UniversalTigerKingdom: Unicorn Crossing

2016 and 2017 have been big years for the graphic novel in our house.

My path into comic books was courtesy of singer Claudio Sanchez (of Coheed and Cambria) who happened to record a song for one of the Arkham video games: “Deranged.” Asking, “Who will be your pretty little enemy?” and claiming “there is no you [Batman] without me [the Joker],” Sanchez’s lyrics reminded me how taken I had been with the Joker (especially as voiced by Mark Hamill in the Batman cartoons).

Never one to do things by halves, I began investigating Joker’s place in literature, eventually reading The Further Adventures of the Joker – Martin H. Greenberg, The Joker: a visual history – Dennis O’Neil, et al., The Man Who Laughs – Ed Brubaker, The Devil’s Advocate – Chuck Dixon, and, of course, The Killing Joke – Alan Moore.I started subscribing to Batman comics just as the “Death of a Family” arc was published. A Joker whose very pupils speak of his love for Batman? It felt written just for me!

Not only did the husband and I start checking out new titles, my sister made “being more well-versed in comics” one of her New Year’s resolutions. She brought me some of the titles she had finished and Phoebe and Her Unicorn was among them. I didn’t have high hopes at first; I thought that I was probably too old for the glittering unicorn cover.

Then I read the introduction by Peter S. Beagle; The Last Unicorn is one of my oldest inspirations. If Beagle could put in a good word, then I could get past some glitter. I read Phoebe and I was hooked. There’s plenty of humor for an adult audience to appreciate - and maybe we all need a glittery cover now and then. The comparisons that others have made between Phoebe and Calvin and Hobbes are apt. Phoebe definitely channels some of the wisdom and flavor of Calvin and Hobbes. It is also clearly made for present day, with cell phones playing their part!