Elephantmen Trade #1 Review
Sometimes when looking at the latest solicitations I go on a whim and order a random book. Maybe I liked the cover, maybe the name. Usually I go for something I know nothing about. In the past I’ve been pleasantly surprised by books such as Rex Mundi or Atomika.
So one of my whims was the Elephantmen Vol. 1 by Richard Starkings, collecting issues 0-7 with some juicy extras.
I received the book in December delivery from my good friends at Forbidden Planet International (check them out if in the UK, they’re brilliant
http://www.forbidden-planet.co.uk/) and still it sat there whilst everything and anything else I had to read was consumed before the book. Even my old Booster gold trades got re-read before eventually forcing myself to start reading Elephantmen.
The nice trade I got started off with an introduction by Jonathan Ross who is a massive comic fan and British TV personality. In his intro he explained how he felt about Elephantmen and how he couldn’t be bothered to read it but then did. It was a bit like the girl you kind of fancied but couldn’t bring yourself to ask out for fear of ridicule.
Anyway I’m waffling. I’m sure you want to know what I thought. As usual I’ll give away minimal spoilers and actually review the material instead of telling you.
Elephantmen is to put it mildly the biggest surprise I’ve ever had reading a comic. I read issue 1 in the trade. Put it down went for a Smokey Thingie…absorbed what I just read and went back and re-read that issue. It’s amazing and probably the best trade I bought last year…even if I read it this year. I’ll also admit I was finding the big 2 a little stale, too many events, too many creator switcheroos and had lost a bit of passion for comics but then a book like Elephantmen comes out that reminds you why you love comics.
The story revolves around the so called Elephantmen. Have human half African animal hybrids that in a couple of 100 years live among us humans and deal with the prejudice and nastiness etc. you’d expect. Nothing original there you might point out. The X-men have dealt with this before. Well yes and no. The stories themselves start off as one off pieces that don’t seem to have anything to do with each other but then they suddenly link to each other to reveal a well thought out plan.
The stories themselves make you feel for the character more than you would a man who can shoot lasers from his eyes. Maybe it’s a British thing but you almost feel that the Elephantmen although mostly human are animals. They are drawn with such human emotions that we like to think we see all day every day within our animals and you then begin to identify with them and buy into them. If you add to the mix the lush artwork and tight well knitted vocabulary and pacing you just get an amazing read.
I can’t recommend this as much and will leave it at that in case I give anything anyway. I would be happier you reading this and going through the motions just as I did.
Buy it….buy it now!
http://www.inanegeek.com/2011/01/elepha ... eview.html