Here She Be — The Battlements

Making Comics by Scott McCloud is the third in the series of his books on comics. I’ve also read the first one Understanding Comics, but haven’t really even tried to make a run at his second book, Reinventing Comics. I think most people who are familiar with his writing would say the same (Mr. McCloud even makes a joke about it in his third book). If you’ve read the first, the third is equally fun and informational. Of course, the target audience is people who want to make comics or who are currently making comics, but this can be a good read either way. For those who are interested in comics I’d recommend just paging through it or getting it from the library, but if you’re a comic artist or writer, I’d suggest you snatch it up (link at the bottom of this review).
He covers a little of everything and makes plenty of excellent book suggestions for the aspiring writer or artist. My favorite thing about the book is alluded to in the title of this review. Mr. McCloud consistently points out areas of comics that are developed versus those that are relatively unexplored and advises “innovators of the future [to] take note.” I do a fair amount of drawing on my own, and have toyed off and on with making comics. My biggest problem is the ideas I want to use for comics I tend to rather move to novel format, where they commonly die due to my lack of follow through or get converted into short stories and sent off with hopes of publication and a little more cash in the bank.
It’s excellently laid out, assembled, and clearly as well as concisely worded. While Scott McCloud obviously has opinions of his own, he offers them rather than making them what the book is about. He does a superior job of showing all the variety of ideas that encompass making comics–not just his own. And with 20+ years at DC Comics, his voice deserves to be heard either way.
Pick this one up at Amazon.com for under $16 by clicking here.