You can either write comic book reviews or you can write comic books, but you can't do both. Being a critic requires honesty, while being a comic book writer requires pretending to like everyone and everything they do. You shouldn't burn bridges as a comic book writer. However, a comic book critic must give a fair accounting of a book's merit... bridges be damned. Especially in comics, where everyone knows everyone, being a critic just isn't a wise course to making friends. I try my best to simply spotlight the comics I love. That said. I just read Adrian Tomine's SCENES FROM AN IMPENDING MARRIAGE. And I really want to give you a review of this book. Alas, I cannot. So instead, I'd like to share with you what the back of the book says:
You are cordially invited to witness the hilarious true story of one couple's long march to the altar. Best known for his cover illustrations for The New Yorker and for the critically-acclaimed graphic novel Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine now opens the pages of his private sketchbook to reveal a witty, intimate account of the heady months prior to getting married. Through a series of comic vignettes, Tomine captures the amusing, taxing, and often absurd process of planning a wedding, as well as the peculiar characters and situations that he and his fiancee encounter along the way. Filled with incisive humor, keen observations, and unabashed tenderness, Scenes from an Impending Marriage is a sweet-natured document of the little moments leading up to the big day.
Pretty nice, huh? Now, I would like to show you how I would edit this text to more accurately represent the book:
You are invited to witness the true story of one couple's long march to the altar. Best known for his cover illustrations for The New Yorker and for the critically-acclaimed graphic novel Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine now opens the pages of his private sketchbook to reveal an account of the months prior to getting married. Through a series of vignettes, Tomine captures the process of planning a wedding, as well as the characters and situations that he and his fiancee encounter along the way. Scenes from an Impending Marriage is a document of the little moments leading up to the big day.
Thank you.
