Friday, July 31, 2009
by rachel freedenberg

It seems like every couple of months there’s something new from Jewish comic legend Will Eisner arriving in our newsroom mailbox. Of course, none of it is actually new, but since 2005 W.W. Norton and Co. has been reprinting Eisner’s works under the umbrella of the Will Eisner Library. The final books in the series have just been released, finishing off the library with 21 books, including 14 graphic novels.

The latest (and last) releases are “A Family Matter,” “Life on Another Planet” and “Minor Miracles.” None of these are as well-known as Eisner titles like “A Contract With God,” “The Plot,” “Comics and Sequential Art” and “The Spirit,” but I’m sure they’re plenty worthy to round out the series.

It might be blasphemy to admit this, but I’ve never much liked Eisner’s drawing style – it’s a little cartoony and exaggerated for me. But I’m looking forward to reading these books – particularly “A Family Matter,” which looks dark and juicy.