A comiXologist Recommends
Sheriff of Babylon #10 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, cover by John Paul Leon, Vertigo/DC
The Sheriff of Babylonis superb. There is not much more I can say, the book is absolutely excellent and should be read by everyone. Staff Pick over.
I suppose I can expand upon this. When I say superb, I am judging in in a realm that has many, many entries. We’ve all seen and read them- the post 9/11 tale in either Iraq or Afghanistan, showing the trials and tribulations of the American G.I., or C.I.A. agent, or of the regular person of those countries. In each of these stories, we are presented with sides that are fairly “cut and dry”, “black and white”. There is a distinct sense of “us” versus “them”. Whether it be the audience it is intended for, or the overall sentiment of our place in those warzones, there is a distinct lack of a “grey area”.
Sheriff of Babylon, brings this “grey area” by telling an overall more complex and interesting story. In general, good and bad are extremes, and it is easy to tell a story of one against the other when the extremes are involved. We can clearly feel and connect with the “good” (or the “bad” if that is your inclination) while also being entertained by the extreme methods one or the other use to accomplish their goal. That is why the middle is often overlooked- with the thought that the middle is not AS entertaining. Though Babylon rides that middle-of-the-line and makes it entertaining. It takes complex, moderately-based characters and places them in the extremes. This makes the overall story and characters more… real. I care more about them. I care more about the situations. And it helps me understand a frightening and intense situation that I have very little experience with.
Most books that are out really do not excite me as much as Sheriff of Babylon. It is intriguing, interesting, and illustrated beautifully. When I saw that issue #10 was up for a Staff Pick this week, I jumped on it. It is superb.
Dane Cypel is not a sheriff and has never been to Babylon. He is a production coordinator at comiXology.
A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE OF STAYING VERTICAL
Some days that’s the best you can ask for. Clean Room #11 by Gail Simone @gailsimone and Jon Davis-Hunt (cover by Jenny Frison) is new today from DC/Vertigo!
Favorite Covers
@flywithturtles “Bitch Planet, No Mercy, Wic/Div, Sons of the Devil, Black Widow, Noto’s,David Aya’s, Tula Lotay’s, the Archie reboot covers, Mockingbird, Swords of Sorrow, Lady Killer, Lumberjanes/GA, Kings Quest, Dr Mirage, Giant Days, DC Bombshells, Survivors Club“
Your enthusiasm is infections! This technically isn’t a cover, but it is a rad Imperator Furiosa that Tula Lotay @tulalotay did for the Mad Max: Fury Road Inspired Artists collection
Who caught the Preacher premiere? What did you think?
