Every comics fan out there should pick up the Flight anthology. Each volume contains a massive collection of short stories in comic form. Admittedly, not every story works, but the level of experimentation and creative energy that goes into these stories is admirable.
The second volume is probably my favorite of the bunch, and Sonny Liew's "Dead Soul's Day Out" seems to have made the biggest impression on me.
I've only read the Malinky Robot stories that appear in Flight. As near as I can tell, the stories center on two orphan boys, Atari and Oliver, who spend their days begging and scrounging up enough money to go watch their favorite science fiction giant robot movies.
Gripping, right?
Actually, these stories usually contain some surprisingly poignant moments. For a medium that allegedly doesn't do music well, "Dead Soul's Day Out" finds an effective use for musical lyrics. The story begins with Atari on the street, singing a song for coin:
Later, after finding some money on the ground and catching a giant robot flick, the boys find out their friend Misha is moving. Atari watches her leave just as the rain starts to come down:
In case you can't see it, the words to the apple song are hidden in the rain. The effect is surprisingly haunting - the music enhances the bittersweet atmosphere of parting with a dear friend. It's the closest I've ever seen a comics panel come to incorporating real background music, and it's surprisingly effective.
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