The Thud

The Thud is a graphic novel told from the perspective of Noel, a young man who lives with his "mumsie" and is excited about his upcoming birthday and present of going to see his favorite band AC/DC. Everything literally comes crashing down one day when he hears a thud from the next room. 

It turns out that his mother had a stroke and is now in a coma. Because he is developmentally disabled and cannot live on his own, he is taken to Neuerkerod, a German village where most of the inhabitants have developmental disabilities. There, he has to learn to make sense of and live his own life.

Everything has left Noel disoriented, and it is through his eyes that we get to know the lay of the land and the locals. His friend Valentin is obsessed with dates and times, and his strictly scheduled proclivities sometimes clash with Noel's more freewheeling tendencies. Noel also develops an unrequited crush on Penelope, while another young woman named Alice, who is epileptic, tries in vain to gain his attentions. These relationships show both a relatable sense of humanity as well as humor, especially when people's intentions get mistaken. These scenes are often sweet and heartfelt, not pandering, and the humor does not come at the characters' expense.

The artwork is colorful and highly expressive. I love how the characters are distinct, with unique sizes and shapes and imbued with personality. These aspects come out strongly in the episodic fashion of the story, which is structured as a series of sequential short stories. I love how this book develops a longer narrative over the space of these stories, with the reader and Noel both getting more of a sense of this village and the people who live there. It even introduces some historical context, about this village that has existed for 150 years and the dark days of Nazism, when many of the village's citizens were deemed unfit to live. 

Finally, I loved the open-ended, powerful way that the book concluded. It is a beautiful, thoughtful, and respectful look at people who are often overlooked, ignored, and/or underestimated. You will fall in love with these characters.

This book was created by artist/scholar Mikaël Ross and translated into English by Nika Knight. Ross has created a number of comics works and received Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe’s first graphic novel scholarship. He speaks about The Thud in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly called it a tale "told with an endearing combination of empathy and humor." Andy Oliver wrote, "Ross mixes poignancy with humour in a book that runs the emotional gamut, culminating in a heartrending finale where events come full circle." Kevin Wolf opined, "Everything about this graphic work is touching … emotionally … visually … conversationally between characters"

The Thud was publish in the US by Fantagraphics, and they provide a preview and more information about it here.

Last Pick: Rise Up

There is a burden on trilogy finales to tie up all the loose ends in satisfying, and increasingly novel, ways. In this sense I think that Rise Up is a successful capper to the Last Pick series. It is a gratifying conclusion to an action narrative but also goes beyond into more nuanced territory. I don't want to spoil too much about it, but I will say that it is thrilling and full of "heck yeah!" moments where the alien invaders get what's coming to them. There are also a number of family reunions, including twins Sam and Wyatt (which may be a spoiler, but it's on the COVER), though they are  tempered with sadness and loss. Along the way, there are also some quiet moments, bursts of humor, and great character work. One thing this book excels at is depicting characters in diverse, individualized ways that make them memorable. 

What really drew me to this series was the sheer amount of gruesome aliens throughout the book. They are drawn in a way that is very playful and filled with delight, as ugly as they are. But behind this monstrous facade is an important look at how assumptions can turn into prejudices. Many of these creatures have been manipulated, and as you can see from the preview, some even fall in with the rebellion. 

As an added bonus, in this book there are lots of mech-suits used to battle the aliens. Mech-suits are cool.  

I love how all the Last Pick books explore how being disabled is not the same thing as being useless. The ruling aliens have dismissed entire swaths of the human population for being too old or somehow otherwise defective for physical or mental conditions. However, Wyatt and his crew prove them wrong. They are scrappy, crafty, and quite effective at what they do, on a universal scale. It's rare to find a book that balances having a message with also being exciting, but this one pulls off that trick.

This book's creator Jason Walz is a comics creator and special educator. Beside the Last Pick series, he is also known for his Eisner Award-nominated Homesick as well as A Story for Desmond.

The reviews I have read of this book have been positive. T Drecker wrote, "There's a wonderful sense of family and friendship, which gives the tale heart. While this is sold as a novel for young adults, I can easily see older middle graders enjoying it quite a bit as well." Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review that summed up, "An affecting and unforgettable SF series with heart." As of this post, it currently has a 4.30 (out of 5) star rating on Goodreads.

Last Pick: Rise Up was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here. 

A review copy was provided by the author.

Last Pick, Book Two: Born to Run

I had the distinct pleasure of serving as moderator for a panel about graphic novels and illustrated books this weekend for Read Up! Greenville, and I got to meet Chuck Brown, one of the co-authors of Bitter Root. I also got to meet Jason Walz, a comics creator and special educator who wrote today's book, Last Pick: Born to Run. It is actually the second book a trilogy, and I must admit I had not read book one beforehand (I will remedy that soon). Still, I was immediately immersed in the narrative and hit the ground running. The plot here is a dystopian future tale where aliens have taken almost every human over the age of 16 and “able-bodied” off Earth to work as slave labor, leaving what they feel are the young and infirm behind. This arrangement has separated a pair of twins, Wyatt and Sam.

Sam is taken off-planet where she learns more about exactly who the alien invaders are, and also gets involved in a galactic civil war. Wyatt, who is neurodiverse and prone to moments where his mental focus shifts, is one of those left behind, but he and others band together to mount a resistance and disrupt the alien occupation force.

 

 

Apart from all of the exciting action elements, and some delightfully gruesome alien designs, there is also a strong message about how even those who get discounted can find the resources, strength, and resolve to succeed. Even with this topical message, it does not come off as preachy, as the plot is well crafted and quite compelling. I am eager to see how the whole thing concludes when the final book comes out next year.

Beside the Last Pick series, Jason Walz is also known for his Eisner Award-nominated Homesick as well as A Story for Desmond. He speaks more about his work on the Last Pick series in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read for this second entry have been positive. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review that concluded, "An extraordinary sequel that is thrilling, inclusive, and unforgettable." Erin Partridge wrote, "The change in the trope of the hero who overcomes adversity to a team of people who triumph while living with their differences could be very empowering to people navigating the tricky world of human life."

Last Pick: Born to Run was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.