What is better than Hark! A Vagrant? Why, a second collection of Kate Beaton comics, of course! There isn’t a whole lot to say that would be new from the first collection, but I am going to try my best. Forgive any squeeing I might do, because words don’t do this collection justice.
Beaton knows her audience well, and the hits keep coming. Bronte jokes, peasant jokes, revolutionaries, and feminist/suffragette panels abound. Beaton revives her Nancy Drew cover panels, which delighted me to no end. She also expands on her “Nemesis” story, which also delighted me. This time around, my favorite series was the panels on Ida B. Wells. They are funny, but also pointed and sharp. Wells did not receive her due in her lifetime, and I greatly appreciated reading about her life, writing, and activism.
I’m trying not to say too much without spoiling the fun for you, but definitely read the comics for yourself. This is a terrific continuation of Hark! A Vagrant. Beaton does not deviate from her formula but does give new material that is great fun and also thought-provoking. This is absolutely a terrific second entry in the series. I am looking forward to seeing what other books Ms. Beaton will come up with. I think that a takedown of more English writers is in order, especially since the Dickens humor is spot on. Personally, I would be okay with a lot more Jane Austen jokes, but that’s just me. Or Shakespeare humor—there is a wellspring of parody fun within the Shakespeare canon, and that would be wildly entertaining, in my opinion. Like I said, this is exactly my kind of nerdy fun, and I highly recommend it for other lovers of literature parodies and history.
Cross-posted to my blog.
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