Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert, by Scott Adams, hardcover in slipcase, 576 pages, 13.5 x 10.5 x 2 inches, 9 pounds, Andrews McMeel Publishing, list price: $85.00
The spirited folks at Andrews McMeel have a thing for the funnies. Their past stabs at comic collections have included the meaty and exemplary The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (2005) and The Complete Far Side (2003). Actually, an exasperated white-color guy like Dilbert would appreciate McMeel's corporate zeal and dedication to quality — nearly 2,000 of Adams' strips are immaculately reproduced here, with running commentary from Adams himself. The artist and his sparely-drawn strip have taken knocks over the years, but Dilbert's piercing take on corporate life far outdates revered parodies like The Office and Office Space, and some whiny critic wouldn't be the first dolt Dilbert encountered in his long, long career.
While we're on the subject of comics, this year saw the release of at least a dozen stellar compilations and reissues. Among them, The Best American Comics 2008 (edited by Lynda Barry, Houghton Mifflin, list price: $22.00); Jules Feiffer's Explainers: The Complete Village Voice Strips (1956-1966) (Fantagraphics, list price: $28.95); and the vibrant An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons & True Stories (edited by Ivan Brunetti, Yale University Press, list price: $28.00).
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