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Monday 11 August 2008

I believe in... Robert Kirkman


I've always been a comic nut. Obsessed with Marvel characters like Spider-man and Captain America, DC characters like Batman and Superman (like you couldn't guess) and I've accumulated an encyclopedic knowledge of all things comic related since a very young age. But only within the last year have I been introduced to, and become completely and utterly obsessed by, Image Comics. In particular the writing of Robert Kirkman (and artist Ryan Ottley but that's another story). Kirkman didn't even hit my radar until I came across one of the greatest comic series' of all time INVINCIBLE. I read reviews about this comic and decided to give the hard-back Ultimate Collection number 1 a go. This series completely changed my life and gave me a new and very different view on comics in general and how they could be so engrossing you'll never forget a page.
After becoming a huge fan of Invincible and buying the next 3 releases in the series I realised that I could really like some other stuff that Kirkman had written. It turns out that he's written a lot of comics... And all of them excellent. In particular The Walking Dead, Irredeemable Ant-Man (which is Marvel), Brit, Capes and Tech Jacket, all graphic novels that I have read and proudly own. The first two here "The Walking Dead" and "The Iredeemable Ant-Man" are unmissable reads and again Ant-Man changed my life. To create such a character that is such a horrible git yet you love nonetheless is a stroke of genious.

If you ever get the chance to read any of these graphic novels please do as they blow most Marvel and DC comics out of the water with every line written. Characters exist in Robert Kirkman's mind who have bad habits, quirks, who swear, who sleep with each other, who hurt each other and generally come across as real people are the kind we can all connect with and laugh at when we see ourselves reflected in their adventures.

Mr Kirkman I salute you and your unfathomable work. Please keep it up!


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