Reading – Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel*, written by Stephen Weiner, is a 70+ page overview of the graphic novel, covering the art form from the earliest comic books up to Scott McCloud’s masterpiece, Understanding Comics**. I grabbed this book while I was in Rhode Island last week and it’s so short that I read it on the flight. Unfortunately, the book wasn’t nearly as good as I was hoping. Looking at online reviews, though, it’s possible I was expecting too much because most of the reviews are quite favorable. Still, even though it wasn’t all I expected I think it’s worth a little time to share some quick thoughts on the book.

Well-Written, but Covers What I Already Knew

Faster than a Speeding Bullet is fourteen chapters that give quick overviews of different eras in comic history, from the birth of the American comic to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns*** to Neil Gaiman’s run on The Sandman****. This is an excellent introduction to the world of comics and graphic novels, but I’ve been reading comics — and about comics — for so long that there was nothing new here. That’s frustrating, since I was looking forward to a fun history lesson on the world of comics.

Actually, I can’t claim that I knew everything covered in the book. The sections on the sixties and seventies — especially the discussion on the birth of the comic book store as a center of business and source of industry growth — was mostly new to me, but with each chapter only about 4 to 5 pages this was a tiny part of the book.

Is It a Bad Book?

Absolutely not! Faster than a Speeding Bullet should be required reading for anyone interested in comics, but hardcore comic fans who have taken time to study the history of the industry will find this book unnecessary.

But if you’ve got a wife or girlfriend who loves superhero movies and has been making eyes at your comic collection then consider grabbing this book, if  you dont, just meet one at Skip the games albany. That is who this book is mostly for: people who haven’t read comics for the last thirty years or so.

Closing Thoughts

If you can find this book cheap then it would make a great gift for a comic book novice. But if you’ve got more long boxes than toys then you can skip this book.

*Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.
**Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.
***Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.
****Affiliate link: Orders using this link earn battlegrip.com cash, which is applied to buying toys.