Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements: Understanding the Building Blocks of Everything

Explaining the "building blocks of everything" is a tall order, and this volume of Science Comics, The Periodic Table of Elements does an admirable job of tackling that gargantuan task. The framing narrative here is that Mel, a middle school student, is desperately studying for a science test to the point where it haunts her dreams. In this one specific dream, she meets a cute version of Hydrogen then confronts an evil Elemancer who can only be defeated through Mel's knowledge of the periodic table. For me at least, the D&D angle might not have been the most intuitive way to get into all this material, but I feel it is still a very effective narrative device.

As Mel quests to defeat the Elemancer, she has to recount a great many things, including what atoms and elements are as well as the history of the periodic table that includes a great deal about the contributions of Dmitri Mendeleev. This last part was especially informative to me, as it delves into how he organized the existing elements into groups according to their properties, leaving spaces for yet undiscovered ones(!), and creating a system that has stood the test of time to inform scientists both novice and expert. 

As Mel traverses the land, she gets to explain the properties of each grouping of elements she encounters, which are under the control of the Elemancer. These sections I found illuminating, because she uses her knowledge of these properties to get out of some pretty tough scrapes, reinforcing facts and ideas with actions. Also, the elements interact with each other, telling about their histories and also how they do and don't form bonds with others. I learned a lot from this book, and I feel it would be a great resource for anyone wanting to brush up on their knowledge of chemistry and the world.

The story and art are by Jon Chad, no stranger to science comics, whether they be entries in this series or his own Leo Geo books. He manages to balance drawings that illustrate science facts and models with others that tell a dynamic story full of fanciful elements. His strong storytelling skills shine here, making for a highly engaging and informative book. He sheds more light on his work on the Periodic Table book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "solid gold." Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that it features "a great blend of educational content and framing story." Although she got a lot out of the book, Jen Stutesman wrote that it felt long and "might have been a more enjoyable read cut into sections, or even separate books."

Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here. 

Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball

I have read a bunch of comics by Jon Chad over the years, including his Science Comics entry about volcanoes, his Leo Geo books, and The Bad-ventures of Bobo Backslack. I have even checked out his multi-genre/multi-media collection Bad Mask, which is an inventive collection of texts. I have always been excited to experience his artwork and storytelling, both which usually press the boundaries of comics. Here, in Pinball, what he does is use comics to try to communicate the kinetic action and vibrancy of pinball machines while also telling their history.

I came of age in the 1970s and 1980s, so pinball machines are something I am well acquainted with. I spent many a quarter trying to keep silver balls in play while ringing up bonuses and being distracted by flashing lights. They seemed a relatively harmless entertainment, and I had no idea about their origins and links to organized crime and alleged juvenile delinquency. They were sort of the video games of their time, a new type of entertainment technology that got unjustly blamed for social ills. 

Pinball machines had a long ride as a popular amusement, and this book does a great job chronicling their rise and decline, with a good deal of information about their designers and technological advancements. It is a marvel just how much goes into making these machines, a complicated combination of engineering and computer programming. I learned so much about the technical and cultural aspects of pinball while reading this book, and it is a dense, rewarding account. I am not sure if the topic would appeal to everyone, especially the more technical aspects of pinball machinery, but I think that it has something important to say to any audience in terms of how popular technologies emerge and evolve.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly summed up their starred review, "Cracking this one open evokes the delight of snapping back the launcher in the arcade." Leonard Pierce wrote, "Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball isn’t going to set the comics world on fire. It’s a niche guide to a niche game," but he also called it a "a surprisingly deft combination of social history and how-to manual" and "downright charming." Brian Salvatore opined that it is "a lovingly crafted, expertly presented exploration into something that has rarely been thought of this deeply before."

Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more here. And if you want to learn more, Chad talks about his work on the book in this interview.

Science Comics: Volcanoes: Fire and Life

Volcanoes: Fire and Life, the third volume in the Science Comics series, approaches its subject matter via a science fiction tale. In the not-too-distant-future, the Earth is in another Ice Age, and humans are scrambling to find anything they can to use as fuel to keep warm. Aurora and her brother and sister Sol and Luna are being taught by their instructor Pallas to track down resources, when they happen upon a library. Instead of looking at the building and its contents as possible fuel, Aurora starts exploring the books and learns all about volcanoes.

Much of what she finds informs her about life on Earth before she was born. It also inspires her to explore solutions to their current situation, but she gets push-back from her siblings and teacher. Still, she is very persistent and her explanations touch on a lot of information about the Earth, plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. She gets into all kinds of historical and technical information, and all of this data comes across in an interesting way. Moreover, I enjoyed how this book also presents a conundrum where people have to puzzle out different methods to solve a pressing problem and use science to find solutions. This book is not just didactic, it's also very engaging.

This volume of Science Comics was created by Jon Chad, an instructor at at The Center for Cartoon Studies. He has a couple of other excellent science themed graphic novels under his belt, starring his Leo Geo character. He also wrote and drew a bunch of mini-comics and zines as well as the horrible and hilarious The Bad-ventures of Bobo Backslack (not for children). He talks about his work on Volcanoes in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that "Chad does a great job keeping both the story and the education moving along." Russ Dobler opined that "The information in Science Comics: Volcanoes is expansive and well-presented, with the use of narrative hammering home otherwise hard-to-retain concepts." Rosemary stated that "The diagrams are vibrant, with comic book art adding some fun and easily memorable background information to the mix."

Volcanoes: Fire and Life was published by First Second, and they have a preview and much more available here.

Leo Geo

I know that I have talked a little about books I got at this year's HeroesCon, and today I am going to look at two that are not only gorgeous to look at but also great for content learning. They are by Jon Chadurjian (aka Jon Chad), who is an instructor at at The Center for Cartoon Studies. He also wrote and drew a bunch of mini-comics and zines as well as the horrible and hilarious The Bad-ventures of Bobo Backslack. Unlike that graphic novel, these two books, with their sense of adventure, science content, and playful formats, are great for many age groups.

In this first book, Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth, scientist Leo Geo travels down, down, down into the Earth, along the way elucidating us about Earth facts and geology knowledge. Along with the facts, there is also some fiction in the form of fantastic creatures and an underground city from which he must escape. It's a pretty fun story in terms of plot, and the factoids along the way are interesting. Additionally, Chad packs the illustrations full of details, jokes, and characters. It's like a picture book version of Pop-Up Video in some ways, and I love this book like I loved that show.

Perhaps the most fun part of the book is its format. It is a long and skinny volume, and immediately you have to turn it 90 degrees as Leo starts his journey downward. About halfway through the book, perspective changes and you have to flip the book 180 degrees as Leo starts his journey upward. I loved the novelty of this type of reading format, and I think that adventurous readers would also appreciate this playfulness and willingness to play with space.

The reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Trever Van As called it "strange, wonderful and totally different." Rob Clough wrote, "The book rewards multiple readings, if only to soak in the sideline details and little jokes that Chad throws in on every single page. The book is tightly paced, dense, and is short enough to end without wearing out its welcome." Publishers Weekly offered their opinion that "budding scientists should find the geology fascinating, and the magic dagger fighting with monsters gives it a good story to go along with the facts."

Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth was published by Roaring Brook Press, and they provide much more information here.

This sequel actually has two titles, Leo Geo and the Cosmic Crisis is the one they sell it under, but if you flip the book and start from the "back," you will read Matt Data and the Cosmic Crisis. In the first narrative, Leo learns that a comet is hurtling toward his brother Matt's space station, and being a good sibling, he runs out in a rocket to rescue him. In the meantime, Matt  learns that Leo's computer is about to malfunction and he sets off with his ultra-smart and resourceful space dog, Maff, to help his brother. Along the way, each brother encounters robots, strange creatures, even space pirates who complicate their journeys. And they also drop a bunch of science knowledge about space along the way.

This book is full of detailed illustrations and wonderful asides. It also plays with gravity some, requiring the reader to turn the book in order to orient themselves. Up is not always up in space, and that fact is used to good effect in this book. This sequel is just as playful as the first volume, and what is more, it's in color:

Like its predecessor, this book has also been received well. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, writing, "Readers who carefully trace the science-minded sibs’ circuitous pathways will be rewarded with a nonstop barrage of chases, battles, goofy sight gags and silly details. They’ll also enjoy numerous meaty minilectures on topics astronomical, from how multistage rockets work and types of asteroids and stars to algebraic formulas for computing gravitational attraction and escape velocity." The School Library Journal's Marian McLeod also gave it a starred review and summed it up as "a great offering for graphic-novel enthusiasts or kids looking for a fun read." FirstThursdaysReviews added, "The colorful cartoon style illustrations will engage any reader as they follow the two different stories to the end."

Leo Geo and the Cosmic Crisis was also published by Roaring Brook Press, who has lots of information about the book here.