Monday 26 September 2016

Carson Grubaugh's Re-Read Challenge: Cerebus Vol 9 - Reads

CARSON GRUBAUGH: 
(from Carson's Re-Read Blog, August 2016)
...Does the world really need any more words about Reads? Absolutely. In fact, that is what the book is all about. Gossip. Words leading to words leading to more words until eventually the words about words take on their own life. Once a rumor has a life of it's own? Well, it ain't gonna die easily.
"Guess what I heard? Dave Sim is a misogynist."

"Oh, yeah. Total nut-job, that one. A delusional schizophrenic or something."
It is a really odd thing to do, to start a rumor about yourself, but that is exactly what Dave Sim does in Reads. And boy does he do a good job of it... [Read the full review here...]

CARSON GRUBAUGH'S
CEREBUS RE-READ CHALLENGE:
Cerebus Vol 10: Minds
Cerebus Vol 11: Guys
Cerebus Vol 12: Rick's Story
Cerebus Vol 13: Going Home
Cerebus Vol 14: Form & Void
Cerebus Vol 15: Latter Days
Cerebus Vol 16: The Last Day

14 comments:

Jason Winter said...

Fascinating. Reads is a book long overdue for reapraisal. It's such an intimate experiance reading it, from the astonishing fight scene to Daves dialogue with us, the reader. Thanls for adding something wothwhile to the discussion.

Sean R said...

Interesting observations, Carson. I see some real overlap with my Reads essay (in the newly restored edition, now available in stores). I'd be curious if you'd had a chance to read it yet.

Carson Grubaugh said...

Sean,
Unfortunately I can't afford any of the reprints right now :(
I look forward to collecting them all whenever I get a full-time gig again.

You posted some excerpts from it a while back, right? I remember reading those right around the time I wrote that essay and thinking, "Dammit, that is what I just wrote!" (These have been in the can since, uhh, like late June - Mid July?)

Sean R said...

Great minds and all that :)

I still haven't sent out your package, which I'm planning on doing today. I'll see if I can throw in a few more goodies relevant to the discussion...

Bill Ritter said...

Something that I and my LCS would find helpful: the Diamond ordering code for newly available items. The Diamond Rep and online system is not recognizing Reads as available.

With Cerebus in Hell, armed with the order code, easily ordered!

The other releases...it is not easy.

Maybe a site section that captures these order codes?

Bill Ritter said...

Carson, well done (as has been the usual). I'm enjoying the write ups and your observations. Thank you for sharing!

Tony Dunlop said...

Unless I'm missing something, there's an error in this review...the writer from the first half of "Reads" is Victor Reid, not Victor Davis.

Lee Thacker said...

Having read 'Reads' one issue at a time (at the time) on a monthly basis, I have to say that this is one of my favourite Cerebus storylines... 'Who's stronger? Cirin or Cerebus?' Ha, ha! No. Not that part... the part when Dave (Victor) says he planned to end the series with issue 200! It left me reeling until the end of the issue! Phew! 100 more issues to go after all!

Paul Slade said...

Bill - It might be worth getting your LCS to search again. My London shop drew the same blank on Diamond UK's system until about three weeks ago. Then it suddenly appeared, and they were able to successfully order me a remastered Reads which showed up a week later. I have it on the coffee table in front of me now.

Sandeep Atwal said...

Nice writeup! Well done!

Carson Grubaugh said...

Tony,

Eeek. You are totally right. Thanks for pointing that out!

Unknown said...

Paul and Bill—in the case of my LCS, it was a matter of figuring out that the old order code is being used for the remastered version. We had a couple weeks of confusion about all that, not least because Jaka's Story now has a new ordering code!

Jarret Cooper said...

Bill - I second that! I really need a link to order the remastered trades when they become available -- instocktrades.com still lists the old "Reads" printing.

Unknown said...

Paul - Glad to hear that it got straightened out and you actually have the book.

Cory - Yes, I don't know what happened there but an Order Form came in with PREVIEWS that listed JAKA'S STORY as Remastered. Didn't say so in the catalogue but did in the Order Form. Called Matt at Diamond right away and suggested sending a bulletin to all of the retailers. Which I think they did, but I think some people missed it because we got an order for about 100 copies of the book. Which have shipped. Definitely we didn't do a solicitation for a Remastered JAKA'S STORY since we still have 100 or 200 copies of the last printing.

By the way, can you call and leave your phone number at 519-576-0610? I want to talk to you about the Photoshopping. Thanks!

Bill Ritter - That's definitely something we need to work on: getting the latest order codes for all of the books. I THINK we have them in CEREBUS IN HELL? #0 in the inside back cover ad. I HOPE we do.

Jason and Carson and Lee (oh, my!) - Thanks for the kind words on READS. Haven't been too many of those (to say the least!) over the last twenty years or so.