Spec Fic Graphic Novels

I admit up front - I am not too conversant with the genre of epic comics and/or the world of graphic novels. It's a fascinating and visually interesting medium, I am just not familiar enough with what makes a particular product a success. So I've enjoyed reading a few reviews lately, having discovered that January is, in fact, comic book appreciation month!

Now, I have read Gareth Hinds' Beowulf and was quite impressed with its faithfulness to the original epic, even though it is necessarily a minimalist rendering. Of course, most of us should be familiar with Maus: A Survivors Tale, the seminal work (and holocaust autobiography) of Art Spiegelman. But other than a handful of other stories (like Batman: The Dark Knight and The Watchmen from the 1980s), I'd be hard-pressed to name many more.

That's why I try to keep abreast of the projects by the group of writers I've come to know via the forums I frequent. I discover new gems all the time, including an S&S comic called The Marsh God by Bruce Durham and illustrated by Michael "Mikos" Mikolajczyk (and published by Cyberwizard Productions). You can purchase a copy for only $10 at comiXpress. At one of my favorite haunts, SFReader.com, I've had the opportunity to meet and interact with some great folks like Bruce. In fact, The Marsh God is actually an adaptation of Durham's short story by the same name and published in 2005 at Flashing Swords magazine.

So while I 'don't know much 'bout graph-ology' (sing along if you know the words), I'm learning, thanks to some new friends on the web. Thanks, people, and keep up the great work. I look forward to discovering more gems out there.