TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

I first read one of Richard Starkings' Elephantmen comics back in September of 2009, when I stopped at his booth at the Long Beach Comic Con, (LBCC).  Richard realized that I blogged about comics and pop culture items, and gave me a then current issue, (#21), to see if I would like the work. I did, and I blogged about that issue, click here.

At the recent Long Beach Comic Expo, Richard wanted me to check out more of the earlier works, which has recently been reprinted as a Trade Paper Back (TPB), of which that published format is now up to Volume 2 of the series.

The following is a blurb about the TPB and the details on what is included in this newly printed format:

"A meteor falls in Santa Monica Bay, and the lives of Hip Flask, Ebony Hide, Obadiah Horn, Sahara and her father, Joshua Serengheti, converge once again with far reaching consequences for all. Collects Elephantmen #8-15, plus the Pilot issue and loads of extras!"

Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Image Comics (January 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607061775
ISBN-13: 978-1607061779
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds"

There's a lot of pages in this volume, that's for sure!  Again, please realize that I had only read the other two issues mentioned in my earlier blog, so I did not know the full story or background of the series.

However, this TPB was formatted so well, that I didn't miss not having read the early issues.

That's because there was an excellent intro, and the stories flowed together very well.  Plus there were additional pages at the end of the TPB, which added 'value' to the concept.

Too often I have found that story arcs are built on earlier stories so much so, that a reader could feel left out by not having the read the ealier works.

True, I would prefer to have read the earliest issues first, but the way this material is republished, it doesn't hurt to start with this TPB.  Matter of fact, my appetite for this series has grown to where I want to check out the first volume of this TPB series.

Yes, I am still a fan of the 'floppy' comic book format, but this series is being very well reprinted in this TPB format.  It is a class act series, and the contributors to the series have put their best efforts into this ongoing series.

Those contributors featured in this Volume Two of the TPB series inclued: Richard Starkings, Moritat, Kurt Busiek, Steve Buccellato, Phil Yeh, Greg Wright, Joe Kelly, Ryan Kelly, Rob Steen, Peter Gross, Stuart Immonen, Boo Cook, Ian Churchill, and Kevin Eastman, just to name a few!

Even with all of those name above plus more, the 'tone' / 'mood' / 'atmosphere' of the series is cohesive and beautiful to behold it unfold in the issues reprinted in this TPB.

I am definitely a new fan of this series! 

Here's the web site for more on this world that the creators have established:  http://www.hipflask.com.  You are welcome to purchase the TPB where ever you may shop for reading materials like this, but you should check out the rest of the history presented there. It's a pretty sharp looking web site!

My thanks to Richard Starkings for bringing this TPB format for his earlier issues to my attention.

PLUS: Our thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts! We usually blog on a daily basis during the 'work week' on comic book creators, comic book reviews, comic cons, book signings, and other pop culture news and events or topics, such as the one blogged about here today.