Lafayette!

Lafayette!, the latest entry in the series Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, is the first to return to the time period of the first volume. It covers the remarkable life of the upstart French general who contributed to the American victory in the Revolutionary War and also helped forge the alliance between the erstwhile British colonies and France. Also, of late he has been brought back into the public sphere via the wildly popular musical Hamilton.

As you might could tell from the cover, here Lafayette is generally depicted as a broad, boisterous presence, though his origins are shown to be pretty grim. He came from a long line of military figures. Orphaned by age 13, the Marquis was left with great wealth and a position as a commissioned officer. He married early, and bounced from place to place trying to figure out a direction for his life. Inspired by Masonic ideologies, he felt the need to support the cause of the US Colonies, and he went over to North America to offer his services to George Washington. He began small but took on greater roles with the Continental Army over time, eventually commanding US troops in a pivotal victory at Yorktown.

What I especially loved about this book was how it took historical figures and made them human and relatable. It's easy to think of them as mythic figures but here they are shown with regular emotions, flaws, and humorous affects. Also, like the other books in this series, it is jam-packed with facts, but Hale also injects good doses of humor and irony, which make this book both compelling and a joy to read. I don't know how he keeps such a consistent level of excellence across the entries in this series, but I am very glad he does.

I am pretty sure I have reviewed all the graphic novels created by Nathan Hale on this blog, and I think he is brilliant. He makes fantastic, informative, and inventive comics, and this series Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales is the best historical series in the graphic novel business, IMHO. His fiction work, like the sci-fi tale One Trick Pony and a duo of adapted folk tales Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack, is also excellent. He speaks about this book and his work in general in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Robert Greenberger wrote that "Hale’s pages are filled with detail, using black, white, and shades of red to vividly bring the past to life." Kirkus Reviews summed up, "Fans of history, Hamilton, and/or Hale’s previous entries will be clamoring for this latest volume."

Lafayette! was published by Amulet, and they offer a preview and more here.

My favorite couple of panels in the book. They made me LOL

Founding Fathers Funnies

Peter Bagge is one of my all time favorite comics artists. He is an award winning artist with decades of comics to his credit, including the seminal alternative comics series Neat Stuff and Hate and his editorship of the underground comics holdover anthology Weirdo. He has also created a number of graphic novels, including Woman Rebel, Apocalypse Nerd,  Other Lives, and Reset. More recently, he has been a frequent contributor to publications like Reason magazine (see his collection Everybody is Stupid Except for Me) and Vice Magazine (the Musical Urban Legends column).

Founding Fathers Funnies is a collection of previously published shorter pieces that together weave a rich and profane tapestry about the lives of famous colonial Americans. What I like best about these episodes, aside from the fact that they are hilarious, is that they are both factual and full of personality. Too often we get homogenized or puffed-up portraits of these figures, but Bagge takes all the air out of their sails while adding his voice to historical events and participants' mannerisms.

The result is a bunch of memorable and thoughtful pieces that made me ponder the circumstances of the American Revolutionary War. Certainly, these folks all had their various accomplishments, but I found it refreshing to read about an insular, contemptuous "Virginia mafia" (Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe), a caustic and carousing Ben Franklin, and an economical, pragmatic Paul Revere. Consequently, many of these guys (John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Paine) come off as really smart but also just plain unlikable. The lack of reverence really allows the reader to think about the actual people and events that took place, and I thought it cast a new light on some  well-tread material.

Finding reviews for this book proved to be quite a task, but the ones I did find were positive. Pat at Project-Nerd wrote, "The book’s cartooning and storytelling is excellent, but what I love most is that Bagge also writes an afterword featuring all of his footnotes throughout the collection." Chad called it "a brisk" and "rib tickling" collection.


Founding Fathers Funnies was published by Dark Horse, and they have a preview and much more available here. This book features profanity and some sexual situations, so it is suggested for readers mature enough to handle both.

Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels: A History in Comics of the American Revolution

In this "golden age" of graphic novels, one amazing aspect is that many older works are coming back into print. Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels is one notable example of this phenomenon. Originally published in 1994, it tells a very detailed, well researched, and juicy version of the events leading up to and also immediately following the American Revolution. It does not shy away from making judgments and portraying the founding fathers and their British adversaries in less than flattering lights.

Greedy Brits!

Greedy King!

Even prominent colonists, most notably George Washington, are taken down a peg or two in how they are depicted. I think that the editorializing is actually a great feature, giving a very specific slant to the proceedings. Mack's narrative style breathes life into what could be a bland rehash of historical events. Instead of cold facts, we get jokes, jabs, and other insights into the real people and conditions of the period.

Stanislaw actually appears throughout the book. The journey through US history is also in part shown through his ventures.

I love how he clearly and easily portrays complex issues such as Triangle Trade, the divide caused by northern and southern economies, and other political concerns using strong visuals and quick dialogue.

Not everything is kosher in the colonies' social orders.

And perhaps most importantly, even though there are maybe a couple areas where myths get reiterated (like the one that Paul Revere made his midnight ride by himself), the book strives greatly for verisimilitude, including scenes and information about the common people of the time. This book does not simply show us the Washingtons, Jeffersons, Franklins, and Hamiltons of the US colonies, it also shows us what roles women, slaves, Native Americans, and freed blacks played in these events. 

This book's artist/writer Stan Mack has been a comics creator for decades, known for his long running comic strips, "Stan Mack's Real Life Funnies," which appeared in the Village Voice, and "Stan Mack’s Outtakes," which appeared in Adweek. He also published the autobiographical Janet and Me, about a long term relationship cut short by cancer. Of late he has turned his attention to making historical comics in the form of graphic novels. He has collaborated with co-author Susan Champlin on Road to Revolution! and Fight For Freedom.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been full of praise. Publishers Weekly called it "a strongly recommended work whose 'cartoony' art style works well with a narrative that openly addresses the roles played by women, slaves, and Native Americans in the twenty-eight year struggle and its aftermath." The School Library Journal's Francisca Goldsmith described it as "accessible, thought-provoking, and highly discussable." Robot 6's Chris Mautner wrote that it was full of "energy and detail" and "never becomes a dreary slog or appears slapdash."

Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels was published by NBM. They have a bunch of information about the book here.

Turning Points: Little Rock Nine & Sons of Liberty & A House Divided

Turning Points is a series of graphic novels from Aladdin Paperbacks, that tell about important moments and events in US history. These books are portable and affordable, and I have had them on my "to read" pile for a while now, so there is no time like to present to see how good they are. All three of these books I review below were written by Marshall Poe, a writer and historian known for his work at The Atlantic and also as editor in chief of the New Books Network.

Little Rock Nine details the ongoing struggle in 1957 about integrating the public schools in Arkansas. Because of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, school integration was national law, but the state laws in Arkansas forbid it. This conflict is embodied by looking at two families, a common conceit in these books I found, which makes the issues both more pressing and personal. The two families, of course are black and white, and the main focus is on their children. Walter McNally, a 16 year old white boy, listens to his family squabbles over the integration. His father is a lawyer fighting for the rights of black people while his grandfather is the conservative foil who argues for keeping things as they are. Poe makes these characters somewhat sympathetic and human, but he also makes sure that they wear their views on their sleeves.

There is more nuance when looking at Thomas Johnson's family. He is a 15 year old black boy, and he took part in an attempt to integrate the schools the year prior. Of course, he wants to be treated equally, but he and his family have experienced the intense backlash from those who want to keep things as it was, and they are hesitant to deal with all the potential degradation and violence that came with social action. I appreciated that civil rights issues were here considered with more attention to the context, because I think for some students these matters are such cut and dried, facile decisions and I feel they should see how much of an actual struggle such change was.

All the reviews I have read about Little Rock Nine have been positive. Snow Wildsmith wrote, "Poe’s insistance [sic] on showing as many sides of a story as possible succeeds admirably here, resulting in two main character [sic] who are believable boys caught up in a storm they don’t quite understand and aren’t sure that they’re strong enough to face." The folks at the Historical Novel Society called it "exciting and historically accurate." Marya Jansen-Gruber offered this opinion, "This format will encourage young readers to ask questions about the civil rights movement, and the book will provide an excellent platform for a class segment about the Little Rock Nine."

The art in this volume is by Ellen Lindner. She is a cartoonist and illustrator known for her Ignatz Award nominated webcomic The Black Feather Falls and various other comics projects. Her artwork is somewhat cartoonish, but her storytelling is very clear. I also admire her ability to depict the emotions through her figures' faces and postures.

 

The artwork in the next two books is by Leland Purvis, whose other graphic novel works include the Resistance trilogy and a biography of Neils Bohr. His work in this volume is a combination of strong ink lines and sketch-like illustrations. I think he captures the historical flavor through costumes and backgrounds, though sometimes it is difficult to keep track of which character is which.

Sons of Liberty follows a period of US history from 1768-1776, a time of great change and a number of historical events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. The entryway into this story is Nathaniel Smithfield, a fictional apprentice to Paul Revere. He is ten years old when the book begins, and over time he meets a number of prominent patriots, including Sam Adams and John Hancock, and is witness to many events, such as the Boston Tea Party and combat in the battles of Lexington and Concord. Although this book is a piece of historical fiction and uses much original dialogue, there are a number of sections based in real accounts that feature first-hand descriptions of events.

Nathaniel throws a pretty mean rock.

The drama in this story is heightened by family tensions, with Nathaniel butting heads with his Loyalist father. In a clever way, this familial conflict mirrors the thought process of the colonists to rebel against England, and over time, the family dynamics shift and events cause people's minds to change. Even though I was pretty familiar with the actual events, I felt myself becoming concerned for the characters' lives. There is a lot to digest in the book, in terms of the sheer amount of facts, events, and characters, but I feel that the story is quite compelling and interesting.

The reviews I have read about Sons of Liberty are pretty mixed. Snow Wildsmith felt that this book was relatively weak, "mainly due to Poe attempting to cover too much time in too short of a book." The Historical Novel Society commented positively that it "gets to the heart of what it felt like to be a young boy in the middle of a thrilling period of history, with its conflicts, agreements and world-changing events." The Breed's Hill Institute summed it up as "an imperfect but interesting taste of history."

 

The third book in this series is A House Divided, set in the years leading up to the American Civil War.It follows a couple of brothers from the year 1856, Owen and Amos Bennington. They are close and very sympathetic to their parents' abolitionist rhetoric. After their parents deaths, they decide to take action and spread their message in the contentious soon-to-be state of Kansas. While there, they see just how violent and sneaky the pro-slavery contingents are, which leads them both to question how they can best help help the abolitionist cause. Younger brother Amos decides to join up with John Brown, because at least he is being proactive and taking the battle to those who would defend an unjust social system. Older brother Owen decides to go work for a politician he admires for his bold speeches, Abraham Lincoln.

The dual narratives shows two very different paths on the road to abolishing slavery, and there are a great many events enumerated in the storytelling. In addition, Purvis's artwork is less sketchy than in Sons of Liberty and includes more grey tones, which give it a more painterly sheen. The sum total of these features is an engaging set of tales that balance historical import with human emotion.

I was not able to find many reviews of A House Divided, but Snow Wildsmith praised it particularly because "one of the strongest points of this book (and of the series) is that Poe doesn’t neglect to tell both sides of a story as much as he can" and because "Purvis’ art is also stronger in this volume." I agree with her on both counts.

Previews and more information about all these Turning Points books can be found here from their publisher.

One Dead Spy

This first volume of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, fittingly enough, tells the tale of Nathan Hale. It is also written and drawn by Nathan Hale. Hale was a Yankee spy during the American Revolutionary War who is probably best known for his famous last words. In this book, just before he is hanged, something magical happens, and he is given full view of American history. To stall his inevitable end he starts telling stories to a talkative hangman and a priggish British proctor, beginning here with his own. Those two make great foils for each other and for Hale as well. This situation sets up a sturdy storytelling engine, as Hale acts as Scheherezade, setting up a series of books. Its first sequel was released simultaneously, Big Bad Ironclad.

Adding to a narrative delivered in enjoyable fashion, Hale also provides copious back matter, including a reading list for future research. He also provides a section for fact-checking, run by babies(!) and a bonus story about Crispus Attucks. This book surely does not skimp on information about the people and events of this time period.

Creator Nathan Hale already has drawn two graphic novels, Rapunzel's Revenge and its sequel Calamity Jack. He has also drawn a variety of children's books, including Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody and The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas. He shares his publications, news, and fun artwork via his blog.

Reviews I have read about this book thus far have been very positive. Travis from 100 Scope Notes gushed, "Full of thrilling moments, engaging historical information, and boundless creativity, this is what graphic novel nonfiction for kids should be." Kirkus Reviews called the book, "An innovative approach to history that will have young people reading with pleasure." Brett Schenker wrote that "it’s great to be able to read something that’s entertaining for both kids and adults (and educational)!" Mike Pawuk at the School Library Journal concluded, "With Nathan, the Hangman, and the British Soldier, the mix of humor, adventure, and historical facts makes this an engaging historical series, and I can’t recommend it high enough for all libraries."

One Dead Spy is published by Amulet Books. There is a preview available at Amazon.