Review: THE INFINITE WAIT AND OTHER STORIES, by Julia Wertz

The Infinite Wait and Other Stories, by Julia Wertz. Published 2012 by Koyama Press. Graphica. Memoir.

I've been a fan of Julia Wertz since reading her first book, The Fart Party, which I reviewed here back in 2008. I got to interview her once for this blog, and when my husband went on a business trip to Brussels, the thing he found to bring me was a French translation of her comics.  This book isn't her most recent (that would be 2014's Museum of Mistakes, a collection of Fart Party comics) but it's a great introduction to her style and sensibility.

The Fart Party books are about her relationship with and breakup from a man named Oliver, as well as about her life in San Francisco and moving to New York City. (I just moved to New York so maybe I need to re-read that one.) They are crass, childish and full of swears. They are also very very funny and I love them. This book has less scatalogical and swear-word content than the Fart Party books but it's still definitely one for the grownups. I say this because there are still lots of people who think graphic-books are for children.

The Infinite Wait is comprised of three stories- two longer stories, one about working in restaurants and the other about how she started writing and drawing comics after coming down with Lupus at the age of 20, and a short about her love of libraries. As a librarian this last story warmed my heart of course but I loved the first two for telling me more about the woman behind Fart Party. Her adventures in restaurant work remind me of mine in retail and I'm grateful that she shared her personal struggle with chronic illness. Chronic illness is an issue that is often misunderstood and the people who suffer from it don't always get the understanding they need and deserve. I hope that Wertz's story can go some way to changing some perspectives.  She tells her story, plain and unpretentious, and that's what I've always loved about her writing.

So, I think you should pick this up if you like graphic memoirs and slice-of-life style graphic books. Obviously if you're a fan of hers you should read it. I'm a fan, so.

Rating: BEACH

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

Graphic Novel Review: Garage Band, by Gipi

Garage Band, by Gipi. Published 2007 by First Second. Graphica. Fiction. Translated from the Italian.

Garage Band is a lush, sentimental hymn to adolescence and nascent adulthood set in the urban backcountry of Italy. The story is about four boys in a band who find themselves gifted with a garage- a room of their own to practice in. The garage belongs to Giuliano; his father lets him use it as long as they don't get into any trouble. The boys come from different social and economic strata and have different problems with their family and with life; they're linked by their love of music as well as their need for escape.

Gipi's narrative is pretty simple, an impressionistic coming of age story outlining the struggles of each boy and the tensions between them. What makes the book is the artwork. Watercolor is washed over ink in panels both small and large, both detailed and panoramic. The panorama scenes in particular are so striking with their graded colors and barest hint of civilization. The exact setting is unclear but the book seems to be set largely in backlots, beaches and scrubby countryside and Gipi's colors and washes put you right there so you can feel the moonlight casting off water or the sun bathing the treetops.

Content-wise, I would say this graphic novel would be fine for teens and above. There are mild sexual references and plenty of teenage shenanigans. One of the boys, the troubled Alessandro, dabbles in neo-Nazism to the horror of his friends. They steal some things; they learn some lessons and grow up a little. The art is what really stays with me. I enjoyed the story and was moved by the boys' struggles but I just really loved those gorgeous paintings. Gipi tells the story almost completely through dialogue, which keeps things moving, but the best parts were those panoramas and those opportunities to slow down and just enjoy the view.
Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

Graphic Novel REVIEW: Jobnik! by Miriam Libicki

jobnik! by Miriam Libicki. Published 2008 by real gone girls studio. Graphica.

I seem to be spending a lot of my reading time in Israel these days!

I picked up jobnik! quite a while ago; I'm always attracted to graphic novels set in Israel for some reason and I found Miriam Libicki's memoir of her Israel Defense Force service at my local comics shop. I love this particular store because they always stock interesting small-press graphica and comics I can't find at other bookstores, and jobnik! appealed to my interest in graphica by women as well.

Miriam is an American Jew who moved to Israel in her late teens and joined the army, but military life is tough on her. Written diary-style in detailed and captivating pencil drawings, the reader follows Miriam's time as a secretary in the IDF; her depression has disqualified her for combat and she's serving as a jobnik, an IDF soldier on office duties. We see her relationships with fellow soldiers, her visits home, time spent with friends, and her interior struggles with depression and sexual relationships.  Unfortunately she has a pattern of getting involved with men who take advantage of her and treat her badly.

She also struggles with her religious identity and sense of belonging. She comes from an observant household but finds herself on the outs often, trying to adhere to modesty rules and establish boundaries with men. This, as you maybe can tell, she has little success with. She doesn't offer any insight into the reasons for her evident lack of self-worth but she seems to find a place for herself in the army, and some things to value and friends to care about. I liked Miriam and rooted for her but I was frustrated by her poor self-esteem and patterns of poor choices. I was gratified to see her grow some during the course of the book though.

I think what I enjoyed most about jobnik! was Libicki's art. There's just something very arresting for me about pencil-drawn panels and art; it feels more immediate to me than inked pictures, like you can really see the artist's hand at work. Her art reminded me of Nicolai Maslov's staggering Siberia, also entirely pencil-drawn. Libicki creates some very atmospheric scenes of the outdoors; the night sky depicted cover of the book in particular is staggering in its pencil version about a third of the way into the book.

jobnik! is moving and interesting as a coming-of-age story but I think most of its appeal will be to readers who are interested in Israel and depictions of life in the IDF. Throughout the book and playing like background music to Miriam's personal trials is the Al Aqsa uprising and other political and military troubles associated with the occupation, and the stress of army life weighs heavily on her. Not being intimately familiar with the events to which she refers, it was a little difficult for me to get involved emotionally in that aspect of her story, but I think readers more fluent in Israeli current events would get more out of it.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

REVIEW: The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography, by Tetsu Saiwai

The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography, by Tetsu Saiwai. Published 2011 by Penguin. Graphica. Nonfiction. Biography.

Of the three books in Penguin's manga biography series, The 14th Dalai Lama is definitely my favorite and the one that ignited the most interest in its subject in me. Tenzin Gyatso was recognized at the age of 2 as the reincarnation of the Buddha of Compassion; he was whisked away from his village and brought up to be the spiritual leader of a religion and the political leader of the nation of Tibet. Then the Chinese invaded, and everything changed.

This little book does a very nice job of providing a rough outline of the Dalai Lama's early years and the events leading up to his departure from Tibet to India. I can't say the book offers a lot of detail but the reader will get a taste of the whats and the whys surrounding the takeover of Tibet, His Holiness's relationship with Mao and the roles of other Tibetan leaders, particularly the Panchen Lama. For me it was absolutely fascinating to learn more about the events that formed the basis of problems that exist in the world today. I mean, in my neighborhood you can see a Free Tibet protest almost any weekend night. I've always wanted to know more but never knew where to start.

And this book is a fine start, but it's just a start. It's definitely whet my appetite for more, though, and I've already put one book aside, the Dalai Lama's autobiography Freedom in Exile. This book is also my favorite visually; Saiwai does a really nice job bringing the story alive through the varied, expressive artwork. I'd recommend The 14th Dalai Lama for teens or anyone wishing to learn the ABCs of this important figure on the world stage, one whose story isn't over yet.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin.

REVIEW: Che Guevara: A Manga Biography, by Kiyoshi Konno and Chie Shimano

Che Guevara: A Manga Biography, by Kiyoshi Konno and Chie Shimano. Published 2011 by Penguin. Graphica. Nonfiction. Biography. Young Adult.

Che Guevara is the second of Penguin's three-part manga biography series I've read recently, and probably my least favorite of the three. It covers the life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara from his motorcycle trip across South America, where he first came face to face with many of the injustices suffered by indigenous people, to the time he leaves Castro's nascent Communist Cuba for armed struggles in Africa and South America. Guevara's face has become a kind of icon of cool, adorning hipster t-shirts and fashion accessories. But how much do the people who wear Che on their chest really know about who he was?

This book, like the other two in the series, presents a fairly basic outline of the major events of its subject's life. In Che's case, this means his formative years fighting in South America and his role in Castro's Cuba. Konno and Shimano treat Guevara like a folk hero, shining him up into a glamorous and principled freedom fighter, putting it all on the line for the oppressed against the big bad imperialist U.S. and its corporate powers. It's something that could be passed around the Occupy movement like a manga manifesto. I wish the authors had chosen a more nuanced and balanced portrayal, because Che was a complex person not easily reduced to one stereotype or another, and his legacy is not entirely clear-cut. And the book goes way easy on Castro.

So this one was kind of mixed for me. I applaud the idea of explaining to young people who this man was and what he stood for, but a little more balance and honesty with respect to his promulgation of violence as a means to an end would have been nice. And as I've said before, it's just bizarre to me to put him alongside Gandhi and the 14th Dalai Lama. I think the book would serve as a decent, if one-sided, introduction to a very polarizing figure. Read it with your teen, and make sure he or she knows the other side of the story.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin.

REVIEW: How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, by Sarah Glidden

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, by Sarah Glidden. Published 2010 by Vertigo/DC Comics. Graphica. Nonfiction.

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less is a graphic memoir by writer and artist Sarah Glidden, about her Birthright trip to Israel as a younger woman. Birthright is an organization dedicated to encouraging a connection between Diaspora Jews and Israel by sponsoring trips to the Holy Land for young people. The idea is to give young people a first-hand experience of Israeli life to help them develop a personal relationship with the country and a sense of belonging there. It's also the story of how one of these young people let down her guard, learned to see past her own cynicism and came back convinced only of how much she didn't know.

Sarah gets on the plane for Israel convinced that she will be fed nonstop pro-Israeli propaganda for the duration of her trip, and she takes every opportunity to poke holes in the things her guides tell her. Rather than feel close to Israel, she seems to be alienated and confused by the contradictory information coming in. At the same time, she meets Jews from lots of different backgrounds who do feel grounded by the trip and delight in being in a Jewish environment for maybe the first time in their lives. She meets enthusiastic Zionist supporters, gets a taste of some Eurocentric discrimination and more. In short, she learns a lot.

How to Understand Israel is a story about someone coming to understand herself better and I think it would be a great book for readers who have either asked themselves a lot of questions about this mercurial country or no questions at all. The visual style is attractive but I didn't find it extraordinary or anything; there's not a lot of variation in the panels or design and the story is mainly told through the dialogue and action. Nonetheless it's a worthwhile book and a story guaranteed to stay with you and make you think.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

REVIEW: Gandhi: A Manga Biography, by Kazuki Ebine

Gandhi: A Manga Biography, by Kazuki Ebine. Published 2011 by Penguin Books. Graphica. Nonfiction.

Gandhi is part of a new series of manga biographies aimed at teens being published by Penguin; other titles include Che Guevara (which I'll be reviewing soon) and The 14th Dalai Lama. But this volume takes as its subject Mahatma Gandhi, the famed and revered activist who lead his country out of British rule and into independence, through nonviolent civil disobedience.

But our story opens in 1880 Porbandar, in India. Eleven year old Mohandas has a confrontation with an "untouchable" and begins to learn about the inequalities in his society. The book continues showing key moments in his life- his journey to England to study, his move to South Africa, and more. The story focuses on his development as an activist, with as much emphasis on the issues and causes that galvanized him as on his spiritual beliefs. The book is well illustrated in the manga style (except that it reads left to right, Western style), with a nice variety of panel sizes and placement of text and dialogue. It's somewhat episodic and lacks detailed background or exposition.

I enjoyed reading this book and I think it would make a fine choice for tweens and up, including adults, wishing to learn the basics about this important figure and leader. I like the emphasis on deeds versus beliefs (though you'll certainly get a sense of what he believed and why); I like the message it sends about individuals making a difference, motivated by principal as well as the experience of injustice. The reader gets a nice sense of Gandhi's development in these ways, and how this ordinary man grew in influence and reach until millions followed him and an entire nation (or two, depending on your point of view) was lead out of the British empire and into freedom. It's an inspiring story and this book is a great starting point.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from Penguin.

Graphic Novel Monday: REVIEW: A Mess of Everything, by Miss Lasko-Gross

A Mess of Everything, by Miss Lasko-Gross. Published 2009 by Fantagraphics.

A Mess of Everything is Miss Lasko-Gross's follow-up to her 2007 book Escape from Special, a memoir of her middle-school years. Her next book covers early high school as she navigates rebellion, her friends' problems and her own attempts to do the right thing and be herself even when it means being unpopular.

But Melissa is no goody-goody, even if she's a smart, privileged teen from an affluent Massachusetts suburb with liberal politics. She makes mistakes, does the wrong thing as often as the right one, and has to swallow her pride more than once. She struggles with identity, friendship and her relationship with her parents. Particularly troubling is her friend Terry, who seems to have an eating disorder that her own mother is ignoring. In this case, growing up might mean learning to let go and letting her friend make her own mistakes- in other words, admitting that, even though as a child herself, Melissa may not be in a position to help her troubled friend, that doesn't mean the story has to end badly.

I love her storytelling but I also love her edgy and expressive artwork. But it's the story and the characterizations that make this book sing for me. I enjoyed watching her navigate her way through her teen years, with all its melodrama and craziness, and it was rewarding to see how she finds her way and her people in the end. A Mess of Everything is a great read for anyone who's going through or has gone through the mess of teenagerhood and came out okay in the end.

RATING: Buy

Mess of Everything
by Miss Lasko Gross

I'm a Powell's partner and receive a small commission on sales.


FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

Graphic Novel Monday: REVIEW: Sunny Side Down, by Lev Yilmaz

Sunny Side Down: A Collection of Tales of Mere Existence, by Lev Yilmaz. Published 2009 by Gallery. Paperback.


Sunny Side Down isn't a cohesive graphic novel as such, but rather a collection of comics in Lev Yilmaz's Tales of Mere Existence series. His style is reminscent of Matt Groening's Life in Hell comics; there are lots of checklists, square panels and "12 Types of Girlfriends" sort of comics, and his subject is mostly himself, his love life and his career and his lack of success therein. Let's just say, he doesn't come across as an optimist. But he's funny.

Here's one of his videos from his YouTube channel:



I've been a fan of his for a while now, since I first stumbled on one of his Tales zines at a local comics store, complete with a DVD of some animations similar to those on YouTube. I like his blase and self-deprecating style; it's the not the kind of book I could read cover to cover all at once, but it's fun to dip into his comics when I need a chuckle.

I'd recommend Sunny Side Down to folks who like cynicism and sarcastic humor. They're bleak but funny and touch on everyday life in a way that I think a lot of people can relate to with a unique and memorable voice. I don't have much else to say about Yilmaz's work. You'll just have to check it out for yourself sometime.

Rating: BUY

Sunny Side Down: A Collection of Tales of Mere Existence
by Lev Yilmaz

I'm a Powell's partner and receive a small commission on sales.

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

REVIEW: Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch. Published 2010 by Amulet Books. Graphica. Fiction.

Hereville is a charming graphic novel by writer and artist Barry Deutsch, author of the webcomic of the same name. Its heroine is plucky young Mirka, an Orthodox Jewish girl who has a secret life as a superhero battling trolls. She also has a regular life as an awkward preteen, navigating her family and her life as best she can.

Mirka is growing up in the town of Hereville, populated by mostly Orthodox Jews, and she goes to an Orthodox school. Her family, including her father, her stepmother Fruma and her brother and sisters, are observant but otherwise ordinary, and Deutsch makes his story accessible to general readers by including definitions for the Yiddish words and phrases the family uses and explaining the basics of Orthodox observance. I love the lively, expressive and varied artwork, the sense of activity as well as tranquility that Deutsch creates in scenes of adventure, daily life and quiet ritual. I particularly enjoyed the tender relationship between Mirka and Fruma; no evil stepmother is she, but a warm and compassionate woman who cares deeply for her children.

Hereville is really a winner of a graphic novel, family-friendly and great for kids and adults alike. Mirka gains a great deal of self-confidence battling the local trolls and my only kvetch is that I wish Mirka had used it for something less domestic than merely determining to learn to knit, but this quibble is a minor one. If you're looking for a smart, sweet and knowing look at observant Jewish life, Hereville is a great place to start.

Click here to see an interview with Deutsch on the blog of the Association of Jewish Libraries, along with more examples of artwork from the book.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for professional use in conjunction with my work for the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Graphic Novel Monday: REVIEW: Ruts and Gullies, by Philippe Girard

Ruts and Gullies: Nine Days in Saint Petersburg, by Philippe Girard. Published 2010 by Conundrum Press. Graphica. Memoir.

Well, how long has it been since I did a graphic novel review? Ages.

This one is the story of a Canadian comics artist named Philippe Girard and the nine days he spent with his friend Jimmy Beaulieu in Saint Petersburg, Russia, touring around and meeting with other comics artists from all over the world. It's cute.

There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. The art is kind of bland. With a travelogue, one hopes for art that makes the place portrayed come alive; I want to see architecture, pretty scenes, something to bring me into the place. I didn't really get that here. Also, there is no translation offered for the occasional Romanized and Cyrillic Russian speech and signage; I can read Russian well enough to puzzle out street signs and simple things but I would have liked the dialogue to be at least translated into English. There isn't a lot of Russian in the book, but I just wish that what there was, had been translated, even as a footnote.

Read as part of Russo-Biblio-Exravaganza

That said, there's still a lot to like about Ruts and Gullies. Girard writes a pretty fun, light, engaging story about his time in Russia, very fish-out-of-water, and there are some real laughs to be had. He portrays his hosts with warmth and affection. I got a sense of the culture in terms of the people if not in terms of the sights and sounds, which is probably more important anyway. I love the "twenty Russian minutes" expression he comes up with to describe how long it takes to do anything, go anywhere, etc., in this strange and unfamiliar country. He really captures what it feels like to feel at sea in a new world.

So yeah, cute and light but not the best or deepest book I've ever read. But it's a good read and I think it would appeal to newer graphic novel readers and anyone interested in Russia.

Rating: BEACH



FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

Graphic Novel Monday: Forget Sorrow, by Belle Yang

Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale, by Belle Yang. Published 2010 by W.W. Norton & Company. Graphica. Memoir.

Forget Sorrow is the story of how author Belle Yang's father's family, well-off farmers headed by a traditional patriarch, weathers the many changes and upsets in China during the early part of the 20th century. It's also the story of how she got her name and found her voice as a writer and artist following a devastating abusive relationship.

There are fascinating individual stories that make up the whole- the tragic, short life of a beloved aunt, her father's prodigal Third Uncle, and more. Her great-grandfather's harrowing final journey following the collapse of his farm, family and home could be a separate book. Their stories are beautifully, lovingly illustrated in pen and ink.

But despite the lovely illustration style and complex narrative, Forget Sorrow didn't really work for me. My difficulties with the book are mostly structural. First of all, at around 250 pages, Forget Sorrow is long by graphic novel standards and there are no chapters or section breaks to give the reader natural stopping points, while the complexity of the narrative makes it difficult to put down and pick up- and it's too long to read in one sitting.

Secondly, after about the engaging first third of the book, the presentation becomes static. Almost every page is divided into the same six panels with a text block occupying the same 1/4 or so of space at the top, filled with narration in a very monotonous style. The pictures, which are lovely, don't so much tell the story as illustrate the narration, with the overall effect being tiring on the eyes and the attention. I had to remind myself to actually look at the pictures sometimes, because I could move from panel to panel along the straight visual line of the narration. Pictures and text should work together and panels should be varied and engaging and keep the reader's eye moving all over the page. I shouldn't have to remind myself to look at the pictures.

On balance, Forget Sorrow is a moving family story integrating history and culture, as well as the story of a Chinese-American woman trying to reconnect with her heritage, and suitable for teens and adults alike. That final story gets a little lost in the hurried up ending, and in the final analysis I think the book may just have been trying to do too much. Having said that, I'd rather read an ambitious book that falls a little short than read a simplistic book that doesn't try hard enough. I'd still be interested to read her next graphic work and for readers with a particular interest in Chinese history, there's still a lot to recommend Forget Sorrow.

Rating: BEACH

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from the author/publisher.

Graphic Novel Monday: Mercury, by Hope Larson

Mercury, by Hope Larson. Published 2010 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Click here to buy Mercury via IndieBound.org. I'm an IndieBound affiliate and receive a small commission on sales.

In 2007, author and illustrator Hope Larson won an Eisner Award as an up-and-coming talent in the comics world; her book Mercury is ample demonstration of why.

In Mercury, she tells two stories which take place in the same setting albeit at different times. In 1859 in Nova Scotia, a young girl named Josey meets a handsome, intriguing stranger named Asa Curry, who promises to help her father find riches in the hills. He seems to have a particular talent for finding gold but there's something not quite right about him, and her mother is deeply suspicious. In the present day, 10th grader Tara Fraser is dealing with the stress of losing her family home to fire. Quite by accident, she finds a very special necklace, a family heirloom that also belonged to Josey- one that might hold the answers to her family's problems.

Larson tells the stories by alternating between the two, varying the visual style slightly as she goes back and forth. Throughout she uses a black and white style that I found particularly effective in the 1850s sequences, where much of the story takes place in dark woods and stormy nights. The black background adds both a spooky and old-fashioned feel, perfect for whistling winds and pitch-black forests. I liked how Larson opens the book by showing how the same patch of land changes over the years, from virgin forest to suburban neighborhood. And in the present-day sequences, I like the sense of setting Larson creates. Tara's not just living in a generic town, or even a generic Canadian town; Larson's use of local slang, nomenclature and cuisine creates a very specific sense of place.

Overall I'd recommend Mercury with enthusiasm for anyone interested in graphic novels. The combination of the two stories works well; Tara's sweet coming of age tale mixed with rescue fantasy compliments Josey's dark and dangerous tale of superstition and doomed love. The book is aimed at readers 12 and up and I would have no problem giving this to a young adult or teen reader. I think graphic novel newcomers would also enjoy this book. It's a fine example of the form; I heard that Larson is working on the graphic adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time; I can't wait to read it, and anything else Larson does in the future.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

Graphic Novel Monday: Resistance: Book 1, by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis

Resistance: Book 1, by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis. Published 2010 by First Second. Graphica. Fiction.

Resistance: Book 1, is the first in a projected series of three graphic novels by author Carla Jablonski and illustrator Leland Purvis about the invasion of France by the Nazis during World War 2, and the brave men and women who fought back. This book centers on a small village in the free zone, where young Paul Tessier and his sister Marie work with the Resistance to save his friend Henri Levy, a Jewish boy whose family has disappeared.

Their journey takes them all the way to the sewers of Paris and the Jewish resistance hiding there, but along the way the kids face some daunting challenges. Paul and Marie's father is a prisoner of war, and their town is suffering under the privations and stress of the invasion. There are Resistance members among the villagers who can help them, but it's not easy to know whom to trust, and danger is everywhere. And neither the violence nor the trauma of war is spared as Jablonski and Purvis tell their breathtaking tale.

I would describe the visual style of the book as varied and cinematic. Paul is a budding artist and "his" sketches are used side by side as a contrast to the more polished narrative art, to show the raw emotion he feels at different moments in this tense and suspenseful story. Greens and yellows dominate the color scheme, lending a somewhat dated look appropriate to the historical setting. Visuals range from establishing shots and crowd scenes to closeups and action sequences, all rendered with drama and panache.

I think Resistance is a terrific book and would make a great read for middle school readers and above interested in learning about World War 2 and more specifically how it was experienced in France. It includes some very good messages about taking risks and standing up for what you believe in, and doing what's right even when it's not easy. The Author's Note at the end also includes good historical background and topics for discussion or reflection. I'm really looking forward to the next books in the series.

Come back next Monday for an interview with author Carla Jablonski.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher.

Graphic Novel Monday: Safe Area Goražde, by Joe Sacco

Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995. Published 2002 by Fantagraphics. Hardcover.

Click here to buy Safe Area Goražde via IndieBound.org.

Over the last few years, I've read a number of graphic novels, and while I'm by no means an expert in the form, it's something I enjoy and return to often. Once in a while I come across one that changes my perceptions of the form, of what it can be and what it can do. Safe Area Goražde is just such a book.

And, as a matter of fact, it was the first graphic novel I ever read. For some reason, these standout graphic novels always end up being nonfiction- think of David Small's family story Stitches, or Emmaneul Guibert's amazing The Photographer, about a journey through Afghanistan. Safe Area Goražde is also nonfiction, a journalism piece by writer Joe Sacco, who has since written (and drawn) extensively about the war in Bosnia. This book chronicles his time in an eastern enclave under a nominal cease-fire but cut off from the rest of the country and still experiencing zealous ethnic cleansing and violence. Christopher Hitchens' introduction helps place the reader with the necessary background information on Sacco and on the political and military situation while Sacco's narrative and artwork focus on the people and the trials of everyday life under siege.

And the art is amazing. Strictly black and white and pen and ink, it's nonetheless incredibly detailed, varied and expressive. Moments of stunning violence and quiet despair are rendered with equal skill; crosshatching creates quiet shadows while bodies lay in pools of inky blood. But again it's his characters who steal the show with their careful, detailed faces. The reader can feel the tension in a basement refuge from something as simple as someone's slightly downcast eyes or head tilted just so. Scenes of people running or in a panicked crowd put the reader right in the middle of the action and panels zoom in and out almost cinematically. A picture of freezing rain or snow makes me feel cold, too.

I was stunned after reading this incredible book; as an introduction to the graphic form it's harsh and difficult but when you put it down you'll never again doubt the form's potential for communicating both information and emotion in a mature, intelligent, adult-friendly way. I've since read a number of Sacco's other books and while they're all wonderful and retain his characteristic style, none have had quite the same impact on me as Safe Area Goražde. If you're interested in a serious, unflinching book, it's a great read.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I did not read this book for review.

Graphic Novel Monday: Robot Dreams, by Sara Varon

Robot Dreams, by Sara Varon. Published 2007 by First Second. Graphica. Fiction.

I discovered Robot Dreams on a recent foray to one of my favorite comics shops, Cambridge's Million Year Picnic. I went in search of comics by women and came up with a few fun titles; Robot Dreams is a sweet, quick read written and drawn by Chicago native Sara Varon, also author of Sweaterweather and Chicken and Cat.

Robot Dreams is a silent comic, meaning there is no dialogue; instead, simple art in a pastel palette of grays, blues and greens tells a bittersweet story of a doomed friendship between a dog and the robot he builds to keep himself company. The dog and robot go to the beach, but the robot gets wet and rusts; the dog, unsure of what to do, abandons him. Months go by; we watch the dog's attempts at forming new friendships and see the robot, immobile, dream of escape. After a time both the dog and the robot move on in their way, but fond memories of their friendship will stay with them both forever.

This is a really adorable book about the power of friendship and forgiveness, and the ways life changes us in ways in we don't expect. It's beautiful to look at and Varon does a great job of telling the story through pictures alone. The feelings evoked range from happiness to loneliness to bittersweet sadness as the settings vary from beautiful sunlight days to cold, snowy landscapes to snug domestic interiors. The colors are gentle and muted and reflect the understated emotional tone of the story.

Robot Dreams is a great choice for just about anyone interested in graphic novels. As a silent book, it would be a nice book for a parent to read with a child, or for a child to read on his or her own. Silent comics are terrific for helping a pre-literate child develop his or her storytelling skills; since there are no words, the child (or any reader) has to concentrate on the pictures and consciously tell him or herself the story as the child goes along. And the book is perfectly family-friendly. But like I said, I'd recommend this winner of a book to just about everyone.

Rating: BUY

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review.

Graphic Novel Monday: Emiko Superstar, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston

Emiko Superstar, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston. Published 2008 by Minx. Graphica. Fiction.

Emiko Superstar is the latest Minx title to reach the top of my TBR pile; it's adorable.

Emily is a Canadian suburban teenager who's feeling down. She quits her coffeeshop job after a whipped-cream mishap and plans to "spend the summer sulking"; instead, she ends up working as a babysitter for a picture-perfect suburban couple, and life seems hopeless in that way that life can when you're in high school and a long, dull summer stretches out in front of you.

She longs for excitement and thinks she may have found it when she encounters The Factory, an after-hours arty nightclub where edgy, artsy types experiment with performance art. There, she meets nerdy Henry, a kid on the margins of this exciting place, and she tries to negotiate her way into the scene with the help of a pilfered diary and her grandmother's vintage clothes. But all is not as it seems at The Factory, and even the spotlight has a dark side.

I've reviewed several Minx titles in the past, and it's definitely an uneven bunch of books. Having said that, Emiko Superstar is a great light little read. In fact, it's probably my favorite Minx so far. Emily is a sweetheart and a very believeable young lady, her teen angst is well-conceived and feels genuine and her experiments with the alternative scene reminded me of people and places I've known. One of the features of the Minx line is a diverse cast of girls- different races, religions, body types and lifestyles. Emily is mixed-race and clearly not Barbie-skinny but neither of these elements even merit a mention in the book itself- a good thing, I think, to show characters of different backgrounds without defining them as this or that. I like this one a lot, and I think it would be a terrific choice for the teen girl in your life, or for the grownup looking for something quick, sweet and distracting.

Rating: BEACH

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.

Graphic Novel Monday: Kimmie66, by Aaron Alexovich

Kimmie66, by Aaron Alexovich. Published 2007 by Minx, an imprint of DC Comics.

Kimmie66 was the next in my to-be-read pile of Minx comics, a defunct series produced by DC Comics and aimed primarily at adolescent girls. Due to lack of promotion and (some would say) general lack of quality, the series was discontinued the year it started, and while it's readily available in most libraries, it's hard to find Minx books in stores these days. I've reviewed two other titles in the series (Token and Confessions of a Blabbermouth) and hope to get to all of them eventually.

Kimmie66 is set in a futuristic, slightly dystopian world where people spend most of their time in online communities called lairs and invent detailed personae and lives there. Books and libraries are virtually nonexistent, non-holographic movies are called "flatties" and crossing between lairs can get you imprisoned. Telly is a teenage girl who idolizes a beautiful older girl who goes by the online moniker Kimmie66. Kimmie66 has announced that she's going to kill herself; distraught, Telly decides to go online to find her. What happens next is something no one expects, probably least of all Kimmie66 herself.

Going in, it's important to understand that none of the Minx books are what I'd call serious graphic literature in line with Persepolis or Fun Home. They're fluffy books for teens, sometimes light and fun and sometimes, as with Kimmie66, darker and heavier. Kimmie66 is about the dark side of online culture and that coupled with themes of suicide and loss make it one of the more serious books in the series. Having said that, I liked the twists and turns in the plot, and even if I couldn't quite get into the characters I found Telly to be appealing and easy to relate to. I also like author and illustrator Aaron Alexovich's outlandish artwork; its energy does a lot to keep the story moving. There's some food for thought here and I think Kimmie66 would be a fine easy read for a teen but it wasn't engaging enough for me to recommend to adult readers.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.

Graphic Novel Monday: Unholy Kinship, by Naomi Nowak

Unholy Kinship, by Naomi Nowak. Published 2006 by ComicsLit. Paperback.
Click here to buy Unholy Kinship via IndieBound.org. I'm an IndieBound affiliate and receive a small commission on sales.

Unholy Kinship is an eccentric and slightly disturbing little book about two sisters and the mystery surrounding their mother's illness, their father's death and the fate of the young women themselves. Younger sister Luca is the paid caretaker of her older sister Gae, struggling with an unnamed mental illness; their mother is dormant in an asylum, catatonic for years.

Before these tragedies befell the family, Luca and Gae's parents were psychologists deep in controversial research about the relationship between humans and primates; now, monkeys come to Luca in her dreams and speak to her. Are they real or a fantasy? Are Gae and her mother really sick or medicated into a stupor by the menacing doctors and nurses surrounding them? What's really going on here?

This short little book, easy to read in a sitting, is a trippy voyage down a strange rabbit hole. The dreamlike art does much of the work in creating the hallucinatory atmosphere; much of the book is washed out in grays, pinks and purples that make the reader feel only half-conscious, like someone just awoken from a deep dream. It also does most of the storytelling as it's rich in detail and little of the space is occupied by dialogue. A sort of somnambulist pall hangs over the story, and the women, as the most vivid and "normally colored" sequences are of the brief moments the sisters share outside their claustrophobic home.

Unholy Kinship is an unusual graphic read, and not one that I'd suggest to a newcomer to the genre; the experienced reader looking for something different might really enjoy Swedish artist and author Nowak's strange and not-entirely optimistic book. I enjoyed it but I can't say it was a favorite; what I liked best was that artwork. There is some sexual content but little profanity; religious figures are presented as creepy, ill-willed villains, and there's no happy ending. I'd suggest the book to fans of movies like "Donnie Darko" or the 80s TV series "Twin Peaks"- it's like an art-house film set to paper and panels. You might even want to play a little Angelo Badalamenti while you're reading.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.

Graphic Novel Monday: Confessions of a Blabbermouth, by Mike & Louise Carey

Confessions of a Blabbermouth, by Mike & Louise Carey. Illustrated by Aaron Alexovich. Published 2007 by DC Comics/Minx. Fiction. Young Adult.

British high school student and blogger Tasha has her hands full juggling a new job on the school yearbook, avoiding bullies and dealing with her mother's weird new boyfriend and his daughter Chloe, who just started at her school. Chloe joins the yearbook staff, then the family goes on a trip to America, where the family secrets come spilling out.

Confessions of a Blabbermouth is another entry in the Minx series, a graphic novel imprint started by DC Comics to appeal to girls. This volume is written by the father and daughter team of Mike and Louise Carey and illustrated by Aaron Alexovich, who's worked on other Minx titles like Kimmie66 as well as the praised Serenity Rose for SLG. (A few weeks ago I reviewed another Minx title, Alison Kwitney's Token.)

Overall I thought Blabbermouth was a weak entry in the Minx series. I liked Tasha but the plot was a muddle- there's the yearbook, the blog, the bullies, the boyfriend, the secret- too much going on in too short a space. There is a major misdirection close to the end which struck me as incongruous and truly disturbing, and the big secret itself seemed hard to believe. I also wasn't crazy about the artwork as the characters seem to have two expressions each and their exaggerated faces struck me as unappealing. I think teen readers, and those just out of their teens, would probably enjoy it as funny nostalgia, and there are some laughs, but it's a pass for me.

Rating: BORROW

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.