panellogy 146 - charles burns #4 - x'ed out trilogy & vortex

4 beautiful hardcovers: a threesome of well crafted comic weirdness & an artbook with more weirdness... but stylish weirdness mind you!

[@daniel881985]

All four looks so beautiful! I was looking to get his books for a very long time, thanks to your excellent videos I bought them all now. Can't wait to dive into the Charles Burns world!

[@earlgrey862]

prepare for a ride

[@jonanjello]

Like Black Hole I was underwhelmed with the story of this trilogy. The art, colors and presentation are amazing, though.

[@earlgrey862]

I would rather argue that (like in "Black Hole") art and story are hardly separable in the trilogy. For an example: The different realities or the constant tintin-references or the long introsequence of x'ed out... it's a perfect amalgam IMO

[@Xbale]

I hate that subbbox. I got no mail... And I have waited longingly for the next video to come out... I feel kinda stupid now. Anyhow. Love these books. And they are in beautiful shape too. I just read the first edition of the x'ed trilogy and I was really surprised what it was about. I thought of something different (In a charles burns sense y'know ^^), even though there are lots of characteristics from burns. And I heard of "vortex" because of you. I am really excited to read this one time. Great video!

[@earlgrey862]

come on, this vid is still fresh like a lemon... & thanks

[@skrimshander]

Loved Black Hole. Thanks for sharing

[@earlgrey862]

you're welcome

[@timmarrant609]

I just read X-ed out, fantastic!

[@GoreVidalComicbooks]

I read X'ED OUT and THE HIVE last week and enjoyed both, now awaiting third volume. Burn's artwork never attracted me in the pages of Heavy Metal, but like the Hernandez Brothers, whose artwork didn't initially draw me to Love & Rockets, it's the compelling story with the art that makes it work.

[@GoreVidalComicbooks]

I read X'Ed Out and The Hive, awaiting the third volume in the mail. I think the cartoony grotesqueness of Burn's art turned me off over the years. It was the same with the Hernandez Brothers when I initially read Love & Rockets and Mr. X. Now both are two of my favorite comics. But back to Burns. I think his strength is in his writing. He has an idea, develops it into a written story, and then imagines the rest and draws it as he is able to. It's the opposite of Crepax, whose strength is in the art, and the writing compliments it, but is secondary. I've reread X-Ed Out and The Hive and appreciate the art much more now, but only because the narrative is so compelling. It works remarkably well. I'll now be looking for his other stories.

[@earlgrey862]

it's funny how the assessments differ in terms of Burns' art vs. Burns' storywriting... see for an example jonanjello's comment :)

[@royad237]

Is last look a compilation of xed out and hive?

[@earlgrey862]

... and Sugar skull, I'm pretty certain... even though I don't have Last Look

[@GoreVidalComicbooks]

Really? Of all the thumbnails, that's the one you chose? I didn't realize Burns had produced so much work. X is intriguing. I had some Tin Tin books and sold them. They didn't interest me, but this does. Wonderful madness.

[@GoreVidalComicbooks]

I ordered X'ed Out and The Hive.

[@earlgrey862]

he he, I know my subscribers. But seriously: this picture (taken out of Vortex) touches some subjects of the plot or ... at least... is a nice surreal comment on the inapt main character "Nitnit".

[@earlgrey862]

btw it's pretty inevitable that you get "Sugar skull" as well, because it's just necessary to understand the aim of Burns.

[@GoreVidalComicbooks]

Again, it's a conspiracy, by my enemies, who are Legion....!

[@wrestledeep]

I just read LAST LOOK. I loved it. Do you know where I can buy VORTEX? I have looked on Amazon and I am trying to find a copy that isn't like $100. Great review

[@earlgrey862]

thanks... but sorry it's hard for me as well to get books when they're out of stock at Amazon

[@freakbuck]

If you go to Last Look on Amazon and switch it to Hardcover, its actually listing for Vortex and its cheap new still!!