Minor Arcana, Volume One: The Fool

I am a big fan of Jeff Lemire since I read The Essex County Trilogy  almost two decades ago. He is one of the most prolific comics creators in the field today, with a huge list of comics credits and having won a slew of major awards along the way. He has written a number of series for DC Comics and Marvel as well as his own creator-owned works like Black Hammer, and Sweet Tooth. I was very excited to read his newest ongoing series, his first solo one since 2012, Minor Arcana, and this book collects the first five issues.

Theresa St. Pierre is the protagonist of the series, and she's been called back to the small town of Limberlost to care for her mother, who has cancer. Theresa hated growing up there and is very reluctant to return, but she has had a bad run of her own and really has nowhere else to be. She is also a recovering alcoholic and generally seems to hate people. Her mother works as a psychic, and Theresa always thought she was just running an extended con on people, but then something happens that makes her realize that these abilities might be real. 

What makes this book so compelling to me are the hallmarks of Lemire's work. He is able to created strong characters with whom the reader is drawn to care about. Theresa is surly, unpleasant, and imperfect but also gives people credit when it's due, and she is a surprisingly relatable person. Also, the small town setting and family drama are fertile ground for delving into the past, unearthing secrets and revealing events that have profoundly shaped the present day. I loved how suspense builds through the plotting and pacing and how revelations in singular moments really pay off in terms of both story and imagery. All of Lemire's storytelling tools are in full effect here. I was instantly drawn into this world, and I cannot wait to see what else happens here.

I had a difficult time finding reviews of this trade paperback, but Jared Bird called this collection "tremendous work" that "feels special." There are a range of reviews available from The League of Comic Geeks, where it has been rated 4.3 (out of 5) stars as of this post.

Minor Arcana, Volume One was published by Boom! Studios, and they offer more info and a video preview of the series here. Lemire also speaks extensively about the influences on the series in this interview.

All My Ghosts

Last month I went to HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC and had a blast seeing my friends, some artists, getting some original art, going to panels, and buying some new books. I did not buy as many books as I have in the past, because I find I don't get to read as much as I'd like right now, but I did manage to pick up a few things I might not otherwise. One of these such purchases was this book, All My Ghosts, by Jeremy Massie (a very nice guy who I had a lot of fun talking to about his work). It is a "slice of life" story about a middle-aged man named Joe Hale who runs a local newspaper. The business has been in his family for generations but times are getting tough and it is increasingly difficult to keep it afloat. On top of this major problem, Joe also has a bad case of writer's block and is in a general funk.

 

 

His life takes a major turn when an opportunistic company swoops in to buy his newspaper, and he goes through a series of changes, mostly for the better, although many of the people around him would probably say differently. In shaking off the ghosts of his past, he gets a bit selfish and the consequences of his actions have a large impact on his friends, employees, and various townspeople.

What I liked about this book were its spare yet powerful art style and that it told a realistic, personal story in a thoughtful and interesting way. Not much about this book turned out as I expected, and I liked how it resisted an overall "feel good" vibe. Perhaps not everything played out well or in a satisfying way, but this book has a lot of raw energy and artistry, and I enjoyed reading it. Not all of the characters were well defined, but the ones that were seemed very real and familiar. Heck, I'd read the continuing adventures of Joe Hale if there were more to come.

Like I wrote earlier, this book is the creation of Jeremy Massie, who has a number of other works under his belt, including the horror story Bee Sting, a quirky superhero tale called The Deadbeat, and the current ongoing, all-ages series Amazing Age. He speaks about his work on All My Ghosts and his other works in this interview.

Most of the reviews I have read about this book found it uneven, though they all praised the visual storytelling. Johanna Draper Carlson was a bit let down by the book overall but also stated that "the story is told strongly when it comes to the art, and I would check out Massie’s next project." Jason Wilkins wrote, "Massie’s cartoony style is expressive and accessible. All My Ghosts is so easy to read in large part because his art is so pleasing to the eye." Nick Ford found some good parts in the book but also commented, "The story’s not bad but it’s handling a timeless conflict that’s been done a million times before."

All My Ghosts was published by Alterna Comics, and they have a preview and more info here. It was originally released as a four-issue series, and the physical graphic novel was funded initially by way of Kickstarter.

This book features some adult situations and themes as well as occasional profanity, and I'd recommend it for more mature readers.