Our Stories Carried Us Here

Our Stories Carried Us is a graphic anthology of first-person narratives told by immigrants to the US. They came from a variety of countries, including Somalia, Myanmar, Jamaica, Guatemala, Chad, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Mexico, Vietnam, and Liberia. The reasons why they came are varied, and include the desire for freedom, safety, family, as well as economic and educational opportunities. Each tale is pretty journalistic in presentation, so they tell the facts in a fairly chronological way that is both accessible and moving. I learned a lot from reading this book, about global politics, immigration policy, and the lengths some people have to go through to protect themselves and their families. 

Illustration by Aziz Kamal, story by sunshine gao

Each story is illustrated by different artists, so they feature very different tones, styles, and coloring. They are all unique and interesting, and I love this book walking the walk and providing space to showcase a range of nationalities in terms of story and art. 

Illustration by Ana Hinojosa, story by Craig Moodie

As the child of immigrant parents, I found this book enlightening as to how people learn to deal with American culture. As an educator, I saw many opportunities for critical engagement with social issues. As a US citizen, I saw lots of information here that would enlighten others as to who wants to come to this country and why. I highly recommend this book.

This graphic anthology came from the work of Green Card Voices, a nonprofit organization the focuses on immigration and social justice issues and is based in Minnesota. To my knowledge none of the writers or artists have published graphic novels before. The book was edited by Tea Rozman Clark, Julie Vang, and Tom Kaczynski, and it features a cover by multiple award winner Nate Powell as well as a foreward by another multiple honor winner, Thi Bui.

I was not able to locate many reviews of this book, but the ones I have found have been positive. Brett at Graphic Policy said, "I'd love to see more of this," and offered potential avenues to expand on this project. It currently has a 4.58 (out of 5) star rating at Goodreads.

Our Stories Carried Us Here was published by Green Card Voices, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. The initial printing of this book was aided by a Kickstarter.

Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin

This second volume in Marvel Comics' new young adult line of graphic novels focuses on Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani-American girl who gains "embiggening" powers and fights for justice from Jersey City. I have been reading Kamala Khan's adventures since the character was created and have read pretty much all of her solo comic books, and this book nails her characterization. She is tough, smart, and driven, perhaps too much at times. She is also a kind friend, dutiful daughter, and high achiever who always strives to be the best.

As the title relates, Kamala is tackling a bit much. She is trying to balance her home life, school work, friendships, fan-fic writing, and Quran school with her superheroics, and she is starting to burn out. She has the great responsibility of caring for her small cousin Malik while his parents are away, and everything is getting to her. She starts to cut corners. One day, a mysterious package arrives, containing a toy robot. Malik loves it and it soothes him, so she does not think twice about charging it using her computer's USB port. That is where some major trouble begins.

She's even superheroic out of costume!

What I liked about this book most was how well it captures the original Marvel Comics feel of "real world" superheroes. Kamala, her family, friends, and superhero associates Miles Morales and Squirrel Girl are all shown to be unique characters with distinct personalities and drives. Also, her life is authentically complicated. Kamala is caught between fulfilling her family and community obligations, and I think that she comes off as heroic but also grounded in reality. There are so many tensions in her life, which I think reflects the reality of most people, especially today, and it is great rooting for her to get things together.

The artwork is colorful and dynamic, and so attractive that my two-year-old daughter snatched the book up as soon as I got it and flipped through its pages without letting me even look at it. She would not give it back either. After she went to bed I got to finally read it, and I found that the characters' emotions and actions are depicted in clear, bold fashion, and I loved the visual storytelling. I think that it acts as a great lead-in to her adventures and world to those who might not know who she is, but it is also a satisfying read for an old codger like me, who has read a gazillion superhero comics. It's a fun read for fans new and old.

The main creators of this book were writer Nadia Shammas and artist Nabi H. Ali. Shammas has been working on a graphic novel called SQUIRE that is due to be published soon. Ali is an illustrator who has worked on a number of prominent projects in comics, art, and video media. Shammas speaks about her life and work in this Q & A. Both creators comment on Stretched Thin in this article.

I was not able to find many reviews of it online, which I thought was curious, but the ones I have read have been positive. M.L Kejera called it "a moving work for younger readers that feels tailored to their worldview without condescension." It currently has a 4 (out of 5) star rating on Goodreads.

Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin was published by Scholastic Graphix, and they have an excerpt and more information about it here.

American Cult

Comics anthologies can be very uneven, but I feel that American Cult is an excellent introduction into the strange, uniquely American blend of religion/fanaticism and capitalism/exploitation that is the cult. This phenomenon is defined in an introduction to the book, and many chapters straddle the line between reporting and commenting on these movements characterized by charismatic leaders and their sometimes insane, yet still convincing (to some) preaching. There are some of the "greatest hits" one who expect of such a book, including a look at the Jonestown Massacre (Ryan Carey and Mike Freiheit) and the Manson Family murders (by Janet Harvey and Jim Rugg).

Some, like Lonnie Mann's "Orthodox Judaism is a Cult" are more potentially controversial in their takes on organized religion, while others Like Ben Passmore's examination of MOVE look at cults as political entities.

Some, like Josh Kramer and Mike Dawson's "Cults Reoriented" revealed strange connections like the one between Sufism Reoriented and the Cheescake Factory. Others are more wrenching and personal, like the particularly memorable entry by J.T. Yost, a look at a refugee from the Westboro Baptist Church.  

That the entries in this book are presented in chronological order invites comparing and contrasting them, and I learned a great deal about these various groups, even ones I thought I was pretty familiar with. This book is ideal for those interested in nonfiction, history, religion, or unique social phenomena. I got a lot from reading it.

American Cult was edited by Robyn Chapman, and she  also contributed an entry about Heaven's Gate. She has been involved in the comics industry in a number of ways, most notably as proprietor of Paper Rocket Minicomics. The book features story and art by creators I am familiar with, such as Box Brown, Mike Dawson, Mike Freiheit, Emi Gennis, and Ben Passmore, while also showcasing a bunch I am just learning about. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from them.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Rob Clough wrote, "Chapman’s decision to sequence the stories in chronological order further cements this impression of history repeating itself. What makes this an interesting book to read is that the contributing artists use widely varying approaches." Publishers Weekly concluded, "Though these comics raise more questions than they answer, they sweep admirably through a little-understood phenomenon." Leonard Pierce called it "a pretty good reflection of its subject matter: never coherent, often shocking, full of little revelations, and liable to pull you in to its strangely riveting view of the world."

American Cult was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more about it here. Although it is about US history, this book features a lot of sex, drugs, and profanity, so it is suggested for more mature readers.

The Cardboard Kingdom: Roar of the Beast

I was super-impressed and loved The Cardboard Kingdom, which I feel is a watershed book in the world of graphic novels for younger readers. This sequel, Roar of the Beast maybe lacks the varied emotional impact of that book, but it offers a more unified and complex narrative. Both books are superlative, and arguing which is better is sort of like arguing whether The Godfather or The Godfather II is better, which is to say that you cannot go wrong with either.

The main plot in this book is that there is great unrest in the neighborhood. Some of the kids are doubting/rethinking their characters, some bullied by older teens, and there seems to be a great beast roaming around at night wreaking havoc and spreading fear.

Overall, I think it is a great exploration of emotional issues that young people may experience, and how messy friendships and navigating the many changes of growing up and dealing with relationships can be. It does not downplay the complexity of what people do or feel, and not everyone makes the best choices for themselves, which I think reflects reality. It was a very moving book, and one I think that will resonate with a great many readers, both young and old. This is a graphic novel that I feel belongs in every upper elementary/middle school library.

This book was drawn by Chad Sell, and co-written with nine other authors, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, David DeMeo, Jay Fuller-Ng, Cloud Jacobs, Barbara Perez Marquez, Molly Muldoon, and Katie Schenkel.

All of the reviews I have read of this book comment on its excellence. Charles Hatfield called it "that rare sequel that outshines its original." Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Continuing his collaboration with a group of different writers, Sell weaves together an engaging, endearing ensemble cast with a diverse range of gender identities and gender presentations, races, ethnicities, and body shapes." Juanita Giles wrote about how well this books captures the sensations and uncertainties of growing up and opined that it "not only reminds us of what it was like to go through that transition, but just how real even imagined problems can be at that age."

The Cardboard Kingdom: Roar of the Beast was published by Random House Graphic, and they offer a preview and more info about it here.