Top Ten Favorite Comic Stories #9: Stardust

Stardust has been released in several incarnations now, including a novel and a mediocre movie.  I highly recommend the original though.  Not a pure comic book or a pure prose work it is a fascinating mixture of text and illustration that uses whatever medium is most appropriate to tell the story at that moment.

I'll never forget the first shot of the faerie marketplace.  After several pages of primarily prose with a few illustrations Duncan steps into the market place and right into an amazing double-page spread.  I point to that scene alone as an example of what true masters of comics medium can accomplish.

In many ways Stardust is a "perfect storm" of writing and art.  Neil Gaiman's writing has a faerie tale quality to it even when he is not writing one.  Similarly, Charles Vess' art captures both the beauty and horror of the land beyond Wall so vividly that you would swear he has visited it personally.  Together they have made a truly memorable and unique work of art.

Come back tomorrow for #8 on my Top Ten Favorite Comic Stories.