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Comic Book Review: Emma #2

Emma #2 was a really tough read for me, so this review probably won’t be a very long. It’s not a bad book, by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just not for me.

I’ve been reading and collecting comic books for more than twenty years; over half of my life. So I know a badly-written comic when I read it and I know bad art when I see it. Emma is neither of these.

I tackled this book because I thought I had gotten used to a book of “talking heads” after a few years of reading Bendis’ work. I got through four pages and had to put it down. From what I hear, Nancy Butler is doing a great job translating Jane Austen’s beloved story from novel prose to comic book page. But I personally found it boring.

Again, this isn’t a stab at Butler or her work. It’s just that the content doesn’t float my boat.

And the same can be said of Janet Lee’s art. It was nice. It wasn’t a chore for my eyes to take in. It was aesthetically pleasing and told the story. It did its job… well. But I just couldn’t get into it.

I take my hat off to Marvel Comics for going out on a limb and doing something outside the superhero genre. I really do. But classic Jane Austin in any way, shape, or form is just not for me (except maybe the upcoming Sense and Sensibility and Zombies film that’s apparently in the works; That I’ll watch with glee).

I really want to make clear that I’m not poo-pooing this book. My head is screwed on well enough to know that just because I don’t personally like something, doesn’t mean its a piece of crap. It only means its not for me.

So I give this book a three out of five comic book nerds.

As I said, Emma isn’t a bad comic book. It’s a good book that I’m obviously not the target audience for. If you love that romantic stuff from two-hundred years ago? Give it a try. If I was into Jane Austen, I’m sure this would be a much higher rating, but I’m not… so it isn’t.