Writing the Way into 2025
At nine o’clock in the evening, I went for a short walk to buy food. As I walked, I glanced up at the sky and was stopped in my tracks by the sheer amount of stars in the sky. The sky was perfectly clear, and the night was illuminated by countless prinpricks of light, each a solar system unto itself filled with possibility and stories of their own. Stories are the lifeblood of humanity. They connect us to the past and carry our words into the future. They are a sanctuary and a salve for wounded souls. On the days when the world seems its darkest, stories are the campfire warming our hands, scaring the beasts away, and getting us through the night. There are reasons to believe that next year will not be an easy one. Greed and hate are running rampant, and they’ve brought back a familiar face who has promised to make them the status quo. The arc of the universe no longer seems to bend towards hope and justice, but we’re still here and who we are hasn’t changed. If hope and compassion are the underdogs, then it’s more important then ever that we don’t give up. We must not forget the stories that we’ve told about a better world then this one and we must not stop telling new stories to inspire those who follow after us. If we’re in a fight for the future, then it’s up to us to do them proud.
I’ve been fortunate to read quite a few stories that have inspired me this past year. Some, in particular, have been remarkably timely and have already proved to be a source of strength. I’ve been able to write a fair bit this year, but I haven’t told many stories of my own which leaves me with a bittersweet feeling as the year comes to a close. I hope that over the next year I can share some of my own stories with you, stories that can keep you warm on the coldest nights. But all the same, it has been a true pleasure to share others’ stories that I’ve read. Early this year, I sat down determined to write something, but couldn’t stop thinking about some truly exceptional comics I’d read just before. Failing to separate those books from my thoughts, I decided to write about them instead and put together something I called a review but was really just a way for me to gush about some awesome comics. I shared it on social media as usual, and to my surprise several of the creators of those books saw my work and shared it! Suddenly, more people then ever were reading what I’d written, an experience more gratifying than I know how to describe. With no shortage of amazing comics each week, I continued to write those reviews throughout the year. People continued to write them and even compliment me on my work. I even received some of the kindest and most generous praise from a writer I admire, something which I’ll treasure for the rest of my life. By writing these reviews, I learned quite a bit about myself as a writer, identifying weaknesses and improving on strengths. The act of writing week to week has helped build my discipline and given me a momentum, I’d been struggling to gain for years. Later in this year, my work schedule changed, and it suddenly became a more difficult task to maintain the same schedule, but I’m having a blast and will do my best to continue to share my thoughts about comics I’ve loved next year too. I want to thank everyone who has read and supported my work this past year. I’m humbled and gratified to be saying that to far more people than ever before. I’m going to do my best to write things to share, entertain, and inspire, and I’m honored by those who come along with me for the ride.
As per New Years tradition, I’d like to reflect and share some of the fantastic stories I’ve come across this past year. I’ve already shared a number of them week to week, but there were a few that I want to touch on again, as I feel they’re going to be even more important in the coming year.
The Absolute Universe by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Jason Aaron, and Rafa Sandoval
In my first review of this new imprint, I remarked on how little the announcement had excited me. We’ve gotten these new, darker universes before, and they never really managed to find their way or make a clear statement. This new wave, however, completely blew me out of the water. From jump, it’s clear that there is a distinct vision and message behind these new books. In a universe corrupted by Darkseid, there are no advantages, no guaranteed happy endings. Nonetheless, there are heroes fighting for the weak and trying to provide hope in a cruel world. Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Superman are books about the heroes we know and love, but denied the advantages and resources that defined them in the mainstream universe. Bruce Wayne is born to a working-class family, Kal-El is sent as a teenager to a planet where he doesn’t speak the language, and Diana is the princess of hell. (That last one might not sound like as much of a disadvantage and it may actually not be, but it is really REALLY cool. I promise I’ll get into it more with my Absolute Wonder Woman reviews which are coming!) Much like our universe, theirs is not one that usually, if ever, rewards those who do good. Nonetheless, they’ve resolved themselves to fight for it. Denied their advantages, they have to be smarter and more resourceful than ever. Each book provides a distinct take on a classic hero. They’ve been fundamentally changed, but at their core the same idealism burns. Early in November, it felt like our world also took a sharp turn into the Absolute universe, but there are heroes here too. It’s going to be more difficult then ever before, but that means heroes are all the more important. These are going to be our heroes in the coming years, and they’ve arrived just when we need them the most.
The One Hand and The Six Fingers by Ram V, Laurence Campbell, Dan Watters, and Sumit Kumar
I was drawn to this book because Ram V is one of my all-time favorite writers in comics, and when he announced that he was working on an experimental new creator-owned book with a team of truly fantastic creators, I was sold immediately. This sci-fi neo-noir was one of the most innovative and mind-bending books I read this year. Set in the city of Neo Novena at an indeterminate point in time, Detective Ari Nassar has suddenly found himself faced with the work of a serial killer he’d thought he’d put away years prior. Meanwhile, Johannes Vale, a sanitation engineer, finds himself plagued by dreams of murder and strange symbols on the wall. All the while, strange forces are at play in the city, setting the stage for revelations that shake the very foundations of their reality. Moody and existential, both books work in tandem as the reader is encouraged to alternate between each one until they reach the end. In that sense, the two six-issue miniseries are actually a single twelve-issue series. Each book follows its protagonist to the end of their story, but both books are required to understand the full scope of what’s at play. The book culminates with a perspective on the nature of agency with a final page that has haunted me since I laid eyes on it. Not exactly the most uplifting start to the new year, but it’s ambition and unique perspective are testaments to the kind of amazing stories that can be told when a creative team pushes against the boundaries of their medium. I’ve reviewed each book individually, so if you’re curious what I thought, please take a look!
The Singularity by Mat Groom, Bear McCreary, Ramón K. Pérez, Danilo Beyruth, Matias Bergara, Federico Bertoni, Eleonora Carilini, Lorenzo Colangeli, Valeria Favoocia, Eduardo, Ferigato, Marco Locati, Helena Masellis, John J. Pearson, Simone Ragazzoni, Rod Reis, Riccardo Robaldo, Stefano Simeone, Toby Cypress, Morgan Sorne, Natalia Maques, Rod Fernandes, and Becca Carey
Befitting its name, this book is truly singular. An astounding, multiverse-spanning comic that’s also a deeply intimate journey of one person’s relationship with mortality, there is nothing else like it. Anyone who has read my comic reviews knows how amazing a writer Mat Groom is, and here he’s joined by Bear McCreary, not only a brilliant composer but an exceptional writer, as well as a long list of artists who are each singular in their own right. Not only is this an amazing comic, but it’s also accompanied by an equally kick-ass album composed by Bear McCreary and meant to be listened to alongside the book. There are many books I’ve read that have left me touched or shaken afterwards, but it’s rare that something makes me feel as powerfully changed as this book did. The book is simultaneously epic and personal as we go on a journey with a character who is only ever referred to as Blue Eyes as he finds himself hopping from body to body and dimension to dimension, each time arriving shortly before the end of both. Each world we visit is drawn by a different artist and accompanied by a different track of the album, adding a distinct identity to worlds we only see but briefly. It’s a both a testament to the human spirit and an example of the truly amazing stories that can only be told through collaborative effort. Sitting here, looking back on this year, I have to say that this is the best thing I read. Please do yourself a favor and check this book out. I’ve written a full review of it which can be found here: https://bobgillinger.com/blog/week-of-58-comics-reviews-singularly-awesome so if you want to see more of my thoughts, please take a look!
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
The fifth book in the Stormlight Archives series and the end to the first of two arcs, this book had a lot to do. Sanderson is known for stories that start as a slow burn that culminate in climaxes where a hundred different things are happening, but this book is basically one climax that continues to peak over the course of a thousand plus pages. Four books have been spending introducing us to a huge cast of characters, making us love and hate them as they grow, expanding a vast magic system, and building towards a conflict that threatens to shatter all of it. Now the day of the final battle has been decided and the book covers the nine days leading up to it with the appointed day serving as the true climax. We’ve seen a number of ideologies develop over the series and explored the ways in which they can both help and hinder us, but this book takes a far more critical look at those ideas and the dangers of adhering to a philosophy without nuance. The world is rarely so simple as to be classified between good and evil, and even when something could reasonably be defined as “evil”, that doesn’t automatically make every way of fighting them “good”. There are consequences to every action, no matter how well intentioned, and sometimes it’s other people who have to pay the price on our behalf. Sanderson’s work tends to lean towards idealism, but here he makes the case that idealism, while admirable, requires wisdom as well. And sometimes, the wisest thing to do is to simply walk away. That’s the broad theme of this book, but through the eyes of our various protagonists, that idea is also provided with nuance. What does walking away mean in the practical sense, and when is that the wrong choice as well? The other books in the series have been thoughtful, but this one particularly struck me and has had me thinking about it since I finished. I’ll be writing my first ever book review in January, so I’ll delve into it further there, but to sum it up, this book is even more epic than its predecessors while also providing thoughtful insight that redefines the themes of the series. It’s going to be nearly a decade before the next book, but it may take that long to finish digesting it. This is easily my favorite fantasy series and I’d highly recommend the first book The Way of Kings to any fans of the genre.
There are about fifteen minutes left of 2024 as I finish writing this. I’m thirty years old now, but I often feel no wiser than I was a decade ago. Nonetheless, I’ve changed, grown, and continued to move forward. I’ve achieved things I’ve never thought possible only to find myself still at the base of the mountain. Reaching the peak seems like a fool’s dream, but I’ve found myself appreciating the climb all the more as I get older. There’s so much to do and so little time, but I will continue to climb. To everyone reading this, I wish you the best of luck on your own climbs. No matter how it may feel, we’re on this journey together and thus we’re never alone.