Sometime last week, in about a day and a half, if not less, I read “The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, Vol. 1″ by Michael Chabon. This is the first of three, that I can see, of companion publications to his novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay”.
Essentially this was Chabon, along with some other writers and artists, creating some of the stories that made up the world of the Escapist and Luna Moth, two of the comic book heroes that Kavalier and Clay created in the novel. There are some write-ups within this collection, which includes what was supposed to be the first Escapist story, describing some of the history behind the characters and where they went after Kavalier and Clay walked away from them. It is done in a documentary style, adding to the story within the novel, and probably more geared to the comic book fans out there. But like the novel, this is all fiction. And I am not talking about the comics themselves.
Michael Chabon
I enjoyed the Sandman series created by Neil Gaiman and have found myself interested in some others. However, after reading this novel, it got me interested in reading actual comic, the famous ones from the Golden Age when the beginning of Kavalier and Clay’s story begins. I also, in a way, yearned to actually see what kind of vision Chabon had for these “famous” stories and characters within the novel. This did very nicely to put images to those wishes.
Alternate cover that shows the character
It jumps around from different time frames so you can see the Escapist and Luna Moth change as “the years go by.” And the collection finishes with a “previously unreleased” story that would have tied up a huge story line within the Escapist universe. I found some of the stories very entertaining. All the art, very different from story to story, all very good.
In some ways it filled in a few blanks and helped add to the universe that those geeks that get into this would just love. For me though, it just made a nice way to finish off the thrill of the novel. I picked up this copy for $2 on eBay (before shipping costs). I didn’t want to pay full price for something I wasn’t sure about. It turned out to be a smart move. Reading it right after was the key for me. And though I enjoyed it, I doubt I would go and get the next two volumes.
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