so I'll stop giving you the answers. Batman Begins is a fun movie and I think they'll enjoy it. Also important, playing a movie is something easy for the sub to do. That's right, I will be going out of town tomorrow, so my class will be in the hands of a stranger. I hope everything goes well.
The students are watching it and taking notes on how it is similar to and different from Batman Year One. Batman Begins is not an adaptation of Year One, but it does steal various concepts, characters, and themes from the book. Corrupt cop Flass and mob boss Falcone are in the movie, for instance, and so is the SWAT-team-coming-after-Batman scene. The James Gordon in the movie is similar to the one in the book, though the movie version has been in Gotham for years, instead of just transferring in from Chicago the same day Bruce Wayne returns. And while the book starts off with Bruce returning from his travels abroad and never gives even a flashback to show where he's been, the movie spends a great deal of time on his training.
But you don't have to do this assignment, so I'll stop giving you the answers. Batman Begins is a fun movie and I think they'll enjoy it. Also important, playing a movie is something easy for the sub to do. That's right, I will be going out of town tomorrow, so my class will be in the hands of a stranger. I hope everything goes well.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Someday I Will Write a Blog Post That Is Not about Batman
Now that we've read all of Batman Year One, we're looking at the relationships in the book and how they develop over time. Tracking, for instance, how James and Barbara Gordon's marriage changes, and how Batman and Gordon's respect evolves, and so on.
This is going to be a short blog post, due to child care reasons.
I would like to add, though, that I liked the change the filmmakers made in Batman Begins, where Joe Chill, the guy who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, is caught and tried and, most importantly, murdered right in front of Bruce. Unable to get revenge on his parents' killer, Bruce Wayne has to come up with a new goal, so he travels the world training to become the ultimate crimefighter.
I just heard that DC is planning on changing the Official Batman Backstory (which changes every week or so) back to its Frank Miller setting, wherein Bruce never knew the name of the guy who killed his parents, and the guy was never caught. That seems like a step backwards to me.
But I don't have time to develop that thought . . .child care duty calls. Have a great day!
This is going to be a short blog post, due to child care reasons.
I would like to add, though, that I liked the change the filmmakers made in Batman Begins, where Joe Chill, the guy who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne, is caught and tried and, most importantly, murdered right in front of Bruce. Unable to get revenge on his parents' killer, Bruce Wayne has to come up with a new goal, so he travels the world training to become the ultimate crimefighter.
I just heard that DC is planning on changing the Official Batman Backstory (which changes every week or so) back to its Frank Miller setting, wherein Bruce never knew the name of the guy who killed his parents, and the guy was never caught. That seems like a step backwards to me.
But I don't have time to develop that thought . . .child care duty calls. Have a great day!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
"Merkel. Get Dent. Forget to tell the Commissioner."
And so we made it to Chapter Four, the conclusion to Batman Year One.
Back in the heyday of the Comics Code, government officials had to be shown in a positive light, criminals had to be depicted as conspicuously evil, and criminals always had to go to jail in the end.
Throughout this book all aspects of Gotham City--especially the police, but also the mayor--are shown as being ridiculously corrupt. This corruption is, presumably, why the city needs a vigilante dressed like a bat. At the end of the story, none of the criminals really go to jail. Dirty cop Flass works out a deal and rats out the equally dirty Commissioner Loeb. Loeb resigns, but Gordon says, "I don't think Dent has a chance of putting him behind bars." Loeb is going to be replaced by Grogan, "who's worse." The big mob boss, The Roman, is still at large. This a whole new world, profoundly different from the one Batman used to inhabit in the sixties. Evil isn't something that shows up out of nowhere, dressed in a funny costume. It's systemic. You can't defeat the evil of the world; you can make a stand and inconvenience the people in charge, but they'll only be replaced by more.
That sounds kind of bleak, but when you look at Jim Gordon on the next-to-last page, standing there smoking his pipe, he looks so happy. Sure, the never ending battle against evil is tough work, but having a pal on your side makes it all worthwhile.
Monday, September 26, 2011
"Whoever told her she was masculine must've been blind, deaf, and dead."
Today we started on Batman Year One Chapter Three. Batman punches a guy through a wall! Selina and Holly get rabies shots! Gordon begins an affair with Essen (shown above)! I can't get over how much happens in each chapter. And I keep noticing new things . . . I'd never realized before that almost a month and a half passed between Selina leaving Stan's employ and getting her Catwoman costume. So much time can pass in just a couple of pages; you almost never see comics paced like this.
Class today went fine. I gave them handouts to go along with Chapter Three. Nothing unusual to report.
Friday, September 23, 2011
"I tried to avoid all this but I can't."
One side-effect of teaching Batman Year One every day this week is that I've pretty much constantly had this song stuck in my head:
Back in 1989 we said things like, "The campy old Adam West Batman is lame! This new Tim Burton Batman movie is dark and serious!" And we watched this Prince video, and apparently did not notice how completely ridiculous it is. But maybe all the music videos in 1989 were like that; I haven't really watched any of them recently.
More importantly, in 1989 Batman was popular enough that Batman Year One was offered through my mother's book club, and she ordered me a copy. That copy is now in a pile in my classroom, contributing to the education of America's youth.
No new assignments today; I gave the students time to finish up their Batman comparison, and any of the Year One handouts they may not have finished.
Next week: Chapter 3! The one where Batman has to fight the SWAT team and escape from the condemned building. Remember? They stole that scene in a couple of the movies.
Back in 1989 we said things like, "The campy old Adam West Batman is lame! This new Tim Burton Batman movie is dark and serious!" And we watched this Prince video, and apparently did not notice how completely ridiculous it is. But maybe all the music videos in 1989 were like that; I haven't really watched any of them recently.
More importantly, in 1989 Batman was popular enough that Batman Year One was offered through my mother's book club, and she ordered me a copy. That copy is now in a pile in my classroom, contributing to the education of America's youth.
No new assignments today; I gave the students time to finish up their Batman comparison, and any of the Year One handouts they may not have finished.
Next week: Chapter 3! The one where Batman has to fight the SWAT team and escape from the condemned building. Remember? They stole that scene in a couple of the movies.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
"Said the Rolls is in the river. Even told me which pier."
Last week I mentioned that maybe it had been a bad idea to assign the kids to read the surreal wordless story "Frank and the Truth About Plenitude." In retrospect I'm glad I did, because I think struggling through that has made them appreciate Batman Year One more. As a class we're still on chapter 2, but a number of students are reading ahead, which is always nice. A few of them have said, "I actually like this," with shock in their voice.
One of my fellow teachers buys all the Batman comics that come out each month (which is a lot of comics) but doesn't keep them. He donated a pile of 3-4 months worth of Batman to my class. Today I had each student choose a modern Batman comic (options included Batman, Detective Comics, Batman and Robin, Batman Incorporated, Batman: The Dark Knight, Batgirl, and so on), look it over, and write a comparison between that comic and Batman Year One. In particular I wanted them to compare and contrast the art and writing styles. Some of the students were intrigued by the modern comics, though I think the general consensus was that Year One is better.
(Which is correct.)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
"How did I screw up so badly. . . to bring an innocent child to life . . . in a city without hope. . ."
And, for the first time, the quote in the title actually matches the picture. That's some impressive blogging, there.
I love the painted sky in that second panel. David Mazzucchelli's black and white artwork is great, and then the coloring by Richmond Lewis adds a whole new dimension. I just found out yesterday that Richmond Lewis was David Mazzucchelli's wife. Frank Miller always used to get his wife to color his work, too. Was that the fashion back in the 80's?
Today in class we started chapter 2, and it went well. Some days it goes well. When that happens it's important not to start thinking that you've got it all figured out and that every day from now on will be great. That's a surefire way to set yourself up for disappointment. Things happen, good and bad, and you never know what the next day will be like until you get there. But today Bruce Wayne dressed up like a bat and committed 78 acts of assault in five weeks, and all was well.
For those of you playing along at home, here are some questions about chapter 2. This assignment is worth 20 points, so be sure to answer each question completely.
1. Based on its use on page 26, what do you think the word “gestapo” means?
2. Compare and contrast Gordon and Branden’s approach to police work.
3. On April 5th, why can’t Commissioner Loeb get rid of Gordon?
4. What does Barbara make for dinner on the night of April 9th?
5. Describe how Batman’s first night out goes. Give specific details.
6. As of May 15th, what has Batman been doing over the past five weeks? Where and at what times?
7. When a criminal fires point blank at Batman, how does Batman survive?
8. Why do you think Batman singled out Flass?
9. What does Batman do on the night of May 19? Be specific.
10. On May 20th, why has the commissioner changed his mind about Batman?
11. On June 5th, whose car does Batman steal?
12. On June 6th, who does Gordon suspect of being Batman?
13. On the night of June 6th, what does Batman do that leads to him being cornered by the police?
14. Why do you think he does it?
15. Describe the situation Batman is in at the end of the chapter.
2. Compare and contrast Gordon and Branden’s approach to police work.
3. On April 5th, why can’t Commissioner Loeb get rid of Gordon?
4. What does Barbara make for dinner on the night of April 9th?
5. Describe how Batman’s first night out goes. Give specific details.
6. As of May 15th, what has Batman been doing over the past five weeks? Where and at what times?
7. When a criminal fires point blank at Batman, how does Batman survive?
8. Why do you think Batman singled out Flass?
9. What does Batman do on the night of May 19? Be specific.
10. On May 20th, why has the commissioner changed his mind about Batman?
11. On June 5th, whose car does Batman steal?
12. On June 6th, who does Gordon suspect of being Batman?
13. On the night of June 6th, what does Batman do that leads to him being cornered by the police?
14. Why do you think he does it?
15. Describe the situation Batman is in at the end of the chapter.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
"It's been fifteen years since I had to take out a Green Beret."
Day two of Chapter One of Batman Year One.
Say you're an English teacher. All you really want is for students to read the book. Okay, you want them to understand it, and then you want them to analyze it, but at a minimum you want them to read it. The dilemma is this: if you tell them to read the book, and give them time to read, it's easy for them to stare at the pages and not really read anything. And this is a tempting option for many of them since reading is, you know, lame. But if you give them a handout with questions so that they have to read the chapter, there is a good chance they will zero in on those questions, flip through the pages looking for answer, and not get any sense of the story being told.
Today after the students finished their reading comprehension questions we reviewed the chapter. Then I gave them another handout, with higher level questions, asking them to analyze the main characters. This strategy did not completely circumvent the problem described above but I think it helped.
Monday, September 19, 2011
"Cops got it made in Gotham."
Today we started reading Batman Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. A number of the kids requested that we read Batman and this is probably the best written and best drawn Batman story of them all. Mazzucchelli's artwork . . . man, Mazzucchelli's artwork. I don't know where to begin. Kids today like really busy artwork with a lot of detail and plenty of lines. They're wrong; this is the stuff, right here.
The first chapter (AKA the first issue; Year One was originally four issues of the Batman series back in 1986) tells how police lieutenant Jim Gordon first comes to Gotham City, on the same day that billionaire Bruce Wayne returns home after years abroad. At the end of the chapter, one of them has his life changed by a bat that comes crashing through his window; the other is mostly depressed.
The first chapter (AKA the first issue; Year One was originally four issues of the Batman series back in 1986) tells how police lieutenant Jim Gordon first comes to Gotham City, on the same day that billionaire Bruce Wayne returns home after years abroad. At the end of the chapter, one of them has his life changed by a bat that comes crashing through his window; the other is mostly depressed.
As you would expect, some students enjoyed this and some grumbled about it. If you're not big on super-heroes, this is probably your most accessible option, as it's basically a crime story where one guy dresses up as a bat. I'm hoping the skeptical students will give it a chance. So far, though, it is at least more popular than "Frank and the Truth About Plenitude."
Friday, September 2, 2011
"It's Merkel. Something about a giant bat. Chicken will keep."
Guess what I found waiting for me on the porch when I got home . . . a package from Amazon. I love packages from Amazon! And guess what was inside. No guess? Okay, it was two copies of this:
Now that I have enough copies of Understanding Comics, I have turned my attention to accumulating copies of Batman Year One. The Cincinnati Public Library system can only get me 5 or 6 copies. This weekend I'm going to visit some used bookstores to see if I can turn any up. Now I have a start, though, thanks to this mysterious benefactor (you may not have intended to be mysterious, but your name was not included). Thank you benefactor! Also, let me know who you are.
If you haven't read Year One, check it out. You may have heard that this Frank Miller fellow is crazy and that his writing is nearly incoherent, and that's true, but back in the eighties he was very, very good.
In other news we had our first test today. I haven't graded them, so for now I'm going to assume that it went well.
Now that I have enough copies of Understanding Comics, I have turned my attention to accumulating copies of Batman Year One. The Cincinnati Public Library system can only get me 5 or 6 copies. This weekend I'm going to visit some used bookstores to see if I can turn any up. Now I have a start, though, thanks to this mysterious benefactor (you may not have intended to be mysterious, but your name was not included). Thank you benefactor! Also, let me know who you are.
If you haven't read Year One, check it out. You may have heard that this Frank Miller fellow is crazy and that his writing is nearly incoherent, and that's true, but back in the eighties he was very, very good.
In other news we had our first test today. I haven't graded them, so for now I'm going to assume that it went well.
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