Once in a while I stumble upon a comic creator that is so good at what they do that it’s very difficult not to obsess over them for a good long while. This has happened to me in the past with Garth Ennis, Robert Kirkman, Jay Faerber, and now it’s happening again with Jonathan Hickman. My initial experience with his creations was through the first issue of Transhuman that I pulled on a lark because the idea of a mockumentary comic sounded novel and the cover was interesting. Now I simply cannot get enough of this man’s work, and that’s unfortunate since most of it – including Transhuman as well as A Red Mass For Mars – has been heavily delayed.

Jonathan Hickman has completed one mini series so far, however, called The Nightly News. The original 6 issues first shipped between November of 2006 and July of 2007. Unfortunately, I was late to the party and didn’t find out about the book until I visited Hickman’s website, but I immediately put in an order for the trade paperback. It arrived this week.

The Nightly News is what I would describe as a thriller/conspiracy/mystery graphic novel about corporate media and one group’s desire to see it crumble by any means necessary. I have just finished reading for the second time since Wednesday, and The Nightly News is what I wish all comics could be. It’s daring, beautiful, artistically acute, intelligent, honest, and it defies convention. Every page is memorable. There is no filler. I apologize for gushing, but I really couldn’t get through this post without it and to expand on the plot would be to do a disservice to your experience with it.

I cannot recommend The Nightly News enough if you are somebody looking for a breath of fresh air from their comics. Or maybe you just enjoy a good conspiracy story; you won’t be disappointed. Really, it’s worth buying for the artwork alone. Be aware that it is intended for mature readers, however. You can probably find it at your local comic shop. Failing that, it’s currently available from SciFi Genre.