Graphic Novel Resources

Happy 55th Birthday, Frank Miller!

2012-01-27T12:00:00.006-05:00

Frank Miller has become a lightning rod lately because of his incendiary comments about the Occupy Movement in the US, and he is probably best known now for his comics works turned blockbuster movies Sin City and 300.

Miller has been closely related to two large comics properties, Daredevil and Batman, and his work on both characters has been seen widely as being definitive and noteworthy. He created and introduced the character Elektra into Daredevil's stories and wrote crime drama type stories that reinvigorated the series into one of Marvel's top titles. Two collaborations with artist David Mazzucchelli, Daredevil: Born Again and Batman: Year One, are considered modern classics and are perennial bestsellers.

His comics work is also notable because he was one of the first mainstream American artists to draw on Japanese influences in his work, from the martial arts and ninja stories in Daredevil to the manga style of his limited series Ronin, a dystopian future story about a reincarnated samurai warrior. Another of his miniseries for DC, The Dark Knight Returns, chronicles the adventures of an older, broken down Batman and was pivotal in a movement towards more realistic and grim American superhero comics.

Miller parlayed his comics work to Hollywood, where he worked on movies such as the sequels Robocop 2 and 3. After disillusionment with these films, Miller returned to comics working on creator-owned properties such as Give Me Liberty, another dystopian future series starring Martha Washington, the noir influenced Sin City, and the epic 300 that adapted the story of the Spartans' stand at Thermopylae. Most recently, he published Holy Terror, a controversial and bombastic Batmanesque superhero story where the protagonist goes up against Al Qaeda.

In recent years, Miller was lured back to Hollywood where he co-directed the adaptation of his Sin City stories and also had great input on the 300 movie. Both films lean heavily on Miller's artistic style and are very closely linked visually to the comics. Miller went on to write and direct an adaptation of the classic Will Eisner character The Spirit, but that movie was not very well received. Currently he is is working on a Sin City sequel.

A multiple Eisner, Kirby, and Harvey Award winning creator, Frank Miller's influence on American comics has been great. Furthermore, his current work continues to entertain and rankle many readers and viewers.

The Silence of Our Friends

2012-01-25T12:00:00.010-05:00

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

These words from the late Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are used in the title of this gripping graphic novel. It is a memoir set in 1967 in Houston, Texas during a contentious time. Author Mark Long lived in a white suburb at the time, and his father was a news reporter for a local television station who endeavored to cover heated, often violent civil rights protests. During one such protest a policeman is shot and killed and 5 seemingly innocent black college students are arrested and tried with murder.

Racist thought was prevalent everywhere at the time, it seems, in suburban and urban neighborhoods as well as in the TV station management. They show that everyone, regardless of what side of town they live in, deals with racist thoughts and seems afraid, suspicious, and ready to react. Mark's father tries to extend a hand of friendship to a local black writer/professor, but easy answers and solutions do not follow.

This graphic novel is a collaboration between Mark Long, Jim Demonakos, and artist Nate Powell. Long is a video game designer and author who is known for his work for Zombie Studios and the Shrapnel series of graphic novels. Demonakos speaks about his work in this interview, and he is the Convention Director of Seattle's Emerald City Comicon, founder of The Comic Stop retail chain, and songwriting half of the nerd rock band Kirby Krackle. Nate Powell is an Eisner Award winning artist and writer whose Swallow Me Whole won Best New Graphic Novel in 2009.

Thus far, this book has been very well reviewed. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and wrote, "This graphic novel presents an engrossing narrative about race in America, while honestly dealing with a host of other real-world issues, including familial relationships, friendship, dependency, “other”-ness, and perhaps most importantly, the search for common ground." Librarian Jen Bigheart commented on Powell's excellent, evocative artwork and wrote that after reading the book she "was a little blown away for a few minutes."

There are multiple previews of this book available online. One is from Publishers Weekly. Another is at the book's official website. The book's publisher First Second provides another here.

YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for 2012

2012-01-24T11:30:00.002-05:00

Click this link to see the 56 titles from 78 official nominations that the American Library Association has suggested for readers age 12-18. Impressively, they have included a broad range of titles from many genres.

Among the titles recognized are ones reviewed on this blog: Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory, Feynman, Zahra’s Paradise, Anya’s Ghost, Thor: The Mighty Avenger Volume 1, Americus, and Morning Glories Volume 1.

There is a separate link to the Young Adult Library Services Association annual Top 10 list.

Congratulations to all whose works were included!

The Merchant of Venice

2012-01-20T12:05:00.011-05:00

One of William Shakespeare's better known "comedies," The Merchant of Venice follows storylines involving romance, commerce, and racial discrimination. Antonio is the merchant from the title and he borrows money from the Jew Shylock, a stock villain portrayed in an Antisemitic manner. Antonio lends some of the money to his friend Bassanio who wants to marry the rich, beautiful, and clever Portia. In the interim, Shylock's daughter Jessica elopes with a Christian. When news of shipwrecks seem to threaten Antonio's fortune, the persecuted and wronged Shylock seeks to take his debt from Antonio in the form of a pound of flesh. The play's resolution plays out in typical Shakespearean fashion, through cross-dressing, a trial, and a few major speeches.

This adaptation was done by Gareth Hinds, who has a number of other beautiful adaptations under his belt, including Beowulf, King Lear, and The Odyssey. He chose to set this story in a more modern Venice and included a handy key for the characters up front to help readers out. He modernized the language a bit, though not on the major speeches, and he did a great job of not playing up to stereotypical depictions for theatrical effect. This adaptation retains a lot of ambiguity about personal relations and social dynamics to spark good discussion and inspire thought.

Nominated by YALSA as a Great Graphic Novel for Teens in 2009, this book has been praised widely. Kirkus Reviews called it "a captivating, smartly executed work." The Graphic Classroom's Michael Schofield wrote that Hinds' "attention to the original work and his artistry is just top notch." Publishers Weekly concluded that it was "an intriguing adaptation." From a slightly contrary position, Ladyrhian wished more of the original language appeared in the early portions of the book but still recommended it.

This graphic adaptation was first published by Candlewick Press. A preview is available from Random House. A few more preview pages are available here from Hinds' website.

J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography

2012-01-15T12:00:00.005-05:00

J. Edgar Hoover was one of the largest public figures in the United States during the 20th century. The founding director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hoover was responsible for growing the FBI from a small, largely ineffective group to a monolithic organization with advanced crime-fighting methods, one of the strongest governmental agencies there is. This graphic biography traces his life from childhood, through his days fighting gangsters and organized crime, busting communist activities, and engaging in wire-tapping and other questionable surveillance techniques on notable public figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The portrait Geary paints here of Hoover is an intricate one, full of nuance and ambiguity. This was a fascinating read about a complex and controversial man.

This graphic biography was written and drawn by Rick Geary, a prolific, well regarded, and veteran comics artist who has produced numerous graphic novels, including a series about Victorian era murders. He received the 1980 Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic Convention and the 1994 Book and Magazine Illustration Award from the National Cartoonists Society. Although he lacks the level of fame some other graphic novelists enjoy, he is considered a master by his peers. Geary provides a level of historical and artistic accuracy that sets him apart from the pack.

Reviews of this work, which is a counterpart in many ways to Geary's Trotsky biography, have been largely positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "as solid, thrilling and informative a guide to the life of the America’s most powerful authoritarian as one could ask for." John Seven wrote that with this book "Geary has been given another opportunity to shine doing what he does best," namely exposing the abuses perpetrated by overly powerful authorities. Andrew Wheeler was impressed by the art and how well the story was meshed with facts, stating that he "can’t think of any other cartoonist who could have done as good a job with this material."

A truncated preview is available here from the book's publisher Hill & Wang.

Suspended in Language: Niels Bohr's life, discoveries, and the century he shaped

2012-01-10T12:00:00.007-05:00

One of the most influential and important scientists of the 20th century, Niels Bohr won the 1922 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on determining the structure of atoms and went on to lay out important ideas in the conception of quantum mechanics. His model of electron orbits, although not technically correct, still is used to teach elementary chemistry and physics. This graphic biography follows Neils over his life, from his days as a fumbling doctoral student to his career as a professor and mentor to some of the most important scientists of the day. Many of the scientists who went his institute won Nobel Prizes of their own.

Also, this book details the harrowing days when he was held under house arrest by Nazis and eventually escaped to the US where he worked on the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. It also follows his many efforts to redirect the course of political action regarding the development of nuclear weapons. In the course of this book some of his most important theories and discoveries are illustrated and explained. His influence is still felt in the field of physics, and his name lives on via the prestigious Neils Bohr Institute in his native Denmark.

Suspended in Language is the product of Jim Ottaviani, Leland Purvis, and a host of other contributors. Ottaviani is a librarian and ex-nuclear engineer who has written a shelf-full of science themed graphic novels. Purvis is an artist known for his work on various webcomics and the Resistance series of graphic novels published by First Second. The other artists illustrate a number of back-matter comics that shed further light on Bohr's life and work.

This graphic biography has been generally well received, even by non-physicists. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that she appreciated the "playful tone" of the book and also that "one can’t read this book without being affected." Rick the Internet Librarian commented that although this book is not an easy read it is "a good introduction to a major twentieth century scientist and the world he helped create." Time Magazine's Andrew Arnold called the book both "educational and entertaining."

A preview and more information are available here from the book's publisher G.T. Labs.

Trotsky: A Graphic Biography

2012-01-05T12:00:00.008-05:00

Before he famously died at the hands of an icepick-wielding assassin, Leon Trotsky became synonymous with communism,the rise of the Soviet Union, and the escalation of the Cold War. This graphic biography details his work as a propagandist, writer, revolutionary, and leader of the Red Army. It also chronicles Trotsky's often rocky relationship with Lenin and the long and bumpy road that led to the establishment and government of the Soviet Union. In the end, his presence offended and threatened Stalin, leading to his doom.

Trotsky is the creation of Rick Geary, a prolific, well regarded, and long working comics artist who has produced a good number of historical graphic novels, including a number of books about Victorian era murders. Considered a master by his peers, he received the 1980 Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic Convention and the 1994 Book and Magazine Illustration Award from the National Cartoonists Society. Geary provides a level of historical and artistic accuracy that sets him apart from other graphic novelists.

Unlike the contentious figure Trotsky cut, most reviewers agree on the worth of this graphic biography. In the course of a longer review of literature on Trotsky, the International Socialist Review's Paul Le Blanc called this book "simple, slender, remarkable." Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow commented that although it cannot cover everything and it suffers from a lack of Trotsky's own writing, this book does his story and thinking "great justice." John Hogan wrote that it "works wonderfully" as an introduction to Trotsky, adding that Geary "stays mostly impartial, presenting just the facts of Trotsky’s life along with his layered artwork." The Comics Journal's Marc Sobel was more critical, noting that those looking for a quick read or great artwork would be well served, "but for readers interested in delving deeper and getting to know what kind of man Trotsky was, this graphic biography has little to offer."

Trotsky was published by Hill and Wang. I could not locate any excerpt online, but there are a couple of representative panels from the book in this review by Elizabeth Hewitt.

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation

2011-12-30T12:00:00.007-05:00

Published 10 years after the terrorist attacks that forever altered the US, The 9/11 Report graphic novel boils down the 800 page official report into a book 85% shorter. This graphic novel treats the events of 9/11 and their aftermath in a measured manner, not sensationalizing the violence nor boiling down the issues simplistically. It represents the key figures involved, both domestic and abroad, traces the history of various US agencies as well as the rise of Al Qaeda, and also depicts the steps and recommendations made to ensure such an attack never happens again.

This graphic novel is the product of Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, two veteran comics creators. Their first collaborations occurred during the 1960s at Harvey Comics where Jacobson was an editor and Colon was an aspiring comics artist. They worked on such characters as Casper the Friendly the Ghost and Richie Rich (whom Jacobson played some role in creating). Jacobson has also worked at Marvel Comics, and Colon has produced notable works at both DC and Marvel. Today the duo work on more serious, realistic graphic novels, such as graphic biographies of Vlad the Impaler and Che Guevara. They speak about their work on this graphic adaptation in this NPR interview.

Reviews for this graphic adaptation range widely. David Abrams called the book "gripping, informative and heartbreaking." On the back cover, no less an authority on comics than Stan Lee gushed, "I cannot recommend it too highly." Hilary Goldstein found the book had flaws but still concluded that either in its original or graphic novel form, this report was "essential reading for all Americans." Offering a negative view, Katherine Dacey found the interplay of images and words ineffective and the end product a "dense, confusing gloss on the Commission’s work that I found harder to read than the actual prose report."

The 9/11 Report graphic novel was published by Hill and Wang. They have various video and audio resources as well as a Teacher's Guide available here. The first chapter is excerpted by Slate Magazine here.

For those interested in the topic, Jacobson and Colon have also produced a sequel to this book, After 9/11.

Happy 89th Birthday, Stan Lee!

2011-12-28T12:00:00.011-05:00

Face Front, True Believer!

Stan Lee is one of the most recognizable comics creators ever. His name is synonymous with Marvel Comics and he has been an iconic figure for 50 years, promoting comic books and himself in many venues.

The man who was born Stanley Lieber did not begin his comics career auspiciously. He was hired as an assistant at Timely Comics as a favor to his uncle. There, he did odd jobs and provided text pieces for comic books. Saving his real name for the novel he one day was going to write, he chose the pseudonym Stan Lee. He kept moving up in the field, writing back-up stories, main stories, editing and even becoming the art director. He wrote all kinds of stories for Atlas Comics (the company that followed Timely), romances, westerns, monsters, science fiction, depending on what the latest comic fad was. Finally, he felt like he was burned out and at the end of his rope, just churning out trite stories. When his wife told him to write some stories the way he wanted to, because he was going to soon quit any way, he followed her advice and started a sensation.

The first series he wrote in his manner was The Fantastic Four, co-created with Jack Kirby. A melange of superhero and monster comics, the FF featured characters that argued, had flaws, and behaved more humanly than the typical superhero of the day. The success of the series drove Lee to move in the same direction with other titles and soon enough some of the most recognized superheroes ever, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, the X-Men, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and the Avengers, proliferated. The Marvel Age of comics had begun.

Marvel courted all types of fans, created fan clubs (F.O.O.M. and M.M.M.S.), and forged an identity (somewhat overblown) as a jocular and tightly knit group of creators. The company became a major player in the comics business, competing with and eventually overtaking long-time dominant force DC Comics. Lee was head writer, then editor-in-chief, then publisher, and then he decided to move out to the west coast to oversee and promote Marvel Comics properties being translated into different media. Lee's public persona was to be the ringleader/cheerleader of the company. All the while Marvel Comics still came out bearing the intro phrase "Stan Lee Proudly Presents."

This byline was controversial in part because of an ongoing dispute over how big a role Lee had in creating the Marvel characters. Lee has not been shy about claiming sole creatorship and has even been erroneously credited with creating Captain America, who was the product of Joe Simon and Kirby, though he quickly corrects those who make the error. Jack Kirby, and now his heirs, have long contended that he had as much or more of a role in creating some characters. For many years relations between the two former collaborators were frosty at best, with Kirby famously parodying Lee's bombastic personality as the villainous con-man Funky Flashman.

Today, Lee is an established ambassador of comic books. He still is associated with Marvel but also has side projects such as POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) and the now defunct Stan Lee Media. Additionally, he hosts the reality show Who Wants to Be a Superhero? and makes cameos in just about every Marvel Comics movie adaptation.

'Nuff Said!

Excelsior!

The Green River Killer: A True Detective Story

2011-12-25T12:00:00.002-05:00

A real life crime story, The Green River Killer is an intimate account of a decades long effort to find and bring to justice a serial murderer in the Seattle, Washington area. The author Jeff Jensen's father was one of the lead detectives on the case so he has access to the inner workings of what went on. This graphic novel gives two accounts, one of Detective Tom Jensen, who at one point was the only person assigned to the case, and the other of Gary Leon Ridgway, a very troubled man who later admitted to killing at least fifty women between 1982 and 2003. This book is compelling and powerful though not lurid or overly graphic, despite its subject matter. It delves in to the interplay between the killer and detectives as they all search for answers for these brutal, senseless killings.

This graphic novel is a collaboration between Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case. Jensen is a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly. Jensen wrote about his reasons and intentions for writing the book in this blog entry at Dark Horse. He speaks more about his working on the book with his father in this interview. Jonathan Case is an illustrator and member of the Periscope Studio based in Portland, Oregon. 2011 has been a big year for him, with the publication of this book as well as his well-received graphic novel debut Dear Creature. Case speaks about his process in creating this book here in this blog entry.

The Green River Killer has already received a good number of accolades, appearing on Amazon's, The New York Times', and USA Today's Best of 2011 lists. As could be expected, most reviews have been largely positive. Val Victory wrote that it was a "great read, and I highly recommend it for those who love detective stories and thrillers alike." Jeff Baker called the book "contemporary and timeless." Athira commented that it was "very thought-provoking and well-done," and continued, "It had the right amount of mystery, intrigue, and humanity added to the illustration."

A preview is available here from the book's publisher Dark Horse.

Superman: Red Son

2011-12-20T11:30:00.012-05:00

Originally published as a 3 issue series under DC Comics' Elseworlds imprint, Red Son reimagines Superman, the defender of truth, justice, and the American way, as a hero of the Soviet Union. Instead of landing in the American Midwest, Superman's rocket lands in a communal farm in 1938 and he grows up to become a hero who fights for "Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact." Superman's presence and support for the eastern bloc countries radically changes history and the outcome of the Cold War. The US sees the great disparity in power and seeks balance by funding its greatest scientist Lex Luthor to combat the superhuman communist. In the course of this conflict, Lex creates versions of some of Superman's greatest foes, including Bizarro, Metallo, and the Parasite.

Red Son also casts different roles and personas for DC's classic characters, including Wonder Woman, who is an ally from Paradise Island who seeks to promote Superman's mission of a world-wide socialist state, and a Batman who emerges to overthrow the social order. Brainiac appears and attacks the Soviet Union only to be repurposed in an interesting way. Lois Lane still works for the Daily Planet and meets Superman, but only long after she has been married to Luthor. A few other characters are conspicuously missing but play a role in the eventual climax of the story.

This story was conceived and written by Mark Millar, a Scottish comic book writer who has left a big mark on modern comic books and movies. His The Ultimates series has shaped the tenor and tone of almost all the Marvel Comics movie adaptations of Avengers characters, and his work on The Authority and Civil War combined contemporary events and superhero stories. Additionally, he has done creator owned works such as Wanted and Kick Ass, which have been successful as movie adaptations. The art was rendered by Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett.

Reviews of this graphic novel have been mostly positive. The Guardian's David Thomson called the book "a charming and potent work." The Daily Raider's reviewer Nixon wrote that "Red Son falls in the rare category of comics good enough that anyone should be able to pick up and enjoy." Nicholas Demers found some faults with Millar's storytelling but finally admitted that the book "was fun, occasionally clever, and had lots of nice visuals and cool fight scenes."

This collection is published by DC Comics. A preview is available at Amazon.com.

Kill Shakespeare, Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles

2011-12-15T12:00:00.007-05:00

This graphic novel is a creative mash-up of Shakespeare's plays that forms a fantastical and compelling narrative. The action begins at the point in The Tragedy of Hamlet when Prince Hamlet is exiled to England. A pirate attack and nautical accident leaves him washed up on the shores of England where he is taken in by Richard III. The English king is forming an alliance with MacBeth and Iago in order to find the sorcerer William Shakespeare and take his magical quill that defines reality, and Hamlet is prophesied to be the only one capable of tracking down the wizard. As the famously indecisive prince ponders whether or not to trust this monarch the situation is complicated by the appearance of another faction, made up of Juliet, Othello, and Falstaff.

References, quotations, puns, and characters from the bard's many works appear throughout this book, and it is clearly a labor of love from a trio of Shakespeare aficionados. Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery created the concept and write the series. Andy Belanger provides the art, which is energetic and expressive. More information about these creators can be found at the book's official site. This interview with the book's writers also sheds more light on the story's creation and direction.

All of the reviews I have read about the book have been full of praise. Fangoria's Jorge Solis concluded that this book is a "freshly original graphic novel" and "a highly enjoyable adventure." iFanboy's Ryan Haupt commented positively on the books deft combination of characterization, plot, and action. Mind Over Media called it a "fantastic little book" that "would make Shakespeare himself proud."

Kill Shakespeare began as a 12-issue limited series in 2010 and just reached completion. This collection contains the first half of the story. More information about the series, including previews and a trailer, is available here from the book's publisher IDW.

The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation

2011-12-10T12:00:00.003-05:00

This graphic novel does three things extremely well: It explains the various parts of the US Constitution, places it in historical context, and also discusses ongoing contemporary controversies and issues. A wonderful tour through the British colonial period of the Thirteen Colonies foregrounds the path the US would take in founding its government until the present day, and the book's creators obviously have a love for depicting and explaining diverse periods of American history. They highlight key figures such as Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, and James Madison as well as shed light on pivotal incidents such as Shay's Rebellion, the Missouri Compromise, and the Civil War. Additionally, they explicate each amendment and provide concrete examples and scenarios as well. Most impressively, they cover a wide swath of government and history while providing several sides to contentious topics.

Writer Jonathan Hennessey and artist Aaron McConnell collaborated to make a lively narrative that is chock full of facts and never boring. Hennessey is a veteran in film and television production, and McConnell is a member of Periscope Studio. He has worked on other nonfiction graphic novels including Forward 54th!.

The reviews I have seen for this book have been mostly positive. John Seven gushed that "the adaptation is a perfect way for kids to view the Constitution as a living document by showing it alive — and it’s not bad for reminding us older folks of the exact same thing." Charles Moss wrote, "The writing and illustrations are simple yet effective in bringing understanding to some of the most misunderstood U.S. laws." Educator Pete Hammer finds much good in the book advises readers to check out "this graphic presentation that explains the Constitution in modern English."

A trailer, preview, study guide and more resources are available here from the book's publisher Hill and Wang.

Chicken with Plums

2011-12-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

Chicken and Plums (Poulet aux Prunes, in French) chronicles the last eight days of Nasser Ali Khan, a masterful musician who loses the will to live when his choice tar, a musical instrument, is broken. Unable to find a suitable replacement, all music becomes sour to him. He falls into a depression and will not leave his room or eat. His family tries to intercede on his behalf, but he responds very differently to them than they'd like. Even though the main character is extremely egotistical, this tale is quite magical and evocative at times, almost like a fairy tale. Over the course of this book Satrapi interweaves dream-like sequences, flashbacks, and other stories quite expertly. I was very much affected by the narrative.

This is the fourth graphic novel published in the US from Marjane Satrapi. She is a graphic novelist and movie maker who is famous for her autobiographical works and also ones that focus on her family. This work focuses on her great-uncle, whom she learned about from old photographs. She talks about the making this book and its recently released movie version in this interview.

As with Satrapi's other works, the reviews of this graphic novel have been very positive. Danica Davidson wrote, "In a mere 84 pages, Satrapi gives something heartfelt and unique that can keep a reader thinking about it long after turning its last page." Carol Siegfried called the book "very powerful" and noted that "the stark black and white images are very evocative, despite their simplicity." Leroy Douresseaux gushed that "Satrapi’s ability to both engage us with the familiar and enthrall us with something different is the mark of an exceptional, special comic book storyteller."

Chicken with Plums is published in the US by Pantheon. A sizable preview is available from The Virginia Quarterly Review.

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

2011-11-30T11:53:00.003-05:00

This second volume of Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical tale focuses on her adolescence and young adulthood. After being sent to Vienna to study, she tries to find her place in the world. She feels like an outsider among the Europeans, but she meets a variety of people, including artists and students who engage her thinking. She also drinks and smokes and falls in love. Finally, Marjane misses Iran too much and returns to her homeland to see what has changed, to try to fit in, and also, it turns out, to get married. But can she truly go home after being out in the world?

Obviously, Persepolis 2 has a more adult bent than the first volume. Satrapi talks about her work and the differences between working on the Persepolis books in this interview. This long interview with Bart Beaty also explores both books in great depth.

This sequel has been adapted into an Academy Award nominated animated motion picture that spans both books. It has also won multiple prizes from the Angoulême International Comics Festival. As for reviews, it has been well received, though perhaps not as enthusiastically as the first book. Boris Kachka acknowledged that it is more difficult to positively portray childhood than adolescence and wrote that "the simplicity of Satrapi’s work may be what makes it universal." Luc Sante called the book "wildly charming." In a different light, Johanna Draper Carlson found this volume "disjointed, tawdry, and unfocused" compared to the first.

Persepolis 2 was published by Pantheon. A preview is available from Amazon.com.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

2011-11-25T11:59:00.001-05:00

Marjane Satrapi was in elementary school when the Shah was ousted from power in Iran and a conservative Islamic regime took control. Because her family had communist and socialist leanings as well as a distant familial relationship to the deposed Shah, they had to navigate a perilous political landscape. During this time, Marjane struggles to find meaning in the vast changes, the many injustices, and the specter of martyrdom and war that hung over her country. She wrestles with religion, school, and the authorities who place restrictions on clothing, make-up, and popular culture. Being questioning and rebellious, Marjane has to deal with seemingly mundane situations that suddenly deteriorate into danger.

This volume contains the first two chapters of the books originally published in France. It is followed by a sequel where we follow what happens to Marjane as she becomes a young adult. This volume is very episodic and provides many scenes from a country in conflict where one family is struggling to get by. Incidentally, the title of the book comes from the Greek name for Parsa, an ancient capital of the Persian Empire.

Satrapi has become internationally famous and lauded for her graphic novel work. This article by Paul Gravett speaks to her life and work on this first volume of the series as well as its movie adaptation. This interview with Sean Axmaker also gets at her thoughts and intentions about making this graphic novel.

Persepolis has been almost universally accepted as a classic. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that this "memoir is a must-read for a unique perspective on current events." Sarah Tan wrote that "Persepolis is a novel of the importance of being aware of ourselves and understanding the consequences of change." Offering a slightly contrary opinion, Christopher Skokna noted that Satrapi's storytelling chops could use some attention and he concluded that "for Satrapi to reach the front of the autobiographical comics library — and to deserve the attention this book is receiving — she must improve her skills and lengthen her perspective."

Some preview pages are available here from the book's publisher Pantheon.

Happy 42nd Birthday, Marjane Satrapi!

2011-11-22T12:00:00.009-05:00

Marjane Satrapi is an Irani-born graphic novelist and director who now resides and works in France. She was born and grew up in Tehran, and her family was very politically active in the causes of communism and socialism. After the Shah was overthrown and exiled, the conservative political regime made life difficult for her and her family, and they sent her abroad to Vienna where she lived and studied at the Lycée Français de Vienne.

After meeting David B., a French artist who became a friend and mentor, Satrapi began adapting her experiences into graphic novels. Her works include the widely known Persepolis and Persepolis II, which chronicle her childhood, life under fundamentalist Islamic rule, and subsequent experiences after moving to Vienna and becoming acquainted with European culture. Her other graphic novels, Embroideries and Chicken with Plums, follow the exploits of her family.

Satrapi's books have been extremely well recieved. They appear in many languages and have won big awards such as the Angoulême Coup de Coeur Award for Persepolis, the Angoulême Prize for Scenario for Persepolis II, and the Angoulême Best Comic Book Award for Chicken and Plums.

The Persepolis books have also been adapted into an Oscar Award nominated animated feature film. A second adaptation of her graphic novel work, Chicken with Plums, a live-action film, has just been released.

V for Vendetta

2011-11-20T12:00:00.003-05:00

V for Vendetta is a dystopian future tale, set in the a time after nuclear war has decimated the world and Norsefire, a fascist regime, rules the UK. The story follows a young woman named Evey who is saved from police brutality and rape by V. V is a masked vigilante who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and whose real face is never seen. An ambivalent figure, he is an expert bomb maker, hacker, and gadfly who is well versed in the arts, literature, and music. Many of those artistic endeavors are illegal in the current government, and he does everything he can to kill the Norsefire leaders and foment revolution. At first, Evey is taken by his cause, but she wavers in her allegiance and questions his methods.

This story was originally published serially in Warrior, a UK magazine. It was written by Alan Moore and drawn by David Lloyd. Moore is a prolific comics writer with multiple titles and accolades to his credit. Lloyd has been creating comics for decades now, working on numerous projects including licensed characters such as Dr. Who and James Bond as well as original characters like Espers and Hellblazer. He also works on original graphic novels, including the crime thriller Kickback.

V for Vendetta was adapted into a very popular movie in 2006 that starred Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. As with other adaptations of his works, Moore distanced himself from the movie, criticized its producers, and refused royalties. Lloyd was more receptive to the adaptation. The movie has been an inspiration for the internet group Anonymous, who engage in civil disobedience via the internet and in person, attacking Scientology and the Bank of America among others, while wearing Guy Fawkes masks in the style of V. David Lloyd speaks about Anonymous' appropriation of his work here.

V has also been linked to the more contemporary Occupy movement in the US.

This graphic novel is now considered a classic in the medium and has received much praise. Andy at Grovel wrote, "This book has an eloquence and beauty to it, stemming from both the writing and the artwork, both of which are at the peak of their craft." William Jones added, "It is another fantastic entry into the world of subversive comics by the industry’s best." Timothy Callahan called it a "major work" and summed up that it is "an unconventional comic book, with the core of a superhero story, the remnants of an Orwellian nightmare, and the soul of a cabaret show."

A preview is available from DC Comics, the book's US publisher.

Happy 58th Birthday, Alan Moore!

2011-11-18T12:00:00.011-05:00

Alan Moore is an English writer well known for a long and distinguished career making comics and graphic novels. He began his career writing stories for British publications such as 2000 AD and Warrior, while also contributing to Marvel UK. In the early 1980s he was recruited as a writer for DC Comics. While there, he wrote back-up stories for Green Lantern and was assigned to write the Saga of the Swamp Thing. His run on the title revolutionized the comics marketplace. He revived the character and took him in new directions of horror and drama prior unseen in mainstream comics. Stories aimed at more mature readers became more common. His strong work led to an influx of other British writers, creating a phenomenon known as the British Invasion. Additionally, he created memorable and successful characters like John Constantine and set a foundation for DC's highly successful Vertigo imprint.

Moore has always had a penchant for creating imaginative and sturdy fictional concepts. Some developed during his Captain Britain run at Marvel UK greatly influenced Marvel Comics in the US, providing concepts and characters, such as Betsy Braddock who became Psylocke, that appeared in many X-Men books. He also brought the fictional conceit of parallel universes to Marvel and established its main universe as Earth-616. At DC, stories that appear in minor back-up stories still exert an influence on major crossovers and storylines more than 20 years later.

Many of his most influential works were created in the 1980s including Watchmen, regarded by many to be the best graphic novel, Miracleman, considered by many to be the ultimate superhero narrative, and V for Vendetta, a dystopian future story of rebellion in the vein of Orwell's 1984. But his remarkable oeuvre also includes works such as The Killing Joke, From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the America's Best Comics (ABC) titles Tom Strong and Promethea. More recently, he has been working on pastiches of classic works, such as the erotic fantasy story Lost Girls (in collaboration with his wife, artist Melinda Gebbie) and the Lovecraftian Neonomicon.

Alan Moore has been perceived as difficult or arcane to some, and has had publicized feuds over the years with many comics companies over the rights and uses of his works, including Watchmen and the ABC line of comics. He also gained notoriety for his abhoration of the big budget movie adaptations of his works and refuses to include his name in any of the credits. Nor does he collect the royalties from these motion pictures.

Alan Moore has won almost every award that can be awarded in the field of comics, as well as some that are not typically offered to the medium. Among the latter of these is the Hugo Award he won for Watchmen as well as its inclusion on the Time Magazine All-Time 100 Novels list.

His work has become so widespread that he also has had the distinction of appearing on The Simpsons. Apparently whenever he gets upset at the corporate misappropriation of his works...

...he can only be soothed by Little Lulu comics.

Happy 48th Birthday, Jim Ottaviani!

2011-11-16T12:00:00.005-05:00

Jim Ottaviani is a one man wrecking crew in the world of graphic novels. His GT Labs has created a number of high quality graphic novels about a wide array of scientific disciplines and figures. Among other topics, he has written about notable thinkers such as Richard Feynman, Harry Harlow, and Neils Bohr. He also explores historical events including the Manhattan Project, the early days of paleontology, the space race, and even the physics and psychology of magical illusions. His works combine facts and knowledge with emotion and humor in very effective manners.

A former nuclear engineer and current librarian at the University of Michigan Library where he coordinates the Deep Blue project, Ottaviani shares his far-ranging knowledge about things scientific with his readers. He speaks about the graphic novel craft and self publishing in this interview with The Comic Reporter's Tom Spurgeon.

He has been nominated for Ignatz and Eisner Awards, and won a Xeric Foundation grant for his original comics work Two Fisted Science.

Journey into Mohawk Country

2011-11-15T12:00:00.004-05:00

Journey into Mohawk Country is a collaboration across centuries. The text is taken directly from Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert's journals. Van den Bogaert was a 23 year old Dutch surgeon who was tasked with making new trading relationships for the Dutch in what would become New York state during the 17th century. In the winter of 1634, he and two companions ventured into Iroquois country from Fort Orange (now Albany), encountering many interesting people and scenes. Luckily for posterity, he kept a journal, one of the few primary sources that gives a detailed look into the times and people of that era.

The present-day artist who here illustrated van den Bogaert's words was George O'Connor, an author, illustrator, and cartoonist who has since gone on to publish a popular series of graphic novels based on the Olympian gods. He speaks extensively about his work on this book in an interview on the Leonard Lopate Show. This New York Times feature article offers some great visual insights into the creation of the book.

Reviews of the book have been largely positive. First Panel reviewer Joe found the book "interesting, informative, and charming." The Daily Cross Hatch's Sean Carroll wrote that this book "was clearly a labor of love" and "an original and unusual comic" but called attention to an uneasy dynamic between realism and cartoon art. Beth Hewitt offered her opinion, "As someone with a passionate fondness for reading about colonial American economic history, I knew I would love [the book]," but she wondered if others would as well. Rocco Staino of New York State United Teachers highlighted this book in particular for use with middle grades students.

An excerpt and more reviews are available from the book's publisher First Second.

Beowulf

2011-11-10T12:00:00.007-05:00

Beowulf is an intriguing work, an epic poem about a warrior who takes on the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon. Full of battle, blood, and guts, this tale would seem to be enticing to many readers, save for the fact that it was written in Old English and is nigh-impossible for many to understand. This adaptation mitigates language issues with a graphic depiction of the people and actions of the poem combined with translations from the poem itself.

Painted in a style that combines elements of woodcuts, illuminated manuscripts, and comic books, this book portrays a cold, bleak world, which is fitting because the tale is set in medieval Denmark. Combined with the poem, the art captures well the ambiguity of a story that has both pagan and Christian elements, with characters evoking the Lord but also behaving very much like vikings. The action sequences are largely presented without words, and they convey a strong sense of energy and motion. Great attention to detail mixed with the use of larger spreads to communicate impact make for some excellent story-telling.

This book is the creation of Gareth Hinds, an accomplished artist who has worked in media ranging from the fine arts to video game design. He now works exclusively on graphic novels and has created a number of other graphic adaptations of literary works, including The Merchant of Venice, King Lear, and most recently, The Odyssey. He details his life and work in his blog, and he speaks about his work on Beowulf in this interview.

All the reviews I have seen for this book have been very positive. Robert M. Tilendis gave the book "two thumbs up" and wrote that "the illustrations are magical." Marty Dodge called it "the most impressive graphic novel I have ever seen." Speaking to educators, Chris Wilson summed up that "Hinds’ work is expressive and poetic and worthy for the classroom."

This edition was published by Candlewick Press. Hinds provides links to reviews as well as excerpts from the book here.

Dear Creature

2011-11-05T12:00:00.009-04:00

This debut graphic novel is a fresh take on many ideas. It begins with Grue, a Creature from the Black Lagoon-type gill-man who feasts on the flesh of beach going lovers and late night swimmers. Accompanied by a trio of scavenger crabs who constantly kibitz over his shoulder, he leads a pretty simple life of eating and avoiding notice and capture. This routine all changes when he happens to find soda bottles in the ocean that contain the plays of Shakespeare. Reading the plays changes his life. He develops a wide vocabulary. He speaks in iambic pentameter. And he is ignited with emotions that make him want to explore the surface world and find the (he assumes) beautiful person who sent these bottles on their way. What he finds on the surface world is not quite expected, and of course, his appearance and past create complications.

This quirky and lyrical tale is marked with humor, from the cheerful depiction of Grue to the side comments from the crabs. It is also full of strong, evocative art that communicates actions, expressions, and the story in very clear, crisp fashion. Its characters are vivid and relatable, and its plot is a roller coaster ride of emotions. Dear Creature is an impressive work, let alone a fantastic debut.

Writer/artist Jonathan Case is a member of the Periscope Studio, based in Portland, Oregon. His work appears in the Comic Book Tattoo anthology, and he also illustrated the true detective story written by Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer. Case speaks more about his work on Dear Creature in this audio interview.

Reviews for this graphic novel have been very positive. Comics Alliance gushed that it was "pretty much perfect. A witty and sweet mashup of old monster comics and ill-fated love stories." The review at Publishers Weekly commented on the mix of humor and pathos, calling this book "startlingly assured for a debut effort." Chris called the book "excellent" and wrote that Case created a rare work "that is at once literary and meta-textual, while remaining touching and hilarious."

A sizable preview and video trailer are available from the book's publisher Tor.

Osamu Tezuka would have been 83 today

2011-11-03T12:00:00.011-04:00

Imagine Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Walt Disney rolled up into one person and that about estimates how important Osamu Tezuka is and was to Japanese comics. The man invented and popularized many of the conventions of manga and went on to produce a prodigious number of anime as well at the Mushi Production and Tezuka Productions studios.

"The God of Comics" was a a trained medical doctor who forwent practicing in order to follow his passion and make comics. In post-World War II Japan much of the industry had to be rebuilt and Tezuka's tireless efforts were a beacon in the manga and anime worlds. He worked on 700 manga series in his lifetime and produced about 150,000 volumes of work, most of which are only available in Japanese. Among his most famous series are Astro Boy, Phoenix, Blackjack, Buddha, and Kimba the White Lion, which some people claim is the direct inspiration of Disney's The Lion King. To be fair, Disney was a major influence on his work as well. Additionally, many of his works were also turned into anime series and he worked on at least 60 films. Much of his work is covered in more detail on the Tezuka in English fansite.

Tezuka's life and work are commemorated by two awards, the Osamu Tezuka Awards and the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award, both given for achievements in manga. If you are ever in Japan, you can also visit the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum, located in Takarazuka, the city where he was raised.

Happy 84th, Steve Ditko!

2011-11-02T12:00:00.013-04:00

Steve Ditko may not have created as vast a number of comic book characters as Jack Kirby, but his impact on comics is a profound one. He drew many types of stories, ranging from science fiction to horror to monsters to superheroes. Ditko is an adherent of Objectivism, and he has strong views about many topics that can be seen in opposition to mainstream values. His views often crept into his work. Among the memorable characters he invented are Hawk and Dove, The Creeper, Mr. A, The Question, Captain Atom, and Squirrel Girl. His most known creations are the ones he shared with Stan Lee at Marvel Comics, the mystical Dr. Strange and the amazing Spider-Man.

Ditko played a large part in the direction of the Spider-Man series, and he may been the main storyteller because he and Lee were not on speaking terms at times because of their differing views. The Marvel Method of storytelling makes it difficult to determine just who is responsible for what in the creation of a comic book.

He and Lee held many contrary opinions, and the reasons for his leaving Spider-Man are not known. One of the most talked-about possible reasons was a dispute about the direction of Spider-Man: Lee wanted to introduce love interests and have more soap operatic qualities while Ditko was writing more of a story about the struggles of an unique, strong individual against a hostile world. In the end, the dispute over the identity of the Green Goblin drove him from the book. Lee wanted Peter Parker's best friend's father Norman Osborn to be revealed as the villain while Ditko wanted him to be an unknown stranger.

In the years since, Ditko has continued to make comics for the big publishers and on his own. He has become somewhat of a recluse, refusing to give interviews or be photographed. He prefers to let his work speak for itself. He was the subject of a documentary by Jonathan Ross that aired on BBC4. His work was also the subject of Blake Bell's book Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko.

Steve Ditko was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994.

Zahra's Paradise

2011-10-30T12:00:00.011-04:00

The actual Zahra's Paradise is the largest cemetery in Iran. This graphic novel portrays events following 2009's controversial presidential election in Iran. Medhi is a young protester who vanished the night following the election, when protests and violence erupted throughout Tehran. Although he is missing, his tenacious mother and brother refuse to accept the situation. His brother blogs about what has happened, and his mother pushes the local authorities to locate her son. Weaving together historical and fictional events, the authors put a very human face on a political situation too easily dismissed or ignored by many.

Zahra's Paradise was first published online serially and is still available in a number of different languages. As the creators say on their website, "the authors have chosen anonymity for obvious political reasons." What is known is that Amir is an Iranian-American journalist, activist, and film-maker whose works have been seen internationally. Khalil is a fine artist, and this graphic novel is his first. This interview with the writer and publisher sheds more light on this narrative.

This political webcomic turned graphic novel has received much positive attention. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "a powerful look at a people’s struggle that goes beyond politicized tropes." The reviewer at Mechanistic Moth wrote about the book,"if you want to experience something that emotionally rips at your heart strings while allowing you to learn about other cultures and events to empathize with this story, then check it out." NPR's Glen Weldon offered this terse review, "Read about it. Then read it. It's good."

For more information, updates, and reviews, check out the book's Twitter feed.

This print edition was published by First Second, who provide a excerpt and discussion guide here.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

Americus

2011-10-25T12:00:00.012-04:00

Neal is an awkward 8th grader who loves to read. His favorite book series is The Chronicles of Apathea Ravenchilde, the Huntress Witch, a fantasy/adventure. He and his best friend Danny bond over the books, but Danny's mother complicates matters when she decides that the books are promoting the occult and negative behaviors. She heads up an effort to ban the book series from the local library in the name of protecting the children and promoting Christian virtues. She also sends Danny off to private school, so Neal must face high school and mounting social pressures on his own.

This book treads a fine line between being topical and stereotypical in portraying the debate over community standards about books. It reflects a number of contemporary events concerning the Harry Potter book series. Americus clearly has an anti-censorship bent and was originally serially published online and hard copy during Banned Books Week. Reed's ability to instill her characters with complex personalities makes this graphic novel more readable and intriguing, coloring the censorship debate. Lots more information about the book is available here at its blog, Save Apathea!

Americus is the creation of writer MK Reed and illustrator Jonathan David Hill. Reed is a NY based cartoonist who contributes to a number of magazines and has self-published the graphic novels Catfight (scroll down) and Cross Country as well as a webcomic called About a Bull. This interview at Inkstuds explores her work on this graphic novel. Americus is Hill's first graphic novel.

Reviewers have been very positive about the book. Publishers Weekly praised the story and art, calling it "a lovely valentine to readers and, especially, to librarians." Gavin Lees wrote that "not only does Reed have a knack for the teenage vernacular and an easygoing sense of humour, but more importantly, she gives an empowering message about freedom of speech." The Comics Journal's Rob Clough offered some critiques over characterization but also added that "Reed has a special talent for Young Adult fiction."

A preview is available here from publisher First Second.

Thank you to Gina for the review copy!

Marineman: A Matter of Life and Depth

2011-10-20T11:41:00.008-04:00

Steve Ocean is Marineman, one part Jacques Cousteau, one part Steve Erwin, and it turns out, two parts Aquaman. Only the world knows nothing about his unique ability to breathe underwater or that he possesses massive strength. Everyone knows him as the star of Ocean Encounters, a TV show exploring the oceans and shedding light on aquatic creatures. When one of his friends is involved in an undersea accident and he acts to save his life, Steve's secret comes out. A media frenzy ensues. Many of his close friends feel somewhat betrayed. And suddenly he learns that what he knew about his childhood may not be true because someone claiming to be his father is hunting for him.

Marineman is the creation of Ian Churchill, a graphic designer turned comic book artist. He is British, an avid diver, and is known for his work on a number of comic book series, including Cable and Hulk for Marvel Comics, and DC Comics' Supergirl. He keeps a blog about his work on the Marineman series and related projects.

Churchill's artwork in this volume is an energetic combination of Jack Kirby, Image Comics, and cartoons, and it packs a punch in terms of action and emotion. He also has a knack for capturing characters' voices. He does a great job of introducing a wide cast of characters who could easily be stereotypes and giving them unique personalities and interesting dynamics.

The back matter of this volume is cram-packed with extras, including profiles of actual marine biologists and what they do, Churchill's original childhood Marineman drawings (from 1977!), a good number of character and concept sketches, and an interview with the author. From all the craft and extras, it appears that this book is a particular labor of love for Churchill.

Nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Series, Marineman has garnered much praise. Doug Zawisza called it "easily one of the best debut issues of 2010." Chris Kiser found it "refreshing to have an independent comic come along that delves into the art of superheroics without needlessly darkening them or mocking them ironically." Martin Maenza wrote that the series had plenty of action and was a "good comic book story."

Marineman was originally published as a six-issue series, collected here, by Image Comics. This interview talks about the future of the series and also contains a preview from this first volume.

The Prince

2011-10-15T11:43:00.007-04:00

The Prince (or Il Principe, if you prefer the original Italian) is a political treatise that was published in 1532 and has been creating controversy ever since. A translation of the text can be read for free online here.

Self-described as a realistic take on leadership, The Prince contains advice and suggestions for how to best govern people, acquire and maintain territory, and deal with enemies. It is known for an emphasis on guile, expediency, and deception. According to Machiavelli, the sole intent of any political action is to keep the power structure in place through any means necessary. The Prince was infamous and also well distributed, so many people have read it throughout history. It was declaimed for its godlessness, disregard for common decency, and its blind devotion to despotism. Its content and reputation lead to the author Machiavelli's name becoming an adjective meaning deceptive and dishonest.

More recently, some have posited that Machiavelli's treatise is so over-the-top that it was actually meant as a satire, but this is a minority opinion. A number of scholars, including Don MacDonald, have spoken out to debunk such modern revisionism.

This adaptation of the book was created by Shane Clester who is also Art Director for Round Table Comics. He captures the aphoristic tone of the book in his illustrations, providing some dark humor and levity to the political situations depicted. His love of drawing pantaloons and a wily little tow-headed prince also shine through.

Certainly the political situations contained within would be worthwhile points to bring up regarding politics and government in any era. Clester highlights areas that could generate good discussion within the text, and it would be interesting to compare his interpretations with those in the original. Going beyond uses in social studies, educator Katie Monnin gave the book an A+ and also provided some teaching tips for using it in ELA classes.

The Prince was published by Round Table Comics. A preview and a number of reviews are available here at Amazon.com.

Thank you, Kristin, for the review copy!

The Bronx Kill

2011-10-10T11:33:00.002-04:00

Despite its gruesome name, the Bronx Kill is actually a narrow strait that separates the Bronx from Randall's Island in New York City. This locale figures largely in the story, being the place where Martin Keane's grandfather was murdered. Martin comes from a long line of police officers, and he bucks his father's wishes when he becomes a writer instead. While he is writing his second novel, his relationship with his wife gets strained and events from his family's past begin to affect his life. When his wife disappears, the many mysteries deepen and the Keane family history is laid bare.

This noir thriller was created by Peter Milligan and James Romberger. Milligan is a prolific comics writer who has worked on many titles from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, including Shade the Changing Man, Hellblazer, and Greek Street and also Marvel Comics' X-Statix. Along with the sequential art narrative in the book, he also provides us working excerpts from Martin's manuscript. Romberger is a fine artist and cartoonist known for his depictions of life on NYC's Lower East Side. Among his comics work are entries in Papercutz's new horror series Tales from the Crypt.

This family-centered crime drama has been well reviewed. The Graphic Novel Reporter John Hogan wrote that this book is "another fine example of how well Vertigo’s new noir initiative is working." Newsarama's Michael Lorah gushed that "readers looking for a thrilling mystery, supported by strong characters, that builds to a roiling boil would do well to check it out." A.J. Kirby echoed that sentiment, adding that "this historical nightmare has epic proportions." Brian Pruitt and Joey Esposito also heap more praise on the book.

The Bronx Kill was published by Vertigo. A brief preview is available here.

The Dare Detectives!

2011-10-05T11:11:00.009-04:00

The Dare Detectives are an unlikely trio. Maria Dare is a wily, tough ex-con who has gathered together a team of (unlicensed) private investigators. She is joined by Toby, who is big, strong, and not too bright, and Jojo, a bunny with an attitude. Together they solve cases no one else can. In these volumes, they have to deal with the schemes of Madame Bleu, whose band of panda henchmen has kidnapped local restaurateur Uncle Chan. Also, they have stolen all the snow peas in town. There are other crazy characters along the way, including the flaming monkey villain Furious George and some brutish Abominable Snowmen.

Writer/artist Ben Caldwell is best known for his work in toy and animation development, but he also has drawn a number of prominent comic book tie-ins, including Justice League Unlimited and Star Wars: Clone Wars. His animation roots show through in this book, with its vibrant colors and energetic illustrations. His work has won some praise, and he was nominated for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. This interview casts light on his career and this series.

The reviewers have largely been positive particularly about the art. Martin Gray raved that this book was "a tour de force from an artist who really knows his craft." Mark Allen remarked that Caldwell's "timing, sense of drama and humor are to be admired." Parka wrote that the book was reminiscent of a TV cartoon episode.

These books were published by Dark Horse. A preview is available at Caldwell's website.

A new collected version of these two books is forthcoming from Archaia.

Harvey Kurtzman would have been 87 today

2011-10-03T12:00:00.016-04:00

Harvey Kurtzman is one of the rare artists who not only changed his field but also the world. His work in comic books began in the early days of the medium, and he was a contributor and editor for EC Comics. One of his first innovations was doing realistic, non-sugar-coated war stories. Frontline Combat and Two-Fisted Tales were more anti-war comics than typical jingoistic celebrations of violence and death.

When he needed more income and needed to produce more books, he turned to what he knew best, humor, and created a cultural institution. He wrote the first 23 issues of Mad the comic book and much of the material afterward when it became a magazine. His comics set the satirical, frenetic tone of the publication and influenced countless people, from future comics legends like Robert Crumb, Alan Moore, and Art Spiegelman, to counter-culture revolutionaries of the 1960s, many of whom grew up reading Mad. Questioning authority and the media were a large part of Kurtzman's parodies and humor. It is difficult to imagine our society or institutions like Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, or The Simpsons coming to be without the path blazed by him.

After Mad, Kurtzman attempted to publish his own anthologies, such as Trump and Help! but he failed to grab the public's attention. He worked with Hugh Hefner for years, publishing his very adult, parody comic Little Annie Fanny (definitely NSFW) with art by Will Elder in the pages of Playboy magazine. He was also influential to budding artists as a longtime instructor at the School of Visual Arts.

Kurtzman's work has been praised by The Comic Journal's Gary Groth as the "the Platonic ideal of cartooning." He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1989. He is also commemorated with the annual Harvey Awards given for achievements in comics.

Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires

2011-09-30T12:00:00.004-04:00

This short, macabre adventure follows Peculia, a young woman who has had a number of run-ins with the supernatural. She is roped into babysitting the new family who has moved into Groon Grove. She joins a band of other young women to look after the little girl, baby, and grandmother who live in the house, but something is afoot. They all steer clear of the hawthorn tree, the mirrors are all covered, and - why is the baby missing? And why are the local gypsy families weary of the house?

The artwork is depicted in black and white in a gothic style reminiscent of wood carving by Richard Sala. He is a veteran artist famous for his darkly funny and suspenseful tales and his striking, unique art style. His comics are many and include The Chuckling Whatzit and Cat Burglar Black. He frequently displays his artwork and speaks about his works on his blog. This interview with Tom Spurgeon touches on much of his work and career.

Like Sala's other works, this one is noted for its humor, horror, and quirkiness. Reviewer Ray Tate notes that the book is quite graphic at points and is not for younger readers. He also enjoyed the fresh take on what can be the tired genre of vampire stories. Dave Carter called the book "spooky" and "fun." The range of reviews at Goodreads varies but mostly skews positive.

A brief preview is available from Fantagraphics Books.

Archie: Freshman Year, Book 1

2011-09-25T12:00:00.011-04:00

Archie and the gang seem to have been in high school forever, but this book tells the tales of their early days in that institution. It explains how Mr. Weatherbee managed to be their elementary and high school principal, and it also introduces us to the the teachers and students of Riverdale High. We see the start of many conventions, including Moose and Midge's relationship and the Betty-Archie-Veronica triangle. There is even some drama after Jughead is forced to move when his father takes a new job, and the older students make life unpleasant for the newcomers.

The comics in this book originally were published serially as five issues. The story was written by Batton Lash, famous for his long-running series Wolff and Byrd: Counselors of the Macabre. He also wrote the unlikely yet extremely satisfying team-up Archie Meets the Punisher as well as a number of Radioactive Man adventures from Bongo Comics. Bill Galvan, known for his work on The Scrapyard Detectives, provides art in his variation on the classic Archie style. He explains his work on this book in this interview, and this interview with Mark Haney also touches on the future of this series.

Archie: Freshman Year has been a success as a comic book and an Apple app. A number of positive reviews of it can be found at Goodreads.

A preview of this volume can be found at Comixology. A preview for the upcoming sequel can be seen here at the School Library Journal blog.

Liar's Kiss

2011-09-20T11:40:00.014-04:00

Nick Archer is a private eye in a precarious situation. He has been hired by the wealthy John Kincaid to track his young, beautiful wife Abbey and make sure she is not having an affair. Archer does not take any incriminating photos, but that is because he is the one having an affair with his quarry. When John Kincaid ends up dead, Archer is caught in a situation where he cannot clear his paramour without their trysts being revealed and her being cut out of her late husband's will. So he has to find the real culprit, with or without the assistance of the local police, and there are a number of likely suspects to sort through.

This classic detective noir story was written by Eric Skillman, a graphic designer and art director who is best known for designing covers for the Criterion Collection. He has written detective comics in Egg: Hard Boiled Stories, and this is his first graphic novel. Illustrator Jhomar Soriano is an acclaimed manga artist best known for his work on the International Manga Award of Japan winning books Mr. Grieves and Arkham Woods. He does a great job working in black and white as well as different styles to portray emotional situations and flashbacks. This interview with MTV Geek explains more about the origins of this graphic novel.

Although most reviews do not rave about the book, they acknowledge that it is a well written and well drawn volume. Comics Should Be Good's Greg Burgas enjoyed the momentum of the story until the ending, but he wrote that "even with the strange ending, it fits together nicely, and I always appreciate a clever mystery." The Comics Journal's Nathan Wilson called it a "solid story with powerful illustrations." Johanna Draper Carlson found the book "enjoyable escapism that puts a fresh twist on the private eye yarn."

A preview is available here from the book's publisher Top Shelf.

Sunny Side Down: A Collection of Tales of Mere Existence

2011-09-15T11:35:00.005-04:00

This volume collects a number of webcomics originally published by Ingredient X Entertainment. It is divided into two parts, the first more chronological, about childhood and school, and the second more free-form, about love and adult life. I will not say that the strips are all funny, but they all have an emotional rawness and offer much that readers can empathize with. Lev portrays a world of isolation and alienation that seems to me reminiscent of Matt Groening's Life in Hell comics in terms of form and content.

Lev Yilmaz is a San Francisco based cartoonist and film maker who has been showing Tales of Mere Existence cartoons at film festivals since 2002. He also publishes these videos on YouTube and has quite a following. This profile written by Jane Ganahl offers more insight into his life and work.

This collection is appealing to many but may cater to specific tastes. The Boston Bibliophile Marie recommended this book "to folks who like cynicism and sarcastic humor." The Graphic Novel Reporter's William Jones wrote that the Yilmaz's honesty makes "every page a new experience." There is a greater range of reviews at Goodreads.

Sunny Side Down was published by Simon & Schuster, who provide a preview here. In addition, there are a number of other Lev videos posted here.

The Purple Smurfs

2011-09-10T11:50:00.002-04:00

This volume reprints three classic Smurfs stories, the title story for the first time. "The Purple Smurfs" is reminiscent of a zombie film and has a frightening undertone. The story recounts what happens when a Bzz fly bites a Smurf and turns him into a purple menace. Becoming mean and violent, the purple Smurf spreads a contagion by biting others. Papa Smurf - who is surprisingly gruff - recalls this happening once before when he was younger, but after 104 years he's forgotten the remedy. The other two tales, "The Flying Smurf" and "The Smurf and His Neighbors" are enjoyable and more fantastical and funny.

The Smurfs have been around since 1958. The creation of Belgian artist Peyo (Pierre Culliford), Smurfs have appeared in comic books, cartoons, toy stores, and countless other places. They are an international phenomenon that have been translated into multiple languages, and they recently were given big budget Hollywood attention in a new movie version. Two of the stories here were written by Yvan Delporte, long-time editor of Spirou magazine, the landmark publication where the Smurfs first appeared.

"The Purple Smurfs" was originally called "The Black Smurfs," and this story has only now been reprinted in English, changed so to avoid smacking of racism. Reviewer Greg McElhatton was not expecting to like the book and was surprised he found it very enjoyable. Comics in the Classroom's Scott Tingley and his daughter both found the book "super awesome." Lee Newman wrote that in addition to the fantastic art "the stories are full of charm and smurfy language."

The Purple Smurfs was published by Papercutz. They provide a preview here.

Feynman

2011-09-05T11:26:00.010-04:00

This graphic biography focuses on Richard Feynman, an accomplished physicist who became a household name through his popular lectures and books, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman and What Do You Care What Other People Think? He accomplished much in his life, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on quantum electrodynamics. He also worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first US nuclear bomb and on the commission to determine the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Feynman often approached problems from unique angles, was not afraid to argue with authority figures, and was also a bit of a prankster. He also had a passion to explain the most complicated ideas in ways that laypeople could also understand. His personality and affect served him well in the scientific community, and it is much celebrated in this book.

Feynman is the creation of writer Jim Ottaviani, who has written a number of great graphic novels including ones about the early days of paleontology, the space race, physicist Niels Bohr, and women science pioneers. It was drawn by Leland Myrick, an Ignatz and Harvey Award nominated artist who is best known for his graphic memoir Missouri Boy. This detailed discussion with Robin Brenner at the School Library Journal website gets at many details of this book and Feynman's life.

Thus far, this has been an extremely well reviewed book. The New York Times Book Review's Freeman Dyson remarked that this graphic novel "somehow comes to life and speaks with the voice of the real Feynman." The reviewer at Publishers Weekly wrote that this book proves "that the most dogged intellectual pursuit can still be a good time." The reviewer quantum at the Physics Buzz blog gushed that "Feynman is a true testament to both the uniqueness of Richard Feynman as one of the twentieth century's most remarkable scientists, and the exceptional ability for comics to capture his one of a kind personality."

Feynman was published by First Second. An excerpt, video preview, and copious other information about the book is available here. A slightly altered excerpt also appears here at Kate Beaton's webcomic, Hark! A Vagrant.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

The Book of Genesis Illustrated

2011-08-30T12:01:00.005-04:00

Underground comix legend Robert Crumb might not seem a likely choice to adapt the first book of the Christian Bible and the Jewish Torah, but he does an admirable job doing so with an eye toward historical and linguistic accuracy. Using a number of scholarly translations and input from Hebrew and religious scholars, Crumb depicts well known stories in a human and earthy manner. His adaptation is very faithful and includes everything from the stories of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, to the Great Flood that Noah and his family survived, to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the lives of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. Because these stories frequently involve adult situations, violence, and nudity, Crumb has placed a warning for adult supervision for reading this book.

Adapter Robert Crumb is a huge figure in comics. He is an influential creator who tackles controversial and taboo topics involving sexuality, race, religion, and social problems in his work. His anthologies Zap! and Weirdo helped launch the careers of many creators like Spain Rodriguez, Peter Bagge, and Aline Kominsky-Crumb. He has created indelible images like the "Keep on Truckin'" man and Mr. Natural.

Because of the artist, this adaptation has drawn criticism for its base subject matter, even though the depictions within are not particularly gratuitous or far-afield of what is in the actual text. Most reviews are tempered between the artistic and textual aspects of the book. The New York Times reviewer David Hajdu wrote that it has a sense of "narrative potency and raw beauty" but lacks "a sense of the sacred." The New Republic's Robert Alter opined that it is "a bold undertaking, and most readers will be grateful for the many delights afforded by its visual inventiveness." The Guardian's Michael Faber wrote that it is "enlivened by flashes of inspiration" but was disappointed by how much Crumb was hemmed in by his subject matter.

This impressive undertaking was published by W. W. Norton and Company. A preview from the UK Guardian is available here.

Happy Birthday, Robert Crumb!

2011-08-30T11:30:00.001-04:00

Robert Crumb is a controversial, influential, shockingly honest, troubled, internationally known, and technically expert figure in comics. Born in Philadelphia and raised Catholic, Crumb created a number of characters with his brother Charles, including Fritz the Cat, who would feature in his later work. After learning to draw in a cute style while working for American Greetings making cards and experimenting with drugs, Crumb moved out to San Francisco and became one of the driving forces behind the underground comix scene in the 1960s.

Crumb's work often combines confession, social commentary, autobiography, and sexuality, making a huge impression on those who read it. Love or hate it, his work creates a strong response. Among his most famous creations are Mr. Natural, the "Keep on Trucking" man, the cover art for Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & The Holding Company, and Zap Comix. Fritz the Cat gained special notoriety for being featured in an X-rated film adaptation by Ralph Bakshi, but Crumb hated the movie so much that he immediately killed off the character in his comix.

Zap became the venue where many other prominent artists, such as Spain Rodriguez and Robert Williams gained notice. Later, Crumb also created and edited another anthology named Weirdo, which became a launchpad for many alternative comix figures including Peter Bagge. Crumb also played a huge role in the beginnings of Harvey Pekar's American Splendor comics.

Crumb's works have had a massive influence on comics and graphic novels in the US, in terms of tackling difficult, adult, and taboo subject matter. He was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 1991. Currently, Crumb lives in the south of France with his wife and frequent collaborator Aline Kominsky-Crumb. He also sometimes publishes with his daughter, Sophie, a strong comics creator herself.

His work still creates strong responses, as seen in this recent brouhaha about attending the 2011 Graphic Festival in Sydney, Australia.

Jack Kirby would have been 94 today

2011-08-28T12:00:00.019-04:00

If there ever is a comics Mount Rushmore, Jack Kirby would certainly would be on it. "The King" was either creator or co-creator of so many indelible characters, including Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Iron Man, Darkseid, the New Gods, the Demon, Kamandi, the Manhunter, the Boy Commandos, the Challengers of the Unknown, the Silver Surfer, and the original X-Men. He invented the genre of romance comics. And his bombastic, energetic style has influenced countless creators. A gallery of his fantastic images posted by Tom Spurgeon can be seen here.

In addition to his landmark stylistic and creative contributions, Kirby is a central figure in terms of creators' rights and copyright issues in comics. In this long, detailed interview with The Comic Journal's Gary Groth, Kirby talks about his life and career, and he claims to have created many Marvel characters, including Spider-Man, by himself. A copyright battle over the Marvel characters has been ongoing and is still a matter of contention today with Kirby's heirs. Looking to fund his legal activities, Kirby provided a spark to the early days of the comic book direct market with his creator-owned book Captain Victory that was published by Pacific Comics.

Kirby also spent years trying to reclaim his original art from Marvel, and the matter is still complicated and contentious. Jim Shooter, who was editor-in-chief at Marvel for much of the dispute, provides his take on the issues here. Gary Groth offers a pointed rebuttal here.

Later in his life, after some disillusionment with his treatment in the world of comic books, Kirby went on to work doing design work on cartoons like Thundarr the Barbarian. Assistant Mark Evanier provides information about Kirby's life here.

A titan of comic book and graphic novel history, Jack Kirby touched the lives of many people through his work and creations. His works are seen as the precursors, if not the direct inspiration, for movies such as Star Wars, Terminator, and Alien. There is a magazine, The Kirby Collector, dedicated to chronicling his career and many contributions to comics. In 1987 he was in the inaugural class inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Defiance (Resistance: Book 2)

2011-08-25T11:44:00.006-04:00

This second book of Resistance depicts an area of France occupied by the Axis forces and collaborating with Germany during World War II. Life in Vichy France was not peaceful, as factions supporting France and ones supporting the Nazis were at odds with each other. Following the events of book 1, we see the Tessier children all becoming active in the resistance in various ways while trying to stay under the radar. 14-year-old Paul draws anti-Nazi posters and ends up running away to join the maquis in the countryside. The slightly older Sophie gathers information from dating German soldiers, and the younger Marie tries her best to eavesdrop and keep up the family farm. Life becomes further complicated with the arrival of their aunt, who leans more towards the beliefs of the Nazi occupation force.

This sequel is the product of Carla Jablonski, an accomplished YA author, and Leland Purvis, an illustrator who makes webcomics and other graphic novels, such as Pubo and Vox. This interview with Purvis sheds more light on his life and career. This interview with Jablonski touches on this book and also where the series is heading.

Reviews on this second volume have been largely positive. Michael May wrote that "there are plenty of thrills and suspense in Defiance, but it’s the family drama that sticks with me longest after closing the book." Paste Magazine's reviewers applauded the book's refusal to turn historical subject matter into simple black and white issues. The reviewer at Publishers Weekly offered a contrary opinion that the story was slow and overly didactic. I found the book very compelling, and I was hard pressed to see what would happen to the Tessier children.

A preview and more is available here from the book's publisher First Second.

Thank you to Gina for the review copy!

Stitches: A Memoir

2011-08-20T11:50:00.008-04:00

Stitches is a powerful and personal graphic memoir. It follows David from his birth, through his childhood, and into his early adulthood when he becomes a respected artist. He is a sickly child who turns to drawing as an outlet. His family members all seem to be leading lives of quiet desperation. His father, a radiologist, uses a punching bag to vent his frustrations, and he also uses his x-ray equipment on his young son. David's mother, who is more passive aggressive, strict, and terse, bangs a lot of cabinet doors. His older brother beats on drums. When a lump on his neck grows and has to be attended to medically, David's life is never the same.

Artist/writer David Small is a long time children book's illustrator whose work is well regarded. He won the prestigious Caldecott Award in 2001 for So You Want to Be President? written by Judith St. George. He frequently collaborates with his wife Sarah Stewart, and they won a Caldecott Honor in 1998 for The Gardener. He speaks more about his life and work on this graphic novel in this interview with Memoirville's Rebecca Touger.

Stitches was an extremely well received book. It was a 2009 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature. It was nominated for two 2010 Eisner Awards. Publishers Weekly named it one of the Best Books of 2009. It was profiled by Eric Kinigsberg in The New York Times. The Washington Post's Michael Sims added this "horrific but ultimately redemptive" to "the list of powerful works of art in this versatile medium" of graphic novels. The Guardian's Rachel Cooke wrote that is was "a triumphant testament of survival."

This graphic memoir was published by W. W. Norton. A video trailer is available here.

Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory

2011-08-15T11:42:00.003-04:00

With this third volume in a series about the ancient Greek gods George O'Connor accomplishes two herculean tasks: 1) He portrays Hera not as a mere shrew but as a strong and intelligent woman, and 2) he puts a fresh spin on the oft-told labors of Heracles (aka Hercules to most). Here he tells the story of her birth and how she came to marry Zeus, the most powerful but also most unfaithful, king of the gods. He also tells how her name came to be associated with the Greek demigod, a product of her husband's infidelity. Ultimately, "Hera's Glory" is spread through Heracles's amazing accomplishments.

O'Connor is an accomplished writer and artist who has published numerous graphic novels, including Journey into Mohawk Country, Zeus, Athena, and Ball Peen Hammer. He also has created a number of picture books, including the New York Times best-selling Kapow! He talks more about his work on the Olympians book series in this interview. He speaks about this book in particular in this interview with Kirkus Reviews' Julie Danielson.

Reviews of the Hera have been very positive. April at CSI: Librarian called the book one of her favorites of 2011, drawing attention to the meticulous detail O'Connor puts into all aspects of the graphic novel. In this detailed review, Michael May wrote about he was also impressed by O'Connor's attention to craft, even though he does have a slanted view of Hera and chose to leave out some of the more negative tales involving her. The reviewer at Good Comics for Kids raved about the artwork and stated that this volume only adds to "a truly perfect series."

An excerpt, teaching guides, and other resources are available here from the book's publisher First Second.

A big thank you to Gina for the review copy!

Prime Baby

2011-08-10T13:00:00.004-04:00

This short book was originally published serially online by The New York Times. The story follows Thaddeus, a lonely, smart, and jealous boy who resents his new baby sister. In fact, he thinks she is an alien. When he learns about prime numbers in school and discovers that she only communicates using primes, he begins to think he just might be right.

Prime Baby is the work of Gene Yang, a well celebrated and award-winning graphic novelist and educator. Yang says that it was "inspired by the ruckus at my own house after my second kid was born." He talks more about his life and work in this interview with Tom Surgeon.

This short story has not been as well received as some of his other work. Educator James Bucky Carter called it "fun, relatable, worth reading, but not life-changing or particularly exceptional." Reviewer Johanna Draper Carlson found the book "cute" but had mixed feelings about it.

More reviews, information, a preview, a teacher guide, and author information can be found here from the book's publisher First Second.

Happy Birthday, Gene Yang!

2011-08-09T12:00:00.005-04:00

One of the most highly regarded contemporary graphic novel creators, Gene Yang has been making comics since 1996. He received a Xeric Grant in 1997 for Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks. But his big breakout came with American Born Chinese, a 2006 National Book Award finalist, and winner of both the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. Consequently, ABC has become one of the most prominent works used for introducing graphic novels into curricula.

Since then, Yang has taught computer science at Bishop O'Dowd High School in California and will be teaching in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adult program at Hamline University. He also has produced more graphic novels, including the short story collection The Eternal Smile with Derek Kirk Kim, Prime Baby, and his newest work Level Up.

Yang has quite a diverse set of interests and has websites about comics in education, teaching factoring, and the Monkey King legend. A creative and productive creator, he remains a person of great interest in the graphic novel publishing.

Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper

2011-08-05T11:35:00.011-04:00

This gorgeous graphic novel follows the exploits of Emily and her little brother Navin. Years after the terrible death of their father, their mom moves them all to the home of their assumed deceased great-grandfather. Alone in a huge house in the woods, they find some strange things, such as a huge book and an amulet. Also, there are mysterious apparitions and tentacled creatures lurking in dark places. When their mother is kidnapped by a monster, the children are forced to chase after her, ending up in a parallel world filled with mystery and adventure. Although the story may seem cliche, it is extremely well executed, and the plot is as compelling as the art is beautiful to behold.

Writer/artist Kazu Kibuishi is an accomplished web artist and editor, known for creating and editing the well regarded Flight Anthology. He is also known for his steampunk western graphic novel Daisy Kutter (selected by the American Librarian Association as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2006) and his webcomic Copper, which is available as a print collection. He shares information about his life and work on his official website.

The reviews I have found have been largely positive. Benjamin Royce Jaekle praised the work as "promising" and called it "a quick, easy, and amazing read." The Graphic Novel Reporter John Hogan wrote that it was an "engrossing saga" and was intrigued by Emily's internal struggles. The reviewer at Through the Looking Glass added that this book was "a fascinating story about magic, destiny, fabulous technologies, and alternate worlds." There is also an interesting appreciation of the series from NPR's Darin Strauss.

Amulet: The Stonekeeper is the first book in a series of five. The fourth will be published in the near future, and the series has been well received in general. The first two books have been optioned for a film starring Will Smith's children Willow and Jaden.

This book is published by Scholastic (check out the publisher's link - it is surprisingly interactive!). The book's prologue is available here. And a video trailer can be seen here.

Morning Glories, Volume 1

2011-07-30T12:00:00.012-04:00

This volume collects the first six issues of the hit comic book series published by Image Comics. The story is about six new students at Morning Glory Academy, an extremely prestigious private school with, it turns out, a sinister underbelly. The main character is Casey, blond, beautiful, and brilliant at physics. She is joined by her roommates Zoe, a spoiled brat kleptomaniac, and Jade, a small-town writer with a troubled past. As for the boys, there are Hunter, likable but nerdy, Jun, quiet and strong, and Ike, who is privileged, manipulative, and hedonistic. Together these students try to get to the bottom of their teachers' plans, explore the school, escape death traps, and figure out why they are there. The mystery and rebellion aspects as well as the characters' interactions make for some compelling storytelling.

This hit series is the work of writer Nick Spencer, who has worked on numerous series from DC, Marvel, and Image Comics. This interview with Comic Book Resources' Josh Wigler gets at the origins and early direction of the series. Joe Eisma provides the interior artwork while Rodin Esquejo illustrates the covers. Eisma spoke with Newsarama about his work on Morning Glories, and all three creators weigh in about the series here.

Morning Glories has received much positive attention, including an Eisner Award nomination for writer Nick Spencer and a YALSA nomination for Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The Tuscon Citizen's Rob Acosta wrote that Spencer has created an immediately intriguing story and that the twists and turns in the plot have really hooked him. IGN's Miguel Perez wrote that this is a series "to make the rest of the comic book world stand up and take notice." CBR's Chad Nevett noted that Eisma's art struggles to keep up with Spencer's plot but added that the writing is "fearless here and makes me wonder what’s in store as the series continues."

An 11-page preview is available from Comic Book Resources.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

2011-07-25T11:46:00.005-04:00

This adaptation of Oscar Wilde's only novel conveys a streamlined version of the original work. Dorian Gray, a handsome and narcissistic man, commissions artist Basil Hallward to paint a portrait of him. Taken with himself and his desires, Dorian sells his soul so that the portrait will age and change while he himself remains youthful and attractive. Given to hedonistic tendencies, Dorian lives according to his appetites, regardless of the consequences for others. Over time, his sinful lifestyle is reflected in the painting, which becomes hideous and marked with age. After eighteen years, however, his actions start to catch up to him.

This graphic novel is the work of Ian Edginton and I. N. J. Culbard, who were the creators behind a series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Their work has a modern feel that evokes emotion through stylized faces, pointed phrases, and a muted, frosted aspect of the artwork. I feel the art is wonderfully expressive. Culbard blogs more about his work here.

Reviews of this book have been mostly positive but with some reservations. The Comics Journal's Kristian Williams examines several graphic adaptations of Wilde's novel and opines about this version that too much of the original wording "has been pruned from the dialogue, and so Lord Henry Wotton’s philosophy is reduced to a series of clever inversions and bold affronts to common sense. Likewise, the art, while very good, cannot but clash with the Victorian setting." This short review from the Do Even I Dare to Speak? blog states that "the graphics are fairly simplistic and the writing is just average." More reviews can be found at Goodreads.

This book was published in the US by Sterling Children's Books. A preview is available from Self Made Hero.

Congratulations 2011 Eisner Award Winners!

2011-07-24T10:04:00.006-04:00

Yesterday at Comic Con International, Wilson and Return of the Dapper Men shared the award for best original Graphic Album. I have mixed feelings about having a tie for such an award, but both books are excellent and worthy.

In other news, Chew won Best Continuing Series. Smile won Best Publication for Teens. And Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys won for Best US Edition of International Material-Asia.

Additionally, Harvey Pekar was among those elected to the Hall of Fame.

A full list of winners is here.

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less

2011-07-20T11:11:00.001-04:00

Sarah Glidden has received numerous awards and accolades for her work in minicomics, including the 2008 Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent. She is an American-born artist, and this book is her first major endeavor. These interviews with Douglas Wolk, Samuel J. Scott, and Michael Cavna shed more light on her life, politics, and work.

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less is a mediation about the politics and reality of Israel in the face of constant conflict with Palestinians and surrounding Arab nations. Glidden visited Israel in 2007 for a ten-day "birthright tour." She comes in expecting to find much pro-Israeli propaganda, as she is more sympathetic to the Palestinian side of the conflict. Instead of a simple bully-versus-victim situation, she comes to see many aspects of the historical happenings and political realities. She wrestles with her beliefs often, in fictional scenes depicted as a fantastical courtroom. She visits a great many places on the tour, including Tel Aviv, Kinneret, the desert, Golan Heights, and Jerusalem, learning about their historical import as well as their current statuses. Afterward, she stays for some more time, trying to get a less filtered, more real view of Israel by visiting the West Bank, but still no clarity emerges.

This intriguing volume contains much material to debate about regarding the politics of Israel, and it acts as a treasure trove of information not only within the actual narrative but also in the helpful glossary and timeline at the end of the book. I felt that the story was a fine combination of nonfiction and fantastical elements that was dense at times, but appropriately so according to the subject matter. The reviewer at Jewlicious found the plot very compelling and read the book in one sitting. Jen Sorenson called the book "a particularly effective piece of graphic storytelling," noting that the fictional courtroom scenes helped her pull the story and arguments together well. Kelly Thompson does not know if she is any clearer about the Israeli/Palestinian situation after reading it but noted that she was moved by this well-crafted graphic novel.

This book is published by Vertigo, and a preview of it is available from TIME magazine's Techland.

Cuba: My Revolution

2011-07-15T12:00:00.010-04:00

Cuba: My Revolution is not strictly factual, as the main character is a stand-in for the author named Sonya and some of the other characters are composites, but the events it portrays are based on Lockpez's experiences. Sonya is a budding artist who is swept up in the romantic, hopeful message spread by Fidel Castro in overthrowing the Batista regime in Cuba. Hoping to pitch in with the freedom fighters who had cast off American-backed oppression, she became a doctor. Over the course of time, she finds that not all of the utopian ideals and proposed reforms went as she hoped. Instead of a socialist paradise, a Soviet-style communist dictatorship ascends. She sees an atmosphere of continued conflict, paranoia, and want under Castro's rule, which makes her question her choices and allegiances.

The author Inverna Lockpez is an artist who has been showing sculptures and paintings internationally since the 1960s. She has been friends with cartoonist Dean Haspiel for years, telling him her stories. After he kept telling her she should share her experiences with others and she saw his work with Jonathan Ames on The Alcoholic, she agreed to co-create this graphic novel. This interview sheds light more on their collaboration. Haspiel has been making comics for years, and is well known for his work on The Quitter, the webcomix collective Act-I-vate, and the Emmy Award winning titles to the HBO series Bored to Death. This interview touches on his work on this book.

Reviewers have found the story very moving and well executed. Evelyn Finch wrote that it is "a passionate, profound and compelling piece of work that will stay with you long after you put" it down. David Pepose appreciated how Sonya evolved over time and concluded that it "has the potential to be an important" book. Jesse Schedeen opined that the story is personal, compelling, and affecting, though the ending did not feel very climactic. I found the story to be gruesome, powerful, and emotionally charged. Additionally, Haspiel's clear, strong lines contributed to impressive imagery that is highlighted by the limited color palette of black, white, and red.

Cuba: My Revolution was published by Vertigo. Previews are available from Techland and Big Shiny Robot.

YALSA 2012 Nominees Announced

2011-07-15T10:46:00.007-04:00

The Young Adult Library Services Association's 2012 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Nominations are out!

Among the nominees are Anya's Ghost, Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Return of the Dapper Men, and Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity.

Congratulations to all!

Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards: A Tale of Edward Drinker Cope, Onthniel Charles Marsh and the Gilded Age of Paleontology

2011-07-10T12:00:00.011-04:00

People today know lots about dinosaurs, to the point where children can become experts in names, eras, habitats, and probable behaviors at early ages. But 150 years ago during the Gilded Age things were very different. Only 9 species of dinosaur were known in North America then, but two men became involved in a conflict that changed that situation. After a brief collaboration, E. D. Cope and O. C. Marsh waged what was later known as the Bone Wars, striving to locate, obtain, and analyze fossils all over the US, particularly out west, and name as many new species as possible. Their falling out precipitated from an error Marsh publicly pointed out about Cope's reconstruction of an Elasmosaurus skeleton, with the head being placed on the tail instead of the neck.

In their haste to discover new species, they turned to dirty tactics, including throwing rocks at each other from their excavation sites, dynamiting sites, destroying fossils, deliberately relocating fossils, filling in excavation sites, and savaging each other through personal attacks in journal articles. The feud spread to the popular press and became quite a sensation. Cope had a head start and some fortune of his own but Marsh had a large inheritance plus the resources of Yale University funding his work. In the end, Marsh named 80 species and Cope 56. Among their findings were some of the most well-known dinosaurs, including Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Diplodocus. Along with their discoveries, there were also a number of misconceptions because of their haste to outdo each other, which took decades to suss out.

This graphic novel covers a lot of ground and also shows this duo's interactions with a number of historical figures, including Charles R. Knight, who went on to create some of the first and most recognizable dinosaur paintings; P. T. Barnum, who gathered and bought curiosities for his traveling shows; President U. S. Grant, and Chief Red Cloud, with whom Marsh deals in order to get access to excavation sites. A copious back matter section helps delineate how much of this book is fact and how much is embellished (or not, it turns out).

The product of Jim Ottaviani and Big Time Attic, Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards is their first collaboration, and they have since worked on the Space Race story T-Minus. Reviewers have largely enjoyed the book. Todd Klein found many of the intricate details in the art and lettering helped convey the story and set a tone, thought the huge cast of characters was sometimes confusing. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that the politics made a potentially dusty story intriguing and that it was "Ottaviani's most entertaining book yet." Entertainment Weekly's Tom Russo felt the opposite, that the story needed more fictional embellishments. Personally, I felt the real drama made for a very compelling narrative that bears re-reading.

An excerpt, study guide, and a list of reviews is available from Ottaviani's publisher G. T. Labs.

A Study in Scarlet

2011-07-05T11:40:00.008-04:00

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous literary characters ever created, and this graphic novel is an adaptation of his first story. In it, we meet Holmes' reliable friend and narrator, Dr. Watson and learn how he came to live at 221B Baker Street with the great detective. The pair end up involved in a murder investigation, and Holmes, years before CSI, uses science and deduction to figure out suspect, motive, and method. The solution of the mystery takes the reader to the United States during the early, rough days of the Mormon trek into Utah.

This graphic novel is a faithful adaptation of the work of Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish writer who wrote a range of other works such as the science fiction novel The Lost World, and who tired of his most famous detective, even killing him off at one point, but relented to public outcry for more Holmes stories. Ian Edginton, a popular British comics writer, adapted the story. He is known for his sequel to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, Scarlet Traces, and various runs on 2000 AD. The art was provided by I. N. J. Culbard, who has also worked on adaptations of a great number of classic British novels. In particular, he excels at creating mood via space and facial expressions.

The reviews I have read have been overall positive. The Guardian's Rachel Cooke wrote that Edginton and Culbard did an excellent job and she "relished every page." Seth T. Hahne was frustrated that some clues were withheld before the great reveal so he could not solve the mystery on his own. School Library Journal found the book had much to offer new and established Holmes readers alike. I agree and think that Edginton and Culbard have done well capturing the spirit and tone of the original quite well.

This book was published by Sterling. These same collaborators have created two other such adaptations of Doyle's detective, with a third on the way. Previews of this book and those later volumes are available here from Self Made Hero.

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

2011-06-30T11:45:00.005-04:00

The title of this classic Cold War and censorship novel comes from the temperature at which paper supposedly combusts. In the near future, firemen set fires, not fight them. Houses are fireproof and books are illegal because of the ideas they could give people. Firemen enforce the law, burning books and making sure their owners are arrested. Guy Montag is a fireman who is disturbed when he witnesses a woman setting herself on fire rather than give up her books. He catches a glance of some words and risks stashing a few books to see what is they contain.

Ray Bradbury wrote this forward-looking work as a commentary on the problems of contemporary American society. He also forecasted a number of things, including the growing dependence on media (in the form of wall-size screens) and the use of earphone radios (think Bluetooth). A National Medal for Arts recipient and Science Fiction Poetry Association Grandmaster, Bradbury has written numerous works, most notably the The Martian Chronicles stories and the novels Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, and Dandelion Wine. His works have been adapted into all types of media, including movies, television programs, and comics. This interview with Bradbury explores the process of making this adaptation. Both Hamilton and Bradbury contributed to this interview about the book.

Tim Hamilton adapted this novel into graphic novel form. He has worked as an illustrator for a couple decades now, drawing for publications ranging from MAD to The New York Times. He drew the long-running comic book series The Trouble with Girls and also adapted Treasure Island into a graphic novel. This interview touches on Hamilton's work, career, and art on this book.

This well-done adaptation appeals to many people. Chris Singer called it a "terrific adaptation."A student at Teen Ink wrote that it would be better to read the novel before the adaptation, but NatalieSap offered that "it can be a gateway to reading Bradbury's original, or even stand alone." The School Library Journal concluded that it was "an excellent companion to an excellent novel."

A teacher's guide, videos, and other information are available here from the book's publisher Hill and Wang. A preview is available at Amazon.com.

Anya's Ghost

2011-06-25T12:00:00.003-04:00

Anya Borzakovskaya is just trying to fit in. Her family comes from Russia, and she has fought hard to lose her accent and try to make friends. She goes to the third worst private school in the state, and makes okay to bad grades. She has one friend, Siobhan, who likes to sneak away and smoke with her. She avoids Dima, the other Russian kid in class, because she does not want to be seen as nerdy or weak. Also, she has a crush on Pete, who is on the basketball team and dates the beautiful, popular Elizabeth.

One day Anya is taking a short cut through a field and falls into a well. Hurt, she finds herself trapped in this hole for two days. Also, there is a skeleton there, and a ghost rises from it. It turns out she is lonely after spending ninety years trapped in a well. She tries to befriend the ornery Anya, and much to Anya's surprise ends up accompanying her when she is rescued. Having a ghost as a friend ends up having some surprising up-side, Anya finds. But the ghost also seems to have some motives of her own...

This wonderful graphic novel is the creation of Vera Brosgol, a Russian-born animator and storyboard artist who works for Laika Inc. She has published the webcomic Return to Sender, but it has remained unfinished. This is her debut graphic novel, and it comes with some pretty strong endorsements with cover blurbs from Neil Gaiman, Scott McCloud, and Hope Larson. Brosgol's characters are sharply defined in terms of writing and art, and the black, white, and gray tones create a great atmosphere for all the interactions. She is especially adept at capturing emotions and conveying emotion and tone.

This strong debut has been well reviewed. John Hogan called it a "pleasant surprise" and wrote that it is "richly layered work that moves deftly from wispy romance to creepy chills with nary a misstep." John DeNardo was impressed with this "excellent" "ghost story that starts innocently enough, but gets creepier as the story progresses." Cory Doctorow added that "Anya's Ghost manages to be really sweet, really funny and really scary."

An excerpt, trailer and more are available here from the book's publisher First Second.

A big thank you to Gina for the review copy!

Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity

2011-06-20T11:49:00.007-04:00

This is one terrifically fun graphic novel. Each chapter introduces or follows a character, so it is full of mini-narratives that add up to one big story. At Astronaut Academy you can take classes such as Advanced Heart Studies, Anti-Gravity Gymnastics, Wearing Cute Hats, Fire Throwing, Run-On Sentences, and Locker. And the classes are taught by an Elf, a bunny, and a Panda (who may be a double agent). This may just be the best school ever.

The students (full cast here) are a varied and motley bunch, and they are all effected when a cute, brooding new student enrolls. Hakata Soy is a former space hero who is being stalked by some old enemies. Aside from that, two rivals, Miyumi San and Maribelle Melonbelly, also are striving against each other for his attention.

Dave Roman created this great romp, which was originally published online as Astronaut Elementary. He has created a number of other webcomics, including the Harvey Award nominated Quicken Forbidden and Agnes Quill. He won the 2005 Web Cartoonists' Choice Award for Best New Character Design for his work on AE. Roman talks about working on this trade release in this interview with The Stumptown Press. This interview with the School Library Journal is also quite informative.

This book is silly in the best sense of the word, with multiple jokes on every page. Former teen librarian Snow Wildsmith wrote that "Astronaut Academy won’t appeal to everyone, but for the right reader it will speak volumes about the struggles with identity and place which middle school and early high school aged kids feel so keenly." Publishers Weekly called the book "zany and cute." Xaviar Xerexes found this a "wonderfully produced book" that mixes slapstick and sarcasm.

An excerpt, video preview, discussion guide, and more are available here from the book's publisher First Second. Much of this book is also available here as a webcomic.

A sequel, Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry is slated to appear, as detailed in this interview with John Hogan.

A big Thank You to Gina for the review copy!

Hicksville

2011-06-15T12:00:00.005-04:00

A love note to comics as a form, commentary on the business-side of the industry, and mystery story, Hicksville is the story of Leonard Batts, a biographer, trying to unearth the origins of Dick Burger, the most successful comics creator in America. He knows next to nothing about Burger's formative years and has a very difficult time finding Hicksville, a small town in New Zealand that is not on any maps. What he finds there amazes him: People from all ages and walks of life read and talk about comics. The library has complete runs of classics such as Action Comics but also obscurities like mini-comics from Mongolia. And everybody refuses to say anything about Dick Burger.

This story originally appeared serially from 1993 to 1997 in Pickle and originally was published as a collection with 50 new pages in 1998. This edition has some introductory material added where we see a frank discussion of the author's career as well as some shifts in the comics industry since. It also has copious back matter to help explain the many comics references within the narrative, for unfamiliar readers.

Hicksville is the creation of Dylan Horrocks, a New Zealand born comics artist who has mostly worked on his own creator-owned works but has also written for DC on books like Batgirl and Hunter: The Age of Magic. Horrocks publishes most of his new work on his own site, Hicksville Comics.

Hicksville has been a largely celebrated book. Richard from the Forbidden Planet International blog wrote that it "is staggeringly good, a perfect exploration of all that is right, and much that is wrong, with this beautiful, unique medium." W. Scott Poole sees the book as beautiful, vibrant, and still, sadly, very relevant concerning a comics industry that has changed little in 20 years. Peter Gutiérrez offered that it is "the rare work that manages to be both brainy and silly with equal credibility."

A pdf preview, a series of review blurbs, and other resources can be found here from Drawn & Quarterly.

James Sturm's America: God, Gold, and Golems

2011-06-10T12:00:00.006-04:00

James Sturm is a comics artist and director of The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. He has created a number of other graphic novels, many with a historical bent, such as Satchel Page: Striking Out Jim Crow. and Market Day. In a more contemporary vein, he produced a series of columns and cartoons for Slate about his attempts to quit the internet. He is respected for his work, having won a Xeric and Eisner Award. This interview with Tom Spurgeon informs about his recent work and activities.

This volume is a compendium of the following works:

The Revival - Set in 1810, this tale is about a giant tent revival in Kentucky that is emblematic of the Second Great Awakening. It centers on a couple attending the revival and their attempts to reconcile their faith with the death of an infant.

Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight - Set in the isolated mining town of Solomon's Gulch, Idaho in 1886, this tale concerns the greed, paranoia, and desperation of a dwindling number of miners striving to strike it rich.

The Golem's Mighty Swing - The lengthiest and last story chronicles a Jewish barnstorming baseball team in the 1920s. It follows the Stars of David and their rickety bus on a tour of the Midwest. They feature a sole black player, a member of the "lost tribe" who gets dressed up as a golem to increase theatrics. Civil rights and the players' treatment features strongly.

Sturm's craftsmanship and solid story-telling are highlighted in reviews. Andrew Wheeler credited Sturm for creating sharp dialogue and well-defined characters. JohnSeven wrote that the book displays a "great talent for emotionally honest stories told through straightforward means." Kirkus Reviews agrees, "It doesn’t take many words or strokes for Sturm’s graphic artistry to leave a lasting impression."

A pdf preview is available here from the book's publisher Drawn & Quarterly.

The Photographer

2011-06-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

The Photographer is the harrowing, true life story of Didier Lefèvre, a French photographer who accompanied a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) mission into Afghanistan in 1986 during the Soviet Invasion. Along the difficult trek done mostly on foot, Lefèvre documented visits with local soldiers and civilians, beautiful scenery, dangerous obstacles, domestic scenes, makeshift medical stations, and treatments both severe and mundane. He saw children and adults whose lives were rocked by violence, enjoyed the limited amount of local hospitality, and witnessed the machinations needed to travel and acquire supplies in a war-torn country. This story is full of bleak conditions, resilient folk, and some grim humor.

This graphic novel is a combination of pictures and photographs, drawn from Lefèvre's work and journals during the trip. His photos appeared in a number of French magazines, and he died of a heart attack in 2007 just as his work began to reach a wider audience. Emmanuel Guibert and Frédéric Lemercier provided the drawings and coloring respectively. Guibert is a prolific French comics artist who has a number of books published in English, including Sardine in Outer Space and The Professor's Daughter.

This graphic novel has been well reviewed. Chris Hedges wrote in his New York Times review that the book is lengthy but "build[s] in power and momentum as it recounts the arduous trip into mountain villages, the confrontation with the devastation of war, the struggle to save lives and Lefèvre’s foolish and nearly fatal attempt to return to Pakistan ahead of the team." Douglas Wolk wrote that the book's images pack an "emotional wallop." Shaun Manning praised the book, saying that it belonged "among the comics medium's best-known and highest regarded stories."

An excerpt, reviews, and other information are available here from the book's publisher First Second.

Pinky & Stinky

2011-05-30T12:00:00.004-04:00

Pigs in space is not an entirely new concept in children's entertainment, but Pinky and Stinky do it in an incredibly cute and fun manner. The plot is relatively easy to follow though full of twists: they are two pig astronauts on a mission to Pluto. Due to a mishap (Stinky's fault, according to Pinky), they end up crash landing on the Moon. Luckily for them, there is a base there for them to find help, but unfortunately, the astronauts there are pretty mean and rude. Also, there are aliens on the moon who also make life interesting.

Pinky & Stinky is the work of prolific cartoonist, James Kochalka. Kochalka has won multiple Ignatz Awards as well as a Harvey Award, and he is the first person ever named Cartoonist Laureate for a US state (Vermont). He creates a daily, online, diary comic American Elf and has published a wide array of comics for all age groups, mostly through Top Shelf Productions. This interview casts some light on his life and work.

Like much of Kochalka's work, this book has been well reviewed. Johanna Draper Carlson called it "an imaginative journey, reminiscent of a children’s story told over several nights." Mark Allen thought it was longer than a typical children's story but concluded that "this is a very good book for children." Paul Debraski wrote that he enjoyed the humor and twists in the story as well as Kochalka's deceptively simple art.

A preview is available here from Top Shelf.

Greg Burgas reviews Lewis & Clark

2011-05-26T20:58:00.002-04:00

Greg Burgas at Comics Should Be Good has a nice, thoughtful review about Nick Bertozzi's latest book I recently posted about. Go check it out!

Happy Birthday, James Kochalka!

2011-05-26T12:00:00.006-04:00

James Kochalka is a Rennaissance man: comics artist, teacher, writer, and rock star. On top of these pursuits, he is also Vermont's Cartoonist Laureate (serving from 2011 to 2013).

He is a prolific cartoonist who has produced a daily diary comic since 1998. He publishes it on his website American Elf, and print copies are available from Top Shelf Productions as The Sketchbook Diaries and American Elf. He has also created a wide range of books, including series for children (Johnny Boo, The Best Little Ghost in the World and Dragon Puncher), the iconic Monkey Versus Robots books, the raucous superhero parody SuperF*ckers, books about comics like Conversation, and The Cute Manifesto, a philosophical look at life and art. On top of all this work, he has also released nine albums with his group James Kochalka Superstar.

Kochalka is not just prolific; he's also good. He has won four Ignatz Awards and a Harvey Award for Best Online Comics Work. He is totally deserving of a great fan blog, Kochalkaholic!

Weathercraft

2011-05-25T12:00:00.007-04:00

Weathercraft is a 100-page long journey into Jim Woodring's dreamlike world, and the book practically defies description. The all but wordless tale may be read as a philosophical or spiritual journey. It mostly follows the plights of Manhog, a pig/man hybrid who lives in a rubbish pile and is ruled by his basest appetites. He encounters many strange creatures in this tale, including devils, carnivores, paisley-shaped critters, and Frank, a cartoon animal who resembles a dog or a bear. In this world creatures typically eat or are eaten; they go through transformations, see visions, are imprisoned, and are magically transported across time and space. Over the course of the strange and fantastical events a kind of logic starts to emerge.

Jim Woodring is a Seattle artist who has been drawing comics for decades now. He gained some notoriety lately for making a functional, seven-foot-long ink pen. He is best known for his independent comics series Jim which featured the adventures of Frank. He won two Harvey Awards in 1993 for his work on the series. He also won the Inkpot Award in 2008. This interview with the Onion AV Club as well as this one with Shaun Manning lend insight into his work on Weathercraft.

Woodring's first graphic novel has been almost universally praised. Reviewer Jason Michelitch wrote that "Weathercraft paints small moments of beauty and mystery on a huge canvas of twisted wonder. If you've never ventured into the deranged world of Woodring, take it from a belated first-timer that this book is as good a starting place as any." Henry Chamberlain and Brian Heater also have great things to say in their detailed reviews of the book.

A video preview is provided here from the book's publisher Fantagraphics. They also provide a great number of links and images here.

Fist Stick Knife Gun wins multiple Glyph Awards

2011-05-22T15:49:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Geoffrey Canada and Jamar Nicholas (pictured above) for winning 3 Glyph Awards for their graphic novel, Fist Stick Knife Gun.

Lewis and Clark

2011-05-20T12:00:00.005-04:00

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were two Virginians selected by President Thomas Jefferson to explore, study, and chart territory across the North American continent, including the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and the contested Oregon Country. Their exploits have long been considered classic tales of American heroism and exploration. This graphic novel puts a very human face on their journey, showing their interactions with local politicians, various Native American clans and tribes who have their own agendas, trappers, British, and Spaniards. The author shows them dealing with obstacles, difficult terrain, flatulence, in-fighting, and their necessarily Spartan regimen. These various events are told in episodic fashion, with dates and labels helping make sense of what happened when.

This beautifully rendered book is the work of Nick Bertozzi, a prolific comics creator who is best known for his graphic novel about the major players in the Modernist scene in Paris, The Salon, his art in the Houdini: The Handcuff King graphic novel, and his series Rubber Necker. That last work won 2003 Harvey and Ignatz Awards, and he was also awarded the Harvey for Best New Talent. Bertozzi also regularly contributes comics to the online Act-i-vate. He describes his artistic process in this entry from the Drawing Words and Writing Pictures blog.

Like much of Bertozzi's work, this graphic novel has been extremely well received. Beth Hewitt praises the book, citing Bertozzi's great craft in navigating the chronology of events and capturing the voices and personalities of historic figures. The Comics Journal's Rob Clough called the book "a clever, well-crafted and exciting mainstream story with a number of deeper flourishes" and also applauded Bertozzi's ability to make deceptively simple-looking work. The Graphic Novel Reporter wrote that it is "an intimate tale of a great American epic."

A preview is available here from the book's publisher, First Second.
More information and reviews, including one from famed documentarian Ken Burns is available here.

A big Thank You to Gina for the review copy!

Return of the Dapper Men

2011-05-15T12:00:00.003-04:00

This gorgeously drawn graphic novel is part fairy tale, sci-fi story, mystery, and adventure yarn. And I warn you now, my description is not going to do it justice. The story takes place on the world of Anorev, where not many people live. Those who do live there are only children under age eleven. Clocks do not work; books are not read but used for stacking into rudimentary ladders. There are robots living underground, a giant angel statue looming over town, and a curious boy named Ayden, who is the only one who wonders why the world is the way it is. His curiosity leads him to question why time has stopped , and his actions bring about the arrival of 314 very dapper men who can fly and who have both mysterious motives and some answers.

Jim McCann and Janet Lee created this book. McCann, the author, began his career writing for music videos, television, and theater, and he also has written a series of comics about Hawkeye and Mockingbird for Marvel Comics. Lee is an artist who lives and works in Nashville; she has shown her artwork in galleries across the world. This interview with both creators casts light on how this collaboration came about.

Like fashion icon Tim Gunn, who wrote the introduction, most reviewers are impressed with this book. Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza celebrated it, writing that it reminds him "of everything comics can be." Reviewer Jonathan Pilley "can't recommend it enough, whether you're a young child with a robot friend or an adult who needs a reminder that even the innocence of childhood is fraught with grown-up decisions." Jill Pantozzi gushed about the book, calling it "a fairytale for a new generation."

Tim Gunn's introduction is available here from the book's publisher Archaia. A video preview is available here.

Jellaby: Monster in the City

2011-05-10T12:00:00.004-04:00

Book two follows the adventures of Portia, Jellaby, and Jason as they venture into Toronto to find a way for Jellaby to get home. Along the way they learn to navigate transit systems and traffic and come to an amusement park. There they take rides, run into a tough trio of kids, and also encounter a mysterious masked stranger who seems to know a lot about where Jellaby is from. A major threat also arises, threatening their lives and friendships, making them question who they can trust.

This second book from Kean Soo, a cartoonist who started publishing stories about Jellaby in the Flight anthologies and who posts his work online at The Secret Friend Society, goes beyond their initial encounters and focuses on how being friends with a little dragon might play out. Reviewer Dave Ferraro was disappointed by how this focus worked and hopes that Soo "will return the character to his playful roots." The School Library Journal's Ernie Cox differs in opinion and felt the book would be a strong contender for the Caldecott Award. The School Library Journal also put this book on their Best Comics for Kids 2009 list.

Although volume one is still out of print, this one is still available from Disney Hyperion. A preview is available here from the author.

Jellaby

2011-05-05T12:00:00.006-04:00

Ten-year-old Portia is having a tough time adjusting to her new neighborhood, life at home without her father, and the kids at school who give her a hard time. Complicating things even more, she happens upon a giant purple monster in her backyard, though the monster is not so scary (aside from trying to eat her flashlight, that is). She starts an unlikely friendship with Jellaby and strives to keep the monster a secret. That does not last long when a lonely little boy named Jason starts snooping around.

This book is charming, fantastical, and yet firmly grounded in reality, with very real life circumstances and well-defined characters. It is the creation of Kean Soo, a Canadian-Asian artist who began the story as a webcomic at The Secret Friend Society, a site run jointly with his artist colleague Hope Larson. Soo does not have many credits in comics as of yet, but he publishes frequently in Flight, where Jellaby first appeared. This interview contains lots of information about his life and work.

Jellaby is a book that has much to offer readers of many ages. Esther Keller was impressed with Soo's craft, noting that "the art and story work together seamlessly, so that the reader will have to read the pictures as well as the words to get a full story – and all the jokes." Michael Jung praised the book, writing that "with his oversized head, huge mouth, and expressive eyes that seem simultaneously naïve and intelligent, Jellaby is a monster any kid (or adult) would fall in love with." J. Caleb Mozzocco added, "This is a great little suburban adventure story that I'd recommend to just about anyone of any age." Personally, I very much enjoyed the book and was extremely disappointed when I came to the end and found I had to wait for a sequel.

Luckily, the sequel is out now, but there is also bad news. This first book is now out of print, but the first 64 pages, as well as a few short stories can be found here from the webcomic site.

Paul Auster's City of Glass

2011-04-30T12:00:00.009-04:00

The first book in Paul Auster's New York Trilogy, City of Glass is an exploration of identity and theology clad as a detective story. The tale begins when a crime novelist named Quinn begins receiving a series of calls at night, mistakenly trying to hire him as a private investigator. Eventually the author decides to just pretend to be a P.I. and take the case. His client is a strange, awkward man, the son of a theology professor who thought if he raised his boy without any human language that he would end up speaking the original language of God as spoken by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When the professor is released from prison, the man and his femme fatale wife suspect he will try to seek vengeance, so Quinn is supposed to keep tabs on the old man. This being a detective story, of course not everything is as it seems.

This graphic adaptation manages to take a complex, intricate story and add even more dimensions with graphic representations and fantastic interpretations of the narrative. It was done by Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli, both Eisner Award winning creators who have been making avant garde comics for decades. Karasik is known for cartooning for a diverse range of publications, from The New Yorker to Nickelodeon Magazine, a memoir comic about living with autism done in collaboration with his sister Judy, The Ride Together, and his collections of the works of Fletcher Hanks. Karasik blogs about his life and work here. Mazzucchelli is best known for his landmark works with Frank Miller on Batman: Year One and Daredevil: Born Again as well as his original graphic novel, Asterios Polyp.

Reviewers have acknowledged that this graphic novel is something to be contended with. Carl Doherty praised this adaptation as being as good as its source material while cautioning, "If you’re the kind of reader who needs to know the answer to a riddle, then this might not be the book for you." Tom Bernard wrote that the book "is something like a waking dream; even though the artists keep showing possible avenues of escape, the reader ends up feeling trapped in the story." Dealing with many complex questions, Darren was left feeling "perplexed" but "with the feeling a second read-through would definitely be rewarding."

Published by Picador, a preview for this edition is available at Amazon.com.

Greg Burgas on Monster

2011-04-26T21:00:00.002-04:00

Greg Burgas at Comics Should Be Good has a detailed and thoughtful review of Naoki Urasawa's Monster series here (contains spoilers, though not about the ending). I thought the series dragged some during the later volumes, but overall I agree with a lot of his comments.

Ex Machina, Volume 1: The First Hundred Days

2011-04-25T12:00:00.003-04:00

This first volume (of ten) sets up philosophical questions about superhero comics, including, What good can one man do? and How much does vigilante justice help? The title character here, Mitchell Hundred, was a civil engineer who was working on a bridge when he found a strange device that exploded, leaving him both scarred and able to communicate with and control any machine. Using his powers as the world's first and only superhero, The Great Machine, he fights crime and confronts the terrorist attacks during 9/11.

Parallel to that narrative is one set in the near future when Hundred has decided to hang up his costume and run and serve as mayor of New York City. He finds that he can do more good within the political system and promises to serve only one term. In many ways, political maneuvering proves more difficult and time consuming, and Hundred's diverse political views spark some debates. Hundred's decision does not sit well with some of his past associates, and much of the series is a dynamic interplay of present situations interspersed with past events that inform and color what happens.

This series is the creation of writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Tony Harris. Vaughan is a well regarded, award winning author who is known for his work on the comics series Y: The Last Man, the graphic novel Pride of Baghdad, and the television series Lost. Harris is a 20 year comics veteran who has been nominated for multiple Eisner Awards and is known for his extended runs on Starman and Iron Man. This interview with the book's art team provides insights into their work.

Ex Machina is a celebrated series and the winner of the 2005 Eisner Award for Best New Series. Reviewers have been largely positive as well. Shawn commented that there is not much in the way of typical superhero fight scenes but that he was left wanting to follow more of this story. Hilary Goldstein wrote that it "should not be missed."

A preview is available here from DC Comics, the parent company of the book's publisher Wildstorm.

Smile

2011-04-20T12:00:00.006-04:00

This charming tale recounts the time in Raina's life in San Francisco from sixth until 10th grade. In this space of time lots happens, but the thread that goes through much of it is surprisingly dentistry and orthodontics. After Raina knocks out her two front teeth, she has to go through a number of procedures, including extractions and root canals, and ends up wearing braces and a headgear at night. She takes these events pretty hard and they affect her social life when she thinks she is weird or nerdy because of her dental issues.

As time goes by she participates in the Girl Scouts, gets her ears pierced, has crushes on boys, and learns to navigate life in high school. Also, she and her friends share some growing pains and their relationships get strained by teasing, pranks, and pettiness. Art becomes an outlet for her, and she begins taking more interest in being an animator after being blown away by The Little Mermaid.

The book's creator Raina Telgemeier has been nominated for Eisner and Ignatz Awards. She has drawn four adaptations of The Babysitter's Club books, which have garnered accolades from the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association. This interview with the Daily Crosshatch provides insight into her work and life.

A Boston Globe-Hornbook Award Honor title and New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, Smile is a well regarded work. Kirkus Reviews named it one of their Best for Teens 2010 books, calling it "irresistible, funny and touching." Elizabeth Bird praised Telgemeier, noting that she "has a knack for synthesizing the preadolescent experience in a visual medium." Chris Bolton writes that what sets the book apart from others is the humanity brought to the work.

An excerpt, preview video, and an interactive comics maker are all available here from the book's publisher Scholastic.

Chance in Hell

2011-04-15T12:00:00.007-04:00

The proverbial snowball whose chance in hell is referred to in the title is named Empress. She is a young girl when the story begins, living in a dump where chaos and might rule, where children rape and are raped, and where little hope remains. She is rescued from this situation by a kind benefactor who came from there himself. This man, a poetry editor, raises and cares for Empress. As she grows older, she rebels, makes friends with a pimp, eventually marries, and begins her own life in the city, with a man who knows nothing about the dump. However, she constantly remembers...

Chance in Hell is the work of Gilbert Hernandez, who is renowned for his decades-long work on Love and Rockets and his own graphic novels such as Sloth. He is a recognized master in the graphic novel field, drawing beautiful pictures while also crafting very humane, surreal, and evocative narratives. This graphic novel is, in part, an extension of his Love and Rockets work, as it portrays a fictional movie that one of his characters, Fritzi, who appears in the background as a prostitute, starred in during her career.

Hernandez's career has been marked with great praise, and this volume has received its fair share. Reviewer Joe McCulloch called it a "fine comic" that is challenging, interesting, and something to wrestle with. Matt Brady wrote that it is based on mood and feeling, full of "haunting imagery" that lingers. Offering a slightly contrary opinion, Andrew Wheeler found the book to be a beautiful but "interesting failure" that lacks sufficient characterization.

More information about the book, including a couple previews, is available here from its publisher Fantagraphic Books.

Happy Birthday, Dave Gibbons!

2011-04-14T14:00:00.003-04:00

British-born Dave Gibbons is best known in the US for Watchmen, the renowned graphic novel that appears on the Time Magazine All Time 100 Novels list and is also the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award. Although today Alan Moore gets the lion's share of credit for being the imaginative author of the book, Gibbons had much more input than is typically credited, as discussed in this interview. He was also an active consultant on the movie version of the book, and more about that work can be found in this interview from Den of Geek as well as this one from Time.

Well before he became famous for Watchmen, Gibbons was making comics in the UK for the very first issue of 2000 AD, the home of Judge Dredd, where he created a number of strips including Rogue Trooper. He also drew a long run of Dr. Who comics before being recruited to work in the US for DC Comics on books such as Superman and Green Lantern. In more recent years, Gibbons has kept quite busy creating comics such as Give Me Liberty (with Frank Miller) and The Originals while also working on video games and CD covers.

Nominated for a number of industry awards through the years, he was honored with two Jack Kirby Awards in 1987 for creating the series Watchmen and his artistic collaboration with Moore.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Volume 1

2011-04-10T12:00:00.004-04:00

Thor the Norse god of thunder was largely portrayed as a great warrior, giant-killer, and carouser. He was also shown to be dim sometimes, prone to the tricks of his half-brother Loki, and as having red hair and a red beard. This blond, clean-shaven version of Thor is the creation of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, the original architects of Marvel Comics. As a back-up feature, this book contains the first two appearances of this Thor by Kirby and Lee.

There have been different versions of Thor over time, given that the character has been published since 1962, and this version does a good job combining the original feel of the comics series with a contemporary sensibility while making it a perfect introduction for new readers. This Thor is on Earth for reasons he can't remember. He is drawn to a museum display for some reason, but is throw out by the guards when he tries to break into a glass case. Later, Jane Foster, who works in the museum, happens upon him in the street as he is violently thrown out of a bar while defending a woman's honor. His attacker is shown to be a gigantic man calling himself Mr. Hyde. Jane takes Thor in, and eventually they have adventures and try to figure out why he is on Earth at all.

This charmer of a book was created by writer Roger Langridge and artist Chris Samnee, with colors by Matthew Wilson. Langridge first came to prominence for his work on his series Fred the Clown and then made an even bigger splash with The Muppet Show , which won the 2010 Harvey Award for best Original Series for Younger Readers. Samnee, who has drawn comics for all the major comics companies as well as the graphic novel Capote in Kansas, was nominated for the Eisner Award for best up-and-coming artist in 2006 and is currently one of the more sought after artists in the industry.

This book, part of Marvel's push to publicize Thor, the subject of an upcoming movie, has been largely well received. David O'Leary commented that this "gem" of a book comes about because of Langridge's and Samnee's strong story-telling skills. Comic Book Resources' Chad Nevett wrote that the series is full of "fun, great art, and dynamic character work." Scott Cederlund appreciates how this series takes an old concept and refreshes it with a shift in characterization.

Previews of a number of the chapters in this book are available starting here from Marvel Comics.

Gil Kane would have been 85 today

2011-04-06T12:00:00.007-04:00

Born Eli Katz in Riga, Latvia, Gil Kane was one of the most prolific comics artists over his almost 50 years in the industry. He co-created the Silver Age versions of Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and the Atom (Ray Palmer), and drew every major character from both Marvel and DC. He is also notable for drawing a couple of classic storylines for The Amazing Spider-man, including the non-Comics Code Approved drug story as well the deaths of Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin. Later in his life, he also branched off into animation and newspaper comics.

Kane is an important figure in graphic novel history, publishing creator-owned stories in the magazine format His Name is... Savage! (published in 1968) and the paperback format Blackmark (published in 1971), which was sold in bookstores and is now considered by many the first American graphic novel. Much more about his career and life can be found in this interview from FA the Comiczine. This interview with Gary Groth from The Comics Journal provides a lot of information about his life and early career.

Kane was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame and the Harvey Award Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997.

Refresh Refresh

2011-04-05T12:00:00.004-04:00

Refresh Refresh is a heart-wrenching, disturbing, and idiosyncratic look into the lives of three boys in a rural Oregon town. Many of the men here are Marine Reservists who have been called to serve in the Iraq War, leaving their families to fend for themselves. Josh, Cody, and Gordon turn to each other for support and to toughen each other up. They build a boxing ring and fight each other so they will be strong. They try to make their fathers proud while on their own, but they also find themselves longing for any contact, constantly refreshing their email accounts looking for replies from abroad. While their families struggle financially, they all fear a knock at the door from a uniformed duo charged with delivering grim news.

This graphic novel is an adaptation of a short story by Benjamin Percy, an award winning author who also teaches in the prestigious writing program at Iowa State University. This story was made into a screenplay by James Ponsoldt, a writer/director whose first movie is called Off the Black, before Danica Novgorodoff chose it for her subject. Novgorodoff is an artist, photographer, and designer who works for First Second Books. She has written another graphic novel, the well regarded Slow Storm, about moral dilemmas and immigration issues. She explains her work on Refresh Refresh extensively in this interview.

Novgorodoff has won an Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics and was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Single Issue Comic, so it should come as no shock that her work has been well reviewed. Brian Beglin wrote that he is a fan of her work and is "thankful Novgorodoff is asking the messy questions, even if the answers make us hurt." The Graphic Novel Reporter's John Hogan called it a "beautifully done" story.

A preview, more reviews, and author information is available here from publisher First Second.

20th Century Boys 01

2011-03-30T12:00:00.006-04:00

Naoki Urasawa is regarded as one of the premier manga creators, and 20th Century Boys is one of his crowning works. It has won multiple accolades, including the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award, an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival, and the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award.

This volume introduces the story in twin narratives. In 1969 a group of boys create a club, complete with a hideout in a field and a secret symbol to help them identify membership. 30 years later, this symbol resurfaces as part of a secret society headed by a mysterious figure only known as "The Friend." This group seems to be involved in shady dealings, murdering rivals, and manipulating social control. Also, they seem to be bent on destroying the world with a giant destructive robot reminiscent of Gigantor. A friend's suicide leads failed-rocker-turned-convenience-store-owner Kenji Endō to try piecing together what's going on in the present with his hazy memories of the past.

The story and art both contain clues to the mystery, and Urasawa spins a compelling story that bears (even requires) rereading because of its nuances. The title of the series comes from a famous single by the glam rock band T. Rex, and there are many references to rock music and the popular culture of the times.

In Japan, this series was hugely popular, and it has spawned a trilogy of ambitious live action movies. The movies deviate from the books in some ways; still, some may wish to avoid the trailer because of spoilers. US reviewers have been very positive about the book. Lee Newman praises it, stating that "Urasawa has converted this conservative American fanboy" to manga. Hansel Castro literally runs out of superlatives describing it. Greg McElhatton is impressed by the level of detail in Urasawa's story and art.

20th Century Boys is published in the US by VIZ Media. 13 of the intended 22 volumes have been published. The series was delayed until his other series Monster and Pluto were completed, and the remaining volumes are again being released periodically.

Carl Barks would have been 110 today

2011-03-27T12:00:00.008-04:00

Company owned comic books did not always credit individual creators, but Carl Barks became one of the first to become well known. He began working for Disney in 1935 as an inbetweener, drawing the scenes showing movement between the key poses drawn by animators. In the 1940s he moonlighted as a comics artist, specializing in Donald Duck stories. Over time people began to recognize his style whether in comedies or imaginative adventure stories, and he came to be known as "The Good Duck Artist." It was not until 1960 that his name appeared in the comics and he became generally known.

Although he "retired" in the 1960s, Carl Barks worked on duck comics for 30 more years. He created a vast array of characters, notably Scrooge McDuck, the Beagle Boys, the Junior Woodchucks, Gyro Gearloose, and Gladstone Gander. An encyclopedic list of all the Disney comics Barks worked on is here.

An international superstar whose work has been enjoyed by millions upon millions, Barks was among the inaugural class inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. Showing just how far-reaching his influence has been, an asteroid was named after him by a scientist he inspired with his stories.