A Cat Story

We have five cats at home, so I am partial to these insane, occasionally lovable critters. A Cat Story portrays felines in apt ways, from the arching and squiggly way their bodies are drawn to the way they alternate being affectionate and combative in their relating to each other. The narrative focuses on a couple of young cats, Cilla and Betto, who live in the Mediterranean seaside city of Valletta. They like their way of life well enough, sleeping under boats, dodging the elements, and living on stolen fish or scraps left to them by tourists. Cilla also sometimes happens upon an unsuspecting child who sneaks them into their house.

Cilla turns on the charm to score some chicken from a sweet kid.

However, they learn of a legendary "Quiet Garden," where all cats are welcome and well-fed, and it entices them to embark on a quest to find it. Their journey is risky and long, and they meet a number of interesting, sometimes helpful, sometimes frightening creatures.

Aside from being a compelling and well told odyssey, this book is also beautified by its visual references to multiple art works and narrative flourishes that extend from those classical images. Consequently, this book is a sumptuous reading experience that is rewarding in numerous ways. It also invites re-reading to drink in all of the various details and references. 

A Cat Story is the debut graphic novel by Ursula Murray Husted. She has since made a second, Botticelli's Apprentice, which is a historical fiction.

The reviews I have read of this book have all been positive. Kirkus Reviews concluded that it "works equally well as simple animal tale, metaphysical journey, or reimagining of classic artworks." Betsy Bird called it "gorgeously wrought and tenderly rendered" and added that it "feels like a labor of love that will snuggle itself deep into the hearts and minds of kids everywhere."

A Cat Story was published by Quill Tree Books, and they offer a preview and more information here. 

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel

Funnily enough, I have never read the book this adaptation is based on, but I have now read two graphic novel retellings this year. Little Women turned 150 recently, and Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy takes that classic tale and gives it a modern spin. The four March sisters are here part of a biracial, mixed family, where their father is a soldier deployed in the Middle East. Meg is the oldest, and she works as a babysitter/tutor for some rich kids and dreams of marrying into wealth. Jo is next oldest, and she strives to be an author. Beth is rather quiet and is an excellent musician. Amy is the youngest and most boisterous of the group. The sisters may not have much in terms of material possessions, but they love and support each other through a variety of hardships and obstacles.

They have to deal with troubles with friends and at school. They also try to navigate various romantic situations, and one of the sisters contends with issues dealing with her sexuality. A series of major life events, including a major illness and a grave injury to their father further challenge their lives. It being the 21st century, the medical drama plays out differently than  it did in the original, which I found refreshing. There are a few other touches that smack of both old and new, such as the text and email exchanges that resemble classic epistolary storytelling. That aspect in particular helps bring many of the character's inner thoughts into focus.

Although I have never read the original, I really enjoyed what I read here. The characters are well written, and I love the designs of their distinctive looks. This modern take on a classic seems a marked improvement from what have turned into the sexist conventions ingrained in the original. Who knows, and I am sure that readers 150 years from now may find it problematic in ways we've not conceived, but I feel that this adaptation is a great one for this day and age.

The creative team behind this book are writer Rey Terciero and artist Bre Indigo, and Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy is the first graphic novel for both of them. Terciero has been an editor and writer that has worked for many different publishers as Rex Ogle. Indigo creates webcomics, including one named Jamie. They originally started publishing this book online at a site called Tapas, and Indigo speaks about her role in creating it here. Both creators speak about the book here as well.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews concluded, "Sticking to the original storyline, this tale offers a contemporary vision of sisterhood that will appeal to a diverse audience." Publishers Weekly called it "smart and thoughtfully rendered," and added, "this modern retelling will resonate with today’s readers. Mombian called it a "must-read."

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was published by Little, Brown Young Readers, and they offer more info here.

The publisher provided a review copy.

The Iliad

One of my favorite graphic novel adaptations is Gareth Hinds's The Odyssey, which is colorful, vibrant, and captures so much of the spirit of the epic poem. Here, he did things a little in reverse and adapted that work's predecessor, The Iliad, which chronicles the tenth year of the Trojan War. Personally, I prefer the poem The Odyssey to the poem The Iliad, mostly because the latter has a lot more battle scenes that read more as info dumps. I was curious how this poem would read as a graphic novel, because of those sections, but I feel that Hinds has made the whole enterprise work. Certainly, the moments where the days' casualties are noted and listed stand somewhat in contrast to the rest of the soldier/leader/gods drama, but Hinds does the work to make them feel integrated into the whole narrative. Also, their deaths are intimately tied into the machinations of others.

Of course, the banner plot of the book involves the conflict between King Agamemnon and Achilles, his best fighter, over Briseis, a concubine who is treated as a spoil of war. And there is much interaction between the gods and goddesses, with Athena and Hera (and by extension Zeus) on one side and Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, and Artemis on the other. Clearly, there are many characters, plots, and moving parts, but I feel that Hinds weaves them all into a cohesive, artful whole. I love how he uses symbols and color to differentiate characters that might otherwise be confused, and also how he grounds the tale in reality through maps and front-pieces identifying the characters.

Although I must admit it was not as enjoyable as The Odyssey to me, it was not for lack of effort or craft. I just like the one story better. Both graphic novels are masterpieces that stand well together.

Hinds is no stranger as an adapter of classic works into graphic novels. Already he has created a number of them like The Merchant of Venice, Beowulf, and King Lear. He speaks more about the process of creating his adaptation of The Iliad here and in this interview. He speaks about his work in general in this interview.

The reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review that concluded, "Hinds’s relatively plain language retains just enough meter to hint at the cadences of the work, and, together with the dynamic art, creates an accessible entrée to an enduring classic." Dominic Umile called it "magnificently realized." Kirkus Reviews summed up, "An expertly crafted rendition and a welcome invitation to younger readers to immerse themselves in the ancient past."

The Iliad was published by Candlewick Press, and they offer a preview and more here.

The publisher provided a preview copy.

To Kill A Mockingbird

It is dissertation defense season, and my plate has been full lately, so I apologize for slacking off here. I have been trying to read this book for weeks now, and I am glad I finally did. To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the most read and also most challenged books in the USA. It is a novel I have read a few times, and there was at least one point in my life when I would have said it was my favorite book ever. I have to admit, there were moments of nostalgia that tweaked me here and there in reading this very faithful and well rendered adaptation. It hews to the original, in its well researched illustrations as well as use of original language from the book (Yes, the n-word is in there, and they provide a justification for its inclusion in the endnotes).

All of this to say that the potential problems people have with the novel also exist for those who would read this graphic novel. The "white savior" narrative is still pervasive, but in this go-through I also noticed how much it highlights feminism and the role of women in this community, something I do not see given as much attention when discussing this book. The family dynamics also touched on my heartstrings, and I admit I did get misty eyed at the last pages of the book. It is very well paced as an adaptation, top notch work all around.

Still, there is a part of me that wonders why this adaptation exists. TKAM is one of the most-read and taught books in the country. There are millions upon millions of copies of it in libraries, classrooms, and in people's hands already. I guess having a graphic version of this book makes it available to some readers who might not want to tackle the novel, but I I have to say that I still found this version to be a time-consuming read. It is text-heavy for a graphic novel, with the text mainly displayed in caption boxes. It is not "easy reading, " which is often the rationale for making a graphic novel version. I get why some of the other adaptations I have recently reviewed exist: The Giver is pitched at YA audiences and graphic novels have proven a popular format for that age group; Anne Frank's Diary carries of the weight of not only being a literary text but also one tasked with preserving people's memories of the Holocaust. I guess it is a good commercial decision to adapt TKAM, as I imagine libraries and schools will snap up this version. But as much as I liked it, I still ended up asking myself if it was necessary. Perhaps as an answer to my question I can say that reading this book has dredged up all kinds of contrary and ambiguous thoughts, which I feel in many ways is the hallmark of a powerful book. In that way, I say this graphic version is successful. 

Harper Lee, of course, wrote the original novel on which this adaptation is based. For it she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is remarkable given this was the only novel she published in her lifetime. Fred Fordham adapted the book here, and he has another graphic adaption, of Phillip Pullman's The Adventures of John Blake, to his credit. He has also created an original graphic novel Nightfall, which is currently available in French. He speaks about his work in adapting TKAM in this video.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Esther Keller wrote, "The color on the artwork is what struck me most. I expected black and white pencil drawings, which would evoke the Gregory Peck movie. Instead, bright, soft colors are used. It works. It’s beautiful." Publishers Weekly called it a "thoughtfully crafted interpretation" and summed it up, "More loving remake than revelation, Fordham’s adaptation may be scrutinized by Lee’s fans, but does sufficient justice to her portrait of injustice." CJ Lyons declared it "a worthy partner to the original, providing a clarion call for civility, equality, and justice for all."

To Kill A Mockingbird was published by Harper Collins, and they offer more info here.

The publisher provided a review copy.

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation

The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most read books in the world, which may beg the question of whether or not a graphic adaptation of it is necessary, but I have to say that I was blown away by this work. It is expressive, incorporates disparate pieces of artwork into the story, and creates a context for both exploring humanity and horror at the same time. Anne and her family spent years hiding from Nazis in an annex in Amsterdam during World War II. Along with some others they shared the cramped quarters, living in as quiet and unobtrusive fashion as possible. And all the while they listened for scraps of news and hope while hearing bombing and shooting all around them.

As if this atmosphere was not bad enough, Anne also had to deal with lots of other personal dynamics, including a rivalry with her older sister, a crush on a boy, and having to share her room with an adult man dentist. What I feel this book captures best about the work is 13-year-old Anne's sense of figuring out the world and her place in it, ironically at a time when she was sequestered and eventually taken out of it. This book is full of humanity, wisdom, and sadness, and the artwork only exemplifies the beauty and thoughtfulness of its prose.

As an educator, I often think of how to use a book like this, and I feel that it could be used in several ways. It could be read alone, in tandem with the original book that it excerpts, or it could also be excerpted itself to draw attention to particular passages. I was very impressed with this book, especially in how it uses various visual styles and formats to adapt the diary entries. Sometimes, it plays with a single image, often cribbed from a classical art source.

Sometimes, it uses straight forward comics, and others it features an illustration with an entire diary entry. I think that its creators were savvy in selecting which sections to summarize and adapt and which to present in more whole fashion. This adaptation is superlative, and it is prelude to an animated feature that is nearing the end of production. If it is anything like this book, it should be excellent.

This adapted book was a collaboration between Ari Folman and David Polonsky. Folman is an Orphir Award and Golden Globe Award winning director and screenwriter. Polonsky has worked as an art director, children's book illustrator, and animator. Both collaborated on the lauded animated film Waltz with Bashir. This interview sheds light on both creators' work on this book.

The reviews I have read about it have been largely positive. Ruth Franklin wrote, "Their book is brilliantly conceived and gorgeously realized." Publishers Weekly's starred review concluded, "The beauty of Anne’s life and the untarnished power of her legacy—here further elevated by Folman and Polonsky—are heartening reminders of the horror of her fate." Gene Ambaum called it "spacious, interpretive, and altogether wonderful."

Anne Frank's Diary was published by Pantheon, and they offer a preview and more here.

The publisher provided a review copy.

The Giver

This month I'll be reviewing a bevy of graphic novel adaptations of literary works, and I decided to kick it off with this book I've both read and taught. The Giver is a classic sci-fi tale of a dystopian future by Lois Lowry, and here it is given the grand treatment in a graphic novel adaptation. I know that the knock on such works is that the adaptation will always pale in comparison, but I felt that this one is first rate in that it cleaves closely to the original in terms of its dialogue and language. Plus the artwork not only captures the spirit of the original work, it also extends its ambience with the clean, blue, black, and white lines that convey a cold, sterile purported utopia. Also, I know that there is a general assumption that  graphic novel would be a simpler, breezier read than the original, but I felt that this one was still substantive and weighty.

In case you are not familiar with the original book, the narrative takes place in a future where humans have engineered a perfect place. Everything is planned and organized in ways to optimize people's lives, from deciding who they marry to selecting their vocations at age 12. No one wants for anything, and they are content, safe, and docile. This book follows a boy named Jonas who turns 12 and is selected to be The Receiver, which means he will be the sole person to learn the history and experiences of his people. This role exposes him to many dark features from history but also contemporary practices that make this world possible. This knowledge radically changes his life as he begins to question much of he has learned as normal.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, and it was as compelling and moving as the original. I think what works best about it is that I feel it works well on its own merits and could be read and studied thus. Of course, it could also be read alongside or in conjunction with the original novel if one wanted to compare the two as well. As far as graphic novel adaptations of prose novels go, this one is one of the best.

This book's adapter P. Craig Russell has been making comics since the early 1970s. He has won multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards for his work over the years, particularly in the fantasy genres. He is known for his collaborations with Neil Gaiman and also for adapting operatic works into comics. He speaks about his work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review that concluded, "A first-rate visual reframing: sensitive, artistically brilliant, and as charged as its enigmatic predecessor with profound challenges to mind and heart." Anushka Girl wrote, "It’s a wonderful pick for young folk who are still not too keen on reading things comprised only of words, and it’s a great way for those who have already read the novel to revisit this particular dystopia." Publishers Weekly summed up, "An accessible version of the story for readers who have not yet encountered it."

The Giver was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and they offer more info about it here. There is a sizable preview of the book available here.

The publisher provided a preview copy.

Kafkaesque

In case you had not noticed, last month I reviewed books with a horror bent, as we approached Halloween. Today's book is more in the vein of existential horror as it is a collection of adaptations of works by Franz Kafka, but it is also tinged with dark humor. The introduction to this book is a short essay about Kafka's multiple translations and how perhaps knowingly histrionic his prose was. I was unfamiliar with the vast majority of these stories, but I have to admit there is a dark sort of zaniness to a number of them, at least how they are presented here.

Two longer works, "The Burrow" and "In the Penal Colony," have been included in this collection, and they are substantive and moody explorations of political control and paranoia. "The Burrow" reads like a sick version of a Dr. Seuss tale, with a rodent constructing an elaborate series of tunnels to hoard its food, guard against intruders, and also hide from predators. "In the Penal Colony" is a sort of horror history with a nameless officer trying to convince a traveler about the utility of an elaborate and bloody public execution machine.

Otherwise, most of the tales in this book are relatively short, about 5-6 pages in length. They show people in various strained situations, often isolated or alienated by the powers-that-be. These powers are often capricious and draconian, resulting in injustice and unhappiness. For instance, in "The Helmsman" the man steering a ship is overcome and overthrown by a larger man who then assumes control of the boat. He attempts to assemble the rest of the passengers to address the situation and retake his place as pilot, but they don't care. They just accept the new helmsman without any resistance.

As you can see, the art for this story is an excellent complement  to the narrative. It was done with a scratchboard technique, so it resembles a woodcut done in an Expressionistic style. This type of art was a movement contemporary with Kafka, and the entire enterprise really captures the zeitgeist of the moment and I would also venture, of today, when it seems to many that the world is spiraling into discord and anxiety. I think of this book mostly as a series of tone poems expressing discomfort with the modern condition, and I think it would also be interesting to compare these adaptations to the source texts. They also stand by themselves very well.

Peter Kuper, the artist who has adapted these works is no stranger to Kafka, having done a graphic adaption of The Metamorphosis. He also published a few of these Kafka tales in his 1995 collection Give it Up! And Other Short Stories. Kuper has long had an interest in political causes and drawing socially charged cartoons. He co-founded the political comix magazine World War 3 Illustrated in 1980 and has also adapted the muckraking classic The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. A successful commercial artist, Kuper also has published work in a number of high profile magazines and currently draws the Spy Vs. Spy feature in Mad Magazine. He speaks about his work on Kafkaesque in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read have praised the book. Kirkus Reviews summed up, "A richly innovative interpretation that honors the source while expanding the material." Publishers Weekly concluded, "Kafka’s timeless work has never hit so hard, nor more artfully." Rich Barrett wrote, "Kuper creates an accessible gateway for Kafka amateurs and a varied sampling that may surprise you and possibly expand your own definition of what constitutes something as being 'Kafkaesque.'"

Kafkaesque was published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., and they offer more info about it here.

The publisher provided a review copy.

Baking with Kafka

Baking with Kafka is a wonderful collection of witty, literary comics by Tom Gauld. He is one of my favorite contemporary comics creators, and I love his point of view and proclivities toward literature. Goliath and Mooncop are brilliant graphic novels you should definitely check out, and his prior collection You're Just Jealous of My Jetpack was comedy gold. The comics in this particular collection are similarly hilarious and range all over the place. They were originally published in The Guardian and are mostly about books and/or history. There are a couple of patterns to them that I noticed. Many of them mess with classics and modernization:

Others comment on authors, their works, and their lives:

Still others offer meta-commentary about the literary field/business. What I like about this book mostly is that I can pick it up and read a few comics whenever I want. They are random, sure, but all amusing at least and often hilarious. This book is the modern equivalent to me of The Far Side albums I would read when I was a kid, although they are way more literary than science-themed. It's full of weird, funny stuff, and I like that it connects with some of my favorite topics, which include reading and books.

The reviews I read of this book were mostly positive. The reviewer at Publishers Weekly liked it, summing up, "The art is dominated by shadowy stick figures that inhabit often complex spaces, which somehow makes it all the more droll." Rob Clough gave an in-depth analysis of the comics in this book and wrote, "I prefer his long-form work as it's drier and more restrained in its humor, but that's not to say that his pure gag work isn't entertaining as well." Annie Mok was less taken with the book, concluding her review, "Read this if you want to be mildly amused and you find it at your local library, but $20 is just too much for a stray chuckle or two out of 160 pages."

Gauld's art style is pretty minimal, kind of like Ed Emberley by way of Edward Gorey, but to me it is well suited to his sensibility and voice. For those who are interested in learning more, Gauld speaks about his work on this book in this interview.

Baking with Kafka was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they have a preview and more available here.

The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry

The Hunting Accident is a complex series of tales that are surprisingly true. Overall, it tells a series of stories about fathers and their sons, and the main narrative pertains to Charlie Rizzo and his father Matt. After the death of his mother, Charlie has to live with his dad, who is blind and lives in Chicago. Charlie did not know much about his father, but over time he learned of how he lost his sight in a hunting accident when he was a teen. He also begins to help his father in editing literary reviews and commentaries, primarily about the medieval Italian poet Dante.

Life in Illinois is much different than life in California, and over time Charlie falls in with an unsavory crowd. When he is implicated in a crime, he learns much about his father's murky past, including the real reason he went blind and also that he served time in prison. Of course, these revelations cause quite a stir. But the accounts of the truth that come from this discord are full of surprises and unexpected turns, including the strange fact that part of Matt's redemption in prison came from the circumstance that his cellmate was Nathan Leopold, a thrill killer whose exploits were once termed "the crime of the century."

Overall, this graphic novel is one that makes me appreciate reading comics. The story is full of twists and turns as well as plenty of emotion and the artwork is exceptional, with dark flourishes and nightmarish imagery, both combining to make a narrative that could only really be told via comics. I read a lot of graphic novels, and this one is impressively well crafted.

The Hunting Accident is the first graphic novel by both writer David L. Carlson and artist Landis Blair. The duo originally produced a limited run of a slightly different version of this book with a Kickstarter campaign. Carlson is a Renaissance man, and Blair is a painter and illustrator who has also illustrated the book From Here to Eternity by writer Caitlin Doughty. Carlson speaks more about his work on the book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been very positive. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it an "ambitious debut graphic novel" and added, "Blair’s exceptional pen-and-ink work, which mixes the tangible world with the psychological, brings all the strands together seamlessly and powerfully." Seth T. Hahne elaborated that this tale could have been very dry but that Carlson "twists it into something ranging and delicious, a complexity revealed by pieces and parts through visions and allusions." Oliver Sava called it a "gorgeous nonfiction tale" that "is filled with innovative layouts and stunning rendering."

The Hunting Accident was published by First Second, and they have a preview and more information about it here. There is also a separate official website devoted especially to the book here.

The Abominable Mr. Seabrook

I was a big fan of Joe Ollmann's Mid-Life, and when I saw he was publishing a new book, I was excited to read it. Whereas Mid-Life was a piece of fiction with some autobiographical aspects thrown in, his new work The Abominable Mr. Seabrook is a well researched, nonfiction biography. Its subject William Seabrook was a journalist, author, occultist, and traveler who explored lots of exotic locales and wrote about them for popular audiences. His biggest contribution to US culture may be his account of voodoo in Haiti The Magic Island and how that book popularized the concept of the zombie for Americans. Even though he was famous in his day and hobnobbed with lots of folks still held in high regard, Seabrook has all but fallen off the radar.

Part of the reason he faded into obscurity is the prolonged downward spiral chronicled in this book. He had penchants for alcohol, womanizing, BDSM, drugs, and pushing boundaries altogether, a horrible combination of attributes that resulted in his suicide by drug overdose in 1945. Those same attributes led him to many interesting situations, including being an ambulance driver during World War I, roaming with Bedouins in the Arabian Desert and mountains of northern Iraq, dining with cannibals in Africa, and spending months in an asylum for addicts. He was able to spin many of these experiences into prose, but as we see in this graphic novel, he was not an easy person to be around.

As you can tell from what I just reeled off, I learned much about Mr. Seabrook from this book. It is jam-packed with information from the various chapters that focus on specific moments in his life. Also, Ollmann does not pull any punches with Seabrook's life, and I have to say that authenticity was double-edged for me. First it is an impressive feat to accomplish, a mark of great craft and attention to detail. Second, it is also pretty exhausting and terrifying to see this depraved and troubled man's life in such detail. I love the obvious love, effort, and dark humor that went into this book, but I also had a tough time getting through parts of it because they were so raw. From start to finish it's beautiful, engrossing, and devastating. I'd definitely recommend it to mature readers interested in this fascinating author, and I'd also add that I would read it in installments. TAMS is not a book to plow through.

All of the reviews I have read have commented on the amount of care, research, and craft went into this book. Genevieve Valentine wrote that "the depth of research is impressive, and there are evocative beats of loneliness or connection that remind us why the graphic novel can be such a powerful medium for conveying such small, human moments." John Paul praised it as "a masterful bit of visual storytelling." Chris Mautner called it an "ambitious biography."

For those interested, Ollmann speaks extensively about his work on this book in this interview.

The Abominable Mr. Seabrook was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offer a preview and more info about it here. The author also has a sizable preview excerpt here.

Fire!! The Zora Neale Hurston Story

I was an English major in college, and my first exposures to Zora Neale Hurston were her novels Their Eyes Were Watching God and Jonah's Gourd Vine. All I really knew about her was that she led an interesting life, did some anthropological research, and died in an unmarked grave (as famously found by Alice Walker). So I was glad to read this book, which chronicles her life from her childhood to her death and rediscovery by Walker. What I most admired about it was how much it embodies the energy and verve Hurston displayed in her life. Always a vocal and outgoing person, she came from a tumultuous family life and humble beginnings in Alabama, moved to Florida, and then eventually made it to college in Baltimore, Atlanta, and New York City.

Eventually, she came to work with Franz Boas while at Barnard College, doing ethnographic work that took her back home to Florida but eventually also to more exotic places like Haiti and Jamaica. She also became involved with a burgeoning Harlem Renaissance and was a prominent African-American writer and thinker of the time. One of the aspects I admired most about this book was how it depicted her various relationships, with peers, colleagues, and benefactors, showing much of the politics involved with doing academic and intellectual work. It also lends a very human face to some prominent figures, as well as a shot of humor into several situations.

Overall, it was that sense of humor and warmth that Hurston used to her advantage to do her work, date and marry who she wanted, and live an exceptional life. The art in this book is very cartoonish, but in the end I think it was probably the most apt for realistically and faithfully capturing the vitality Hurston displayed throughout her life.

This book's creator Peter Bagge is one of my all-time favorite comics makers. A multiple award winner with decades of credits, he created the seminal alternative comics series Neat Stuff and Hate and served as editor of the holdover underground comics 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 contributor to publications like Reason magazine (see his collections Founding Fathers Funnies and Everybody is Stupid Except for Me) and Vice Magazine (the Musical Urban Legends column). He speaks about his work on Fire!! in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Chris Oliveros commented that Bagge "has proven himself to be a thoughtful, careful researcher with a gift for portraying the deeply fascinating and hilarious moments in people’s lives." Etelka Lehoczky called it "an exhilarating addition to Hurston lore." Paul Constant regretted a lack of detail about Hurston's literary work but still concluded that "artists like Bagge continue to do the necessary work of asking the questions" about race and representation.

Fire!! was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offered a preview and more here.

ODY-C: Volume 1: Off to Far Ithicaa

If you could not figure it out by looking at my name, I am partly Greek. So when I was younger I was attracted to lots of books about Greek (and Roman) myths, especially D’Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. I was almost a classics major in college. Also, I am pretty taken with a few works written by Matt Fraction, in particular his runs on Hawkeye, Iron Fist, and Sex Criminals, as well as his forays into the legend of Thor for Marvel Comics. So I was pretty psyched to read this comic, a sci-fi re-imagining of Homer's The Odyssey starring a female cast.

I dug how the dialogue and narrative boxes act like stanzas or text fragments and also how the language hewed pretty closely to the original words, only given updated science fiction twists. I also thought the story was pretty clever sometimes in how the situations were translated in a universe where males did not exist because of the actions of the gods and where the only true alternative was the subversive poly-gender version of Prometheus. But in the end, I was also pretty disappointed, if only because the retelling was mostly perhaps too closely without much panache. Most of the twists seem strictly for shock value or base jokes (Zeus having "thunder thighs," for example), and I found little to compel me to keep reading in terms of the plot and characters.

Now I have spoken about the words and story, but the true star and most compelling part of the book is the artwork by Christian Ward. Check out those compositions, imaginative character and device designs, and the eye-popping colors! Each page is a spectacle. This book harkens back to Barbarella, black light posters, and Brendan McCarthy in excellent fashion. I loved lingering over the images to see how he translated the tale into his visuals while also being in awe of his skills. This book is unique and unlike any other comics being published right now, at least in terms of its art style. Still, as great as the visuals are, I am not sure I will be getting volume 2 (which is out soon).

The reviews I have read generally praise the book while offering a couple of reservations. Matt Johnson wrote that it is "a comic that’s not going to be for everyone" but still praised it as "a rare comic that stands alone with little else to compare it to." Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "A remarkable comic that gets better with each turn of the page." But I agree more with Steve Raiteri who concluded, "Strongly adult and more intriguing for its ambition and spectacle than for its story or characters but recommended." The ideas and imagery are excellent, but I had some  issues with the plot and characters.

ODY-C: Off to Far Ithicaa was published by Image Comics, who has much more info this book and the whole series here. This books features sex, nudity, and violence and is suggested for readers who can handle those things.

By Zeus!

Step Aside, Pops

Hark! A Vagrant is my favorite webcomic, a random assortment of comic strips about history, literature, philosophical movements, autobiography, and commentary on comics. The artwork is luscious, full of emotive faces, clever dialogue, and smart storytelling. I find myself consistently entertained, surprised, and bemused by the infrequent updates, but I still check in with them whenever I can.

I reviewed the first collection of this webcomic when it was published a few years ago, and I am very happy to report that this volume carries on its high standard of quality and hilarity. This second collection leans more toward a specific type of comics, ones that highlight and parody women's lives, like "straw feminists" or "strong female characters." But there are also clever extrapolations of the images from book covers and a bevy of other comics, including:

Lampoons of superheroes

Cheeky literary adaptations (of Wuthering Heights here)

Snarky, yet respectful profiles of historical figures (Ida B. Wells here)

Commentary/satires of literary tropes

Kate Beaton is a Canadian artist currently living and working in New York. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, such as Marvel Comics' Strange Tales and Dark Horse Presents, and even in the prestigious The New Yorker magazine. She is one of the most popular and celebrated comics artists working today, amassing quite a list of accolades, including the Doug Wright Award, Ignatz Award, and Harvey Award. She speaks about her work on this latest collection in these two interviews.

All of the reviews I have read about this collection have been very celebratory. Writing for NPR, Amal El-Mohtar called it "Sharp, charming, and weird," adding, "I can't recommend it enough." Rachel Cooke wrote that it is "all tremendous fun, eccentric and warm and funny." Tobias Carroll commented that it contained "wonderfully absurd doses of pure comedy" and added that "readers who enjoy smart, irreverent takes on history and literature will find plenty to delight in here."

Step Aside, Pops was published by Drawn & Quarterly, and they provide previews and more information here.

Exquisite Corpse

Exquisite Corpse was released in France in 2010, and it was a huge success there. 5 years later, we Anglophones are finally getting to see the book in our language. The main character in this book is Zoe, a young woman who works as a model at car shows. She hates her job because she gets leered at all day, and when she gets home to her stoned and negligent boyfriend things are not much better.

The fanny pack only adds to the creep factor.

One day while eating lunch, she catches the eye of a reclusive man and learns that he is an author. After they meet, she gets drawn into his life, which brings new passion, mystery, and a surprising romantic triangle. I know that this book might sound like a cheesy romantic comedy, but I think it also transcends the genre with its twists and turns. All I can say is that I felt very sucked into the story.

Yipes!

I did find the narrative very compelling and surprising, but the things I love most about this book is its artwork, with its geometric shapes and stylistic figures. Such work is deceptively simple looking, but the elegant lines easily communicate emotion and movement with grace and impact. I also enjoyed the interplay of the coloring, which varied from bright and garrulous to muted and reserved depending on the scene. I found myself lingering over many of the images and going back over them to drink in the linework and colors.

Pénélope Bagieu is an accomplished artist and graphic novelist in France, where she was awarded the high honor Chevalier des Arts et Lettres for her contribution to the world of art and literature. She has drawn many different comics, the most famous being Joséphine, and also had them adapted into films. She is something of a Renaissance woman, active as a musician drumming in a band and also blogging about her many works and travels here (in French). If you are interested in learning more about Bagieu and her work (and why wouldn't you be?), check out this great interview with her at The Mary Sue.

I really enjoyed this book, but reviews I have read have been mixed. Kayla Farber gushed, "I highly recommend this book. It’s so relevant and humorous and poignant." Nick Smith wrote "As I read this book, I was drawn into the story bit by bit and before I knew it I was hooked and when it was over I was sad.  Very sad.  Distraught even that there was no more to be had." Sam Quixote was more negative about the book, stating, "It’s well-drawn and quite well written but plotted like a cheap and trashy romance novel that floats off into fantasy-land by the end." Emily at Pop Kernal also had some reservations and concluded that although "this novel does not reside in my top lists, it was admittedly an enjoyable, light read for a Wednesday night."

Exquisite Corpse was published by First Second, who has a preview and much more here.

Thank you, Gina, for the review copy!

Daytripper

This year's Life of the Mind book for incoming first-year students (formerly called freshmen) at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is Daytripper. It is the first time a graphic novel has been selected for this reading, selected to go with the general theme of Creativity for the year. In a horrible twist of fate, for the first time in six years I did not get to be a discussion leader for this book, even though it was a graphic novel, and by now you have surely realized I am very much interested in teaching with and talking about them. Instead I was in The Hague for a conference presentation. Ah well, timing, right? In any case, I did have a part in the initial assignment incoming students had to do and also in trying to demystify reading a graphic novel for first-time readers. If you are interested in hearing what I sound like, you can find an introductory video for this book where I go through the basic mechanics of reading comics here.

In any case, this book was originally published as individual comic books, and it won the Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. Its plot follows Bras de Olivias Dominguez, an aspiring author who writes newspaper obituaries. He is described as a "miracle baby" who was born under unusual and difficult circumstances. His father is an internationally acclaimed and awarded novelist who casts a large shadow. We get to see multiple moments in Bras's life, and each chapter is set at a different age, and in magic realistic fashion, at the end of each chapter Bras meets an untimely (and often surprising) end. Unlike the multiple deaths of Kenny, these events only highlight the themes of life and love in the main narrative. 

This book could easily be described as nostalgic or melodramatic, but I think that its emotional nuances and fantastic artwork raise it beyond treacly sentimentalism. It is a beautiful and evocative book, full of relatable moments and fantastic imagery. It hits on multiple ages, as well, and there is something in here that speaks to the innocence and realizations of childhood, the trials and tribulations of romantic relationships, the worries and joys of parenthood, and the awareness and (hopefully) acceptance that comes with old age.

This book's creators, Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá are twin brothers who have been making comics together since childhood. Moon is probably best known for his collaboration with writer Matt Fraction, Casanova, a science fiction spy story, and his Eisner Award winning webcomic Sugarshock. Bá also collaborated on Casanova and is well known for drawing The Umbrella Academy, a celebrated tale of super-powered siblings written by rocker Gerard Way. The brothers collectively blog about their works here.

As might be expected from an award-winning graphic novel, its reviews are excellent. The Comics Alliance's Chris Murphy called it "one of those books we should set aside specific adjectives for, to be used only when a book this incredible is created." NPR's Glen Weldon summed up that it "invites repeated, even recursive reading, as elements in early chapters find themselves echoed or entirely inverted as the book comes to a close. It's a book with the subtle intelligence to deal with death in a way that affirms, and delineates, life." comicrevolution wrote that it consisted of "magnificent storytelling and artwork that is equally stellar."

Daytripper was published by Vertigo.

Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics

Above the Dreamless Dead was published to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the start of World War I. It contains a multitude of Trench Poetry by a long list of poets: Rupert Brooke, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, Robert Graves, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, Francis Edward Ledwidge, Patrick Macgill, Wilfred Owen, Issac Rosenberg, Siegfried Sassoon, Osbert Sitwell, Charles Sorley and Edward Thomas. These poems capture high art, the horrors of war, and also some of the profane responses from a number of soldiers. Very helpfully, the back matter of the book gives more information about their individual lives as well as a separate section that describes the context of their poems.

The poets are paired with a number of equally diverse and talented artists, including Hannah Berry, Stephen R. Bissette, Eddie Campbell, Lilli Carre, Liesbeth De Stercke, Hunt Emerson, Garth Ennis, Simon Gane, Sarah Glidden, Isabel Greenberg, Sammy Harkham, David Hitchcock, Kevin Huizenga, Kathryn Immonen, Stuart Immonen, Peter Kuper, James Lloyd, Pat Mills, Anders Nilsen, Danica Novgorodoff, Luke Pearson, George Pratt, Carol Tyler and Phil Winslade.

The poem adaptations are split into three sections: The Call to War, In the Trenches, and Aftermath.

From Thomas Hardy and Luke Pearson's "Channel Firing"

From Isaac Rosenberg and Peter Kuper's "The Immortals"

From Osbert Sitwell and Simon Gane's "The Next War"

The results are a wide range of powerful and provocative images. I really like the use of black and white to highlight the dark lines and contrasts, as well as the alternations between realistic and cartoony styles. These poems do not shy away from grim realities, loss of faith, or any type of politeness. The Great War, with its bloody and brutal combat, stripped away a lot of veneer and nicety of society and left those who fought it reeling and forever changed. Those are the kinds of sensibilities exposed throughout this volume, with some interspersed bursts of raunchy humor contained in the war songs that lighten matters up.

This is one of the tamer parts of the songs.

I would not say this is a book for young students, but it is a record of the time and a compilation of many works that would be excellent for high school students to contend with.

Chris Duffy edited this literary volume of comics. He also edited Fairy Tale Comics, one of my favorite books for younger readers. Duffy is a veteran in the field who edited Nickolodeon Comics for 13 years, as well as the Bizarro Comics anthology for DC Comics and Spongebob Squarepants comics for Bongo Comics.

All I have read about this book contains great praise. In a starred review Publishers Weekly wrote that "the real strength of the anthology comes both from the poems selected for it and the variety of visual approaches." Paul Gravett remarked that it provided great evidence that "the marriage of poetry and comics is a deeply fruitful combination." Rob McMonigal recounted his favorite entries from the book and concluded that it was "a great anthology series and well worth picking up."

Above the Dreamless Dead was published by First Second, and they provide a preview and much more here.

And a great, big thank you to Gina for the review copy!