Trade Marks: Wimbledon Green

I waited years and years to read this book. Upon its initial release, I recall it receiving nearly universal praise, even in Canadian newspapers that don't tend to pay much attention to the funnybook world. Seth's stuff is seen as hip, fun and intellectual. That said, it came with a pretty hefty price tag and I passed. I recently picked up a remaindered copy for $9.99 and was happy to finally dive into it. While I would not say that I was hugely disappointed, I can honestly say that I do not understand the hype. It's a fine collection of vignettes interwoven to tell the story of the greatest comic book collector in the world. There is a plenty of alluding to fanatical fans of Golden Age books and the lengths they will go to add to and defend their collections. The problem is that none of the characters are very well fleshed out and the story seems to go in circles most of the time. I understand that it is not a straight narrative, and is merely trying to shine a light of certain characters but it essentially trips over its own cleverness. It is also written about such a small segment of a very isolated and insular community that I fear it will only appeal to those very same people. I certainly didn't hate it, but I felt as though I was at an arm's length from the book and its characters. I just couldn't shake that sense of detachment. If someone lends you a copy, check it out but I truly think your money can be spent on other books. Trade Mark: C+