Driven By Lemons by Joshua W. Cotter (Skyscrapers Of The Midwest) from Adhouse Books takes us into one of those places. Call it a dream or nightmare it’s in our subconscious and to see it on paper is a horrific and wondrous experience.

It’s hard to explain what exactly this book is, or about, what the story is (if there even is one) and what the outcome is. The subtitle of the book is, “Up The Stream Consciousness Without A Paddle”. That, in and of itself, could mean a number if things. The book begins with a two page rant that looks to be from one of John Doe’s notebooks from Se7en. The sentences are not coherent but are an interesting read nonetheless. We then move to a truck falling from the sky and from there the realms of consciousness and subconsciousness intertwine with the colors of red squares and blue triangles strewn about the pages of pencil sketches. We do meet a protagonist, of sorts, a rabbit that will, eventually, be laid up in a hospital bed (was he the driver of the truck?). From there he drifts off and on to sleep and we hear what he hears including his distraught roommate in the hospital. The rabbit becomes tormented and from there we follow his journey. Is it real or not? Or was the hospital even real, we don’t really ever find out.

But what we do know is that the images are worth repeated looks and readings. Immediately finishing the final page, I turned back to the front only to read it again to get a better understanding as to what I missed – the red’s and blue’s for instance. Cotter wants us all to make our own interpretations of the book, so your will undoubtedly be very different from mine. According to Adhouse it’s a, “Sketchbook replica of recent multimedia explorations in intuitive narrative”. However this sketchbook was put together it does form a somewhat lucid story and it will make you think twice about what you see when you are conscious or what you forget when you are unconscious.

Hollywood constantly explores this realm – The Butterfly Effect, Jacob’s Ladder even A Nightmare On Elm Street. What you see and feel is not always the truth. Or is it? Sometimes it’s hard to say and sometimes both mesh to form their own little world. Cotter’s world is no different in that he gives us a glimspe as to what he has seen with his eyes and his mind. It’s a fascinating journey and one worth taking.

Driven By Lemons GN by Joshua W. Cotter
Adhouse Books, 2009
104 pages, 5″ x 8″, $19.99 US

A copy of this book was supplied to me by Adhouse Books

On a personal note I finally finished reading all 27 Volumes of Will Eisner’s Sprit Archives. This includes the Dark Horse volume that was recently released. I started it for my annual Adopt-A-Character podcast that I announce every January. I originally tried to get it all done in 6 months, but it was hard to find the time with family commitments this past summer. I’ll be writing review for the blog soon. It won’t be of every single volume, but will be broken up into segments: Pre-War, War, Post War, The 1950’s, The Dailies (Volume 25), Post-Sundays (Volume 26) and The Dark Horse series (Volume 27). I have not read any of the current DC run, except for the Batman/Spirit, so that won’t be covered, but I hope to start that run very soon. I can tell you that overall it was a great set of books and I’m proud to of achieved this feat. I received a lot of encouragement from all of you the past 12 months and for that I thank you. Come 2010, I’ll start a new series of hardcovers. I’m leaning toward the Iron Man Marvel Masterworks. I read Volume 1 when the first movie came out and now the series is up to 6 volumes. It shouldn’t take me too long to get caught up.

The CCL podcast for this week will be on Agents of Atlas: Dark Reign Premiere Hardcover (Marvel), look for it tomorrow. I also hope to have the latest podcast with John Mayo discussing the sales estimates for September 2009 this week, too. Now on to some links:

• Thanks to Joe over at the FPI Blog for this tidbit that has the internet buzzing like crazy: So who does own the copyright on Marvelman? reported by Pádraig Ó Méalóid.
• Tom Spurgeopn, Comics Reporter, links to the 2009 Stanley Awards.
• Jason Boog, GalleyCat, has the Best Books of 2009, Airport Edition.
• Pamela Mullin, DC Comics The Source, posts the Introduction to Saga Of The Swamp Thing Book 2 by Jamie Delano.
• Interview: Marc-Oliver Frisch, Comiks Debris, talks to George Gene Gustines, New York Times Comics Reporter. Among the many topics, Mr. Gustines talks about the Comics Best-seller Lists.
• ICv2.com has a preview of The Boys Vol. 5: Herogasm TPB (Dynamite Entertainment)
• Media Release: Fantagraphics Books is proud to announce the acquisition of What Is All This?, a 900-page collection of previously uncollected short fiction by two-time National Book Award Nominee (1991, 1995) Stephen Dixon. The collection will be published in May, 2010 and mark the third entry in Fantagraphics burgeoning line of literary fiction, following Alexander Theroux’s Laura Warholic (2007) and Monte Schulz’s This Side of Jordan (2009).
• Also from Fantagraphics is a link to a 25 page .pdf of the soon-to-arrive giant 3-volume Gahan Wilson: Fifty Years of Playboy Cartoons. You can also read the introduction by Neil Gaiman.
• Review: Scott Cederlund, Pop Syndicate, on War of Kings HC (Marvel)
• Review: Collected Editions Blog on Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds HC (DC Comics)
• Finally, CEB has their annual Comic Book Holiday Gift Guide 2009. I have to say you can’t go wrong with any of the choices listed.

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

This is it! My Big Year in Review Show! Not only do I go over my Top 10 Collected Editions of 2008 (which I already blogged about), but I also do a month by month look – and critique – of many news and noteworthy books that caught my eye from all the major companies this past year.

Warning: I say it every year; this particular podcast should be taken in moderation because this is not your typical CCL Podcast. What this basically is, is one big list, so I suggest you listen while shoveling snow, mowing your lawn, going on a long commute, etc. It’s perfectly alright to keep this as a reference tool.

I have also supplied a much more expanded collected editions release list for 2008 and a time listing of all the different months.

Into and Top 10 – 0:01
January – 10:04
February – 17:55
March – 25:08
April – 34:25
May – 44:50
June –50:26
July – 56:02
August – 1:04:50
September – 1:10:48
October – 1:17:25
November – 1:28:15
December and Outro –1:35:18

Chris

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

• My friend, Joe from Forbidden Planet International, wanted me to tell you about this short video on the making of the new Vertigo Encyclopedia: It features Karen Berger.
• Rich Johnston, Lying In The Gutters, tells us that there’s a screw op on the cover to the recently released Daredevil, by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus. Look for the ® in the middle of DD’s nose. Too funny. Now run out and get one!
• Collected Editions Blog has the scoop on a few DC Comics Fall 2009 Trade Paperbacks and December 2008 Solicitations
• Also coming next year from Fantagraphics, fans of Jason will be excited to hear that this book collects several new stories besides the New York Times Magazine serial, “Low Moon.”
• Uber-blogger and all around tech geek extraordinaire, Chris Brogan on Comics and Kids from Dad-O-Matic
• Reviews: Timothy Callahan, CBR When Words Collide, on a bunch of different collected editions (and comics, too).
• Review: Paul W. Smith (not the one from 760 WJR), Den of Geek, on The Essential Batman Encyclopedia by Bob Greenberger
• Review: Jonathan Callan, Comic Book Resources, on Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow DVD
• Review: Raoul, Trade Talks, revisits the Watchmen trade.
• Review: Matches, The Iceberg Lounge, on Shadowpact: Darkness & Light TPB
• Review: Martin, TPB Reviewer, on Spider-Man: One More Day
• Review: Collected Editions Blog on Green Arrow/Black Canary: Road to the Altar TPB

• For the next two weeks only (through July 14), TwoMorrows Publishing select books are 50% off cover price. This sale features books in our popular “how-to” category of books, offering invaluable information for anyone interested in the creation of comics.
• Judge Dredd is coming back to the States and with him will be new collected editions of classic material. But why? Rebellion does a fine job. Richard , FPI Blog Log explains.
• This August, writer Matthew Tomao and artist Josh Medors present their original epic Sabbath: All Your Sins Reborn in a fully bound graphic novel from Devil’s Due and Hypergraphia Comics.
• Dabel Brothers Publishing has announced the acquisition of the rights to create a comic book adaptation of Robert Jordan’s hugely popular Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels. The first issue of the Wheel of Time comic book series will be released in December. The individual issues will be collected in graphic novel format and distributed by Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group.
• LucasBooks and the Random House imprint Del Rey have announced that Del Rey will publish five novels that will tie-in with the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated feature film and the cartoon series that will air in the fall of 2008 on the Cartoon Network and TNT. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie, which debuts on August 15th, will be preceded by the release of a Star Wars: The Clone Wars novel by fan favorite Star Wars author Karen Traviss, which will go on sale on July 26th.
  Science fiction/fantasy writer Karen Miller is writing the second Clone Wars novel, which will be published in December, 2008. The Star Wars novels will add depth, background and color to the Clone Wars animated saga.
• With Trinity out in stores now the Collected Editions Blog give a rundown of some of the best and essential Wonder Woman collected editions.
• Review: Richard, FPI Blog Log on Will Eisner’s The Spirit by Darwin Cooke and The Best of The Spirit
• Review: Allan Holtz, Stripper’s Guide, on Willie and Joe – The World War II Years
• Reviews: Collected Editions Blog on Wonder Woman: Love and Murder HC (DC Comics), Wonder Woman: Amazons Attack HC (DC Comics), Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes: The Quest for Cosmic Boy TPB (DC Comics) and Helmet of Fate TPB (DC Comics)