Kenneth Chisholm

(2012-04-28 05:13:40)

The best overview of the medium so far, but it needs refining.

When this film came out, it was a refreshing and enjoyable movie. Ittreatscomics with some real respect and takes the time to explore the medium insome detail.However, there are some flaws. Some of the talents interviewed do not workin comic books per se, but in comic STRIPS, a variant of the medium thathasgotten much more respect over the years than comic books. However, thatvariant has it's own history and dicipline that is distinct from comicbooksand should not have been included. This is meaning no disrespect talentslike Bill Griffith, but it's like having a film discussing the art andhistory of movies and having TV series producers interviewed. They arepartof a related medium, but are really not relevant to the main subject of thefilm.Otherwise, it does cover a fairly complete view of the form with giantslikeJack Kirby, Stan Lee and Robert Crumb, although I would have liked to haveseen talents like Alan Moore (Swamp Thing, Watchmen) or the Pini's(Elfquest) being interviewed. The animated sequences were a neat way togetthe atmosphere of the comics in their different eras as well as the majorcharacters. The footage of the pages from "Batman: The Dark KnightReturns"was particularly effective.In short, if you need a quick overview of the comic book as a form of art,then this film is well worth your time.

rzajac

(2012-04-27 22:10:09)

Sure, not perfect. But still crucial viewing for people who want to understand comics in the U.S.

Really, my summary line sez it all.This film does a valiant, necessary job: In its scant 80ish minutes, itgives a passable broad view of the evolution of the comic medium in theU.S.Take it from me, if you grew up with comics in the 60s thru the 80s,this film covers an impressive array of the essential bases. One of thehighlights, to me, is basking in Will Eisner's beautiful visionarymind.And the other minds you see are lovely variations on that centraltheme.Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Lovely production values,highlighting--just like comics! Fancy that!--the power of wild,middling production values coupled with untrammeled creativity to speaksimple, direct truths that touch your heart and free your mind.Check it out.

expensivemasonry

(2012-04-26 21:31:18)

A Film Without an Audience.

Ninety minutes is not nearly enough time for a comprehensive history ofan art form as complicated and often contested as sequential art. Inresponse to this certainty a director would be wise to focus theirattentions on a facet of the whole for reexamination. That isn't thecase here. This isn't an in depth documentary about Fredric Wertham andthe senate sub-comity hearings. It isn't a look at the undergroundevolution of Haight/Ashbury or the female comic forefront built largelyin response to it. This isn't about the birth of the medium andsuperhero trends. What we have is a film that tries to do all of thisin an hour and a half and winds up leaving each of these subjectswholly unfulfilling.One could argue that this is a strength of the film and furthermorethat films like "Comic Book Confidential" grant casual viewers/readersa "sampler plate" of subjects to pique their interests, but thatdoesn't prove it a success. Any casual viewer who came to this filmexpecting to be confronting with the heroes they recognized from childhood would find the flippant chapter headings insulting A thirty-secondmontages of Captain America covers entitled "Meanwhile in Super HeroComics…" is all they need to skip over the twenty or so years whichseparate movements they deem "relevant." The informed viewer, likemyself, might find these titles smirk-worthy, but the odds are wearen't going to learn anything he hadn't read before.With a little more focus the all star list of artists in this film(many of which no longer with us) really could've made somethingspecial… but now this film is nothing more than a charming slice ofperspective from the late eighties, before The Dark Night Returns andMaus changed the world and ushered in the inspirational drought of themid-nineties. For all of it's flaws and omissions, it's still a greatopportunity to watch Will Eisner laugh. And Wow! Frank Miller used tohave some great hair, didn't he?

brittney-mcclellan

(2012-04-26 09:46:40)

Good film

I've read comics before, but i'm not an avid comic book reader, anduntil this film I had no idea of the great history behind comic books.This film is tailored to educate and entertain everyone from the mostavid comic book readers to the people that know nothing about comics.The film did a fantastic job at going through the history of comics andhitting on all of the aspects of comic books and comic book writers. Ido, however, wish there was more about women's involvement in comics.Comic Book Confidential is filled with great interviews from bothwell-known and not-so-well-known writers, and is filled with greatinsight into the rich history of comic books.