Random Thoughts

Keith is a bad, bad man. (For those who don't know him, he's the wonderful owner of Warlords Unlimited my local gaming/comic book store). The reason he is a bad, bad man is he started ordering David Mack's Kabuki: Alchemy. Normally, I buy the graphic novel. I am up-to-date in the graphic novels but the Alchemy graphic novel is not out yet because the comic books aren't all out.

So, what happens when I come into the store to pick up my comic fix (I mean books), there she sits on the shelf, Kabuki, #2 and #3. I stare at the beautiful abstract cover for awhile, hold the books in my hand, tell myself "No, I'll wait for the graphic novel." Then I think to myself, this new series is about Kabuki breaking away from her old life and becoming a new identity in the US. Not only is these completely different from the assassin Kabuki but it is written, designed, lettered, and drawn by David Mack. David Mack did every bit of the creation.

Needless to say, #2 and #3 went home with me. I have loved each one of David Mack's graphic novels. But this new Alchemy series is something extremely special. His abstract collage style pages illustrate Kabuki's thoughts, which is how most of the story is narrated. Mack writes a whole children's book inside the panels of his comic book. His unconventional way of developing a comic book brings comic book writing to a new literary quality. I want to add his books to the Literary Canon.