It always amuses me when a reviewer calls a book "literary". Well, duh.

Especially when they use the word to describe a graphic novel. What, were all those plain old comic books "illiterate"?

Floyd Kermode: There are many delightful threads here and JB's art has brought pleasure to many, but this place frequently gives the impression of a forum that is run by a troll.

If you think this place is run by a troll, then I wonder how you feel about most other comic-related message boards?  You must not visit many of them because most of what I see out there is nothing more than verbal masturbation, bolstered by frequent expletives and elitist garbage.  That this place has more than a modicum of civility to it, and that it does not suffer the fools lightly, makes it a decent and enjoyable place to come to.

To me, this place is like going out to dinner with long-lost friends and spending the evening catching up.  Most other message boards are like visiting a run-down crack house full of feces-slinging monkeys (no offense to feces-slinging monkeys).

Dave Farabee wrote: Mike, how do you know this? Do you have an advance copy we don't know about?

Why do people keep saying this?  Hasn't at least half this book been previously published?  Didn't Moore begin this project over a decade ago?  One could ask if someone has read what has been published, but I think it's totally without merit to ask if someone has an advance copy.

QUOTE: Why do people keep saying this?  Hasn't at least half this book been previously published?  Didn't Moore begin this project over a decade ago?  One could ask if someone has read what has been published, but I think it's totally without merit to ask if someone has an advance copy.

It's one thing to question Moore's rationale, but Mike was assessing the book as if he'd read it ("Lost Girls is like Madonna's Sex book"). I'd like to know if he has. Or, sure, even if he's read the early chapters.

Of course, given Mike's decision to condemn the ENTIRE medium of comics outside of Byrne's work, I have to admit - I don't know that I could give his assessment much credence. His is a level of radicalism I can't wrap my mind around.

Nope

Ok I read Moores rational. Cant say I agree with it. Sometimesa cigar is just a cigar. Though using those characters does provide a hook for the story and the reader. The story could be told with original characters, but would lack that hook and the free publicity it causes.

Comparisons to Hitler, NAMBLA, and serial killers all in one paragraph. That's great, Mike. Way to disprove the radicalism I mentioned in my last post.

Matt, you jumped on me for asking Mike if he'd read a book. You okay with him likening me to Hitler and the worst examples of humanity ever to walk the earth? Where's that fall on the sliding scale of causes to defend? 'Cause I think it's a little more egregious than asking if someone's read a book.

Never mind.

I take back all the nice things I said about you - you're bending over backward to slavishly support your fucking master, a creep who writes smut.

Jesus Christ, you sicken me.