Science Comics

First Second is celebrating their tenth anniversary with a bang, introducing a new series called Science Comics. Each volume has a different focus, and they have some top notch creators lined up for these titles. The first two just came out, and they contain lots of information, vocabulary, and features that make them ready for classroom use. Also, they take different approaches to their storytelling and I found them both great in different ways.

The first one I read was Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks. I had read and enjoyed her prior book Human Body Theater as well as her collaboration with Jim Ottaviani Primates, and they were both excellent. This one focuses on marine biology, obviously, and I was impressed by two things off the bat: the bright, expressive, info-rich artwork and the gentle narration provided by a bespectacled bony fish.

As you can see the artwork is gorgeous and engaging, and I really enjoyed the balance of information and vocabulary text and images with playful imagery and asides that add a dash of humor to the proceedings. Wicks is an excellent artist and storyteller, and her chops are on display throughout.

As you can see this book contains lots of facts about coral reefs, but it also gets into other territory like ecology, climate change, and environmental factors that affect marine life. I think it would have been impressive to simply detail as much as this book has about underwater plants and animals, but it goes the extra mile to place all of these organisms in a larger context. I am glad to see how it engaged in serious issues that involve the future of planet Earth in thoughtful and documented ways. Overall, it is quite exceptional how the narrative, exposition, and artwork range back and forth from simple to complex as the author entertains and explains throughout the book.

The reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. Johanna Draper Carlson concluded, "I had no idea there was so much to know about coral reefs. While obviously targeted at the educational market, this comic is a good read for all ages." Sarah Stevenson wrote that "I personally learned a lot, was reminded of knowledge I hadn't thought about in a while, and enjoyed myself in the process." Kevin wrote, "Unlike some content-area graphic novels out there in the world (and I have read more than my share) that seem thrown together to make a buck off the graphic novel movement, Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean seems more like an act of love by someone who is deeply immersed in the ocean." Let's hope Maris Wicks has lots of oxygen with her, if that is the case (Smile).

There is a part of me that thinks that books about dinosaurs are pretty easy to sell. Just pack them full of pictures of the wide array of these reptiles and the rest takes care of itself. I certainly read my share of such books when I was young, and I loved them. Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers is smart in that it engages in such displays of dino-diversity, but it goes far beyond simply showing beautiful pictures of these prehistoric creatures. What really impressed me is how much if focused on the science and archaeology of dinosaur discovery, going in historical fashion over how these and other creatures were discovered, theorized, and studied over the past centuries.

Like the coral reefs book, this one also went into a much broader context of science, and in different areas summing up the state of science during different time periods. I was especially taken with this feature as it shows readers how science and theories change and evolve over time. The book really confronts many potential controversies and confusions head on, but it also dramatizes the constantly revised view about dinosaurs as scientists debate how they lived, ate, and whether or not they were warm-blooded or had feathers.

I think that it is difficult for a book like this to make an impression about a well-covered topic like dinosaurs, but it manages to do just that with extensive research and an excellent synthesis of multiple fields and studies. It will change how you look at birds, or at least I know it has for me. Those cute feathered things might just be tiny decedents of velociraptors. And the book also puts a human face on those who have studied these "terrible lizards." That parade of strong personalities is as engaging as all the facts and beautiful pictures.

The collaboration here between MK Reed and Joe Flood is seamless and rich. I very much enjoyed their prior book, The Cute Girl Network, and I am happy to say that they are maybe more adept at nonfiction as they are at fiction. There is certainly a lot of ground covered in this book, and there was much I found new, exciting, and interesting.

The reviews about this book were more mixed, though I have to say that I felt I enjoyed it just a tad bit more than the corals reefs volume. Johanna Draper Carlson felt that it tried to tackle too much and wrote, "There’s a lot more history, a lot less animal study than one might think here. And this book needs its own annotation guide!" The folks at The Comics Alternative called it "a great non-fiction graphic novel that entertains and instructs. It can also be enjoyed by a wide range of ages, giving younger readers a great, fun look at dinosaurs, and providing older readers with the history of dinosaur research and discovery."

Both volumes of Science Comics were published by First Second and you can find previews and much more here (for Coral Reefs) and here (for Dinosaurs). I feel these are both excellent books and an auspicious start to this series. I am eager to see the future volumes, which include books on bats and volcanoes.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copies!

The Cute Girl Network

Don't you wish there were places where you could get the dirt on a potential boyfriend/girlfriend before you got too involved? Well, there kind of already are, like this website, but in this book there is a physical manifestation of such a website called the Cute Girl Network. These women share information about their ex-boyfriends (not ex-girlfriends, though, because I saw no overtly lesbian members in the book) in Brookport (a thinly veiled version of Brooklyn). Having a report about the personal interactions between two consenting adults is somewhat subjective and open to debate, topics that this book tackles in a fun, thoughtful, and inviting way.

Jane is a skateboarder who is not so traditionally female. At least she does not seem very much into princesses, pink, or sparkly things. If you went to that magazine link, you saw just how male-dominated the skating scene is. Jane is rough and tumble, able to deal with the casually sexist and boorish behavior of her co-workers at the skate shop.

Jack is a "Soup Dude," a street salesman who doles out the hot broth to his customers. He's klutzy, not-too-bright, rough around the edges, and relatively broke. The two meet, sparks fly, and they end up dating. Things become complicated when the Cute Girls learn of this, because they have a rap sheet on Jack and they don't think he is quite worthy of dating Jane. Jack has the input of his roommates, but they are way less organized, and one of them is quite neanderthal.

I thought this book was great at capturing people's relationships, warts and all. There were a couple parts where I felt the exchanges between Jane and Harriet, who seems to be the leader of the Cute Girl Network, verged into talking head territory, but for the most part the interactions and relationships were fresh, vital, and realistic. I also think the artwork was an effective combination of realism and cartoon, propelling the well-paced narrative and providing a canvas for a good mix of emotion, humor, and romance. There are some profanity and sexual situations in this book as well as a number of verbal and visual potty jokes, so I suggest it for older adolescent readers.

Also, I should add, one of the best parts of the book for me was the knock-off of Twilight the Network women talk about at their book club. Their talk was full of interesting points in debating the book's merits. I know to some extent that book is low-hanging fruit, but I still thought the fake chapter excerpt in the back matter of the graphic novel was pretty funny.

This book is a collaboration  between authors Greg Means, MK Reed, and artist Joe Flood. Means runs Tugboat Press and also edits the comics anthologies Papercutter and Runner Runner. Reed wrote the graphic novel Americus and also is working on the webcomic About a Bull. Flood is known for his graphic novel Orcs: Forged for War. This interview by Rebecca Angel with the creators gets at the origins and creation of The Cute Girl Network.

I very much enjoyed reading this compelling story, and the reviews I have read online have been positive. Christina Franke wrote, "The Cute Girl Network is funny, thoughtful, and adorable, with art that works well with the story." Nick Smith gave the book 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that "the story comes to a very satisfying conclusion." Meg Stivison praised the scope of the book: "Besides Jack and Jane’s adorably oddball romance and Jane’s relationship with her male-dominated skating hobby, The Cute Girl Network is a great story about a certain stage of life: houses full of roommates, dates without spending any money, and walking to the the store on a midweek day off to pick up a paycheck."

There are links, previews, and extras available from the book's official site.

The Cute Girl Network was published by First Second. Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

Awwwwww

Americus

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!