‘Hey Kids! Comics! Vol. 2 #2: Prophets & Loss’ (review)

Written and Illustrated by Howard Chaykin
Published by Image Comics

This book is very good, but it is a little tough to review.

Writer and Illustrator Howard Chaykin is very good at what he does, but he packs a lot of story into each scene. I had to reread issue one to even follow what was happening here.

Not that it is a bad thing!

The story is very compelling so I didn’t mind.

This book doesn’t focus on comics but instead it focuses on the people who actually make them.

We get to see people working at the various comic book companies like Yankee Comics, GW Publications as well as Verve and others.

Part of the fun is figuring out who the various companies are in the real world. Part of the fun also is seeing how real comic book history is reflected in this book.

For example, the publication The Betrayal of Childhood by Martin Westgate MD is an obvious reference to Seduction of the Innocent and Fredric Wertham.

There is an incident that happens. We see that the people in charge of the books with all the money don’t even read the books. And even worse, there is a generation of fans coming into the industry to take over the reigns of the comics that they have worshiped.

The whole thing is very pointed and smart. There is no one like Chaykin and there never will be again. The story is intelligent and his artwork is still tremendous.

Everything he touches is pure gold to me and I am thankful that this book is coming out.

RATING: A