Fred Patten Reviews Dramacon, Vol. 1

Dramacon, Vol. 1
Author: Svetlana Chmakova
Publisher: TOKYOPOP
ISBN 10: 1-59816-129-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-59816-129-8

Christie Leroux is a high school student and anime fan attending her first anime convention, with her boyfriend Derek, to sell their amateur comic book – she writes it, he draws it. This 172-page young teen comic tells what happens to Christie during the three days at her first convention; but it is less about the chaos and traditions of big fan conventions – although that is certainly captured here authentically and hilariously – as it is about the emotional turbulence experienced by a sensitive teenager on her first solo outing from home.

How will she and Derek react in the “artists’ alley” to the fan public’s response, and to the criticism of professional cartoonists, to their amateur comic book? Is Derek just being friendly and a good salesman to attractive girls who look at their comic, or is he flirting with them? What should she and Derek do when their school roommates/chaperones stay out all night, leaving the two alone? Christie realizes that both she and Derek are immature, but how much self-centeredness should she tolerate from him? When Christie meets Matt, a sophisticated college student from across the country, she is torn between an instant attraction (is this just adolescent hormones or True Love?) and loyalty to Derek – but does he deserve it? “My first anime convention… did not go smoothly. But all things considered… I can’t wait to go back.”

Svetlana Chmakova is the young Russian-born commercial artist and anime fan who is one of the leading creators of what fans call “American manga” or “OEL (original English language) manga” – original American comic books written/drawn/published in the traditional Japanese manga style. DRAMACON reads front to back and left to right like standard American books; otherwise it is almost indistinguishable from a Japanese comic book. The art is black-&-white, presented in a thick paperback format. The style varies sharply from realistic when the characters are acting seriously to grotesquely “squashed” when they are acting silly. The art is heavily shaded and toned to compensate for the lack of color, and romantic scenes are full of the “shojo sprinkles” such as hearts & stars that Japanese romance cartoonists put into their art. The dialogue is full of fan slang such as “cosplay” and “J-Pop” .

DRAMACON Vol. 1 was published in 2005, and is currently in its fourth printing. Each volume takes place at the fictitious annual anime con, and shows Christie a year older with both her personal and creative relationships more advanced. It is a success both as a romance comic book, and as a primer for what to expect at your first anime convention. Vol. 3 will be published this December 10th.

The Poison Diaries

The Poison Diaries
Author: Colin Stimpson, Duchess of Northumberland, Jane
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
ISBN-10: 0810993147
ISBN-13: 978-0810993143


The Poison Diaries is one of those books that you can’t help gazing at again and again. Story aside, the book is gorgeous. Rich, pastel like drawings that cover every inch of the page make it captivatingly sumptuous with all the style of an old-fashioned, Victorian herbal.

Each plant is lovingly drawn in great depth and detail and the book appears to be a kind of field guide to the plants in a garden as you first flip through it. Then you start to notice that the plants have almost human characteristics that they appear to be not only alive, but also malevolent. My first reaction was to stop flipping through it and start back at the beginning.

The story unfolds as darkly gothic as something from out of Lovecraft. The story is of an orphaned boy named Weed who works in his cruel master’s poison garden tending to the plants. He discovers that he can hear the plants talking and they him.

The plants are evil creatures who adore telling tales of the manner in which they kill. They goad Weed and try and encourage him to kill his master, glorifying murder and offering justification. He refuses to go along with them until one day he finds that his only friend and true love Marigold has experimented with one of the poisons and dies. With Marigold’s death, Weed unravels, sinking into a madness that the plants feast on and use to control him into doing what they want which is to kill.

I was completely caught up in the story even though I tend to shy away from very violent books and this is violent make no mistake about this. It is violent and graphically so. Still, the story is a good one, riveting though chilling. I have a feeling there will be more stories about Weed and his plants in the future or at least there should be given that the book left me wanting more.

I’m fascinated by the fact that the author was once a Disney animator. I could completely see this story animated although certainly not for children. It would make a very dark, very interesting film I think. The Poison Diaries comes highly recommended.

Book Description from the publisher:

This truly gothic tale—a “facsimile” of Weed’s journal found at Alnwick Castle, in England—is not only a story of the battle between good and evil, but an educational parable of the curative and lethal properties of plants.

Weed—an orphan boy who apprentices with an evil old apothecary—is both used and abused. His journal is part botanical workbook and part diary of his own relationship with poisonous plants.

Weed discovers that he is one of the few people whom the plants talk to, and they try to persuade him that, with their help, his master can easily be disposed of. Although he refuses at first, after Weed’s first love, Marigold, experiments with the poisons and dies, he is pushed over the edge and plots to kill his master with a taste of his own evil medicine.

Each chapter of the story begins with Weed’s botanical notes: a plant’s appearance and properties, where it is found, how it should be cared for, the most poisonous parts, and how poison is extracted and administered. Accompanied by Weed’s sketches of the plants in their natural form, his diary also reveals the “real” personalities of the plants.

About the Author
Jane, Duchess of Northumberland has long researched poison gardens. She is responsible for creating the Poison Garden at Alnwick Gardens in England, which opened in 2004 to worldwide acclaim. The Poison Garden is the culmination of her life’s goal to teach children and adults alike the curative and lethal properties of poisonous plants. Colin Stimpson worked as an animator at Steven Spielberg’s Amblimation studio in London and then at Disney Feature Animation in California.

Korgi

Korgi
Author: Christian Slade
Publisher Top Shelf Productions
ISBN-10: 1891830902
ISBN-13: 978-1891830907


Be prepared for something wonderfully different when you open Korgi. The lushly illustrated graphic novel is entirely silent but for the few words at the beginning. Each page is so rich and expressive that words aren’t needed. Slade, a former Disney animator knows how to tell an evocative story that doesn’t need words. This could be animated and work very well.

The story is about Ivy, a young Molly and her Korgi, a fox/dog like creature named Sprout. Ivy and Sprout venture out of their happy world and encounter dangers and adventures of all sorts. There’s a huge troll, scary spiders who capture Ivy and Sprout in their webs and various ghoulish creatures. What shines through each page is Ivy and Sprout’s complete devotion to each other. Through their adventure, they find abilities they didn’t know they had as well as a deeper appreciation for home.

The illustrations are so gorgeous that I can’t say enough about them. Each page works as a silent portion of a storyboard and each is filled with so much emotion and expression that they seem to come to life. Korgi is intricate, simple and completely wonderful. This is the first in an upcoming series and sure to be a raging success. I wonder how long it will take this one to get animated. It seems a natural for the medium. I’d certainly go see it. Korgi is highly recommended for any age. Lovers of animation and art should definitely snap this one up.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/korgi-trailer/

Book Description from the publisher:

Christian Slade, a former Disney animator and currently full-time freelance illustrator, has brought to Top Shelf a gorgeously illustrated woodland fantasy about a young girl named Ivy, her dog Sprout and their amazing adventures in Korgi Hollow. This amazing combination of adventure and fantasy will appeal to anyone who loves Andy Runton's Owly and Jeff Smith's Bone. Get ready for the launch of something very daring and very new!

Escape from "Special"

Escape from Special
Author: Miss Lasko-Gross
Publisher: Fantagraphics
ISBN-10: 156097804X
ISBN-13: 978-1560978046


Escape from "Special" is a witty, funny and gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about a young girl named Melissa from the time she’s about four or five till just before she enters high school. I loved Melissa because she was smart, opinionated, irreverent and sarcastic.

Her story is told in anecdotal snapshots of the memories of her life as she remembers it. There’s no glossing over or making it pretty, this is raw. Her hippie type parents Jaqui and Todd put her in one school after another and the story makes great fun of the new agey types of schools as well as those schools that do their level best at trying to compartmentalize children. Melissa’s intelligence and her disdain for the attempted pigeonholing shine through the book even when she is put in a so-called “special” school for children with learning disabilities.

Melissa wants to escape from it all. She challenges everything and as I read each wonderful little chapter, I agreed with her. I loved it when she challenged her parents as they try to cram religion into her. Melissa’s response is great. She says it’s too late now, that they should have tried that crap on her while she was still young enough to fall for it. That had me laughing out loud.

There’s great stuff in this story and a lot of struggling going on. There’s the struggle to rise above the crowd, not fall into the trap of conforming, being part of the herd while still trying to find a place to belong. There’s the struggle to be herself while fighting her own insecurities. Melissa’s struggles reflect the deeply confusing interior life of a teenaged girl trying to find herself and be herself while doing her level best not to stand out. She wants to fit in and not be noticed as much as she disdains those to do fit in.

The gorgeous illustrations have a quiet and intense depth to them and seem to reflect the inner Melissa as much as the wonderful chapter titles like Cheese Steak of the Damned. At times the illustration is moody and bored, at others scared of the dark black and white and others angry with washes of color to reflect her emotions. It's an intense palette and a fascinating technique. Text and art intertwine and emote with a particular poignancy.

Escape from "Special " is highly recommended with a word of caution for those averse to a little strong language. The language fits and is even funny but some may have a problem with it. I personally thought the use of the word “cuntiness” entirely appropriate and side splittingly funny.

Book Description from the publisher:
A moving debut graphic novel about the pain of childhood.Fantagraphics Books is proud to follow up our launch of rising star R. Kikuo Johnson (author of the acclaimed Night Fisher) by showcasing Miss Lasko-Gross in her graphic-novel debut. Escape from "Special" is the coming-of-age story of Melissa, who we first meet as a small child and depart from at the end of the book just before she enters high school. Willful, funny, and perceptive, Melissa unsentimentally questions religion, identity formation, and treacherous female "friendships" as she tours with her parent's band, battles with her therapist, and bounces from school to school. Subjected to the whims of her bemused parents and, as the years pass, rejected by her peers, the opinionated Melissa copes by watching horror movies, psychosomatically vomiting to get out of temple, and making comics.Escape from "Special" recalls a not-too-distant time when girls flaunted their knock-off Esprit and shared best-friends necklaces broken in half.

The semi-autobiographical story unfolds in a series of brief anecdotes, expressionistically dredged as if from memory, without self-regarding exposition and uncorrupted by a nostalgic haze. Drawn in black and white and washed in moody blues and full spectrum grays, Lasko-Gross's art, with its detailed backgrounds and expressive, clean-line characters, exquisitely conveys the story's blend of humor (sometimes of the gross-out variety) and keenly observed insights. Miss Lasko-Gross, who has the sensibility of a love child of Linda Barry and David B. midwifed by Judy Blume, has created a graphic novel that should appeal not only to the growing readers of graphic novels, but to teens grappling with similar unresolved questions.

Tales from the Farm

Essex County Vol 1: Tales from the Farm
Author: Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Top Shelf Comics
ISBN-10: 1891830880
ISBN-13: 978-1891830884

Xeric Award-winning cartoonist Jeff Lemire (Lost Dogs) brings a lonely Ontario farm brilliantly to life in this wonderful graphic novel.

Lester, a young orphan is living on this vast and lonely place with his Uncle Ken, a bachelor who clearly has no idea what to do with the boy. Lester continually wears a cape and mask and wanders the farm imagining that he is watching for aliens. His uncle doesn’t understand him but desperately wants to build some kind of relationship with him. He invites him to watch hockey games on television, but Lester avoids it and sits in his room along watching the same game. It’s heartbreaking.

One day Lester runs into Jimmy Lebeuf, gas station attendant and damaged ex-hockey star. Jimmy doesn’t think Lester is strange for wearing his cape and mask and he completely believes in the possibility of an imminent alien invasion. The two bond and slowly Lester starts to come to life. Uncle Ken finds out and is clearly upset at the two’s connection. Flashbacks to Lester’s mother dying of cancer give the story added depth and insight into Lester’s and Jimmy’s connection.

Tales from the Farm is illustrated in sparse, blocky yet amazingly detailed drawings that are imbued with so much emotion and a spare, raw beauty. Each page is a delight and so much is conveyed without words. The strain and miscommunication between Lester and Uncle Ken is written on their faces as clearly as if a whole chapter had been written in text. It’s beautiful and so well done.

Kings in Disguise

Kings in Disguise: A Novel
Author: James Vance
Illustrator: Dan Burr
Introduction: Alan Moore
Publisher: W.W. Norton
ISBN-10: 0393328481
ISBN-13: 978-0393328486

Kings in Disguise takes place in1932, the height of the Depression. It’s the story of the Bloch family, young Frankie in particular. Mr. Bloch has plunged into alcoholic despair and can’t find work anywhere. He’s lost just about all hope. Albert, the older brother has lost all respect for his father while Frankie just gets lost at the movies. Gangster movies are his favorites and he carefully saves bottles so that he can get his dime to see a new movie every week.

It all comes to a head when Albert and Mr. Bloch get into a terrible fight and in the morning, Mr. Bloch has disappeared supposedly looking for work in a new town. Albert and 12-year old Frankie are left on their own. Albert tries to rob someone in order to buy food and is injured, will possibly arrested and thrown in jail. Frankie is left on his own and tries to make it to Detroit to find his father and uncle. Frankie runs into a group of hobos with bad intentions but is saved by another hobo calling himself the King of Spain.

The King of Spain is more than a little crazy and sick to boot but he’s a kindly soul and protects Frankie. The two set off riding the rails for Detroit and they encounter just about every kind of lost soul there is. They also find small kindnesses and worthy people which help keep the hope alive. It’s an incredible story told with humor, pathos and gut wrenching reality.

The black and white illustrations by Burr add not only depth to the story but manage to convey such deep emotion.

This story of a child forced into being a man is touching and painfully beautiful. The Great Depression depicted by this amazing graphic novel is depicted in a very realistic and human way.

La Perdida

La Perdida
Author: Jessica Abel
Publisher: Pantheon
ISBN-10: 0375423656
ISBN-13: 978-0375423659

La Perdida is the story of Carla Olivares, a Mexican-American woman who decides to live in Mexico knowing virtually nothing about the real Mexico. She doesn’t speak Spanish and she has the romantic view that Mexico is somehow perfect. Like a lot of us Chicanas here she sees Mexico as her homeland and as something very different than what it really is.

Carla crashes at the apartment of her ex-boyfriend, a wealthy WASP till things get so bad he throws her out. Her time is spent visiting Frida Kahlo’s house, the pyramids and other monuments that she feels will help get her in touch with her Mexican side. She meets up with a bad group of people and some of the choices she makes are horrendous. I felt for Carla but was exasperated by her at the same time. Her treatment of people who are just trying to be her friends is apalling but understandable. I get why she's being such a bitch even while I'm cringing at her behavior.

The people Carla decides are her friends are petty criminals posing as revolutionaries. They play on Carla’s American guilt expertly, calling her conquistadora, a conquerer. To be a Chicana and to be called a conquistadora really hits home and these guys know how to play it up. Carla gets deeper and deeper, more and more sucked in, keeps making these incredibly stupid choices and Mexico becomes a dangerous nightmare. It’s an incredibly riveting story.



I know so many people like Carla (without the poor choices) so its easy to understand her. I get why Memo and Oscar give her such a hard time too. Jessica Abel writes so convincingly and it all rings very, very true.

The art just makes it even more incredible. Jessica Abel has such a commanding way of drawing characters. She manages to speak volumes with the way she draws a shoulder, an expression, the way people move. There are some great illustrations of the city that bring Mexico to life. I love the jacaranda trees that line the streets. They're so beautiful that I can almost smell them and feel their velvety purple blossoms.

Chicanos and Chicanas or pochos as they call us that grew up here longing for our homeland. It’s easy to glorify Mexico and its culture. It’s something we grew up lacking. Still, we are privileged here like it or not and when we go into Mexico, we’re perceived as American however much we see ourselves as Mexican. I’ve lived both in Mexico and here and even though for the most part I’ve fit in, there’s always been this sense of otherness that doesn’t quite fit.

La Perdida does a fantastic job of showing the angst felt by Mexican-Americans, our wanting to belong to our homeland while feeling cut off from it. It shows how much we love our culture and how different real Mexican life is from what we percieve it to be. The graphic novel medium adds incredible depth and intensity to the already riveting story.

Castle Waiting

Castle Waiting
Author: Linda Medley
Publisher: Fantagraphics
ISBN-10: 1560977477
ISBN-13: 978-1560977476

This wonderful graphic novel brings together the first twelve issues of the Eisner Award winning comic. It opens with Brambly Hedge, a tale of a Sleeping Beauty with a twist. After Sleeping Beauty leaves with the prince the castle is left waiting. Her three ladies in waiting stay there and open it to people in need. The castle is infested with hobgoblins and is a little beat up but it welcomes the needy with open arms.
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Among its inhabitants are a pregnant woman on the run, Sir Destrier, a horse-headed knight who wants a place to rest between adventures; and Sister Peace, a bearded nun with a wild past. The women of the castle seem to love telling the stories of their lives and it is these stories that are the meat of Castle Waiting.

Linda Medley has created a masterpiece of fantasy, fairytale and just plain good storytelling. Castle Waiting is light-hearted, fun and different. The stories within stories are wonderful and the characters are multi-faceted and interesting. For me, Jain’s story was the most interesting. Jain was the pregnant woman on the run from an abusive nobleman husband and her tale was riveting and so different from the typical fairy tale.

The artwork is as light-hearted and fun as the story. The bearded nuns are a riot and really made me smile. Through the whole book with the intersecting stories is a thread of kindness and caring that really makes me smile. I love that Sleeping Beauty’s left behind castle is used to help those in need. I love the fact the women who remain have so much love to give to those who show up at the castle door and are willing to share whatever they have. I would have loved this book anyway but that just made it so much more special. Highly recommended.

300

300
Author: Frank Miller
Colorist: Lynn Varley
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
ISBN-10: 1569714029
ISBN-13: 978-1569714027

The Battle of Thermopylae is one of history’s most important battles. In 481-480 B.C, the Spartan King Leonidas and his army of 300 met the huge army (more than 100,000 strong) of the Persian Emperor Xerxes and were annihilated. Still, it gave the Greeks time to gather enough force to defeat the Persians. For three days those 300 men stood against that incredible army. How they managed it just defies imagination.

Frank Miller knows how to tell a hell of a story. While his account isn’t historically accurate, it’s a darned good tale and adds to the incredible story it already is. The art is astounding; the battle scenes are just the most intense, bloody and violent as only Frank Miller can make them. No one does blood and guts like Frank Miller.

In 300, Miller focuses on King Leonidas, the young foot soldier Stelios, and the storyteller Dilios. His portrayal of the Spartans makes them human, makes them so much more than just unbelievable historical shadow figures, at least for me. His characters embody the strength they must have had to stand up against that massive army of Persians. Their faces are almost carved of stone they are so chiseled, so rugged, so raw. The hands and fingers are almost square blocks and they are huge.

I love how Frank Miller’s sparse but deeply telling text accompanies his astounding art. His 300 will ignite a whole new group of people to research the history of the Battle of Thermopylae. How great is that? I see kids at the library asking about books on Sparta and I wonder – did you see 300? Did you read the graphic novel? What has you asking about it? I bet some of them are in there because of Frank Miller. Highly recommended but keep the younger kids away – this is graphically violent.

Fred Patten Reviews Walt Kelly's Our Gang Volume 1, 1942-1943

Walt Kelly’s Our Gang. Vol. 1, 1942-1943

Author: Walt Kelly

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

ISBN 10: 1-56097753-1

ISBN 13: 978-1-56097753-7

Walt Kelly is famous for his now-classic Pogo newspaper comic strip from 1948 until his death in 1973. Most cartoon fans know that Kelly began as an animator for Walt Disney, and that he wrote and drew funny-animal and fairy-tale comic books from 1941 until 1948. He actually began Pogo in comic-book form in 1941. Much of Kelly’s comic-book art has been reprinted over the last two decades, especially his Disney comics covers showing Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in his own art style.

Kelly also wrote and drew a human comic-book series during the 1940s, around the Our Gang children film stars. Movie historian Leonard Maltin describes in an introductory “appreciation” how Dell/Western Publishing licensed in 1942 the rights to produce a comic book featuring all the MGM movie short series like the Tom & Jerry cartoons, and they chose the Our Gang stories to lead off the comic book – and hired cartoonist Kelly to produce them. MGM had bought Our Gang from the Hal Roach Studio in 1938, and by 1942 had lost interest in them, so Kelly had the creative freedom to interpret the kids in his own way. The 8- to 14-page stories in these first eight issues were very close to MGM’s last Our Gang one-reelers, based on publicity stills of the child actors and following the movies’ stereotypes. Maltin, and Kelly collector-historian Steve Thompson in his introduction, promise that later stories of the 59 in the series will show how Kelly evolved, having the movie Gang grow older and be replaced with new characters who were Kelly’s own, with realistic personalities rather than stereotypes.





This collection has several laudable goals: to show that Kelly could create excellent realistic human-character stories as well as funny-animal humor; to restore a missing dimension of the Our Gang works for those movies’ fans; and to present a nostalgic glimpse of children’s lives in America in the 1940s. As Steve Thompson says, “Not for them the over-organized and regimented sports, dance and music activities of today’s youth. In those days before ‘stranger danger’ and almost daily reports of child abductions, in all but the largest cities during summer, kids could disappear after breakfast, possibly return for lunch, and then vanish again until supper, without panicking their parents.” (I can confirm this. I am in my late sixties now, and I grew up in Los Angeles rather than an Eastern small town, but I had the same juvenile freedom to just “mess around” outdoors all day with my playmates as long as we stayed out of trouble.) It may be personal nostalgia for my own youth, but I found Walt Kelly’s Our Gang vol. 1 to be thoroughly delightful.

Samurai: Heaven and Earth, Volume 2 Chapter 3: Lust and Lies

Samurai: Heaven and Earth, Volume 2, Chapter 3: Lust and Lies
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Luke Ross
Colorist: Rob Schwager
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

I am astounded by this series and can’t wait for the rest of it. Shiro the samurai has completely captured my heart and imagination.

In Lust and Lies, Shiro and the Arab have washed up on the desert shore. Because Shiro has saved the Arab’s life, he continues to help him as part of repaying his debt. There are again scenes of a loving life with Yoshiko in Japan as Shiro remembers the good times. The two set off to find where Yoshiko has been taken with Shiro determined to get her back at any cost.

Yoshiko is taken to the harem of the pasha and is able to communicate in French with the first wife. She learns that she will spend her life in the harem and is subject to the whims of the pasha. While trying to escape, she runs into Don Miguel who tries to force her to come with him. This is Yoshiko’s chance for revenge and she takes it. She will make Don Miguel pay for what he has done to her and Shiro.

One of the things that makes this series so visually arresting is the contrasts between worlds. On one page you have the burning sun of the desert, on another the cool gardens of Japan overhung with cherry blossoms and on another the inside view of a harem. Of course, the artwork is stunning and so realistic that you feel you’re inside those contrasting worlds.

Samurai: Heaven and Earth, Volume 2 - Chapter 1: Enemies and Allies

Samurai: Heaven and Earth, Volume 2-Chapter 1: Enemies and Allies
Writer: Ron Marz
Penciller: Luke Ross
Colorist: Rob Schwager
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics


In a prior post, I raved about Samurai: Heaven and Earth and this next comic in the series is no disappointment.

The samurai Shiro is back and still hunting for his lost love Yoshiko. In Enemies and Allies, Shiro travels to Spain to find the Arab slavetrader that sold Yoshiko in the first place. He forces the Arab to join him on his quest for revenge against the Spaniard Don Miguel Ratera (funny last name - in Spanish a ratero or ratera is a thief) and in keeping his vow to find Yoshiko. Shiro tells the Arab of his vow that nothing on Heaven or Earth will keep him from her and together they set off to find them. Meanwhile, Don Miguel is keeping Yoshiko captive as they board a ship to Veracruz.

As in the other comics, there are flashbacks to Shiro's and Yoshiko's life in Japan and some of the images are so heartbreakingly lovely that you have to stop and catch your breath.

The artwork is astounding and I can’t say enough about it. The story has you on the edge of your seat and rooting for Shiro while the artwork has you right in the midst of bloody samurai battles, on the ship and in the beautiful gardens of Japan. Stunning, stunning, stunning!

Samurai: Heaven and Earth is simply magnificent.

Samurai: Heaven and Earth

Samurai: Heaven and Earth
Writer: Ron Marz

Artist: Luke Ross

Cover Artist: Luke Ross

Colorist: Jason Keith
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
ISBN-10: 1593073887
ISBN-13: 978-1593073886

Samurai: Heaven and Earth is simply astonishing. Both the artwork and the story are just gorgeous. It is the story of Shiro, a Samurai warrior who was the only survivor in a great battle. He returns home to find his love, the beautiful Yoshiko, only to find she has been taken by the victors in the battle. Determined to find her, he sets off to the stronghold of the Warlord Hsiao only to find she has been sold and sent to Europe.

What follows is an incredible tale of love and devotion, of Shiro’s vow to Yoshiko that nothing on Heaven or Earth will keep them apart.

Shiro travels to Europe, meets the Musketeers, even lands in the palace of Versailles. He will do anything, go anywhere to get Yoshiko back.

The story is mesmerizing and riveting and each page is a dream. The pages look like paintings, they are so lush and vivid. The battle scenes are action packed and vividly intense. The sword fight with the Musketeers is just unbelievable and realistic. The page where the Musketeers and Shiro are in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is just glorious. The light literally bounces off the page and you get the feel of light bouncing off mirrors. Incredible!

Samurai: Heaven and Earth is one of the most beautiful and evocative comics I’ve ever seen. Shiro is an incredible hero – determined, completely ruthless and vicious in battle yet so tender and devoted to Yoshiko. It’s quite the contrast and completely compelling. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Adventures in Oz

Adventures In Oz
Author: Eric Shanower, Frank L. Baum
Publisher: IDW Publisher
ISBN-10: 1933239611
ISBN-13: 978-1933239613

Adventures in Oz is the collection of five comics that were published by Eric Shanower from 1986-1992, The Enchanted Apples of Oz, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz and The Blue Witch of Oz.

I hadn’t read the original comics but I fell completely in love with this collection. The stories are told in a voice very much like the original Baum stories but the stories are original. His love for his subject really shines and Oz fans will really like these original stories.

Shanower expands on the Oz myth with some amazing and imaginative little tales. I loved the flying Marlin especially. I loved the fact that Ozma, one of my favorite Oz characters is brought back to life in this book. I’ve always had a soft spot for her and thought she was wonderful. I also loved Flicker and his head of fiery hair and Knotboy.

The illustration, especially in The Blue Witch of Oz is lavish and simply gorgeous. The colors of the forests are just tremendous. There is this unbelievable page with all the wood nymphs in front of Zurline that is just gorgeous. It’s very Art Deco in style and the lines just flow so elegantly. You almost could just step right into the page and touch their hair.

Adventures in Oz is a worthy addition to any library and most especially to those Oz fans who want more Oz stories. I’ve read many attempts to capture the feel of Baum’s timeless classics, but none so spot on as Eric Shanower’s.

Jack Hightower

Jack Hightower
Created and written by Will Vinton and Andrew Wiese
Artist: Fabio Laguna
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
ISBN-10: 1-59307-392-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-59307-392-3

Imagine you’re a secret agent. Think James Bond times a million in sexuality, power and brains. You’re one hell of a hot guy and you know it. You have women falling out of their clothes and all over you. You rock.

That’s Jack Hightower’s everyday life till he gets in the way of the Hello Kitty t-shirt clad, long-time nemesis and evil genius, Dr. Litigious Savant and his shrinking ray. Now Jack’s ten-inches tall, forced to wear Ken (as in Barbie and Ken) clothes and the women aren’t falling so hard.

Oscar award-winning animator Will Vinton and his longtime writing partner Andrew Wiese have created a hilarious masterpiece in Jack Hightower. The story is fast clipped and funny. Jack’s fall from grace isn’t a pretty one but there’s humor in it. Jack is made fun of, put on sabbatical by the agency, falls into boozing it up and fighting in bars. Only the thought that the evil Savant is not dead gets him out of his depression and on the move to get his man.

He learns along the way that it’s not the size of himself that matters, rather the size of his heart. The art fits the story and Laguna draws some gorgeous images. The women are full-bodied voluptuous creature spilling out of their blouses and Jack – well Jack is just wonderful. His facial expressions are mobile and very real. The background scenes are colorful and action packed. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more.

Someday

Someday
Author: Alison McGhee
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Publisher: Atheneum
ISBN-10: 1416928111
ISBN-13: 978-1416928119

Someday tells the beautiful story of a mother and her baby daughter in eloquent but spare prose accompanied by simple, yet powerful illustrations.

The book is very moving. It tells the story of a mother and her baby daughter from babyhood to childhood, "One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one", moving on to present day, "Then, you were my baby,/ and now you are my child", finally imagining the future of the child, "Someday I will stand on this porch and watch your arms waving to me until I no longer see you."

Someday is very touching and almost made me cry thinking of my own children and how they’re grown now with families of their own. The emotion builds with each page and I found myself smiling, teary, wistful and hopeful. The book portrays a young mother’s hopes and dreams for her child in such a beautiful way.
The simple pen-and-ink and watercolors quietly and profoundly emphasize each page in a way that compliments the text perfectly. The colors give a sense of the dreams and hopes in a soft, almost wispy way.

I found this story to be absolutely lovely. It makes a wonderful gift for a new mother, an expectant mother or a grandparent. The age range is pre-school, but I think it will be much loved by us moms, much more so than the daughters. It’s also a wonderful baby shower gift.

Book description from the publisher:

A mother's love leads to a mother's dream -- every mother's dream -- for her child to live life to its fullest.

A deceptively simple, powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, Someday is the book you'll want to share with someone else...today.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Author: Jeff Kinney

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers

ISBN-10: 0810993139

ISBN-13: 978-0810993136

Diary of a Wimpy Kid was originally a very popular webcomic on Funbrain.com and was absolutely hilarious. I loved the idea that it was going to be a book and was thrilled to see it adapted and made into a “novel told in cartoons”.

Greg Heffley is a middle school aged boy whose mother forces to keep a diary. He’s not happy about it being called a diary either. "I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say 'diary' on it". He documents his days at school in a wry, witty, matter of fact and very funny way.

Greg is a pretty believable pre-teen boy. He gets into trouble, tries to wiggle out of things and is VERY concerned with his popularity and status. He and his best friend Rowley are great buddies till Rowley gets a little fame from a comic that they originally worked on together.

Greg’s daily adventures are pretty hilarious and readers will be sure to laugh aloud. I did quite a lot when reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I loved the parts about the wrestling matches, the taunting of the high school boys which result in his grandmother’s house being T.P.’d. It’s all very reminiscent of raising my own boys and the trouble they’d get into.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a must have and highly recommended.

Book description from the publisher:

Book Description
Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.

The Professor's Daughter

The Professor’s Daughter
Authors: Joann Sfar & Emmanuel Guibert
Publisher: First Second
ISBN 13: 978-1-59643-130-0ISBN 10: 1-59643-130-X

Book Description from the publisher:

A 3,000-year-old romance.
Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert bring the true spirit of Victorian London to life in this witty, engaging, sepia-colored tale of a proper but mischievous young girl and the mummy who opens his eyes for the first time in 3,000 years and instantly falls in love with her. Will the love between Lillian and Imhotep IV survive when their fathers, the London police, and even the Royal Archeological Society are all determined to keep them apart?

Written by the hilarious and insightful Joann Sfar and painted in watercolors by the contemplative and beguiling Emmanuel Guibert, The Professor's Daughter tells an engaging, heart-warming love story through affecting, delightful art.


Two of France’s famous graphic novelists have teamed up to create an astonishing, beautiful and bizarre tale. Lillian, the daughter of a British professor who is taking home a mummy to put on display takes the mummy out of the sarcophagus and takes it on a stroll through Victorian London.

The mummy is Imhotep IV and he and Lillian fall deeply in love. They can’t seem to get past a myriad of obstacles though, things just keep getting in the way. His dead spirit children come looking for him and wonder where their mother is, his father seems bent on destroying him, the Professor wants his mummy back, the London police want Imhotep for murder and oh by the way, did I mention he’s a 1000 year old mummy? Yeah.

The Professor's Daughter is bizarre, well told and completely wonderful. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. The sepia tones depict Victorian London in a way that makes the pages look like an old book from that era. Lillian is charming, elegant and such a lady. Imhotep IV is elegant, gentlemanly and tends to be a dysfunctional. His relationship with his father, for instance is just too funny. It’s like any normal father and son’s misunderstanding and angst with the added quirk of being dead mummies wandering around London.

This graphic novel was highly acclaimed in France and deserves equal recognition here. It’s highly recommended.

About the Authors:

Joann Sfar is the son of Jewish parents and is one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L’Association, which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists.

Emmanuel Guibert made his comics debut in 1992 with 'Brune', a painted comic story about the rise of fascism in Germany during the 1930s. He then did several comics for Lapin, the magazine of the renewing publishing house L'Association. One of Guibert's most impressive comics works of this period, 'La Guerre d'Alan', recounted the war experiences of Guibert's friend Alan Ingram Cope, who served as an American soldier in World War II, and later retreated to France.

FIRST SECOND is an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, which owns some of America's most prestigious publishers, known for great integrity and literary quality. These include Henry Holt, FSG, St Martin's Press, Tor and Picador, all of which have garnered the most coveted prizes in publishing.All images are © copyright by their respective owners.mail@firstsecondbooks.com

Beowulf - The Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds

Beowulf
Author/Illustrator: Gareth Hinds
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN 10: 0763630225
ISBN 13: 9780763630225


It wasn’t till my late 20’s that I discovered Beowulf and instantly fell in love with the saga. How could I not? Beowulf’s hand to hand combat battle with the monster Grendel is absolutely fascinating and bloody. I could well imagine storytellers of old singing out this tale over tankards of ale and the excited faces of the audiences. Grendel’s horrible mother scared the heck out of me and the final and fatal battle with the dragon, wow. To think that this story is over 1000 years old and possibly even from 750-800 AD is simply astounding. I love epic poetry and think everyone should read it. Unfortunately, not everyone shares my love of ancient sagas.

A few years ago, I read Seamus Heany’s Beowulf, A New Translation and fell in love all over again. I adore Heany and his translation of this classic tale really resonated with me and brought Beowulf to the forefront of my mind once again. When I heard that Gareth Hinds had done a graphic adaptation, I simply had to read it.

For those who are unfamiliar with Gareth Hinds, he is an astounding artist and illustrator. He is also quite a talented animator with work on some absolutely amazing video games like Neverwinter Nights, Tak and the Power of JuJu, Ratatouille, Star Wars New Droid Army to mention a few. Gareth Hinds’ website http://www.thecomic.com/ has quite a bit of the Beowulf story and artwork as well as other illustrated stories like Deus Ex Machina and Bearskin.

I received the Candlewick Press hardcover edition of Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf two days ago and just went crazy. It’s a total feast for the senses and beautifully done. The artwork is just amazing. Everything about it is gorgeous, the colors, the art, the movement and fluidity of the hero’s body as it battles with Grendel who is marvelously hideous. The text is based upon the translation by A.J. Church, published by Seely & Co in 1904 and is beautifully typeset.




I admire both Gareth Hinds and Candlewick’s effort to make Beowulf accessible and appealing to a modern audience. I know that Beowulf will find a whole new audience, a huge fan following of this astounding book and that’s just amazing. This book is an amazing work and should be in every school library as well as a required schoolbook in high school English classrooms.


Book Description (from the publisher):
The epic tale of the great warrior Beowulf has thrilled readers through the ages -- and now it is reinvented for a new generation with Gareth Hind’s masterful illustrations. Grendel’s black blood runs thick as Beowulf defeats the monster and his hideous mother, while somber hues overcast the hero’s final, fatal battle against a raging dragon. Speeches filled with courage and sadness, lightning-paced contests of muscle and will, and funeral boats burning on the fjords are all rendered in glorious and gruesome detail. Told for more than a thousand years, Beowulf’s heroic saga finds a true home in this graphic-novel edition.

This exhilarating graphic-novel edition of an ancient classic honors the spirit of the original as it attracts modern readers.

Author’s comments:

Gareth Hinds says, "BEOWULF gave me the chance to explore the superhero story in a more timeless way, without the skintight suits and other wacky conventions of that genre. I wanted to show people how cool a story this really is." He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.

One More Day......

Only one more day people to the first annual Cybil awards. I'm dying to see what books in each category win. I am particularly interested in the category that I was a panelist on...the Graphic Novel category. I have a favorite, my fingers are crossed, breath held in anticipation...BE TOMORROW ALREADY!

Watch for the announcements tomorrow here: The Cybils