GRATEFUL DEAD: ORIGINS:
Recap
Welcome to Shakedown Street. Where the parking lot opens 3 hours before the show and there’s a distinctive smell in the air.
Review
The Grateful Dead are one of the most iconic names/brands/bands that ever plugged into a stack of Marshalls. Very few musical acts regardless of genre can enjoy the fact that just as many people have heard of them but don’t listen to them as those that do. From the colorful dancing bears, Jerry Garcia’s 4 and a half finger imprint, to the unmistakable Steal Your Face logo, at some point in time, you have run across and interacted with a Deadhead. Relax, we don’t bite. Why the fanaticism? Simply put, and to quote the late, great, Bill Graham, “They’re not the best at what they do, they’re the only ones that do what they do.”
I met Chris Miskiewicz at Baltimore Comic-Con last year. I glanced lazily down at the goods he was peddling, saw a small handmade sign that simply said “great for chopping up your favorite strain” and lo and behold, there it was. Grateful Dead: Origins from Z2 comics. Written by Miskiewicz and illustrated by Noah Van Sciver. I’m very familiar, or at least I thought I was with Z2 Comics. How this flew under my radar is beyond me. I might as well turn in my bootlegs of Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Band. We exchanged some small talk about comics, and then the Dead. Without hesitation, a purchase was made!
Origins is for the fans, from the fans. While Van Schiver’s low-key artistic style keeps perfect time with Miskiewicz’s story-telling that hits like a Darkstar>Drums>Space>Darkstar at the Fillmore. Now, much like Batman’s origin story, we’ve heard it. We’ve heard it told many times from many different voices. The difference being is how that story is told. I adore how you seem to be transported into the story with ease and comfort. For the OG Deadheads, this is just another day talking about the Grateful Dead. For those that may not know a whole lot about how the band got started, this is a brilliant launchpad. The flashbacks are easy to navigate and overall the book does a fantastic job at keeping it simple, fun, and about the Grateful Dead and does not get pretentious as some Dead documentaries can be. Grateful Dead: Origins is so well done, even if you don’t like the Grateful Dead, this still succeeds as a great comic and deserves a spot on your shelf.
Final Thoughts
Is this review extremely low-hanging fruit for me? Am I writing this review while listening to a stellar “Loser” from May 19, 1977, at the Fox Theater? Yes, yes I am. The Grateful Dead means different things to different people. This book starts that explanation, and as a fan of both the band and this book. I hope that Miskiewicz and Van Sciver come out for a second set and finish The Greatest Story Ever Told.
GRATEFUL DEAD: ORIGINS: What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10