Fire and Rain - Pete Abrams


Fire and Rain
Sluggy Freelance Book 8
Pete Abrams
Plan 9 Publishing
ISBN: 1929462735

I don't normally have a lot of time for comics, and even less for graphic novels (which has always seemed like an apologetic term for 'comic'). There's nothing wrong with the form, and I don't have any biases about those who like their fiction in that format, but they're Just Not My Thing in the same way that I don't like, say, westerns.

However, I do like several daily Internet comic strips, and Sluggy Freelance is one of my favourites. Fire and Rain is the 8th omnibus, and it's also the nicest produced so far, in a large, full colour format. The comic takes a much darker, much more dramatic turn as well, and to be honest, many of the extended plot lines have more impact when delivered in a continuous form on paper. Besides, I enjoy the idea of buying small, independent press books of an internet comic across the internet - seems like the type of thing we all expected to be doing more often, but of course in some senses the book market place seems to have shrunk in recent years.

Hugely recommended, but it'll just sound inane if I try to summarise Sluggy Freelance's appeal. Okay then, psychotic bunny with a flick knife. There. I've said it.

Posted: Sat - January 3, 2004 at 12:58 AM        

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