The New Deal

I have heard some talk about how 2015 has been a down year for graphic novels in terms of quality, but for the life of me I can't see it. Perhaps I have not read one transcendent book so far, but there have been many well crafted ones. The Sculptor was technically great and had an incredible ending sequence; Tim Ginger was very mature and intriguing; Omaha Beach on D-Day was an excellent use of multimedia, and Russian Olive to Red King was a very mature and affecting book. And I have not even mentioned some of the most fun books I have ever read, like Nimona or Fantasy Sports No. 1. All of this is prologue to me talking about The New Deal, which I think is a gorgeously rendered graphic novel, a period piece that might not be the most substantive thing I have ever read. But it features fantastic artwork while being a fun, breezy read, a throw-back to old school comedy films.

The story here is set in 1930's New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The main players are Frank, the bellhop who is a bad liar with a poker problem that has put him in debt; Theresa, the African-American maid who moonlights as an actress in Orson Welles' production of Othello, and Nina, an eccentric socialite who has just checked in.

Frank is tempted to pilfer some of the guests more expensive items to dig himself out of his hole, and Nina is a busy-body who inserts herself into Theresa's and Frank's business. Further complicating matters, there is a racist guest who casts suspicion on Theresa when some of her items goes missing. Also, it turns out that there is a thief in the hotel who may be pinning their work on Frank. So, to sum up with out spoiling things, there are a lot of instances of mistaken identity, snappy wordplay, interesting social situations, and sophisticated folks in snazzy clothes acting cool. All of this adds up to an enjoyable romp, replete with crisp, expressive, and clean artwork.

Even though I enjoyed the story, I feel the art is the best part of this book, as was also my experience with the other works by Eisner Award winning artist Jonathan Case I have read, The Green River Killer and Dear Creature. He is an illustrator and member of the Periscope Studio based in Portland, Oregon, and he has also been working on the Batman '66 comic book series for DC. He speaks more extensively about his work on The New Deal in this interview. He also expounds about his artistic process in this profile.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Henry Chamberlain called it Case's "best work yet" and "a thoroughly entertaining and remarkable work." Itho called it "an instant classic" and added that it is "masterfully done, and deceptively simple." Jason Wilkins called the artwork "stunning" and stated that this graphic novel is "one of the most visually pleasing books of the year."

The New Deal was published by Dark Horse, and they provide a preview and more information here.

The Green River Killer: A True Detective Story

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.

Dear Creature

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.