My Favorite Books of 2020

2020 has been a long, distressing, and memorable year. It was also a year full of some great comics and graphic novels, particularly nonfiction works. Check out this list of my favorites (and follow the links to the full reviews):

Favorite Book Overall

I am a sucker for an inspirational sports story, and Dragon Hoops is that, plus a personal history, plus a look at the identity politics of high school students, plus a commentary on making comics, plus a meditation on balancing your life. It's a massive, incredible work.

 

 

 

 

 

 Favorite Adaptation

Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors, and this adaptation of Slaughterhouse-Five uses comics in interesting and innovative ways. Most adaptations don't enhance the source material, but this one does.

 

 

 

 

Favorite Nonfiction History (Younger Readers - Not by Nathan Hale)

I have liked all the entries in the History Comics series I have read thus far, but the scope and sense of humor of this book make it exceptional. The Roanoke Colony tells the tale of Native Americans, colonial America, a doomed colony, British royal politics, and pirates. I learned so much from reading it and had fun doing so, too. (Queen Elizabeth I brushed her teeth with honey, can you believe it? Disgusting!)

 

 

 

 

Favorite Nonfiction History (Younger Readers - by Nathan Hale)  

Nathan Hale makes the best history comics, so he gets his own category. Blades of Freedom, the tenth(!) entry in his Hazardous Tales series, shows just how fresh and interesting his work still is while covering a topic (the slave revolt in Haiti) that unravels a complicated web of 18th century US and European history. Another book that opened my eyes to a topic I was sadly ignorant about.

 

 

 

 Favorite Nonfiction (Older Readers)

Kent State is well-researched, based on lots of original documents, interviews, and oral accounts of the massacre of student protestors in 1970. It is a book that highlights the victims who died, showing their humanity while also exposing a system of paranoia and prejudice that sadly persists today.

 

 

 

 Favorite Fictional Biography

Not much is known about the private live of this pivotal actor, but Lon Chaney Speaks pieces together a compelling narrative that melds vaudeville, silent movies, the early days of Hollywood, and plenty of monster movie special effects. The artwork perfectly captures the time period while recreating the movies and movie posters of the day.

 

 

 

 Favorite Superhero Biography

I know that Jack Kirby is not technically a superhero, but he created enough of them in his lifetime that I am counting him as one. I loved this biography that covers his lifespan and accomplishments in a style very similar to his own. The artwork is bombastic, quite fitting for the "King of Comics."

 

 

 

 

 Favorite Superhero Book

One of the highlights of my year was getting to talk with Gene Luen Yang about Superman Smashes the Klan. Even if I had not talked to him, I would rate this work very highly. Based on a serialized radio show from 1946, this book modernizes the tale and hits on the best aspects of the classic superhero while also commenting on racism and the resilience of immigrants.
 

 

 

 

 Favorite Series for Younger Readers 

There are two books in the Investigators series so far, and my oldest child has read them with me multiple times. It's full of puns, cheesy jokes, and inventive mash-ups of characters (including a radioactive bakery-based villain named Cracker-dile, a plumber who literally has a snake for an arm, and a doctor who turns into a news copter when anything news-worthy occurs around him). Fun and addictive!

 

 

Funniest Book, AKA Best Book Featuring Guys in Bear Outfits

Eddie's Week begins with the main character having an inmate (complete with cell) installed in his living room and just gets weirder and more surreal from there. It's a unique and darkly funny book that speaks about modern life wile containing some madcap adventures.
 

 

 

 

 

 Favorite YA Book

A beautifully told and illustrated book, The Magic Fish speaks to the power of stories to convey meaning and build brides that cross time and culture. The main character Tiến is one of the sweetest and most sympathetic protagonists, and his struggles with coming out to his parents gnaw at him. The ending left me tingling.

 

 

 

 Favorite YA Biography

Even though I come from a very different background than Joel Christian Gill, I found much to relate to in this autobiography. Fights chronicles a rough childhood where he had to learn to take up for himself, often in physical ways. It's a heart-rending and inspirational work that captures the confusion and ambiguities of childhood.

 

 

 

 

OK, that's my list. Happy 2021!

Lon Chaney Speaks

Lon Chaney was notoriously private during his life, once even stating, "Between pictures, there is no Lon Chaney." This book, Lon Chaney Speaks, takes a shot in filling in some of the gaps about his private life, but as is written in the author's note that opens the book, it is more of a "imagined biography."

For those who don't know, Lon Chaney was an actor who began working in vaudeville, transitioned to silent movies, and finally made his speaking debut in a movie just before he died. He is renowned as "the man of 1,000 faces" for his pioneering make-up and special effects work. He was famous for portraying monsters and other gruesome creatures in his films, most notably The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. This book recreates movie posters for most of his films and also provides adaptations for his more famous roles. It also portrays events from his private life, including a rocky first marriage, an uneasy relationship with his son Creighton (later known as Lon Chaney, Jr.), and a happier second marriage. It also shows behind the scenes glimpses of how he slowly built his career into one of the most notable in Hollywood history.

This book is a clear labor of love that is very well researched and referenced. I adore the scenes and adaptations of the films, and the personal moments are all well staged as executed in terms of portraying strong characters and memorable events.The bold storytelling is reminiscent of the art style often employed by illustrators of the day (especially Syd Hoff), which adds to the historical tone of the story. A variety of colors are used, though each vignette is rendered mono-chromatically, which helps with shifts in time and space as well as indicates what is "real life" and what are movie scenes. I am a big fan of comics, old Hollywood movies, and monsters, so this book is right up my alley. It's gorgeous and informative, a must have for any monster or movie fans who are into comics.

This book's creator Pat Dorian is a filmmaker and cartoonist who has worked on high-profile projects for AMC and Adult Swim. He also teaches animation at the Pratt Institute. This book is his graphic novel debut, though he began the project as two mini-comics titled "Lon Chaney Talks."

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been full of praise. In a starred review, Kirkus called it a "dazzling debut" that "captures the voice and soul of Lon Chaney." Publishers Weekly called it a "spirited homage." Steven Thompson wrote, "It capsulizes his life just enough. He’s depicted as a less than perfect man, getting along as well as he can in a less than perfect world."

Lon Chaney Speaks was published by Pantheon, and they offer a preview and more here.