Squire

Squire is a book I have had on my to-read shelf for too long, and I am so glad I finally got to it. It is about Aiza, a young woman who belongs to the Ornu people, who have been recently conquered and absorbed by the Bayt-Sajji Empire. Her people are looked at not even as citizens, and she resents their treatment as thieves and scoundrels. After persisting against her parents, she enlists in the squire training program in the Bayt-Sajji army. If she successfully completes the training to become a squire she will become a citizen and be on the pathway to become a knight, a storied and prominent position.

Looks glamorous, yeah?

As a recruit, she has to contend with harsh living conditions, highly competitive peers, and the difficult tasks set for them by military leadership. Aiza hides her identity as a Ornu from everyone, and over time she begins to learn more about the history of the conflict, the intentions of the military, and what being a citizen and a knight actually entails. These are some harsh realities, but she finds hope and encouragement from some unlikely allies, as well as a lot of prejudice and fear from her compatriots when they learn where she's from. 

This book is set in a fantasy version of Jordan and Turkey, and it touches upon many themes and issues that persist in the Middle East both past and present in terms of conflicts between different social groups and the mythologies perpetuated to enforce unity. The artwork is gorgeous and colorful, and the characters are vivid both in terms of their relationships, the plotting, and how they are drawn. I got very swept up by this book, and I found it nearly impossible to put down after I was about a quarter way through reading it. I feel it is exceptional and works on so many levels, as a fantasy tale, a modern parable, and a suspenseful action story. 

I should also add I really appreciated the final section of the book, which is full of story ideas, initial designs, and lots of information about the amount of research and design that went into this book. Making comics, let alone a graphic novel, is a lot of work. It's good to see more about the process so that younger readers can appreciate what it takes to be comics artists themselves. 

The two who put so much time and effort into making this book are writer Nadia Shammas and artist Sara Alfageeh. Shammas has written a number of graphic novels including the Ignyte Award-winning Where Black Stars Rise and Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin. Alfageeh also has illustrated the picture book Not Yet: The Story of an Unstoppable Skater. Both collaborators speak extensively on their work on this book in this interview. 

Squire won the 2022 Harvey Award for Best Young Adult Book, and it has received many positive reviews. In their starred review, Publishers Weekly noted, "Alfageeh’s arresting visuals conjure a richly detailed, sun-drenched world in which impressive architecture fills open landscapes populated by visually diverse and complex characters." Kirkus Reviews called it "an engaging graphic novel that examines the nature of prejudice and the cost of imperial expansion." Helena Ramasroop wrote, " It was charming and unexpectedly humorous while also tackling important topics like prejudice, colonialism, justice, and the purpose of history."

Squire was published by Quill Tree Books, and they offer a preview and more here.

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.