Dead Enders: Stealing The Sun or Dead Boy Detectives ?

[Libaax]

I wanted to collect one of this early Ed Brubaker series and i wonder which series are seen as the better one by other fans ?

[Tadhg]

Deadenders was the better book, but it wasn't properly finished. Dead Boy Detectives is at least a complete story.

[Libaax]

There is only one book so is it a mini ? I just want a good Bru story, the ending isnt a big deal when it is shorter story.

That is if it didnt get canceled in the middle of the story did it ?

[FanboyStranger]

Definitely Deadenders. It was a great series, and it's a shame that it only ran 15 issues. Stealing the Sun collects the first five issues, which introduces us to Beezer, his friends, and his world, but I think the book really started moving once Beezer takes to the road. (That seemed to be the technique at Vertigo in that period-- start off slow, then builld over the first year. Only 100 Bullets really found an audience that could sustain it.) I highly recommend you pick this up (and the remaining 10 issues). As stated before, the ending is a bit rushed, but it is still satisfying.

I didn't enjoy Dead Boy Detectives. It's not bad, per se, but I do not enjoy those characters at all. (Even an appearance by Hob Gadling, my favorite Sandman character couldn't save it for me.) I love Bryan Talbot's work, but I think he is so much better when he is working on his own projects.

[Libaax]

Good to know.

Plus i wasnt keen on reading characters that appeared in the Sandman when i dont know anything about Sandman or those since i havent read it.

[Sunrider]

Definitely Deadenders. It was a great series, and it's a shame that it only ran 15 issues. Stealing the Sun collects the first five issues, which introduces us to Beezer, his friends, and his world, but I think the book really started moving once Beezer takes to the road. (That seemed to be the technique at Vertigo in that period-- start off slow, then builld over the first year. Only 100 Bullets really found an audience that could sustain it.) I highly recommend you pick this up (and the remaining 10 issues). As stated before, the ending is a bit rushed, but it is still satisfying.

I didn't enjoy Dead Boy Detectives. It's not bad, per se, but I do not enjoy those characters at all. (Even an appearance by Hob Gadling, my favorite Sandman character couldn't save it for me.) I love Bryan Talbot's work, but I think he is so much better when he is working on his own projects.

I totally agree with this! I

[Dan Felty]

Lowlife gets a lot of love and put Brubaker on the map, but I've never read it. I think it's largely autobiographical.

The Fall is a very good ~50 page crime (but not noir) story with great art by Jason Lutes. It came out from Drawn and Quarterly in 2001 but doesn't seem to be in their online store. Be on the lookout for it in better cheap bins.

[FanboyStranger]

Lowlife gets a lot of love and put Brubaker on the map, but I've never read it. I think it's largely autobiographical.

The Fall is a very good ~50 page crime (but not noir) story with great art by Jason Lutes. It came out from Drawn and Quarterly in 2001 but doesn't seem to be in their online store. Be on the lookout for it in better cheap bins.

I can vouch for both of these books.

A Complete Lowlife is largely of the Pekar/Campbell autobiographical style, and it's remarkable in the sense that Brubaker paints himself in such an unsympathetic light. (I guess Joe Matt comes to mind as well.) Bru's cartooning is adequate, but you can see why he stuck to writing. I hold Eddie Campbell's Alec stories as the best in the autobiographical genre, and Lowlife never approaches those heights. That said, it's certainly worth picking up.

The Fall, on the other hand, is something every Bru fan must own. I think it's the best work he's ever done. (It certainly doesn't hurt that he's collaborating with Jason Lutes, another favorite of mine.)

[mgs]

Jill's Dead Boy Detectives book was awesome, if not sad.