Category Archives: Graphic Novel Reviews

September 23, 2013 · 7:53 am

Review: BATTLING BOY by Paul Pope, published by First Second

“Dad,” is a word you read a lot in Paul Pope‘s new graphic novel, “Battling Boy,” published by First Second. Our original hero was Haggard West, the proud dad of Aurora West, and the defender of the City of Acropolis on good ole planet Earth. And then there’s Battling Boy’s dad who is not from anywhere, not anywhere close anyway. As Battling Boy says himself, this is a “place which hangs suspended above the silver spinning lightning cloud.” It’s up to Battling Boy to help save Acropolis, a city under siege by all kinds of monsters. If you’re sensing that this is a way cool superhero story, one with a fresh new energy we could all use more of, then you’d be right.

Aurora West in Paul Pope’s “Battling Boy”

Battling Boy and his dad

“Battling Boy” is Paul Pope’s baby and that is exciting news. Paul Pope is the ultimate dad in this graphic novel, yes he is. Some Paul Pope fans just know the guy from his amazing artwork. Other fans just know him from “Batman: Year One Hundred.” And then there are fans, myself included, who have been following his work for years. Pope has always loved the urban, the offbeat, and the other-worldly. His work is immersive, hypnotic, and just plain knock-your-socks-off cool. He loves and respects the comics medium and carries on the tradition of masters like Milton Caniff and Jack Kirby.

Have you ever seen the 1974 Stanley Donen film, “The Little Prince”? It springs to mind when I think of how masterfully Paul Pope has delivered a sense of wonder in this comic, similar to Gene Wilder having us believe he’s a fox–without the aid of even a hint of whisker or fur, just through sheer talent and skill. He just is a fox. That’s the kind of magic we don’t see nearly enough of from superhero comics.

Why should superhero comics, in general, be so predictable? Demographics seem to hold the key, right? Comics most in tune with a formula seem to always sell the best while, in fact, quality has no need for test marketing and never goes out of style. You cannot test market how Gene Wilder conjures up a fox any more than you can test market how Paul Pope conjures up a fox.

Paul Pope has always had that magic touch. He is in tune with his senses and what the reader will enjoy without having to force it. We begin with a bouncing soccer ball in the very first panel of this story. We proceed to see the ball bounce out of sight and one boy being coaxed by his pals to retrieve it. Some more panels in, and we find the boy’s mom calling out for him. We next see the boy and, above him, some odd bits of tattered cloth. Then, just a bit higher, a strange limb comes into view. Finally, a monster sits on a wire above, about to pounce on the boy. What seemed a gradual pace, keeps moving faster.

This monster is part of a gang which is part of a whole network of monsters. Haggard West, a burly figure with an aviator’s cap and an arsenal of gadgets, arrives to save the day. But it will be up to his daughter, Aurora, to live up to his legacy. Later on, we come across a similar scene with a bouncing ball. This time, it’s a fireball and we’re on some other planet. This is where Battling Boy steps in. He is 12 years old, ready for his rites of passage. It has been decided that he will go to planet Earth and save the City of Acropolis from its monsters. It’s a tall order but somehow Battling Boy will need to find a way to do the right thing. It is the sort of story that Paul Pope can tell very well and perhaps one that he will inspire others to tell as well.

“Battling Boy” is a 202-page full color graphic novel published by First Second and comes out this October. Visit our friends at First Second here and you can purchase it here.

2 Comments

Filed under Comics, First Second, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Paul Pope

Tagged as Art, arts, Books, Entertainment, graphic novels, Marketing, paul pope, Pop Culture, Publishing, superheroes

September 22, 2013 · 10:34 pm

Review: PACHYDERME by Frederik Peeters, published by SelfMadeHero

An elegant young woman struggles her way out of a horrific accident and finds herself in a strange world. Thus begins the new graphic novel by Frederik Peeters, “Pachyderme,” published by SelfMadeHero. Peeters borrows from David Lynch’s dreamlike narrative style, specifically his landmark film, “Mulholland Drive,” and creates something wholly original and worthy of comparison. It’s not your typical reference. It’s more of a tapping into a similar wavelength or molding from the same clay.

Carice in “Pachyderme” by Frederik Peeters

Laura Harring as Rita in David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive”

In “Pachyderme,” Peeters starts with a similar jumping off point to “Mulholland Drive.” Peteers’s female character is caught in a traffic jam caused by the death of an elephant. Lynch’s female character is in a limo, about to be shot by some mobsters, when some joyriders crash onto the scene.

Peeters plays with the role of the main character by giving it over to this woman while Lynch sets his sights more askew. Peeters has his character, Carice, take over the journey that lays ahead while Lynch has his similar character, Rita, step back and let another character dominate. Peteer’s Carice bears a striking resemblance to Lynch’s Rita and that adds to the sense of everything emerging from a dream.

Carice has far more control over her life than Rita and, as we proceed, we see her will tested to its limits. Carice has a clear goal in mind: to find her husband who is in hospital after suffering an accident of his own. We don’t know exactly what happened to him except that Carice is trying to reach him. Due to the traffic jam caused by the elephant, it takes Carice a while to reach the hospital on foot. And, once there, her nightmare begins. Just recall your last hospital visit and then add noir intrigue and the surreal and you have entered the world of “Pachyderme.”

There is a satisfying bite to this story immersed in the fevered Cold War. Is the man in the little top hat and trench coat, with the penis-shaped nose, to be trusted at all? That is the sort of question that Carice must confront. She must also confront a number of other characters, including herself, all in fear of something yet unformed.

If you gave one hundred cartoonists the assignment of somehow riffing on David Lynch and going on to create their own mesmerizing work, you would get a lot of interesting results, no doubt. Let “Pachyderme” lead the way. This 88-page full color graphic novel is a keeper you’ll enjoy with every new read.

Drawn in a very confident and fluid style, the artwork of Frederik Peeters is a joy to behold. He is truly a remarkable artist/writer. It was a real treat to review his “Sandcastle” recently. You can read that here. And you can visit him here. “Pachyderme” is available starting in October, 2013. Visit our dear friends at SelfMadeHero here.

Review: ‘The Beginning of the American Fall: A Comics Journalist Inside the Occupy Wall Street Movement’

“The Beginning of the American Fall: A Comics Journalist Inside the Occupy Wall Street Movement” does a remarkable job of giving you a sense of the Occupy movement by placing it into proper context. Yes, there is a healthy and vigorous unrest across the globe but what to do about it? At some point, the spirit of protest from the 1960s began to seem like a relic. There was the yuppie backlash of the 1980s. And there was a strident cynicism from Generation X that found Baby Boomers, on the whole, to be self-indulgent navel gazers of the highest order, especially when it came to their politics and activism. They are a tough crowd, those Gen Xers but that harsh critical outlook led to a whole new Do-It-Yourself movement. And from that, arose another generation with strong opinions, Generation Y, or the the Millennials. With social media and gadgetry at their command, this new generation finds itself all the more connected while also all the more self-absorbed.

This bring us back to the recent past and the present. Are people most likely to steer their own lives within relative safety and comfort or do they take notice of the social unrest they see on the news from time to time? That is the question that the author of this book had to pose to herself while still in high school in the early 1980s. Stephanie McMillan picked up a book that would change her life. It was “Fate of the Earth,” by Jonathan Schell which lays out the prospect of nuclear war and how nations are willing to put the planet at risk for the sake of warmongering. This galvanized McMillan into a life of activism. Shortly after that book, she read the newspaper, the Revolutionary Worker. This planted the seed in her mind that the solution to social ills would ultimately come through revolution. Thirty years later, and with plenty of experience in what is possible through protest, McMillan was to finally see in her lifetime a people’s movement on a grand scale.

McMillan sets the stage for us by highlighting some of the key characteristics of 2011, the year that the Occupy movement took hold:

2011 is so recent that it may as well be today and at least the next few years ahead. It’s not a pretty picture, is it? Corporate greed goes unchecked, will continue to go unchecked, and people and the planet suffer for it. When McMillan goes into details about the rise of the Occupy movement, there is a palpable sense of urgency. We are drawn into her concern that the movement she had favored, “Stop the Machine,” was soon to be overshadowed by the rowdy new kid on the block, Occupy. It’s clear these are two very different approaches. Stop is highly organized and has a leadership structure. Occupy is founded on anarchism and relies upon collective decision-making. Will they be able to work together? Or will they work against each other? In a wonderful series of exchanges, McMillan draws for us how a people’s movement finds its way. Her illustrations are funny, irreverent, and quite honest. While she’s a participant in this story, she doesn’t shy away from depicting the inconsistencies, bickering, and mistakes that occur along the way.

McMillan’s main concern is on the eventual work ahead. Throughout this book, we are treated to a treasure trove of insights, facts, and ideas on some of the best options when attempting to do the most good with the energy of mounting social unrest. McMillan boils it down to an unquestionable need to rid ourselves of global capitalism. It is capitalism that is the problem. But just how do you rid yourself of capitalism? Aren’t we all, at heart, hapless consumers? As Pogo, the celebrated comic strip character once said, “We have seen the enemy and the enemy is us.”

It is as if a goal is being proposed that is unattainable. Are we seeking to change the world or just a part of it? The answers are not all there but at least we’re asking questions. The very act of questioning is part of the answer! We are not mindless drones. It’s a fundamental impulse to resist oppression. This book proves to be an essential guide in this great new age of change.

“The Beginning of the American Fall” is published by Seven Stories Press. It is a 141-page trade, priced at $12.71 US. Visit our friends at Seven Stories Press here.

Review: MARCH: BOOK ONE by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

The 50th anniversary of the March on Washington is today, August 28, 2013. It is one of the most inspiring moments in American history and all of history. It will only grow in stature and significance as time continues its own march. The United States of America was desperately lagging behind in full self-awareness as a nation when it received an opportunity for collective clarity. It was a beautiful, gentle, and energetic plea for understanding. There were marches before and after this distinguished one. Progress would still take time. His words would still be dismissed by some. But, on that day, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to a nation. He gave a speech. He spoke of a dream.

We continue to remember that moment, and that movement, in new ways. One shining example is “March,” the new graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions, written by Rep. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and drawn by Nate Powell. “March: Book One,” the first part of a trilogy, has already gained critical and popular acclaim. It has made it to the number one spot on The New York Times bestsellers list for Graphic Books. The creation of this book is inspiring in itself. Congressman John Lewis is a perfect guide. He was an active participant in the civil rights movement right from the start. He is the last surviving dignitary who gave a speech during the March on Washington. And he’s a wealth of knowledge and goodwill. The “March” trilogy gives us a front row seat to the civil rights movement in America through the eyes of Mr. Lewis. The story is framed all in one day, January 20, 2009, the day of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It’s an ambitious project that reads quite smoothly, just as if Mr. Lewis was there to tell you the story in person.

The script seems to embrace a cinematic pace. The main character is recalling his life all in a short span of time with each recollection triggering an extended flashback. It is left to Nate Powell’s storytelling ability as a cartoonist to bring out aspects that gel with the comics medium. You see this in the various ways that Powell plays with text and composition like when he has a favorite passage from the Bible run across a silhouette of young John Lewis: “Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” And, of course, the distinctive drawing style of Nate Powell takes over. We easily become immersed in the intelligent and caring ways of this boy who is compelled to preach to the chickens on the family farm. In due time, the young man’s compassion becomes refined and focuses on the social gospel, the idea that church principles can guide social justice.

Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, published by F.O.R. in 1955

Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, published by F.O.R. in 1956

It is a dangerous world that young Lewis must navigate. There is constant humiliation and intimidation. You could easily be killed, just like 14-year-old Emmett Till. But a violent reaction would not be the answer. The key was passive resistance and keeping faith. There were various techniques to learn in order to outwit one’s attackers with the prevailing goal being to draw out your enemy’s humanity. We find an actual comic book pamphlet of the time laying out the Montgomery Method that worked so well for Dr. King and his followers. It is a satisfying comics reference within a comic. It was an inspiration for the young John Lewis. And it’s a compelling link to the past to this contemporary look back.

It will be great to see the whole trilogy. It’s so important for new generations to have something contemporary in order to help them hook into history. The civil rights movement is really relatively recent history depending on how you look at it! This book and “Lee Daniel’s The Butler” make a big difference. The United States of America has a lot of wounds that are still healing and we still have a lot to learn and relearn. It’s this book and that movie that provide essential hooks for young people, give them proper context, help them appreciate when they hear on the news that our voting rights as a people are, even today, being compromised. You can’t put enough value on a book like “March” and more power to Top Shelf Productions for publishing it.

“March: Book One” is a beautiful book. It is a new way to honor and understand what has come before us and be inspired for what lies ahead. It is a 128-page trade paperback and is available for $14.95 (US) print and $9.95 (US) digital. Visit our friends at Top Shelf Productions here.

4 Comments

Filed under American History, Civil Rights, Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, History, March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Race, Race Relations, Social Justice, Top Shelf Productions

Tagged as American Civil Rights Movement, American History, arts, Civil Rights, comics, graphic novels, History, March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Race, Race Relations, Social Justice

August 6, 2013 · 3:21 am

Graphic Novel Review: ‘Sandcastle’ by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederick Peeters, published by SelfMadeHero

“Sandcastle” is a refreshingly creepy sci-fi mystery set to words and pictures. This graphic novel, published by SelfMadeHero, an imprint of Abrams ComicArts, lures you into quite a gripping tale. It fits right in with my current favorite summer movie , “The Conjuring.” It’s not set in a haunted house but it comes close. How about a haunted beach?

I’d love to see a graphic novel version of “The Conjuring,” by the way. It would slice and dice the story into something just as spooky if not more so. Your eyes rest on one panel, are pulled by one thing and then another. If the pacing is done right, you can easily slip into more than you bargained for. With drawings, you get an added sense of ambiguity. How, for instance, are you expected to know for sure that the kids back in the first set of panels have somehow changed? You can create this uncertainty with other mediums for sure but drawings carry their own special energy.

The story itself is right in tune with what we all seem to want to read these days while also having a timeless quality. There’s a certain hint of the Apocalypse mixed in here. There is also a “Twilight Zone” or “Lost” vibe. It’s a story involving a bunch of people that fate has thrown in together for a most extraordinary event, one they may not survive, one they are most likely not going to survive. And there’s a nice dash of the fantastical to make it all the more eerie.

It is a very understated story filled with very understated characters which can make for the best fiction. No one in this story is a hero or even all that likable. Even the most innocent or noble among them is less a shining example and more an average person pushed to the limits. That is a big theme here, being pushed to the limits. Just how much can one human being take? If a person is stretched far enough from what they know, have they lost their purpose, their will to live?

Without spoiling much of anything, the action is set into motion when a pretty young girl decides to disrobe and take a dip in the lake. As so often happens in life, her actions coincide with a most random person who is wandering about right at that moment. He’s a miserable looking man. He can’t help but find himself staring at the beautiful naked woman in the water. He didn’t plan to look in that direction but he couldn’t help himself. She, in turn, suddenly dies. And he is suddenly in a most dangerous position for an odd man out. He will quickly become a murder suspect. But that is only the beginning of the devilishly complicated horror that lies ahead.

This all told in a vividly cinematic way. That is much to the credit of writer Pierre Oscar Levy, a documentarian by trade. The translation by Nora Mahony is pitch perfect too. The art by Frederick Peeters is quite striking throughout, a blend of realism and cartoony embellishments. Many of the characters have severe features, coupled with severe temperaments, which Peeters takes delight in expressing in all its ghoulish beauty. These are mostly people who have already been beaten down by life and now they must deal with the worst beating they will ever get. It’s a wonderfully strange story.

“Sandcastle” is a 112-page hardcover available now. Visit our friends at SelfMadeHero and Abrams ComicArts.

2 Comments

Filed under Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Horror, SelfMadeHero

Tagged as Books, comics, Entertainment, graphic novels, Horror, Science Fiction

July 31, 2013 · 6:12 am

Graphic Novel Review: BLACK PATHS by David B., published by SelfMadeHero

Sometimes a man needs the right kind of motivation. “Lauriano made a myth out of his two days in no-man’s-land.” That is what they say about our main character in David B.’s latest graphic novel, “Black Paths,” published by SelfMadeHero. He is thought to be posturing. But, then again, his friends are quick not to judge too harshly. Everything is in flux. The First World War tore into nations and souls. It did what it did to Laurinao. And it did what it did to the accidental city-state of Fiume. They know that all too well. “Ha! Life is good in the free city of Fiume. We’re going to die of cold and hunger.” Lauriano chooses to make sense of things by being the hero. It may prove a way to cope but it can also be a very lonely place.

Some say that certain things, like the silent movie era, are lost to us, just too far away for us to relate to. But I don’t believe them. Charlie Chaplin. Mary Pickford. We can still look into their eyes and they’re still alive. Everything is relatable. It depends on who is telling the story. What David B. does with “Black Paths” is give us a sense of the chaotic state that Europe was left in after the First World War and part of the stage that was being set for another global war. He does this by focusing on the little mouse that roared, Fiume, the city without a country. Italy is not terribly interested in absorbing it. Croatia is not ready. To make matters worse, a usurper, the Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, takes command. This leaves a void that is filled by various corrupt forces. Fiume is not the harsh no-man’s-land of the trenches but it definitely rates the tile of “No-Where,” that Lauriano has given it.

In truth, the details are numerous and complicated about the actual Fiume of history. To David B.’s great credit, he turns this troubled land into a wonderful gateway for further reading in history by including fantasy and romance into the mix. Lauriano is a dreamy young man who easily floats among all walks of life as if he were a ghost. But, after finding himself in the middle of a brawl over stolen loot, he stumbles upon Mina, a sexy cabaret singer. After they hide themselves on the roof overlooking the mayhem, they quickly fall under each other’s spell. They can’t get enough of each other or so it would seem. Mina, for all her charms, soon learns that she must compete with ghosts, poetry, and all manner of daydreaming.

David B.’s beautifully fluid style graces each page. His unique use of patterning gives the story a lift and emphasis where needed. David B. can create patterns from just about anything and will, whether it be from skulls, crowds, or vibrations of light. And his characters tend to have a world-weary look to them with sleepy eyes and languid expressions. We don’t see people go into a rage as much as we see them get exasperated. It’s the anger, mixed with melancholy, that you usually see Charlie Chaplin engage in. It is a jaded resistance, just the right temperament for this fable set in Fiume.

“Black Paths” is a 128-page hardcover, published by SelfMadeHero.

1 Comment

Filed under Comics, David B., Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, History, SelfMadeHero

Tagged as comics, Entertainment, European Comics, first world war 1914, graphic novels, History, World War I

July 29, 2013 · 12:58 am

Review: ‘Bread & Wine: An Erotic Tale of New York’ by Samuel R. Delany and Mia Wolff

“Bread & Wine: An Erotic Tale of New York” is a curiously disarming story about love. There is sex but there is also love. The matter-of-fact quality of this graphic novel reassures us in an offbeat and mysterious way. It is the story described by the great contemporary writer Samuel R. Delany and interpreted and drawn by fine artist Mia Wolff. Because this is a graphic novel we get a unique perspective on events. Ms. Wolff reveals some things left unsaid and emphasizes other things left understated. This 64-page hardcover book is now back in print, published by Fantagraphics Books which you can view here.

Samuel R. Delany has been in the literary spotlight since the publication of his work, “The Jewels of Aptor,” in 1962, at age 20. Author, professor and literary critic, Mr. Delany’s work includes science fiction novels, memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society. This graphic novel, originally published in 1999, springs from a memoir and stands alone as engaging and insightful. Much has been written about Mr. Delany’s relationship with Dennis Rickett, a homeless man near Mr. Delany’s New York apartment on the Upper West Side. For such a celebrated author, who often writes on issues of class, one can only wonder what Mr. Delany was thinking as his relationship with Mr. Rickett blossomed. But, read carefully, and you’ll find some answers. The short answer is that it all boils down to honest affection.

For a book that promises an erotic tale, there are even more scenes that speak to the great divide between the two men which they will either struggle with or overcome. All signs appear to point to a relationship that continues to grow. We are free to give shape and meaning to our lives as we see fit. For this book, Mr. Delany weaves lines from the great German Romantic lyric poet, Friedrich Hölderlin. His poem, “Bread and Wine,” is freely quoted throughout. It is a poem about the inevitable failure of reconciling the classic past to the present. Perhaps it is there that Mr. Delany reveals himself most naked and raw. An appreciation for the finer points in life make the present all the sweeter. As written in “Bread & Wine,” towards the end of the poem: “Bread is a fruit of Earth, yet touched by the blessing of sunlight, from the thundering god issues the gladness of wine.”

“Bread & Wine: An Erotic Tale of New York” is available now. Visit our friends at Fantagraphics Books here.

1 Comment

Filed under Comics, Fantagraphics Books, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Memoir, New York City, Samuel R. Delany

Tagged as Books, Gay Studies, graphic novels, Literature, Memoir, New York City, Samuel R. Delany, science fiction novels, Sexuality, Writing

July 17, 2013 · 6:41 pm

Review: THE GRAPHIC CANON, VOLUME 3, Edited by Russ Kick

Not all the work here is by cartoonists, per se, but most of it is and everyone here is part of the larger world of the graphic arts. We still live, may always live, in a world that, for the most part, thinks of cartoonists as only one thing. However, “The Graphic Canon,” edited by Russ Kick, and published by Seven Stories Press, gives you a taste of what is possible. You are certainly in capable hands with Russ Kick, bestselling author of “You a Are Being Lied To” and “Everything You Know Is Wrong.”

This is a remarkable project that takes on the world of literature on a grand scale with Volume 3 dedicated to the 20th Century. Ah, the 20th Century, it was a time dominated by the most heroic and romantic of rebels. You are sure to find your favorite rabble rouser in this colossal book, heroic in its own right. It weighs in at 564 pages, literally a phone book worth of literary artistic expression, so the odds are in your favor.

Like a classroom full of gifted children, each artist here has taken their chosen work of literature, immersed themselves in it, and turned in their best effort. Not all the contributions here are exclusive to this book but most are. And, like thoughtful and caring students, these artists don’t let ego get in the way or stray too far from the goal. They fall into two lines of attack: illustration and adaptation. Within these two camps, we get just about everything under the sun, an exciting array of talent, over 80 artists, that will please hardcore lit fans and newbies alike. Among previously published work, there is Robert Crumb’s rarely-seen adaptation of Sartre’s “Nausea.” Another gem is David Lasky‘s unique take on “Ulysses.” Reproduced here, you get the original 1993 mini-comic version.

“Ulysses,” adapted by David Lasky

Check out the first pages of this book to find a homage to “Heart of Darkness.” Matt Kish is known for creating illustrations for each page of “Moby Dick.” Here you see him bring that same level of obsession to Joseph Conrad’s masterpiece. Reproduced are some selected illustrations with the promise from Kish will go on to fully illustrate “Darkness” page per page.

“Heart of Darkness” illustration by Matt Kish

Ellen Lindner‘s illustration for “The Bell Jar” sums up in great measure the internal struggle that Sylvia Path attempted to endure.

"The Bell Jar" illustration by Ellen Linder

“The Bell Jar” illustration by Ellen Lindner

Tara Seibel provides some fanciful illustrations for “The Great Gatsby” that evoke the jazz age.

“The Great Gatsby” illustration by Tara Seibel

Among the adaptations, Julia Gfrörer gives us some very intriguing images inspired by Umberto Eco’s “Foucault’s Pendulum.” In the introduction, Russ Kick helps the casual reader to relate by jokingly suggesting that Umberto Eco’s masterwork is a much more complex version of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.” Full of metaphysical and philosophical observation, it centers on three characters who work at a vanity press who concoct elaborate conspiracy theories and then discover that maybe they’re true. Julia Gfrörer is clearly up to the task.

“Foucault’s Pendulum” adaptation by Julia Gfrörer

I think this unusual adaptation by Julia Gfrörer is a good place to linger since it goes a long way in representing the best you will find in this book. Gfrörer has taken on a wildly complex novel, found an opening, what she entitles, “The Chymical Wedding,” that explores the alchemical wedding in “Foucault’s Pendulum” and runs with it. This certainly doesn’t come across as Lit 101 filtered through comics. No, it does what you’d hope for: Gfrörer wears Umberto Eco like a well-worn pair of pajamas. Is that appropriate? If you don’t feel comfortable with what you’re doing, how will your reader? Gfrörer lets herself go and, without trying too hard, turns in her assignment. It’s just what editor Russ Kick would have expected.

This is the thing, there are any number of ways to go about your adaptation. “The Mowers,” by D.H. Lawrence, for example, is pretty straightforward and has a deft and gentle touch by Bishakh Som.

“The Mowers,” adapted by Bishakh Som

Another ethereal and arresting approach comes from Caroline Picard with her adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “The Voyage Out.”

“The Voyage Out,” adapted by Caroline Picard

Emelie Östergren provides her heart-felt interpretation of “Naked Lunch” by William S. Burroughs.

“Naked Lunch,” adapted by Emelie Östergren

“The Graphic Canon, Volume 3” is such a mighty undertaking that you just can’t go wrong. I come back to the idea of a powerful vehicle that demonstrates what’s possible. We’d be fools to think we’ve got literature and fiction all figured out. And we’d be fools to think we have the comics medium all figured out. It’s a post-postmodern world, but that’s no excuse. There is something very traditional about writing stories and creating comics and that’s quite alright.

Issues of storytelling will not be resolved in the 21st Century and never will be. If Russ Kick is around (gee, anything is possible), or maybe a descendent or disciple, we will find that Volume 4’s tribute to the 21st Century (available only digitally?) will continue the good fight for a good story. And we will find that all three volumes of “The Graphic Canon” have held up considerably well.

Visit Seven Stories Press here. You can also find “The Graphic Canon” by visiting Amazon here.

2 Comments

Filed under Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novel Reviews, Illustration, Literature, Novels, Russ Kick, The Graphic Canon

Tagged as 20th Century, Adaptations, Art, arts, Books, comics, Entertainment, Fiction, graphic novels, Illustration, Literature, Novels, Publishing, Russ Kick

July 4, 2013 · 3:15 pm

4th of July Review: THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION By Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell

“The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation” makes for compelling reading, whatever your prior knowledge of American history. It is a a wildly inspiring presentation in all its power to convey detailed facts, insights, and nuanced concepts. Is the 4th of July a good day to read this book? Of course! You could, for instance, read it on your Kindle with plenty of time to spare before the fireworks display. Are you one of those persons who just enjoys the fireworks and doesn’t know, or believe they care, about why today is a good day for fireworks? Well, even you would likely enjoy this book. Rachel Maddow calls it, “the coolest thing since Schoolhouse Rock.” And who doesn’t love Schoolhouse Rock? We love to learn and sometimes we want it to come at us from a more accessible venue. This would be the book to do just that.

Sure, the 4th of July and the Battle of Gettysburg appear to be strange bedfellows. However, in a ghoulish twist of fate,it was on a 4th of July, 150 years ago today, that the carnage from the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War rested on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It had been a three-day fight and the results so ghastly that it sent shockwaves through both camps and led the President of the United States to create and deliver a masterwork of argument in defense of a unified nation. It was a way of communicating to his fellow Americans, then and in the future, on what was at stake. What this book does is run with that desire to communicate. It does a most remarkable thing. It breaks down Lincoln’s famous speech, a relatively brief and easy to follow piece of work, and examines in depth what was really being said. In doing so, we explore the inner workings of that great ongoing experiment in democracy known as the United States of America.

And there’s more to that 4th of July connection. In this book we explore the origins of the Civl War in a variety of ways not the least of which is the tension between the two founding documents, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States. In law, if there’s any chance to take an inch, a mile will be taken every time. That’s what happened with what we commonly celebrate as the founding document on the 4th of July. The Declaration of Independence, of 1776, is a rallying cry for freedom and, left open enough to interpretation, a murky blueprint for states to do as they please, even secede from the nation. Once such a notion takes root, well, not even ratification of The Constitution, in 1788, can put a stop to it.

If you want answers to all your questions about how America found itself at war with itself and where we’ve come since then, you’ll want to get this book. It is by writer Jonathan Hennessey and artist Aaron McConnell, the team that created 2008’s “The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation.” Apparently, these guys really love explaining American history and they’re very good at it too. Both of them relish completing a thought in an intelligent extended manner while also keeping pace with a dramatic narrative. In a steady conversational tone, we come to appreciate the deep-seated conflict between a desire for limited government, as supported by Thomas Jefferson, and a robust government, as supported by Alexander Hamilton. We see how Americans allowed slavery to take hold in the first place and then, once it did, found it nearly impossible to abandon it.

We come to better appreciate the task at hand for the founding fathers and the inevitability of passing on one generation’s burden onto the next. Would the founding fathers have put an end to slavery if they had all the time in the world, if they could have seen into the future? Would Lincoln have acted any faster in his own actions? In his case, he certainly appears to have acted as quickly as anyone for his time could have. What is clear is that, once he was gone, America took a number of steps back for each step forward. That would not have been lost on Lincoln one bit. If anyone came close to having a crystal ball to foresee the future, it was Lincoln. All you have to do is read The Gettysburg Address.

“The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation” is published by Harper Collins. It is a 222-page trade paperback, priced at $15.99 U.S. and you can find it in print or digital here.

2 Comments

Filed under American History, Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels

Tagged as 4th of July, Abraham Lincoln, American Civil War, American History, Books, comics, Entertainment, Gettysburg Address, graphic novels, History, Independence Day

June 14, 2013 · 9:37 pm

Review: ‘Legends of the Blues’ by William Stout

You may know more names in blues than you think. There’s Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters, to name a few. And, if those names don’t ring a bell, well, that’s alright. This collection featuring 100 profiles of all-time great blues musicians, big names or not, will give you a look at the big picture.

William Stout has picked up where R. Crumb left off some years back in creating “trading card” portraits of blues legends. This has led to this beautiful and intriguing book published by Abrams ComicArts, “Legends of the Blues,” complete with Bonus CD! Here you have a very accessible guide to American blues with each portrait interconnected with the other. Each profile has an exquisitely drawn portrait, biography, and recommended songs attached to each performer.

Read the profile of B.B. King and learn how the electric guitar made its way into blues, ushering in rock ‘n’ roll. It was thanks to T-Bone Walker, the first blues musician to use an electric guitar. That fact is just as fascinating as viewing Michael J. Fox, as Marty McFly, in “Back To The Future,” accidentally inventing rock ‘n’ roll. Read further and you learn about how King nearly lost a beloved acoustic guitar to a fire that started from a fight over a woman named, Lucille. As a reminder to never fight over a woman, each of King’s Gibson guitars has been given the name, Lucille.

The stories here range from the tragic to the comical. Many are stories of lost childhood, like Billie Holiday; scrambling to carve out a career, like Robert Johnson; and ultimately finding fame fleeting and cruel, like Bessie Smith. And there are no end to interesting facts. One fine example is the story of Robert Petway. His claim to fame was his song, “Catfish Blues.” It was reworked by Muddy Waters and retitled, “Rollin Stone,” the namesake to one of England’s greatest rock bands of all time. As for Petway, the authorship of his hit song has been questioned and it is still unclear as to when he was born and when he died! Such is the life of a blues musician.

“Legends of the Blues” is a 224-page hardcover, with CD, priced at $19.95 U.S., published by Abrams ComicArts. You can find your copy here.