I really enjoyed my conversation with Eddie DeAngelini on the podcast. I mentioned it on the show, but my first impression of Eddie came from my meeting him at SDCC. He was at the end of one of the Indie comic scavenger hunts going on there. I took a look at this comic I’m reviewing and I realized one thing about the book before I even read a page.
Eddie Deangelini loves his wife. He really does. Before I even read the book, I knew that his wife would be the subject of the comic and I was right, and you know what? It’s amazing.
The Book
Collectors Splendor #6
Written and Illustrated by Eddie Deangelini
Edited by Kristen Parraz
For the purposes of this review, this is the sixth issue of the series. I mention this because of the nature of the book. You do not need to read this series from the beginning as the book reads a lot more like a classic Saturday morning paper comic than a regular ongoing one.
Collectors Splendor is a love letter to comics. Eddie draws his wife and himself getting involved in the craziness of comic hijinks, whether it’s dressing up in costumes, the unbelievable cameos that Eddie goes into, or just the regular slice of lifeless with the book, collectors splendor is Eddie’s love letter to his greatest loves.
The first one is the love of comics and it’s everywhere. Even though a lot of the comic in issue six has the looming background of the pandemic around it, there are a lot of fun little stories. One of my favorites is the Did You Wear a Mask little skit with Eddie wearing his Spider-Man mask, but Kristen ducking out of his foolishness with a subtle comic about leaving your children at home. There’s lots of fun banter and self-deprecation about the hobby, that’s cleverly done. Eddie has a sharp wit and it comes out with practically every page of the book.
But the real secret to it is exactly what I predicted when I first saw the comic on his table. This comic is just as much about Ddie’s wife as it is the hobby and she is quietly the star of the book. Whether it’s talking about the latest episode of The Bachelor or just dealing with Eddie’s silliness, Kristen is the heart and soul of the book, and truly gives the book more than just gags, but a little substance as well.
The art is very much a classic style that you saw in your Saturday morning funnies. If you like Calvin and Hobbes or BC, the style will appeal to you. The best part is, that each issue is self-contained and features fun, touching, and endearing slice-of-life stories that are love letters to Eddie’s two greatest loves.
This is an amazing book, and super fun to read. Check it out if you can on the website, and you can read the latest strip there. If you love comics, you will love this book. If you love a love story, you’ll love this book too.
The Business
Since I last wrote, my interview with Brian Pulido has been out in the open. You can check stuff here at First Comics, but also on my Patreon page, as I have an interview with Brianna Winner out there already. More is coming, and fast.
Beyond that, I have a new series debuting next week on this YouTube channel. Healing Hands is a massage therapy education show hosted by Shelniel Bostic. Episode one drops this weekend, and there are clips up there. It’s fascinating stuff. Education how-tos are surprisingly fun to do, and this was no exception.
That will do this week. I have one more book from San Diego that I have to review, and it’s equally as awesome as the books I’ve covered so far. I hope you check it out next time.
All right guys, that’ll do it. Stay inspired out there.
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