Scott McCloud - Understanding Comics

Pros: Accessible and scholarly!
Cons: The chapter on Color is disappointingly brief.

Comics Scholarship. Most people would consider this an oxymoron. Comics (and comic books) have long been derided as a lesser art form, and, truthfully, this is not without warrant. While it’s ridiculous to label any medium as lesser, the execution of a ...

Pros: Clear concise logic dissecting comic books
Cons: It can be hard to find....

"If you've ever felt bad about wasting your life reading comics, then check out Scott McCloud's classic book immediately. You still might feel you've wasted your life, but you'll know why, and you'll be proud."

-Matt Groening
...

Pros: wide-ranging and insightful
Cons: none

Many people who happen to hear about this book will not read it because it's "about comics." That's their loss. You shouldn't make the same mistake. In addition to being a wide-ranging study of comics and of great interest to comics fans as...

Pros: Highly creative, novel, entertaining AND enlightening comic book about comic books and art in general.
Cons: The medium prevents it from achieving the depth the author is clearly capable of providing.

Understanding Comic books is 224 page comic book about comic books. By using the medium to describe itself, McCloud provides an undeniable argument for the power of the comic book medium. Through examples and careful analysis, the book covers how comic...

Pros: Everything...intelligent, entertaining, and provocative. Something every artist should read, regardless of their field.
Cons: Nothing.

More of an essay than a review, but I hope it's useful, all the same ^_-

***

Blood in the Gutter
the art and theory of comics

Comics play with our perceptions more constantly and subtly than any other art form this...

Pros: clever, wide-ranging, entertaining
Cons: may cause you to miss important appointments

When I was in college, I took a course in critical analysis of comic books. The teacher, an English professor of some acclaim, had been sneaking discussions of comics into his literature courses for years, but had never before been able to persuade the...

Pros: Deep, thoughtful, engaging, clever, crafty, brilliant, enlightening
Cons: Too short

Often one of the first questions I ask someone upon meeting them is, "Have you read Understanding Comics? Because if not, I can't speak with you until you do. Go on. I'll wait." It's an understatement to say I love this book.

In...

Pros: An informative, insightful, easy read
Cons: Personally, I don't like Zot.

I have spent years hiding my affection for comics. I go to the store and buy comics quite frequently, but in the eyes of others, being a comic-reader makes me a freak, an outcast, a social misfit. However, being the one who enjoys comics, I...

Pros: A life changing book
Cons: None

I laughed and I cried when I read this book. There are some things in life which go beyond the apparent domain that they appear to be in and this book is one of them. It is apparently about comics but it could be used to understand creativity, cognitive...

Pros: A master work of history, art and entertainment.
Cons: I dare you to find one!

Comics as we know them have been around for a hundred years now and the genre is still the red headed step child of art. I'm one of those folks who'd rather read a bad comic than go to an art gallery show. Scott McClouds book really breaks comics down ...

Pros: Rethinking of the familiar, fresh approach, clear rendering of complexities
Cons: No index (hehehe)

Here's a volume that both comic-lovers and comic-haters can
enjoy. I know because I'm both. I used to enjoy comic books. Then
I grew up. They didn't. End of story, and all the pathetic movie
versions of Captain America, Spiderman, Tank...

Pros: Fascinating, and enlightening work of criticism
Cons: none

Understanding Comics is one of those books that I think everyone should read, especially anyone who is an English Major, professor, or just has a condescending attitude about comic books. I’ve only been reading graphic novels (serious...

Pros: High Falutin' Theory that Anyone Can Understand
Cons: not a single one.

With _Understanding Comics_, Scott McCloud's done what some of the greatest minds in theoretical criticism have not been able to do--and I'm talking heavy hitters like Lacan, Baudrilliard, Berger, Kristeva, Jameson, Foucault--give his readers clear,...

Pros: Comic-style setup makes the reader want to read on
Cons: Possibly confusing if not carefully read

McCloud offers a comprehensive, intriguing look into the world of comics, covering every topic under the sun. His ideas are provocative and interesting, leaving the reader to ask himself (or herself) "Is he right?" But, despite its thought-provoking...