The Escapist - Guest review

by Brian Linnen

You know, there is a very cool comic that comes out almost bi-monthly from Dark Horse called "The Escapist." There are many reasons why folks are passing this book by - it might be the $9.00 cover price or the fact that it doesn't tie in with either "Infinite Crisis" or "House of M." Or maybe it's because no one remembers this legendary Golden Age hero anymore.

OK...he isn't really from the Golden Age, but you wouldn't know it to read the book. The authors have gone out of their way to create a decades-spanning publishing history for the character, and some of today's best creators have been lending their talents to the title. In fact, in just this month's issue alone we have Brian Bolland, Philip Bond, Brian K. Vaughan, Andi Watson, Dave Stewart, and Harvey Pekar. Pretty impressive list for one issue of a comic......

See, the Escapist and the story of his creators was the subject of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. The book follows two young comic book creators (Kavalier & Clay) as they live life during the Golden Age and beyond. It's such a fantastic story on many levels. If you come to it simply as a comic fan, you'll be impressed with all the details and tidbits which the author includes. The fictional creators interact with real creators (I remember Stan Lee being mentioned) in one scene, and Chabon does a great job painting a picture of an art studio during the 1940s. However, if you come to the book open to the entire tale, you will find a wonderful story with something to say on so many subjects - life, love, the art of creation - all timeless topics. I can't recommend it more highly. It truly deserves all the accolades it has collected.

Dark Horse pulled off quite a coup gaining the rights to the character, and they are doing a fantastic job building a faux-history for the Escapist. Each issue, except for issue #7, is an anthology of stories, all presented in the style of different eras. The talent DHC lines up month after month speaks to the quality of the source novel. If you find yourself with an extra ten-spot some Wednesday, you could do a lot worse than picking up an issue of "The Escapist."