Oregon Trail: The Road to Destiny

Oregon Trail: The Road to Destiny is the account of 11 year-old Rebecca Weston's family's trek across the USA from Baltimore to Oregon in 1848. It is chock full of historical details, family drama, sadness, triumph, trials, and tribulations. At the beginning when the family prepares for the journey, it feels much like the classic video game about the same topic, but as matters progress I felt more and more connected to this family and their experiences.

I love the simply realistic artwork, here in black and white. It very much captures the grit and texture of life in the 19th century with its cross hatching. Traveling by wagon train was no easy thing, and the rigor and hardship, both physical and mental, is well portrayed. The artwork also is great at relaying the characters' emotions and capturing the various vistas and cityscapes the Weston family find themselves in.

Although this book is fictional, it is based on many different journal accounts of similar trips west. It is also very well researched, which is evident in scenes based on photographs, several maps, and occasional infographics such as the following one about the Pawnee:

I feel it would be an excellent addition to any classroom library and well suited for use in upper elementary or middle school classrooms.

This book's authors, writer Frank Young and artist David Lasky, also collaborated on The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song.  The book's creators also have a blog that shows pictures in process, lots of photo references for the book's images, various school signings, and other interesting goings-on related to this book.

I could not find many reviews for this book, which is unfortunate given how well done it is, but the two I found were very positive. Teddy Rose wrote, "I didn't pay that much attention to history in school.  I found the old text books dull and boring.This book is very engaging." Corey Blake commented that Young and Lasky "tell an engaging story" and that the book is "targeted to preteens but it’s smart enough for older readers."

Oregon Trail: Road to Destiny was published by Sasquatch Books and they have more info here. There is a preview available at Amazon.

Mike's Place

Mike's Place is a gripping, heartfelt true story about a blues bar in Tel Aviv that was attacked by a suicide bomber in 2003. The events were also depicted in the 2004 documentary Blues by the Beach, and two of the filmmakers wrote this graphic novel. The documentary was in the works already, an attempt to capture the spirit of Mike's Place and why it was a place of joy amidst much turmoil. It turns out that terrorists targeted this establishment because it was such a center of joy and relief, and their true life narrative turned tragic.

What is impressive about this book to me is how much it tackles. It gives a human face to the "Mike's Place family," the people who worked and played at the bar, some who lost their lives and all who were victims of the violence.  Getting to know these folks endeared them to me and gives the final events more impact while putting a human face on these events.

The book also has the intrigue of a thriller with glimpses into how the bombing was planned and carried out. It clearly depicts the social and political circumstances in Israel at the time that bring about this horrible act as well as its resulting grief and aftermath.

Finally, this book is a critique of the use of violence by religious extremists, a point driven home by the use of quotations from the Qur'an that open each chapter of the book.


This graphic novel was written by Jack Baxter and Joshua Faudem, who are also characters in the story, and drawn by Koren Shadmi. Baxter was a producer of the 2004 documentary film and Faudem the director. Baxter speaks about the creation of this graphic novel in this interview. Shadmi is an artist who has worked on a webcomic The Abaddon as well as published a collection of short comics stories called In the Flesh. Here, his artwork leans toward realism, and he does very well in conveying emotions, personalities, and actions via journalistic black and white images.

All of the reviews I have read about this book describe a book that is powerful and moving. Brett called it "beautifully haunting." Bradley Campbell called it "a gripping read" that "shows you that people have the ability to heal; but it also shows how difficult, complicated and saddening the healing process can be." Joe Gordon wrote, "It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s upsetting, it’s inspiring, it has happy moments of laughter and dreadful troughs of despair, just like life, really, but through all of the events here remains that warm, human feeling of inclusion and family, perhaps our only real defence and hope against the hatred in the world."

Mike's Place was published by First Second, and they have a preview and more info available here.  There is also a video trailer of the book posted here.

A review copy was provided by the publisher. Thank you, Gina!

Sisters

"Be careful what you wish for" is a widespread idiom that plays out in Sisters, a memoir by Raina Telgemeier that is a "companion" to her wildly success Smile. The book details a family road trip that is full of annoyances, wonder, and travails. It also contains lots of flashback scenes marked by the sepia toned backgrounds, like pages from a yellowed book. From those, we see that Raina really, really, really wanted a sister.

Well, after she gets one she finds that things are not all that swell. Her little sister Amara likes throwing her toys. They bicker over art supplies and space to draw and play. They have to share a bedroom, which creates more tension, and their personalities just don't seem to mesh all that much. Just take a look at this scene from the road to see what I am talking about.

What I really enjoyed about this book is how well it captures a whole bunch of small but very relatable moments. As an older sibling myself, I can remember many similar situations and scuffles with my sisters. Also, the characters are nuanced in ways that they are all realistic and very human, not completely good or bad. I liked that there were many shades of grey. The artwork is clean, well paced, bright, and it conveys much emotion and energy. Sisters is an all around enjoyable and well-made graphic novel.

Raina Telgemeier has been nominated for Eisner and Ignatz Awards, and she won an Eisner for Smile. She has also created the YA graphic novel Drama and drawn four adaptations of The Babysitter's Club books, which have garnered accolades from the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association.  Telgemeier talks about her inspiration behind Sisters in this interview. Or if you would rather read an interview with her about the book, you can go here.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Brigid Alverson commented that the author "wraps some larger truths in the minutiae of everyday life, creating a story that many readers will be able to relate to, in its bitter moments as well as its warmer ones." Maya Van Wagenen wrote, "Telgemeier uses her expressive, cartoon-style drawings to bring context and emotion to the minimal text, which is almost entirely dialogue. I love her work, not because it is exotic or unusual, but because she writes stories we have all lived, and tells them in a way that feels uncomfortable yet transcendent." Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review and summed it up as "A wonderfully charming tale of family and sisters that anyone can bond with."

Sisters was published by Scholastic, and they have information about the book here. They have posted a video preview of the book here.

The Art of Running

Steve Prefontaine died in 1975 at the age of 24, but he left behind a legacy rare for a modern track and field athlete. He attended college and ran track for coach Bill Bowerman, a hugely influential figure and co-founder of the massive athletic shoe company Nike. He also competed at the 1972 Olympic Games and did not win a medal, but what he did was capture many people's attention with his approach to running and outspoken ways. He became a celebrity of sorts, almost like a rock star, but a car accident cut his life and career short. His rise to fame and untapped potential have fascinated people for decades, and his life has been portrayed in not one but two bio movies released as major motion pictures.

The Art of Running is in part another telling of his biography, done this time as a graphic novel, but it is also a look at his life and beliefs in a way that get at the man and his motivations. I can tell from the well detailed artwork, the attention to specific life episodes, and the way his thoughts are delineated that this book is a real labor of love. I appreciated how the book focused on various aspects of his life, not just his later successes and international presence but also his early days where he learns to run and encounters many interesting personalities, chief among them his coach at the University of Oregon.

I felt that overall the book succeeded in showing a reader (even one who did not know who Prefontaine was) much about his life and times as well as what it was about him that made such an impression. The quotations that kick off each chapter went a long way in establishing a definitive line of thought that unified the narrative. This biography was not just a dry portrayal of facts but a fleshed out, compelling portrait of an extraordinary person.

The only drawback for me about this book lay in the way it ended, and I am uncertain if the creators quite stuck the landing. The scene where he died was a little bit vague for my tastes, with an abrupt transition from a scene of a car crashing to a magazine cover tribute. If I did not know his story I don't think I would have understood quite what was going on. In a way, his death was accidental and somewhat nebulous because of contrasting accounts, so perhaps that vagueness was intention. I think that it certainly creates enough curiosity that an interested reader would seek out more information, but I could also see it leading to some disappointment at the unclear ending of what has been up to the that point a very well crafted set of events. I won't way that the book was ruined by any means, because I quite enjoyed it; I just felt that one key sequence came off a bit wonky.

This book was funded as a Kickstarter project by the husband/wife team of Matthew J.J. and Megan Crehan. Matthew is a running enthusiast, author, and comics creator who is best known for his revival of the British "Tough of the Track" character Alf Tupper. Megan is a photographer and, as far as I can tell, has no other comics credits. The artwork, done in pleasing, realistic, and simple painterly style, is by Sigit Nugroho.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Jonathan Gault called it "a fitting tribute to the man and a nice resource for anyone looking to learn (or re-familiarize themselves with) the story of Steve Prefontaine." Matt Rasmussen wrote, "The storytelling is solid and I found the artwork mesmerizing." Richard Bruton opined that this book hit "that happy medium of storytelling and fact, and doing it with style, picking the best elements and presenting them well."

The Art of Running is available directly from Matthew Crehan here (he is in the UK, so international shipping rates to the US would apply).  He also has preview pages and more information on his website.

A review copy was provided by the authors. Thank you!

Nimona

Nimona tells the tale of heroes, villains, intrigue, adventure, dragons, magic, and science. It looks like a sword and sorcery yarn, but it is so much more than that. It follows the titular character, a young female shapeshifter who seeks out the land's most nefarious villain, Lord Ballister Blackheart, so she can become his sidekick and wreak some serious havoc.

As you can see from even the brief excerpt, this book has an excellent sense of humor, timing, foreboding, and storytelling. I know it is a debut book but it seems much more an assured and mature work, where the creator has a firm handle on comics conventions.

On top of all this excellent craft, the story itself is full of much suspense, and it is subversive in the best possible ways. Almost nothing, from the vile villain to the golden boy hero Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin to Nimona to the protective Institution of Law Enforcement is as it seems. This book is full of complicated, interesting characters, unexpected plot twists, and I do not want to spoil much about the story, but I can say it was one of the most gripping and entertaining books I have read this year.

Nimona was originally published as a webcomic by Noelle Stevenson. She has drawn a few other comics, but this is her debut graphic novel. She is also known for co-writing the series Lumberjanes from Boom! Studios. She talks about comics and her work on Nimona in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been full of praise. Tasha Robinson called it "a fleet-moving, breathless story." Ana Grilo gave it a "Perfect" rating and playfully wrote, "OH YOU BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BOOK LET ME HUG YOU FOREVER." J. Caleb Mozzocco smartly commented that "Stevenson uses the conventions of popular fantasy, science-fiction and superhero narratives to explore the way in which society imposes labels and roles on us all." Jenn remarked that "the world Stevenson crafts is quite brilliant. Set in Renaissance times, but with the technology of modern times.  Truly brilliant."

Nimona was published by HarperCollins, and they have a sample and much more here (or you can just skip right to sample below):

Moose

Originally published as a series of 14 mini-comics by Oily Comics, Moose tells the story of Joe, a put upon high school student who has to face a relentless, sadistic bully aptly named Jason.

Joe goes to great length to avoid Jason, walking to school instead of taking the bus, eating lunch in closets, trying to stay out of his way, and getting detention for his troubles, but Jason goes to equally great lengths to find Joe and dish out his violence. I found those parts with their confrontations to be especially unsettling and horrific, but there is also a certain brutal realism in how this tale is paced and artistically rendered.

Sporadically, Joe finds solace from this cycle in nature, and there are a few excellent wordless scenes where we are privy to him connecting with nature and having some wondrous, if also scary, experiences.

Joe fantasizes about taking vengeance on Jason, but he really does not think he has has much recourse. I don't want to spoil the way this book ends, but something occurs that gives Joe the upper hand suddenly, and how he uses this opportunity is pretty gut-wrenching. I really liked how gray everyone in this story is eventually painted, with the "good guys" not always seeming so good, nor the bad ones as bad (or at least they have their own troubles, I guess I might say). For what could easily be a two-dimensional story there is some real complexity and depth.

As you can tell from the excerpts, the artwork is pretty stark, with seemingly simple lines packing much emotional punch and also an economy of motion. I felt that the storytelling was excellent in heightening drama, setting scenes, and establishing personalities. Like another Oily Comic I read, TEOTFW, Moose was a visceral and moving reading experience for me.

Moose is the creation of Max De Radiguès, a Belgian comics artist who tweets updates about his works here. He was a 2009 Fellow at the Center for Cartoon Studies, and his newest projects are called Bastard and Rough Age. He speaks more about his comics work, inspirations, and creative process in this interview.

There are sparse reviews for this book as of yet, but the ones I have read have been positive. Alec Berry called it "a well-crafted, chilling read." Rob Clough praised the book, stating that "De Radigues' trembling but clear line and angular character design is perfectly matched to the subject matter." Clough also added that the "characters, though simply-rendered, are lively and bursting with emotion."

This collected volume of Moose was published by Conundrum Press. They have more info about the book here. Because of the brutal language and violence in this book, I would recommend it for mature readers.

Pretty Deadly, Volume 1: The Shrike

Pretty Deadly defies easy categorization. It's a sort of mystical western, where fabled animals and reapers of death manifest as humans and have gun- and sword-fights. The overarching framework is that of a butterfly telling a skeletal rabbit a story. 

This story involves an aged, blind gunslinger named Fox escorting a young girl (Sissy) who dresses like a vulture across the west. She is exceptional for some reason, and she is being pursued by a couple of reapers, Deathfaced Ginnie and Big Alice, who have their own agendas.

Also, there is another guy named Johnny Coyote who seems to know a lot about what is happening and who also cavorts with prostitutes. As you can probably tell, there is a lot going on, and much of it takes on dimensions of both myth and spaghetti westerns. I am not going to pretend I caught everything on my first go-round with this book, because there is much to take in, but the tale was intriguing and the artwork gorgeous. Probably the worst thing I can say about this book is that it used montage as a storytelling technique a couple of times, and I found those particular layouts difficult to follow. Otherwise, this book was an enjoyable, brisk reading experience.

Many of the reviews I have seen about this book liken it to Sandman and/or Preacher, and I guess it does have some superficial similarities to both (as in it deals with myth, and it is a western). They also like to remark that this story is remarkable for how much it is not like other comic book narratives. But I think those comparisons and remarks damn this book with faint praise. It may not be like much out there now, but it is not entirely an original type of story. Nor is it exactly derivative of other books out there. It is a pretty original take on a familiar story, told in an interesting and complex way that demands to be revisited.

Pretty Deadly is the creation of writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Emma Ríos. Eisner Award nominee DeConnick has written a bunch of comics for various companies, though she is probably best known for her work on Marvel's Captain Marvel and her sci-fi women-in-prison series Bitch Planet. Ríos has done a bunch of work for Marvel as well and is known for the series Hexed. Both creators speak about their work on this series in these interviews (DeConnick, Ríos).

The reviews I have read of this volume have been largely positive. Keith Dooley wrote that they have created a "memorable mythology" that "has the capability to instill both wonder and horror." Phoebe Salzman-Cohen commented that the genre-mashing here was not always that successful though she is still "curious to see what happens in the second set of issues." Lina concluded that "this book just demands a re-read and doesn’t find itself wanting the second go around."

Pretty Deadly is published by Image Comics. These five issues collected here are the only ones out so far. You can read more about the series here.