Got this a present from a friend (who is much more thoughtful than I could ever hope to be) and thoroughly enjoyed it. You definitely need to have read kavalier and clay to derive any enjoyment from the book. The main aspect I did not like about the book was that for a fictitious set of comics, the comics were loosely related to the author and contributor notes that preceded them.

A cute companion volume of “found” comics “history” invented by Michael Chabon to go with The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It’s okay, and some of the artwork is worth a look (Bill Sienkiewicz's in particular), but it doesn’t add much to the novel or amount to anything more than a bunch of amusing one-off comic book stories. In between the comics, there are short essays trying to construct a history of the Escapist comics (modeled on the history of superhero comics). But I didn’t feel like most of the artists or writers involved worked particularly hard to make their comics feel like artifacts of their supposed time periods, which really undercuts the whole premise.

I thought I would enjoy this more than I did, having found Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay amazing in every way. However, Chabon's only involvement here is the introduction, after which a number of artists and writers present stories of the Escapist, the hero written and drawn by Chabon's eponymous duo. The trouble seems to be that the stories here are all so brief, none has the time to develop anything more than the most obvious plot. The parts I enjoyed most were the essays written--including one by novelist Glen David Gold, author of Carter Beats the Devil-- about the character and the history of the fictional publishing company that presented the Escapist stories; these essays are written as if the company, Empire Comics, and the Escapist comic book had actually existed, a conceit that's pulled off well in each case.

I liked reading this book. It told the story of a man who gained his fathers special ability, as an "Escapist" so to speak. It was interesting because it showed me a different world, like any other comics. The ability to do many magic tricks that are crazy. I liked the different scenes throughout the book, because it showed a different trick in each one. it is a good book to read if you are into superheros and comics, but i would recommend it to anyone.

A really fun extra to Kavalier and Klay.

When I say that the best thing about this book is the back cover, that is not as harsh as it sounds. The back cover art (and copy), by the amazing Chris Ware is a vital and wonderful commentary on the original Kavalier & Clay novel by Michael Chabon, as well as the kooky world of comic book advertising in days gone by. The interior material is fun, but nearly as good as the (imaginary) material hinted at in Chabon's novel. For that, you need to go to the later volumes in the series.

I love read this book and not because its a comic. This comic is about a man and his role is an escapist where he fights villains and then escapes. He has this key that unlocks everything. There are different section in the book with different plots and different characters and also different style of art. My favorite story is the 1st one where it introduces the key that unlocks everything. Another favorite story is about a woman who goes into a book and saves her boyfriend from the devil. I like this story because it was very interesting and its nice to read through the point of view of a woman.

Graphic novel. It is okay, but not necessarily my taste. It is good for a light read, but not nearly as interesting as his regular novels and short stories.

Amusing, well done, but I have a hard time getting into this series...it is so fragmented, that it is difficult to sink your teeth into.

A fun addition to an interesting story.

Michael Chabon and collaborators have some fun with The Escapist, the character he invented for Kavalier & Klay. K&K, I thought, was brilliant; The Escapist is a playful footnote, a real treat for comics fans in the way it plays with the Escapist character in all his different possible incarnations. it's rendered as a series of Escapist comic books from over the years, each from a different era, all mashed together in an imaginary anthology. The artists and writers have a field day recreating possible pasts for a fictional fiction, in drawing styles and story lines that mirror aesthetic trends in comics as well as changes in the wider culture.

This is a fantastic companion piece to Kavalier and Clay. I appreciated the presentation as a collection of Escapist comics throughout history and how each represents a different style and era. It was interesting because I just read a lot about comic book history in the Buffy Monsters book so there was some familiarity there. Overall, it's amazing to me how much can be packed into a very short comic. Bravo to Chabon and all the contributors. I hope the other collections are just as meaningful.