Think about this: there are places in Alaska that, due to rotation of the earth, don’t see a sunrise for at least a month in the very dead of winter. And this winter, the dead are going to take advantage of it! The underground network of vampires has discovered the small town of Barrow, Alaska, where for 30 days every year, there is nothing but darkness. It’s feeding time unless the very clever sheriff and his police officer wife can come up with a plan to outsmart the bloodsuckers. Fabulously gruesome and wonderfully gory, with blood that splatters across the page like a Jackson Pollack painting, this is NOT a graphic novel to read without every light in the house ablaze. I think I’ve finally found something that rivals Salem’s Lot as one of the scariest vampire books I have ever read. (But you can skip the movie–it sucks, and NOT in a good way!)
Month: May 2007
Fables: legends in exile by Bill Willingham, illustrated by Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, and Craig Hamilton
Rose Red is missing, possibly dead. But don’t worry, the Big Bad Wolf is on the case, assisted by deputy major of Fabletown, Snow White (acting in Old King Cole’s stead). The usual suspects include the wily Bluebeard, that rascal Jack the Giant Killer, and even Snow herself. After all, Snow White and Rose Red were not the closest of sisters after Red slept with Prince Charming, which caused their bitter divorce. Talk about a fractured fairy tale! Twisting the fairy tale archetype until it screams, Willingham gives us a wonderfully inventive, grown-up version of all our childhood favorites. Clever, clever, clever. (And special thanks to Robin Brenner, the fabulous webmistress of the groovy GN website No Flying No Tights for pointing this one out to me!)
Wolverine: The Origin by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada and Paul Jenkins, illustrated by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove
Who is Wolverine? Literally the greatest mysteries in comics, Wolverine’s origins have always been shrouded in secrecy. But Marvel finally decided to reveal where the wolfish man with the heart of gold came from, under great controversy and consternation. The result is beautifully digitally painted graphic novel about a little boy who lost his parents under horrifically violent circumstances. Traveling under a different name with his beloved childhood nanny, young Wolverine begins to feel the effects of his superhuman strength as he tries to make his way at a mining camp in the frozen Yukon Territory. But his past will catch up with him in a way he couldn’t even be able to imagine, and this time, Logan won’t be able to keep his claws from coming out. A compilation of the material originally published as a serial, Origin is a gorgeous GN, full of rich art and gory conflict. Wolverine is a fascinating character to try to understand and unravel, and this volume helps immensely in trying to understand his complex motives. A real reading pleasure.
Quiver: Green Arrow by Kevin Smith, illustrated by Phil Hester
Kevin Smith, of Clerks and Silent Bob fame, has cooked up a fantastic plot about a slain old school superhero that comes back to life, his troubled son, the kindly man who saved the superhero but who is hiding a secret agenda, and all the members of the JLA, who, despite all their fantastic abilities, are having a hard time believing that said superhero has actually come back from the dead (especially when the superhero, a mouthy and arrogant Green Arrow, insists that he never left the plane of the living. How’s THAT for messed up?) Throw in a poetry-spouting demon and some serious Satan worship, and you’ve got a whiz-bang of a graphic novel that was the only GN to make the Best Books for Young Adults list for 2003.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Meet Rebecca and Enid, two high school seniors who love to hate EVEYTHING, from tabloid TV and nosey parents to 50’s diners and sometime-Satan worshippers. Now that high school is over and there are no more easy targets for their caustic slurs, they have to see if they really have anything else in common other than their habit of trading sarcastic quips. Their running commentary on pop culture, relationships, and life in general is pretty funny (even if it’s so mean-spirited it can make you cringe a little). Definitely pair this GN with the very fine movie adaptation of the same name.
Pedro and Me by Judd Winick
Even if you’re not as Real World obsessed as I am, you would have had to have been living under a rock to not have heard of AIDS activist and SanFran RW housemate Pedro Zamora. Pedro set out to educate people about AIDS after discovering he was HIV positive at age 17. Picked to be on the Real World, he became close friends with many of the cast members, especially cartoonist Judd Winick. His death after the end of the RW season saddened everyone who had gotten to know him through their televisions. So Judd decided to chronicle Pedro’s life in the best way he knew how–through pictures. Judd produced a beautiful, funny, full length graphic novel about the Pedro he knew on and off the Real World set. It’s a touching tribute about life and the power of friendship, and also just a really good book. Even if you’re not into the Real World, you’ll really get into Pedro and Me. I guarantee it.
Mind Riot: Coming of Age in Comix edited by Karen Hirsch
In this collection of comic strip shorts, a number of comic artists have come together to write and draw their interpretations of what it is like to be a teen. Mind Riot graphically captures the trauma of fitting in, skater punk culture, family problems, and masturbation (Umm, that last one is only mentioned, not pictured). Some of my favs include “Weird Girl” and “Out at the Movies”. All are different, all are intensely personal, some are funny and some will make you think. I promise you’ll find at least one to which you will be able to relate. Oh, yeah, it was also picked as a Book for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library in 1998. So, that means it’s good — trust us, we’re librarians.
Gen 13 by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee
Mild mannered Caitlin Fairchild is about to find out that instead of being an innocent college coed, she is actually an emerald-eyed, heaving bosom-ed super hero of the Gen 13 project. Gen 13 is the code name for a government run operation that tests drugs on unsuspecting persons in hopes of giving them super-human powers. But what the Gen 13 execs had no way of knowing was that their teen guniea pigs don’t exactly want to go along with the plan to turn them into war machines. Caitlin, Grunge, Roxy, Bobby and Sarah have decided to ditch the remote government compound they’ve been held prisoner at and release their new found powers to the world at large. But there are some mutant-government dudes who say different, and they are not above sending out scary android-type soldiers to track down the Gen 13 team. Look at Gen 13 as kind of an X-Men for teens. While the drawings of the girls are a bit too sexy for my feminist blood (Come on, NO ONE has breasts THAT large or legs THAT long) at least it’s made up for by how well these girls and their male counterparts kick butt! It’s a fast and fluffy read.
Tank Girl by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin
Who can kill bounty hunters with a single blow, chain smoke, and flirt with kangaroo mutants all at the same time? Why, Tank Girl of course! Forget Xena, this futuristic warrior princess commands her own tank and takes no bull from anyone, including Satan himself. I love this crude, rude girl–she’s got a shaved head covered with Band-Aids and her language would make a truck driver blush, but her flowered push-up bra is always in place and her magenta lipstick is never smudged. Tank Girl–a heroine for our times and a lot less polished than those Gen 13 babes! Note, Tank Girl fans, there is also a movie of the same title starring Lori Petty, with Ice-T in one of his lesser known roles as one of the kangaroo mutants. The fun is in trying to guess which one!
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
In this powerful graphic parable about the Holocaust, the Nazis are cats, the Jewish people are mice and the American soldiers are dogs. Based on Spiegelman’s father’s own experiences during WWII, Maus is not only a survivor’s tale, but a compelling story about the relationship between a father and a son. A Pulitzer prize winner and credited with beinmg one of the first true “graphic novels,” I have always found this story much more interesting than some dusty old WWII history book.
Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III
The King of Dreams has been kidnapped from his fantasyworld by a mad scientist. After destroying those who kept him away from his home, he travels into the lives and dreams of people and demons, trying to find the special talismans that once brought together, will allow him to go back to his castle in the air. Sandman was the first GN I ever read and still my favorite. It’s the best blend of literary fantasy and great, gory illustration. Don’t expect an easy read–Sandman’s many complicated plot twists are challenging , and Gaiman doesn’t shy away from the gross stuff. But the truly original stories will make your imagination soar. Keep in mind that this title is only the first installment. The Sand just keeps piling up after this–happy digging!
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
Octavian grows up in a house of colonial scholars in the years before the American Revolutionary War. His mother is a princess from a foreign land, flirted with and adored by the bookish men who toil at their mysterious experiments all day, while Octavian is petted and coddled by the kindly old professors who teach him science, Latin, and how to play the violin. Then one day he discovers a room within the house of books that reveals a startling truth so contrary to what he understands about his existence that Octavian must re-learn who and what he is from the ground up, basically from nothing. Who is Octavian Nothing? Patriot? Traitor? Property? Or Freeman? M.T. Anderson’s compelling book is at once incredibly complex in its construct, told in a myriad of forms and voices, while being breathtakingly simple in its theme of freedom and individual choice. This book isn’t an easy read, or a light one. It will take some awhile to get into and finish. But finish it you must to learn the secret—and the surprising fate—of the Astonishing Octavian Nothing.
Gemini Summer by Iain Lawrence
The Rivers are your typical 1960’s family. Mom is a housewife who dreams of being a writer, little brother Danny desperately dreams of getting a dog, older brother Beau is obsessed with the NASA space program, which currently features the Gemini space capsules piloted by astronaut Gus Grissom, and Dad is building a fallout shelter in the backyard. Typical. Ordinary, even. But what is not so ordinary is how Danny reacts after Beau is in a terrible accident. After the accident, Danny’s parents finally let him have a dog. The dog, Rocket, becomes Danny’s best friend and shadow. But when Rocket savagely attacks a neighborhood bully, the authorities come to put him down. Danny knows he has to save his dog no matter what, his dog who loves model airplanes and seems to watch the television every time Gus Grissom is on. Because Danny knows, even though no one else believes him, that Rocket is really the reincarnation of his dead brother Beau. Haunting, beautifully written and sweetly nostalgic, Gemini Summer is reminiscent of “Stand By Me” or “The Outsiders,” and will transport you back to a time when we were still in awe of all the things we didn’t know and couldn’t always explain.
The Book Thief by Marcus Zuzak
Death has seen quite a few catastrophic events in his time, but none quite so ruthless and methodical as the genocide of the Jewish people carried out by Hitler and his death squads during WWII. But no matter how terrible the circumstances, there is no rest for gentle Death, who must continue to gather souls, from battlefields and gas chambers alike. However, he finds his ancient head turned by one little German girl who, in the midst of darkness, has found light through the magic of books and reading. Liesl, the book thief of the title, has attracted Death’s attention because of her unusual habit of stealing books during times of great distress in her life. Now, Liesl and her parents have hidden a young Jewish man in the basement of their home, and he will need more than just words on a page to survive the war. Narrated by the striking and original voice of Death, the tale of The Book Thief is one of horror, courage and unbelievable love that you will probably need (and want!) to read more than once to fully understand and appreciate.