Ink, Max – Blink: So Far

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Blink: So Far

I’m never entirely sure what to talk about in collected editions of comics that I’ve already reviewed individually. It’s a good chance to update Max’s contact information anyway, so there’s that. This collection seems to cover Blink #1-4 (but maybe not every bit of them), and some of the newer stuff isn’t included, like his “FYI: IDK” mini, which is sorely missed. But some newer stuff IS included, so this is essentially an entirely new book and I’ll go with that. Either way, a collection like this is a good chance to revisit older stuff and see both how it holds up and how it holds together as a cohesive whole. Well, Blink defies the latter kind of analysis because it’s a series of moments and conversations, not the entirety of a depicted life. I’ve always loved the fact that this is a comic about three people in Columbus (two girls and a guy, although mostly about the two girls for this collection) and we’re not bombarded with relationship nonsense or much in the way of serious drama. These are mostly the moments between those bigger moments, and I’m glad that Max has spent a good chunk of his last 7 years pointing those moments out. As for how it holds up, it holds up pretty damned well. The earliest pages show that he’s improved in the years since, but it’s not like he was terrible even back then. And if you haven’t read any of his individual issues of Blink, you’ve finally waited long enough to have most of it in one collection (although I’d still recommend finding the uncollected minis). Stories in here include stopping to enjoy a moment on a playground during a nice day, Sam bouncing crossword clues off Blink (even though Blink is terrible at it, their back and forth seems to lead Sam to the right answers), Sam talking Blink through some writing anxiety, Blink playing in the snow to avoid dealing with said writing problems, the two of them going to a poetry reading (although all we see is them talking about with a punchline from an observed conversation, which again perfectly sums up the charm of the book), the two of them staring at the stars and talking, a conversation around a campfire with the three of them, and Hank and Blink talking about Hank’s fear of lightning. The biggest story here is also probably my favorite, as Sam meets Hank for the first time and takes him to task for not understanding the blues. The back of the book says that this is a book about the three of them, but really it’s about the two ladies and their friendship. No big space battles, no mutants of any kinds (although those squirrels were making some very strange noises, so no guarantees), just regular old solid conversations. And images of Columbus spread out throughout the pieces, which tied it all together. I liked the minis, so of course I like the collection too, but people who haven’t read it yet should definitely give it a try. Or hell, even if you have read them and just want a nicer edition for your bookshelf. $10