How to Talk to Girls at Parties

How to Talk to Girls at Parties is not so much the advice book it sounds like. It is an adaptation of a short story about two British adolescents who go searching for a party so they can talk to girls. Our narrator, Enn, is relatively shy and inexperienced, and he has a difficult time working up the confidence or words to speak to girls. Vic, on the other hand, is a smooth operator who ingratiates himself with his charms with pretty much anyone instantly.

However, this book is not just a study of dramatic foils. There is also a fantastic possibility that the girls at this particular party are actually aliens from outer space trying to make sense of humanity. Or maybe it's just that Enn is nuts. That's for you to decide in the end. Still, it makes for a fascinating metaphor and an interesting yarn. I really enjoyed the tale, but I especially adored the artwork, with its vibrant colors and characterizations. Just check out one of the partygoers below:

The story this book is based on was nominated for a Hugo Award in 2007, written by Neil Gaiman, one of the most celebrated fantasy writers of the past two decades. It was illustrated by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, two of the most celebrated comics artists of the past decade. This book might not contain the most deep or impactful story ever told, but it is extremely well executed and beautiful to behold.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been full of praise, some glowing. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that this adaptation got many things right and added, "It’s interesting to see how brothers Moon and Bá interpreted the descriptive elements, and their work is attractive, potentially bringing the work to a different audience." Chad Waller, a huge Neil Gaiman fan, already loved the story but added that the "artwork is fun, charming, and fits the story perfectly." Gary Makries wrote, "I was moved by the passion from not only the wordsmith. but also from the crafting of panel after panel that felt delicate, graceful, and powerful all at once."

How to Talk to Girls at Parties was published by Dark Horse, and they offer a preview and more info about the book here. There is a video trailer for the book here.

Like I wrote in my last post, I got to meet the artists at this year's HeroesCon. They also signed and doodled in my copy of this book. Thank you to a couple of warm, excellent, and funny creators!

Two Brothers

The most complex and moving stories can be spun from the simplest of things. Take for example, this book Two Brothers, which is based on the writings of Milton Hatoum, one of Brazil's greatest authors. This graphic novel follows a family over the course of a number of decades, with its many relationships, twists of fate, secrets, and reverberating decisions. Much of what transpires flows from the relationship of two brothers, Yaqub and Omar, who look identical but are very, very different. Yaqub us sent away to be raised in Lebanon at a young age while Omar stays at home in Brazil and becomes a ne'er-do-well who drinks and carouses much of the time.

Yaqub eventually returns a changed man, a learned one, too. Coming back raises many issues long thought buried, and the past once again haunts the present. Still, Jaqub becomes a notable engineer and moves to Sao Paulo, though his presence is still felt by the whole family.

Sorry for the info-dump about the plot set-up, but it is all prologue to my saying that this book has something for pretty much everyone: family drama, romance, secret affairs, illegitimate children, run-ins with criminals and con-men, revenge, and lots of people seeking recompense for what has happened in the past. Apart from the plot, the artwork, rendered in black and white, is also exquisite, full of energy, emotion, and detail. I was moved several times while reading this book, and once I started I really did not want to stop. Also, it is so beautifully crafted and full of nuance that I immediately sought to reread and revisit it. This is a sumptuous, deeply satisfying sort of book.

Fittingly, this book's creators, Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá are twin brothers who have been making comics together since childhood. Moon is probably best known for his collaboration with writer Matt Fraction, Casanova, a science fiction spy story, and his Eisner Award winning webcomic Sugarshock. Bá also collaborated on Casanova and is well known for drawing The Umbrella Academy, a celebrated tale of super-powered siblings written by rocker Gerard Way. The brothers collectively blog about their works here, and they have created a number of works jointly, including the multiple-award winning Daytripper and an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's short story "How to Talk to Girls at Parties." They speak extensively about their work on Two Bothers in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book mentioned how excellent it is and also how it enhances its already rich source material. Jesse Schedeen remarked on how it "weaves a complex, multi-generational tale of a family torn apart by a feud" and "features both artists working in perfect storytelling sync." Matt Little praised it as "a work of art that shows the power of sequential storytelling and its ability to enhance and enrich an already captivating story through mis en scene and confident artwork." Oliver Sava wrote, "Moon and Bá’s talent for dramatic composition and nuanced emotion allows them to realize the full scope of Hatoum’s novel while interpreting it through their own distinct artistic sensibility, giving readers a deeply poignant story that is elevated by the phenomenal visuals."

Two Brothers was published by Dark Horse, and they have more info about the book here.

I just met the two authors at HeroesCon this year, and they were nice enough to autograph and doodle in my copy of this book. It was a great thrill to meet them!

Daytripper

This year's Life of the Mind book for incoming first-year students (formerly called freshmen) at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is Daytripper. It is the first time a graphic novel has been selected for this reading, selected to go with the general theme of Creativity for the year. In a horrible twist of fate, for the first time in six years I did not get to be a discussion leader for this book, even though it was a graphic novel, and by now you have surely realized I am very much interested in teaching with and talking about them. Instead I was in The Hague for a conference presentation. Ah well, timing, right? In any case, I did have a part in the initial assignment incoming students had to do and also in trying to demystify reading a graphic novel for first-time readers. If you are interested in hearing what I sound like, you can find an introductory video for this book where I go through the basic mechanics of reading comics here.

In any case, this book was originally published as individual comic books, and it won the Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. Its plot follows Bras de Olivias Dominguez, an aspiring author who writes newspaper obituaries. He is described as a "miracle baby" who was born under unusual and difficult circumstances. His father is an internationally acclaimed and awarded novelist who casts a large shadow. We get to see multiple moments in Bras's life, and each chapter is set at a different age, and in magic realistic fashion, at the end of each chapter Bras meets an untimely (and often surprising) end. Unlike the multiple deaths of Kenny, these events only highlight the themes of life and love in the main narrative. 

This book could easily be described as nostalgic or melodramatic, but I think that its emotional nuances and fantastic artwork raise it beyond treacly sentimentalism. It is a beautiful and evocative book, full of relatable moments and fantastic imagery. It hits on multiple ages, as well, and there is something in here that speaks to the innocence and realizations of childhood, the trials and tribulations of romantic relationships, the worries and joys of parenthood, and the awareness and (hopefully) acceptance that comes with old age.

This book's creators, Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá are twin brothers who have been making comics together since childhood. Moon is probably best known for his collaboration with writer Matt Fraction, Casanova, a science fiction spy story, and his Eisner Award winning webcomic Sugarshock. Bá also collaborated on Casanova and is well known for drawing The Umbrella Academy, a celebrated tale of super-powered siblings written by rocker Gerard Way. The brothers collectively blog about their works here.

As might be expected from an award-winning graphic novel, its reviews are excellent. The Comics Alliance's Chris Murphy called it "one of those books we should set aside specific adjectives for, to be used only when a book this incredible is created." NPR's Glen Weldon summed up that it "invites repeated, even recursive reading, as elements in early chapters find themselves echoed or entirely inverted as the book comes to a close. It's a book with the subtle intelligence to deal with death in a way that affirms, and delineates, life." comicrevolution wrote that it consisted of "magnificent storytelling and artwork that is equally stellar."

Daytripper was published by Vertigo.