LIBERTY COMICS A CBLDF BENEFIT BOOK (ONE SHOT)

Review by: Neb


Size: pages
Price: 3.99

I will start out this review by saying that I was really looking foward to this book.  Not only does it have an anthology flair with amazing creators, but it also helps support the CBLDF, which is an organization that I believe in.  I was more than happy to shell out my $3.99, but then I read it and was a little bit disappointed.

Now, before you all slander my name for speaking ill of the CBDLF, I want to point out that I’m not in anyway doing that.  I’m looking that this issue as a comic book, and that’s it.  So how was it as a comic book?  It was, in a word, meh.  As with all anthologies, there were some great parts, some good parts, and some parts that were a little bit disappointing.  Some of the issue that I really enjoyed includes Ennis’ The Boys, Darwyn Cooke’s story, Millar’s Dracula story, and Brubaker’s Criminal story, and luckily, these stories comprise a lot of the issue.

  The main problem I had with the book were the strips by Argones and Evanier as they pandered far too much to the whole victim aspect of being a comic shop owner.  I think a simple insert, maybe drawn by these two creators, that would have conveyed the message of the CBDLF, instead of, what seems to be, an over dramitization of what comic shop owners and creators face in their pursuit of art.  I guess, maybe, it’s because I understand what the CBDLF does that I find these unnecessary, but again, they seemed overdramatic.  I found myself rolling my eyes as these two characters talked, and I know that this is not what they wanted.  And then there was the two page spread of a naked woman and a gorilla as they ran from “Aunty Censorship.”  That was…not good.

So, how would I have done it?  Well, I probably would have made it one long story and not written it so it contained phrases like “It’s a lot easier to get a conviction when someone can’t afford to put up much of a fight” because those feel overly manipulative.  I would have given a clear message to the reader about the CBDLF and why it exists.  Why not include some examples of cases that they’ve won?  I would be interested to read that.  But in this case, I wasn’t all that interested and felt like I was being told to feel sorry for the retailers and artists out there.

I still support the CBDLF and know that they are a necessary part of the industry that brings me so much joy.  And while I enjoyed a majority of this issue, I can’t help but think it could have been better, and maybe, a better message could have been conveyed to people who may not be familiar with the organization.  If you were on the fence about the issue, I would tell you to buy it for two reasons:  it supports this great organization and it’s got some really neat content besides what I complained about above.

Story: 3 - Good
Art: 3 - Good

Comments

  1. Great review. Glad to support the cause but wish I got some better material for the cover price. I did enjoy The stories from Ennis (The Boys), Darwyn Cooke (The Deadly Book) and Millar et al. (The House of Dracula) but the rest I could have done without, especially the Tales of Comic Book Censorship. I can’t stand Sergio Aragoes’s art and they really beat you over the head with the material.

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