tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27798177494103901502024-03-05T18:03:39.999-08:00ALD Graphic NovelsA graphic novel-focused blog affiliated with the Arapahoe Library District.Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-21323254257291442602013-09-12T15:47:00.000-07:002013-09-12T15:47:26.136-07:00Graphic Novel Book Club Selections 1T 2014<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZ4zA9pRHgQ85I9eOKw07pKbI-PedGCJrAVL68ZF5BdxO8eXwSpntq4pgwW2qf_h4Q-gTxlgUTYknhSNolII0LVEONnRHZhrnMLgHbkoQyP2iPqzaVNbIcV-7-gqtewtvUJfkPuiVDbr8/s1600/trickster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZ4zA9pRHgQ85I9eOKw07pKbI-PedGCJrAVL68ZF5BdxO8eXwSpntq4pgwW2qf_h4Q-gTxlgUTYknhSNolII0LVEONnRHZhrnMLgHbkoQyP2iPqzaVNbIcV-7-gqtewtvUJfkPuiVDbr8/s320/trickster.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi all! Here are some new and some old graphic novel book club selections we could talk about. We've got to pick and vote on four. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection </em>by Matt Dembicki</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In <i>Trickster</i> more than twenty Native American tales are cleverly adapted into comic form. Each story is written by a different Native American storyteller who worked closely with a selected illustrator, a combination that gives each tale a unique and powerful voice and look. Ranging from serious and dramatic to funny and sometimes downright fiendish, these tales bring tricksters back into popular culture in a very vivid form. From an ego-driven social misstep in “Coyote and the Pebbles” to the hijinks of “How Wildcat Caught a Turkey” and the hilarity of “Rabbit’s Choctaw Tail Tale,” <i>Trickster</i> provides entertainment for readers of all ages and backgrounds.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GAW8bUVzggVMM94PoMFScu5p_W_rDS_vyBeCThYrri_J9ecKOlfN9UQCIjuA9Wqxiys9CkDipki56fM64fN46TEthJ8qCVIbp5llNkRtaSXtWbXt8JS0OJWonYM5J9yPQ03k0jlfat88/s1600/trinity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GAW8bUVzggVMM94PoMFScu5p_W_rDS_vyBeCThYrri_J9ecKOlfN9UQCIjuA9Wqxiys9CkDipki56fM64fN46TEthJ8qCVIbp5llNkRtaSXtWbXt8JS0OJWonYM5J9yPQ03k0jlfat88/s1600/trinity.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb</em> by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Trinity</em>, the debut graphic book by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, depicts the dramatic history of the race to build and the decision to drop the first atomic bomb in World War Two. This sweeping historical narrative traces the spark of invention from the laboratories of nineteenth-century Europe to the massive industrial and scientific efforts of the Manhattan Project, and even transports the reader into a nuclear reaction—into the splitting atoms themselves.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBirSfbQjJF4jo-AHAIx7X6GOCzb6jSZ3-9TrEx0ljieYEP9YSaUtJak6o2ZOXtXVdceeCQ4NNveYNeP1pFHAq3L0eklxm_NNDGL9gDQ_KciHkWh31q6dDKbHstXi6gGrU4xT4ysCunTk/s1600/x-men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBirSfbQjJF4jo-AHAIx7X6GOCzb6jSZ3-9TrEx0ljieYEP9YSaUtJak6o2ZOXtXVdceeCQ4NNveYNeP1pFHAq3L0eklxm_NNDGL9gDQ_KciHkWh31q6dDKbHstXi6gGrU4xT4ysCunTk/s1600/x-men.jpg" /></a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<strong><em>X-Men: Days of Future Past </em>by Chris Claremont</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: Relive the legendary first journey into the dystopian future of 2013 - where Sentinels stalk the Earth, and the X-Men are humanity's only hope...until they die! Also featuring the first appearance of Alpha Flight, the return of the Wendigo, the history of the X-Men from Cyclops himself...and a demon for Christmas!? Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #138-143 and X-MEN ANNUAL #4.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Over the Wall </em>by Peter Wartman</strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N0K2I6eSo4Op0PIw7fk4_dAg4kZc1FyHOkqknd7IHB5kwAoerEcjJ7i6cRLhcnIXqWBKBgwDrY7AY8PJVz2GZ8KqXDuUMWjW7jo8YQpY24aNyzzKx9ShrLKn-zM7yLt5TZ5M3HzLOYg6/s1600/over+the+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N0K2I6eSo4Op0PIw7fk4_dAg4kZc1FyHOkqknd7IHB5kwAoerEcjJ7i6cRLhcnIXqWBKBgwDrY7AY8PJVz2GZ8KqXDuUMWjW7jo8YQpY24aNyzzKx9ShrLKn-zM7yLt5TZ5M3HzLOYg6/s320/over+the+wall.jpg" width="221" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">A great wall separates a magnificent metropolis from the surrounding countryside. All humans are banned from ever entering the city. A young girl is determined to enter the forbidden city in search of her lost brother. When she crosses over, fantastic adventures ensue in narrow medieval streets, ancient temples, and abandoned bazars of the haunted city. To save her missing brother, she must grapple with mythical creatures, explore the mystery of the missing inhabitants, and cure the amnesia of an entire civilization. <i>Over the Wall </i>immerses the reader in a richly imagined world of coming of age rituals, lost worlds and the nature of memory. The beautiful two-color art vividly brings to life the fantastical architecture of mysterious metropolis and faintly evokes the crisp lines of Japanese anime. <i>Over the Wall</i> is a stunning debut from a young and talented cartoonist Peter Wartman.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3o3PLguDvmjdxLJBcFScSaivLNmHwkAZBmtrcTq9wYN3fWVwNOO6mjRHjUdgF0QtiQNvkykkHMj-zUXhDDin7lxvWRY80ESV31dhukXKhgrXGFAZlSOa2AF9zGKeRd33DS5ZZmM5xab9/s1600/cairo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3o3PLguDvmjdxLJBcFScSaivLNmHwkAZBmtrcTq9wYN3fWVwNOO6mjRHjUdgF0QtiQNvkykkHMj-zUXhDDin7lxvWRY80ESV31dhukXKhgrXGFAZlSOa2AF9zGKeRd33DS5ZZmM5xab9/s320/cairo.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Cairo </em>by G. Willow Wilson</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The creative team behind the new monthly series AIR brings together ancient and modern Middle East with a Vertigo twist. A stolen hookah, a spiritual underworld and a genie on the run change the lives of five strangers forever in this modern fable set on the streets of the Middle East's largest metropolis. This magical-realism thriller interweaves the fates of a drug runner, a down-on-his-luck journalist, an American expatriate, a young activist and an Israeli soldier as they race through bustling present-day Cairo to find an artifact of unimaginable power, one protected by a dignified jinn and sought by a wrathful gangster-magician. But the vastness of Africa's legendary City of Victory extends into a spiritual realm - the Undernile - and even darker powers lurk there...Don't miss the incredible graphic novel Publishers Weekly called "lush and energetic...a beautiful book," and The Los Angeles Times Book Review praised as "lyrically beautiful."</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP8O6E5Dk4DguDSjVuquXGn6dEfZ4t2iIk4LJMWZ4wue6dHIvUqPDPfKEaoBB_LNiSFVlpJEvmefxNEOLTFGZXT6xyGq4wrrLKN2rq96BIBFyChL1yq9ZRi4i2iFgZLUcP4DzSlUIac3q/s1600/Before-Watchmen_Minutemen_Silk-Spectre_HC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP8O6E5Dk4DguDSjVuquXGn6dEfZ4t2iIk4LJMWZ4wue6dHIvUqPDPfKEaoBB_LNiSFVlpJEvmefxNEOLTFGZXT6xyGq4wrrLKN2rq96BIBFyChL1yq9ZRi4i2iFgZLUcP4DzSlUIac3q/s320/Before-Watchmen_Minutemen_Silk-Spectre_HC.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Before Watchmen: Minutemen/Silk Spectre </em>by Darwyn Cooke</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The critically acclaimed and Eisner Award-winning creator of DC: THE NEW FRONTIER Darwyn Cooke lends his talents MINUTEMEN. As the predecessor to the Watchmen, the Minutemen were assembled to fight against a world that have more and more rapidly begun to spin out of control. Can these heroes from completely different backgrounds and with completely different attitudes on crime come together? Or will they fall apart before they begin? <br /><br />SILK SPECTRE takes an introspective look at the WATCHMEN feature player's struggles with her overbearing superhero mother and her scattered path toward taking the mantle of the Silk Spectre. With gorgeous art by co-writer and illustrator Amanda Conner (POWER GIRL, The Pro), SILK SPECTRE takes a very different perspective at the world of BEFORE WATCHMEN. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAzRxPl_iqjfZTW2xSIT9IEId-nBIoUn7yPsi5SdLqQ8aJ36eZasURts5kfM4xBRW3zqPDD6bT6_pIwt5DPdOxKT8VZivtOLfRPSTBVW68USkpZDzEspGKHhA1Fg6X7kQLSjCUUngrEaj/s1600/hyperbole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAzRxPl_iqjfZTW2xSIT9IEId-nBIoUn7yPsi5SdLqQ8aJ36eZasURts5kfM4xBRW3zqPDD6bT6_pIwt5DPdOxKT8VZivtOLfRPSTBVW68USkpZDzEspGKHhA1Fg6X7kQLSjCUUngrEaj/s320/hyperbole.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened</em> by Allie Brosh</strong></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative— like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it—but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. <br /><br />So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:<br /><br />Pictures<br />Words<br />Stories about things that happened to me<br />Stories about things that happened to other people because of me<br />Eight billion dollars*<br />Stories about dogs<br />The secret to eternal happiness*<br /><br />*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!</span></o:p></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBybQbztvYx_XqwWDcOXwYNh8l0rEQXP_TPPZNnyO2kip5wk02rLwEaeuGKHr7Xx055tc-Dmn4klZrCERkKG73tdllfuHk5n-vhSG2F11lICQPnR2OCkBF7yYsA9Eh7Z5ECXMG2zj7KpqL/s1600/sweet+tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBybQbztvYx_XqwWDcOXwYNh8l0rEQXP_TPPZNnyO2kip5wk02rLwEaeuGKHr7Xx055tc-Dmn4klZrCERkKG73tdllfuHk5n-vhSG2F11lICQPnR2OCkBF7yYsA9Eh7Z5ECXMG2zj7KpqL/s320/sweet+tooth.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Sweet Tooth vol. 1: Out of the Woods</em> by Jeff Lemire</strong></span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Following on the heels of THE NOBODY, his Vertigo graphic novel debut, writer/artist Jeff Lemire pens his very first ongoing series SWEET TOOTH. A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father he's left to fend for himself . . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to find 'The Preserve' a refuge for hybrids. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPKLpneZSsl-jVnGheaM5yjja4MyBbxqwKfZtVNT90xvt5cKzAx9JwNw-moXR7I2L66cJiWcB_1-KMuQV4RAJ5p52K9t4yw3v0QcClBF0chJQ-qqK9zgOQTyI5vD0sPZOW6jORzBo9sNk/s1600/john+constantine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPKLpneZSsl-jVnGheaM5yjja4MyBbxqwKfZtVNT90xvt5cKzAx9JwNw-moXR7I2L66cJiWcB_1-KMuQV4RAJ5p52K9t4yw3v0QcClBF0chJQ-qqK9zgOQTyI5vD0sPZOW6jORzBo9sNk/s320/john+constantine.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>John Constantine Hellblazer vol. 1: Original Sins</em> by Jamie Delano</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The very first Hellblazer collection ORIGINAL SINS is available in a new edition that includes John Constantine’s appearances in SWAMP THING. This is the first of a series of new HELLBLAZER editions starring Vertigo’s longest running antihero, John Constantine, England’s chain-smoking, low-rent magus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This first collection is a loosely connected series of tales of John’s early years where Constantine was at his best and at his worst, all at the same time.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em>Sandman Mystery Theater vol. 1: Tarantula</em> by Matt Wagner</strong><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSimfi6gbxmc5qiXaRQ6-l8NP5OFigUwcm_KcRQxzMATxU-lqGuxwz7uy37Q7cDRdEECEhaDMPoKYUGFUwV3sOCamBwWUkepqE93RUFCViWSEYCE2JfHsDAFzHS3stquMdVjAXMM1AqRZq/s1600/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Volume-1-The-Tarantula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSimfi6gbxmc5qiXaRQ6-l8NP5OFigUwcm_KcRQxzMATxU-lqGuxwz7uy37Q7cDRdEECEhaDMPoKYUGFUwV3sOCamBwWUkepqE93RUFCViWSEYCE2JfHsDAFzHS3stquMdVjAXMM1AqRZq/s320/Sandman-Mystery-Theatre-Volume-1-The-Tarantula.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
The hero of <i>Sandman Mystery Theatre</i> shares little more than a moniker with Neil Gaiman's </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sandman, star of one of the most successful graphic novel series ever, but those who prefer the down and dirty to the airy and fantastic may also prefer <i>SMT</i>, which features the comics' original Sandman, millionaire Wesley Dodds, who, clad in trench coat and gas mask and armed with sleep-inducing gas, fought criminals in the 1940s. Wagner backtracks Dodds to pre-World War II New York City and models Dodds' adventures less on superhero comics than on 1930s pulp magazines. He and cowriter Steven T. Seagle create twisted crime stories--the arc this volume collects involves a series of grisly murders--that Guy Davis illustrates by expertly evoking the period looks of the pulps. <i>SMT</i> story lines are far franker than their 1930s inspirations. This one depicts, besides the killings, a circle of lesbian lovers, and the dialogue is R-rated. Although it hasn't matched the popularity of Gaiman's creation, <i>SMT</i> is one of the most successful revivals of a vintage costumed crime fighter.</span><br />
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</span>Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-6199225450346242302013-08-21T13:04:00.000-07:002013-09-12T13:05:09.258-07:00Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan<em>Tales from Outer Suburbia</em> defies labels like graphic novel and even young adult, where its often categorized. Its a series of illustrated vignettes that revel in the absurd and magical. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMlzH3ueYdp_kYhKozxC5SjdFfxx_7MlriMalkBmgeW-QDRYMU1G3mVsUwqjhxoaO6MOm1aF1vRHME6hgy5BVqOO1ErTU812iigdjo5y53A7Ps8yGqtYmuQ-2jqLtL_bMAG1YTApm28ld/s1600/tales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMlzH3ueYdp_kYhKozxC5SjdFfxx_7MlriMalkBmgeW-QDRYMU1G3mVsUwqjhxoaO6MOm1aF1vRHME6hgy5BVqOO1ErTU812iigdjo5y53A7Ps8yGqtYmuQ-2jqLtL_bMAG1YTApm28ld/s320/tales.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you consider
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tales from Outer Suburbia </i>to be a
graphic novel?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who is Shaun Tan’s
audience?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stories have the whimsy of
children’s books but have themes too complex for younger minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
meaning of “It’s a cultural thing” in “Eric?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What were your
favorite and least favorite stories?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an
artist/writer, do you think Tan’s drawings inspire his stories or the other way
around?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the point
of “Distant Rain?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is Tan telling us
that our poetry/art should not be hidden from the world?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there any
overarching themes you sensed throughout the collection?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is “outer suburbia?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tan has said “I
don’t think I’ve ever painted an image as a reproduction of what I’m seeing,
even when I’m working in front of it. I’m always trying to create some kind of
parallel equivalent.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does this
information inform your opinion of his work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Does this ring true with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Arrival </i>as well?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tan’s Outer
Suburbia seems to be unfamiliar but safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Conflict and harm are generally solved quickly and easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?</span></div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-51373558660286597882013-07-10T14:04:00.001-07:002013-07-10T14:04:41.443-07:00Batgirl vol. 1 by Gail Simone<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCo2xkM7w02uuR3Ls7KPzuXuZ0j3C_WJFjxGu0Af_VgV-XNxSZUwA7v5c9LDA5zA_PH1jETsgkjEBof30aGZBdtDxUOE6XGAzczjOckF-yAyEhC4qUTrWdvME8zrPW9fmdRnnfmPgKn6c/s1600/batgirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCo2xkM7w02uuR3Ls7KPzuXuZ0j3C_WJFjxGu0Af_VgV-XNxSZUwA7v5c9LDA5zA_PH1jETsgkjEBof30aGZBdtDxUOE6XGAzczjOckF-yAyEhC4qUTrWdvME8zrPW9fmdRnnfmPgKn6c/s320/batgirl.jpg" width="218" /></a>Part of DC's rebooted New 52 series, Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl deals with physical and emotional baggage as she slowly but surely gets back into the cape and cowl. Gail Simone was famously fired then rehired on the title due to fan outcry.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the bat-family
books, (Batwoman, Batgirl, Nightwing, etc) Batman tends to show up quite a lot
but these characters never show up in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman
</i>books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are these characters ultimately unnecessary
to the bat-universe?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the last <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl </i>arc before it was rebooted with
this volume, our titular heroine was shot in the spine and as a result became
wheelchair bound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did you feel about
that being reversed in this book?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could
it have gone any other way?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catwoman </i>reboot was panned for its
blatant tendency to draw the heroine half naked and in sexual poses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl
</i>suffer the same fate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does this
title measure up to other female superhero comics?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
bat-family titles are criticized because these heroes don’t have any
established villains like say, the Joker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl </i>suffers
from this problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simone was fired
from writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl</i> then quickly
rehired after fan reaction in December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is not much information as to why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why do you think the decision was made?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You hear Batgirl’s
voice throughout the book as she is narrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do you feel about this storytelling style?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did it characterize her?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Barbara
Gordon was wheelchair bound before, she was an information broker known as
Oracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why does Simone acknowledge the
injury but not the past identity?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think the
best way for a female superhero to be decently written is for her to be written
by a female author?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Simone was
fired from DC, she was looking into creator-owned material instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think it was a curse instead of a
blessing that she was put back on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batgirl</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think her creativity is best spent on
other comics?</span></div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-46493452668347690422013-07-10T14:00:00.001-07:002013-07-10T14:00:20.356-07:00RASL series by Jeff Smith<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0bO51J7v9ybYbAnuqxnsrnij1RaV0kiCj2QhmsiV4sCnKjip8uPzCeVJz7gZSW4H6ILqc2-R8iMauoYKJnhor5t_7jepeE-gzcGaBkzbLWvenXsaQCPHmXtUYyVzpM7IQsyzvOMD0rFy/s1600/rasl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0bO51J7v9ybYbAnuqxnsrnij1RaV0kiCj2QhmsiV4sCnKjip8uPzCeVJz7gZSW4H6ILqc2-R8iMauoYKJnhor5t_7jepeE-gzcGaBkzbLWvenXsaQCPHmXtUYyVzpM7IQsyzvOMD0rFy/s320/rasl.jpg" width="240" /></a><em>RASL </em>was Jeff Smith's first comic series after the hugely successful <em>Bone</em>. This series takes a darker turn with time traveling, science fiction, and noir elements. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeff Smith is best
known for his kid friendly cartoon epic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL
</i>differ from that series?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judging from his
career arc from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone </i>to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL</i>, what's next for Jeff Smith?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sexy premise
of the series: a noirish time travelling art thief, does not hold even far past
the first volume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is this premise so
quickly abandoned?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is Jeff
Smith's deal with Nikola Tesla?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
chapters were entirely devoted to the man.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
importance of the super large pages of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many graphic novels adhere to a standard
size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the size an advantage of
self-publishing?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeff Smith took a
lot of time off after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone</i> and spent
time in a remote desert drawing sketches and pages for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did this extreme way
of finding a muse pay off, did it hinder the series?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smith also spent time in a forested U.S.
national park for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone</i> inspiration.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smith took a year
studying string theory and the latest science in parallel dimensions before he
started <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he convey that understanding to his
readers in later volumes?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of the
characters are terribly likeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
this just an unavoidable flaw in noir stories?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the female
characters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL </i>are of little
consequence or are strippers or both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
seem to recall Grandma Ben and Thorn were well written female characters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bone</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What happened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it an effort to
be “edgy?”</span></div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-81352732627613006762013-06-05T15:25:00.001-07:002013-06-05T15:25:33.222-07:00Ignition City by Warren Ellis<em>Ignition City</em> is another entry in Warren Ellis' collection of space-themed graphic novels. This one in particular follows Mary Raven on a trip to Ignition City to investigate her father's death. <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBwTLRskGL1YtVIuWhvKXwk9dud7h6u6-B5DWFXsoQtd32uVl7fRYBFDBITrOUkteln7YlCAXSqOIyEZ3NaphaueeTYlNO5EbtZWVk_9Om6oOu1MEfickD4dFhbZN2d9ZQhVETSMlYWuo/s1600/ignitioncity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBwTLRskGL1YtVIuWhvKXwk9dud7h6u6-B5DWFXsoQtd32uVl7fRYBFDBITrOUkteln7YlCAXSqOIyEZ3NaphaueeTYlNO5EbtZWVk_9Om6oOu1MEfickD4dFhbZN2d9ZQhVETSMlYWuo/s320/ignitioncity.jpg" width="207" yya="true" /></a></div>
<br />
1. What do you think Warren Ellis’ inspiration for Ignition City was?<br />
<br />
<br />
2. Ellis has a rather odd relationship with space travel as evidenced by another book club selection, Orbiter. What if any of his space madness did you feel came through in this graphic novel?<br />
<br />
3. A few criticized Ignition City for its slow pace considering that it’s a limited five issue run. Your thoughts?<br />
<br />
4. Female characters in comics: not often well portrayed. How did Mary Raven fare?<br />
<br />
5. Everyone in Ignition City is bummed out all the time because its where “space heroes go to die.” What’s so great about space? Is post-space depression anything like PTSD or readjusting to civilian life in general?<br />
<br />
6. Some say steampunk makes for such a compelling setting that its difficult for the story to thrive and ultimately be more compelling than its own world. Is this the case for Ignition City?<br />
<br />
7. So many people in Ignition City want to abandon Earth and its Kharg-destroyed remnants to get back to space. Isn’t that just giving up? Why aren’t these people trying to better their own surroundings?<br />
<br />
8. Was it ethical for the Marshal to keep Kharg alive in a compound “up North?” Did they really just keep him around to study tech they didn’t understand?<br />
<br />
9. Ignition City is not going to be continued at least for the time being. Do you think the story is ripe for expansion? Would Mary have continued to kick vigilante ass as a marshal?<br />
<br />
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-87353270870034421572013-04-20T08:55:00.000-07:002013-04-29T13:42:33.374-07:00September to December 2013 graphic novel selections<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7-XaUTN-OtzmAPjse0euvFqy9S6Y9Zj8LCU-PkaXvjR_aVtoiSfJDlmIqdyoDdYCWdsyVuN0Ujgjd0uUQbGbTqlV0urGDbT-MIEx2GC1GVZ_XCoJPEhSNLugirCVIuRpynYz1Y9JnuPI/s1600/HAWKEYE2012001_DC11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7-XaUTN-OtzmAPjse0euvFqy9S6Y9Zj8LCU-PkaXvjR_aVtoiSfJDlmIqdyoDdYCWdsyVuN0Ujgjd0uUQbGbTqlV0urGDbT-MIEx2GC1GVZ_XCoJPEhSNLugirCVIuRpynYz1Y9JnuPI/s320/HAWKEYE2012001_DC11.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Here are our potential selections for upcoming graphic novel book clubs! Feel free to recommend any additional selections. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hawkeye vol. 1 by Matt Fraction</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - aka
the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate
Bishop by his side, he's out to prove himself as one of Earth's Mightiest
Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence -
before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won't believe what is on
The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that
spans the globe...and the darkest parts of Hawkeye's mind. Barton and Bishop
mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble...and stealing from the rich
never looked so good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcLB_FnnogzGuIF_bLwEQeyA44hFQNqIcvVfzlUQk8N_F-hrCGqvPCbwWK-_eKNPIMyT5A-AWk1OSDeOXGpRmQScIKaGFp8USbmeFUYhkLI4IEaEGmXpOYX_3KVPZnGXhSNkuirY7c-tE/s1600/sweet-tooth-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcLB_FnnogzGuIF_bLwEQeyA44hFQNqIcvVfzlUQk8N_F-hrCGqvPCbwWK-_eKNPIMyT5A-AWk1OSDeOXGpRmQScIKaGFp8USbmeFUYhkLI4IEaEGmXpOYX_3KVPZnGXhSNkuirY7c-tE/s320/sweet-tooth-01.jpg" width="210" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sweet Tooth series by Jeff Lemire</span></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>
</strong>A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the
story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, has been raised
in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier.
Now, with the death of his father he's left to fend for himself . . . until he
meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus
set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to
find 'The Preserve' a refuge for hybrids. </span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchHUGs2ncWIRjy-ZjaQ91UWGoQNZfHculOa32mT_AcJV-uK8kid7s03b9l2Mo4JREYLpXIIp4tX_D-ZZo6o02Y6ByZYtYsnOcItaDfFa3BjdCtTo_fsCx_lRN61QiYcsi-1MYVyDh1bkg/s1600/new-school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchHUGs2ncWIRjy-ZjaQ91UWGoQNZfHculOa32mT_AcJV-uK8kid7s03b9l2Mo4JREYLpXIIp4tX_D-ZZo6o02Y6ByZYtYsnOcItaDfFa3BjdCtTo_fsCx_lRN61QiYcsi-1MYVyDh1bkg/s320/new-school.jpg" width="247" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">New School by Dash Shaw</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this brand new graphic novel from the acclaimed author of <em>Bottomless
Belly Button</em> and <em>BodyWorld</em>, Dash Shaw dramatizes the story of a
boy moving to an exotic country and his infatuation with an unfamiliar culture
that quickly shifts to disillusionment. A sense of “being different” grows to
alienation, until he angrily blames this once-enchanting land for his feelings
of isolation. All of this is told through the fantastical eyes of young Danny, a
boy growing up in the ’90s fed on dramatic adventure stories like <em>Jurassic
Park</em> and <em>X-Men</em>. Danny’s older brother, Luke, travels to a remote
island to teach English to the employees of ClockWorld, an ambitious new
amusement park that recreates historical events. When Luke doesn’t return after
two years, Danny travels to ClockWorld to convince Luke to return to America.
But Luke has made a new life, new family, and even a new personality for himself
on ClockWorld, rendering him almost unrecognizable to his own brother. Danny
comes of age as he explores the island, ClockWorld, and fights to bring his
brother home. <em>New School</em> is unlike anything in the history of the
comics medium: at once funny and deadly serious, easily readable while wildly
artistic, personal and political, familiar and completely new.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBJOD0e-s_9aW2wHJ8Kl-BUZLP3UXCmtToikSPV7bJGQtGTKsTvMiiB818QZ6vp8fbp4hFTV1L0IPlFEkoPm_hza-ym9g7FNpLkzRJHbioUqX44U4W_EfHBmVMQZ8W0Xwc6cGa8JwUR3d/s1600/unwritten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBJOD0e-s_9aW2wHJ8Kl-BUZLP3UXCmtToikSPV7bJGQtGTKsTvMiiB818QZ6vp8fbp4hFTV1L0IPlFEkoPm_hza-ym9g7FNpLkzRJHbioUqX44U4W_EfHBmVMQZ8W0Xwc6cGa8JwUR3d/s320/unwritten.jpg" width="213" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Unwritten series by Mike Carey</span></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>
</strong>Tom Taylor's life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor
fantasy series, boy-wizard novels with popularity on par with Harry Potter. The
problem is Dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom's real life that
fans are constantly comparing him to his counterpart, turning him into the
lamest variety of Z-level celebrity. In the final novel, it's even implied that
the fictional Tommy will crossover into the real world, giving delusional fans
more excuses to harass Tom. <br /><br />When an enormous scandal reveals that Tom
might really be a boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a very
mysterious, very deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life.
Now, to protect his own life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will
travel the world, eventually finding himself at locations all featured on a very
special map -- one kept by the deadly group that charts places throughout world
history where fictions have impacted and tangibly shaped reality, those stories
ranging from famous literary works to folktales to pop culture. And in the
process of figuring out what it all means, Tom will find himself having to
figure out a huge conspiracy mystery that spans the entirety of the history of
fiction</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jp8PBPWnDeTy8a4j_ROJ1GkkhwyBGUSkV0GdsUhTgVxonY4U4lMiOwzhMFQ3m375PGTxWpoS8RGRZc_Lrgaxx0nmQL-hMQ3RX6vi2OXRBInJZzIqsj8vBhbkAgAoqu1MMRnGzqNFIV-z/s1600/EdtheHappyClown_cover-380x493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jp8PBPWnDeTy8a4j_ROJ1GkkhwyBGUSkV0GdsUhTgVxonY4U4lMiOwzhMFQ3m375PGTxWpoS8RGRZc_Lrgaxx0nmQL-hMQ3RX6vi2OXRBInJZzIqsj8vBhbkAgAoqu1MMRnGzqNFIV-z/s320/EdtheHappyClown_cover-380x493.jpg" width="246" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ed the Happy Clown by Chester Brown</span></strong></div>
<div>
In the late 1980s, the idiosyncratic Chester Brown (author of the
muchlauded <i>Paying for It </i>and <i>Louis Riel</i>) began writing the cult
classic comic book series <i>Yummy Fur</i>. Within its pages, he serialized the
groundbreaking <i>Ed the Happy Clown</i>, revealing a macabre universe of
parallel dimensions. Thanks to its wholly original yet disturbing story lines,
<i>Ed </i>set the stage for Brown to become a world-renowned cartoonist.
<br />
<br />
<i>Ed the Happy Clown </i>is a hallucinatory tale that functions
simultaneously as a dark roller-coaster ride of criminal activity and a scathing
condemnation of religious and political charlatanism. As the world around him
devolves into madness, the eponymous Ed escapes variously from a jealous
boyfriend, sewer monsters, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and a janitor with
a Jesus complex. Brown leaves us wondering, with every twist of the plot, just
how Ed will get out of this scrape. <br />
<br />
The intimate, tangled world of <i>Ed
the Happy Clown </i>is definitively presented here, repackaged with a new
foreword by the author and an extensive notes section, and is, like every Brown
book, astonishingly perceptive about the zeitgeist of its
time.
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Punk Rock Jesus by Sean Murphy</span></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbjvGvlcVXlchb52r5dO7QRwJbzmgX6HTjIGb9fVuftMdkqKm3vYdGzTROG9q-buLA-JWHHce0IIx4awofHx5H9kbEAHzVaRcf78HvTCTPRLEHngRUZ6Nz6-CP1f6URopjHjqK6WWw078/s1600/PRJ_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbjvGvlcVXlchb52r5dO7QRwJbzmgX6HTjIGb9fVuftMdkqKm3vYdGzTROG9q-buLA-JWHHce0IIx4awofHx5H9kbEAHzVaRcf78HvTCTPRLEHngRUZ6Nz6-CP1f6URopjHjqK6WWw078/s320/PRJ_1.jpg" width="207" /></a>A reality TV show starring a clone of Jesus Christ causes chaos across the U.S.
of the near future in PUNK ROCK JESUS, a new graphic novel written and drawn by
Sean Murphy, the acclaimed illustrator of JOE THE BARBARIAN and
AMERICAN VAMPIRE.<br />
<br />
J2 causes both outrage and adulation. Religious zealots
either love or hate the show, angry politicians worry about its influence on the
nation, and members of the scientific community fear the implications of cloning
a human being at all, let alone the Son of God.<br />
<br />
Thomas McKael is the
clones's bodyguard and former IRA operative, who despite his turbulent past is
hired to protect the new Jesus—a baby who captivates the world, but grows up to
become an angry teenager.<br />
<br />
When falling ratings force the network to cut
Jesus's mother from the series the young star runs away, renounces his
religious heritage and forms a punk rock band. And what starts off as
babysitting for Thomas becomes an epic battle, as Jesus goes to war against the
corporate media complex that created him.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mnPIesC5ep-IJF6Oa7sEx-TAqgW3lcVKknl_ZH8GfywJy0L9W9xj-GVhlnHBgn0qE6OO_iHWalguMyzag6UKgkCsNSl6NK41WjE5MjqCDy05obSgymwjqqusjaH42Y7OCFnh98H-ZWAt/s1600/hellblazer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mnPIesC5ep-IJF6Oa7sEx-TAqgW3lcVKknl_ZH8GfywJy0L9W9xj-GVhlnHBgn0qE6OO_iHWalguMyzag6UKgkCsNSl6NK41WjE5MjqCDy05obSgymwjqqusjaH42Y7OCFnh98H-ZWAt/s320/hellblazer.jpg" width="206" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">John Constantine, Hellblazer vol. 1: Original Sins by Jamie
Delano</span></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
The very first Hellblazer collection ORIGINAL SINS is available in a new edition
that includes John <br />
Constantine’s appearances in SWAMP THING. This is the first
of a series of new HELLBLAZER editions starring Vertigo’s longest running
antihero, John Constantine, England’s chain-smoking, low-rent magus.
<br />
<br />
This first collection is a loosely connected series of tales of John’s early
years where Constantine was at his best and at his worst, all at the same time.</div>
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Manhattan Projects vol. 1 by Jonathan Hickman</span></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfmF6Gqrr3UB-STI-MzT75YMclv3qXG2fJgOB6z5e1ORjspZo8CBdncv7UdDjZKemEWTcZjqf9Vqn1srLUP1hjHYWBD685xPaaYWJgMI2Ewa8lw8KR7mXxQYrilXoUytLeTlrBE0WzY4K/s1600/manhattan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfmF6Gqrr3UB-STI-MzT75YMclv3qXG2fJgOB6z5e1ORjspZo8CBdncv7UdDjZKemEWTcZjqf9Vqn1srLUP1hjHYWBD685xPaaYWJgMI2Ewa8lw8KR7mXxQYrilXoUytLeTlrBE0WzY4K/s320/manhattan.jpg" width="213" /></a><span id="freeTextContainer12890235080382792004">What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs?<br /><br />Collecting the coolest new series of the year into one super science package.</span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Heads or Tails by Lilli Carre</span></strong></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65td_t-wJEy4rb4mBc28sHdij0gKPWtoEK3MQphKgRqj_Wan6hZPzN0QqxybNFbVD5p4oaqXyTBe3bXxiiCJudz2wvr7tW1x0izmMapNdiUigXEUA7A4CpdvAcvOVmEVxvTgB8_7PcB2Y/s1600/01_Lilli_Caree_HeadsOrTails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65td_t-wJEy4rb4mBc28sHdij0gKPWtoEK3MQphKgRqj_Wan6hZPzN0QqxybNFbVD5p4oaqXyTBe3bXxiiCJudz2wvr7tW1x0izmMapNdiUigXEUA7A4CpdvAcvOVmEVxvTgB8_7PcB2Y/s320/01_Lilli_Caree_HeadsOrTails.jpg" width="244" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>
</strong>The creator of 2008’s acclaimed graphic novel <em>The Lagoon</em> — named to
many annual critics’ lists including <em>Publishers Weekly</em> and <em>USA
Today’s Pop Candy</em> — is back with a stunningly designed and packaged
collection of some of the most poetic and confident short fiction being produced
in comics today. Carré’s elegant short stories read like the gothic, family
narratives of Flannery O’Connor or Carson McCullers, but told visually. Poetic
rhythms — a coin flip, a circling ferris wheel — are punctuated by elements of
melancholy fantasy pushed forward by character-driven, naturalistic dialogue.
The stories in <em>Heads Or Tails</em> display a virtuosic breadth of visual
styles and color palettes, each in perfect service of the story, and range from
experimental one-pagers to short masterpieces like “The Thing About Madeline”
(featured in <em>The Best American Comics 2008</em>), to graphic novellas like
“The Carnival” (featured in David Sedaris’ and Dave Eggers’ 2010 <em>Best
American Nonrequired Reading</em>, originally published in <em>MOME</em>). Yes</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsZxMwYYx-AksURUDI64_5QOZLbxC7kZ5gJMRMOQCkTxdtg4s517AeuYT2Q5UxYh2AWfxgCdoHzlvQHpb2o-_0nh2nJ-5GW-NumEu2WWkXAlpI23Lj_T8HF-eL_anKeAohKLkI8fajnOE/s1600/private+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsZxMwYYx-AksURUDI64_5QOZLbxC7kZ5gJMRMOQCkTxdtg4s517AeuYT2Q5UxYh2AWfxgCdoHzlvQHpb2o-_0nh2nJ-5GW-NumEu2WWkXAlpI23Lj_T8HF-eL_anKeAohKLkI8fajnOE/s320/private+eye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://panelsyndicate.com/">The Private Eye by Brian K Vaughan (digital only)</a></span></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Our first new storyline is THE PRIVATE EYE, a forward-looking mystery we created with colorist Muntsa Vicente. Set in a future where privacy is considered a sacred right and everyone has a secret identity, The Private Eye is a serialized sci-fi detective story for mature readers.<br />
<br />
<strong>NOTE: This graphic novel is digital only, if we select this, all book clubbers need consistent internet access, a tablet, or another form of computer to be able to read the comic.</strong> <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWhRa4Q_YgtF3bCYa28aCWI0gA98fE09BC8Yh_RYxS2s8SoTYv05TnTTPytNZof_q_Fm6D7yvTZYWkbaYxqa7ZFIIE_kJw3fnCdJi3SjSok1-c2Umk94y9mHmoCLwt2Xlygf1t9THWGi1/s1600/GirlGeniusOmnibus-660x992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWhRa4Q_YgtF3bCYa28aCWI0gA98fE09BC8Yh_RYxS2s8SoTYv05TnTTPytNZof_q_Fm6D7yvTZYWkbaYxqa7ZFIIE_kJw3fnCdJi3SjSok1-c2Umk94y9mHmoCLwt2Xlygf1t9THWGi1/s320/GirlGeniusOmnibus-660x992.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<strong>Girl Genius Omnibus vol. 1: Agatha Awakens by Phil and Kaja Foglio</strong><br />
<br />
<div>
The Industrial Revolution has become all-out war! Mad Scientists, gifted
with the Spark of genius, unleash insane inventions on an unprepared Europe. For
centuries, the Heterodyne family of inventors kept the peace, but the last
Heterodyne disappeared twenty years ago, leaving their ally Baron Klaus
Wulfenbach to maintain order with his fleet of airships and army of unstoppable,
if not very bright, Jaeger Monsters.</div>
<br />
<div>
At Transylvania Polygnostic University, Agatha Clay dreams of being a
scientist herself, but her trouble concentrating dooms her to be a lowly minion
at best. When her locket, a family heirloom, is stolen, Agatha shows signs of
having the Spark in a spectacular, destructive fashion and captures the
attention of the Baron—and the Baron’s handsome young son, Gilgamesh.</div>
<br />
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkfcaSo1ns69lVE65yVFQJK3MYVgYbDh13vg2JxlJb86DG209VAGKxr8Li_SBPRk41TAXkjwP8b-_IuVDWsaw2zFVbNPzNkRQHwN38mEeUgPAxLroDQpaFz4X9NecoVkvaAA3X7UIG-6s/s1600/One-Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkfcaSo1ns69lVE65yVFQJK3MYVgYbDh13vg2JxlJb86DG209VAGKxr8Li_SBPRk41TAXkjwP8b-_IuVDWsaw2zFVbNPzNkRQHwN38mEeUgPAxLroDQpaFz4X9NecoVkvaAA3X7UIG-6s/s320/One-Soul.jpg" width="208" /></a>Swept up to the Baron's Airship City, Agatha finds herself in the midst of
the greatest minds of her generation, as well as palace intrigue, dashing
heroes, and an imperial cat. Agatha may be the most brilliant mind of her
generation and the key to control of the continent, but first, she just has to
survive.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<strong>One Soul by Ray Fawkes</strong></div>
<div>
<strong></strong> </div>
<div>
Eighteen individuals throughout history whose entire lives unfold
simultaneously. Comprised entirely of double page spreads split into eighteen
panels with each panel featuring one character's life, cartoonist Ray Fawkes has
artfully crafted eighteen linear stories into one non-linear masterpiece.
Nominated for the 2012 Eisner Award in the "Graphic Album: New" category.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<strong>Stumptown vol. 1 by Greg Rucka</strong></div>
<div>
<strong></strong> </div>
<div>
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<div>
Dex is the proprietor of Stumptown Investigations, and a fairly talented
P.I. Unfortunately, she's less adept at throwing dice than solving cases. Her
recent streak has left her beyond broke - she's into the Confederated Tribes of
the Wind Coast for 18 large. But maybe Dex's luck is about to change. Sue-Lynne,
head of the Wind Coast's casino operation, will clear Dex' debt if she can
locate Sue-Lynne's missing granddaughter. But is this job Dex's way out of the
hole or a shove down one much much deeper?</div>
</div>
</div>
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Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-74911432375317211092013-04-20T08:34:00.001-07:002013-04-20T08:34:36.296-07:00Saga vol. 1 by Brian K. VaughanDescribed by critics as <em>A Game of Thrones </em>meets <em>Star Wars</em> meets <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> Brian K. Vaughan's new series <em>Saga </em>tells a story of two lovers from warring factions who have brought a child into the world. They meet and overcome strangers and dangers in the unique fantasy/science fiction world in which they live. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRRoRLEeVv577LbYFKxR7h0XEXbw_tznStZfOofXazNg4Pnp7ft0eaEmKWlcjs0Nx0D9YTfyJWoPZUxn8N2hsTRQerjTT72h3_YXRznlxolWcw0j4T7vfs-PPCpaJCgDIpDokCU-WpY6p/s1600/Saga01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRRoRLEeVv577LbYFKxR7h0XEXbw_tznStZfOofXazNg4Pnp7ft0eaEmKWlcjs0Nx0D9YTfyJWoPZUxn8N2hsTRQerjTT72h3_YXRznlxolWcw0j4T7vfs-PPCpaJCgDIpDokCU-WpY6p/s400/Saga01.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saga</i>’s world can seem like a mishmash of
sci-fi and fantasy elements what with the Godzilla monsters and TV headed men
and wooden spaceships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it come
together as a cohesive and thought out setting?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
with the TV headed folks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there
symbolism there or is it weird for the sake of weird?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saga </i>is told from the perspective of
Marko and Alana’s child who points out at the end of one chapter that she will
be safe as long as she is with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Doesn’t this remove the suspense of the story since you know they’ll
turn out okay?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
central conflicts of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saga </i>is between
the “horns” and the “wings.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is Vaughan
using this story as an anti-war and anti-racism mouthpiece or is there more to
it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does this
story deliver on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>meets <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet </i>meets <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Game of Thrones</i> feel as early
reviewers deemed it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Narration
has been considered an outdated storytelling technique in comics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thought bubbles and narration hearken back to
the days of bad 90s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">X-Men</i>
comics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does Vaughan do with
narration in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saga</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
the significance of the cursive written narration in their juxtaposition with
pretty images?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vaughan
chose to publish with Image because he can own the rights to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saga’s</i> story and never have it turned
into a film or TV show or anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
you agree with his thoughts that this story should say within comics
pages?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does this communicate about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Y the Last Man’s</i> struggles with film?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do
you predict The Will might do in future issues?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Team up with Marko and Alana?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hunt them mercilessly in a game of (lying) cat and mouse?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</o:p> </span>Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-37980712730424572532013-03-14T15:39:00.002-07:002013-03-15T10:07:41.855-07:00Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EDIZs6GXfUwRrj87vXjjZIy3oxWY2yx49n2yb_0M7ctNfBtauAVEABQAUNWj0b9-VneXFygvoISkSjpZVurO__abYktYGMDw2VBldQRovIueD3bqpyP3enehQ8YYVVxYjRsmW5IGhyphenhyphenkL/s1600/Fun-Home-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EDIZs6GXfUwRrj87vXjjZIy3oxWY2yx49n2yb_0M7ctNfBtauAVEABQAUNWj0b9-VneXFygvoISkSjpZVurO__abYktYGMDw2VBldQRovIueD3bqpyP3enehQ8YYVVxYjRsmW5IGhyphenhyphenkL/s320/Fun-Home-00.jpg" width="211" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were long overdue to read <i>Fun Home </i>by Alison Bechdel. A veritable cornucopia of favorable reviews and academic essays have been written on this highly literary memoir about a father and daughter's experiences with sexual identity, loss, and companionship. In the vein of the comic, here are some high-brow questions for you to consider:</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1.
Alison Bechdel thanks her family for not “trying to stop her from
writing this book.” What effect do you think this had on the Bechdel
family? Why do you think Ms. Bechdel wrote it?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2.
The Bechdels are obviously an academic family, performing in plays and
reading the classics. Did you find the allusions to classic literature
jarring? </span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2b. Alison writes in reaction to the allusions: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I
employ these allusions to James and Fitzgerald not only as descriptive
devices, but because my parents are most real to me in fictional terms.
And perhaps my cool aesthetic distance itself does more to convey the
arctic climate of our family than any particular literary comparison."</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3.
Did knowing the sexual identity confusion and emotional hardships that
Alison’s father Bruce went through justify his actions or his demeanor?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Do you think Bruce Bechdel committed suicide? Why?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5.
Alison and her father were inversions of each other, opposites. How
did this affect their relationship early in life and later in life?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6.
Alison questions if her own coming out was one of the factors leading
to her father’s suicide. She was open in her sexuality, he was clearly
closed. Do you think this was the case? What conflict would this have
caused?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7.
People found Alison’s reaction to her father’s death inappropriate.
Why couldn’t she mourn properly? What is proper mourning?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8.
Alison clearly used primary materials and even posed for each human
drawing for each panel in the entire book. What does this say about her
creative process?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9. Alison’s brush with OCD seemed to be the odd chapter out in the book. Why was this part included?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">10. Did you find yourself asking “are people actually like this?” Do you think the Bechdel family are incredibly unique?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11. Bechdel is known for The Bechdel Test: a test that is used to “identify gender bias in fiction. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A
work passes the test if it features at least two women who talk to each
other about something other than a man.” Many films and works of
literature do not pass the test. Does <i>Fun Home</i>?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">12. The reality that Bruce Bechdel could have been accused and convicted of pedophilia and adultery seems to be glossed over. Why?</span>Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-74754688362596724012013-02-21T15:33:00.000-08:002013-03-14T15:33:22.307-07:00Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y8KXWaf2LbNlnQSUb47D2h9nss2bSmNf2MK4sw29WrJFMVB2nlQV2X52B5cPIdQLkYAJTrToAY27Bm3tiumnIPiwunaUJKjeK7xmDztUyCQ3w1jlBcDXfRjjrCJiDvFgv0xUruMZ-RrW/s1600/green+river.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y8KXWaf2LbNlnQSUb47D2h9nss2bSmNf2MK4sw29WrJFMVB2nlQV2X52B5cPIdQLkYAJTrToAY27Bm3tiumnIPiwunaUJKjeK7xmDztUyCQ3w1jlBcDXfRjjrCJiDvFgv0xUruMZ-RrW/s320/green+river.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>
<i>Green River Killer: A True Detective Story</i> is a departure from average true crime books and even books about the Green River Killer. Based on Jeff Jensen's father's life of hunting down the Green River Killer, this graphic novel contains a much different and perhaps more disturbing portrayal of a rather mundane man who killed dozens of women. <br />
<br />
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1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What were your
expectations going in reading this graphic novel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were they met?</div>
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2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gary Ridgeway
turns out to be a pretty mundane guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What were you expecting?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
were the detectives expecting?</div>
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3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After reading this
graphic novel, what in your professional opinion drove Ridgeway to kill?</div>
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4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tom Jensen’s son,
Jeff, wrote this graphic novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does
his relationship change the narrative?</div>
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5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why was the
graphic novel medium chosen for this story?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why not just make it a true crime mass market paperback?</div>
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6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
significance of Tom Jensen’s smoking habits?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His affinity for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock Holmes</i>?</div>
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<br /></div>
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7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s your
opinion on the manhunt style shows that were satirized in this graphic novel
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wizzywig</i>?</div>
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8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does
Ridgeway’s forgetfulness about his murders say about him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do all mass serial killers forget about their
killings?</div>
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9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did Ridgeway
justify his actions?</div>
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10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tom Jensen hunted
Ridgeway for the entirety of his career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you think it was worth it in the end?</div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-22145346390507400452013-01-17T09:45:00.001-08:002013-01-17T09:45:27.439-08:00Wizzywig by Ed Piskor<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://secure.giantrobot.com/images/wizzywig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" jea="true" src="http://secure.giantrobot.com/images/wizzywig.jpg" width="230" /></a><em>Wizzywig</em> is a semiautobiographical graphic novel following Kevin "boingthump" Phenicle through his hacking odyssey that sees him making free long distance phone calls by whistling the perfect pitch to fighting the media's overblown and fatalistic portrayal of hackers.</div>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
1. Since Piskor portrays Kevin evenly with no leaning towards innocent or guilty, what are your thoughts on Kevin's fate and demeanor? Is he a guilty sociopath? Innocent nerd victim?</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
</div>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
2. In the last twenty years, the FBI has had to adapt to computer terrorism and hacking. Do you think those who perpetrate these crimes should be punished on the same scale as drug or gun crimes? How would you measure the scope of a computer crime? </div>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
3. Much of Wizzywig's plot focuses on the media bias on hacking. Describe said bias.</div>
<br />
4. How has internet culture changed since its beginnings portrayed in Wizzywig?<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
5. Explain Kevin's social skills and demeanor. How do people react to him?</div>
<br />
6. Is hacking a truly victimless crime? Is piracy? Is stealing or tampering with a huge corporation's material all that amoral?<br />
<br />
7. Modern hacking groups like Anonymous shut down government and religious websites in protest to what they perceive to be heinous actions. What are your thoughts on cyber vigilantism?<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
8. Should the internet be regulated?<br />
<br />
9. Kevin seems to keep falling into amoral ways of making money: pirating games, helping that pimp with the phone number, et cetera. However, he preaches living an honest life bartending and paying taxes. Is he conflicted? What's with this hypocrisy?Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-43990652526163454422012-12-27T14:25:00.000-08:002013-01-09T10:01:22.872-08:00Graphic Novel Book Club Selections May through August 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTic22CY9ua-2Kovj-2QlZLWeh65Vz1uDRAXNnXavXzYCLxMENr4JUq0UtJGHyirtaQEqru0zuugQMLvn2KqsxhEVVUq-RA5G_HQHHH1SXpu3CaEwx6hH6lCqriQPud8gMKKXrkDXoGqcJ/s1600/mother+come+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTic22CY9ua-2Kovj-2QlZLWeh65Vz1uDRAXNnXavXzYCLxMENr4JUq0UtJGHyirtaQEqru0zuugQMLvn2KqsxhEVVUq-RA5G_HQHHH1SXpu3CaEwx6hH6lCqriQPud8gMKKXrkDXoGqcJ/s320/mother+come+home.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
Hi all, it's that time again to choose your semi distant future reading selections for the club. Here are nine of my personal selections, we need to narrow them down to four. By all means, let me know if you'd like to add your own selections.
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b><br />
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mother Come Home </i>by
Paul Hornschemeier</b>
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Mother, Come Home quietly studies the inner lives of
recently widowed David and his 7-year-old son, Thomas. Thomas struggles
desperately to keep up appearances while his father, a professor of symbolic
logic, becomes lost in abstractions. Father and son begin to retreat into their
fantasies, but only one emerges. Mother, Come Home is masterfully drawn:
Eisner-, Harvey-and Ignatz-Award-nominated Hornschemeier's controlled brushwork
is clean, and his nine-panel page layouts pace David's inexorable descent into
utter despair. Hornschemeier is equally precise when it comes to Mother, Come
Home's color palette: subdued but warm, which suits the story's melancholy and
contemplative mode. Mother, Come Home is a powerful work, and, because of its
universal themes of anguish and loss, has resonance beyond its core audience of
alternative-comics readers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLogHXRGo_4EvKvcbPrkhRxLXKFIZeRFEzNLkqtP7MXWk94YtgoGfjZCshx8EWgDKv9qq9Ng9PCLakSf_-9gkb-3PoxTg0p9LZMO6LfOu3hOri4pOOp_fSr2iN3g1j51N1-Q_DFGXWBAf/s1600/preacher_comic_book_cover_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLogHXRGo_4EvKvcbPrkhRxLXKFIZeRFEzNLkqtP7MXWk94YtgoGfjZCshx8EWgDKv9qq9Ng9PCLakSf_-9gkb-3PoxTg0p9LZMO6LfOu3hOri4pOOp_fSr2iN3g1j51N1-Q_DFGXWBAf/s320/preacher_comic_book_cover_01.jpg" width="208" /></a> </div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Preacher </i>series by
Garth Ennis</b></div>
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Jesse Custer begins a violent and riotous journey across the
country joined by his girlfriend Tulip and the hard-drinking Irish vampire
Cassidy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-m86-NQgDa3SFp3L9Wvznb1IqQs7uTKiSCSBgpQMoVAtLlxpP2r2rE9d6Rh3y5b_5nV8ULECfvxMhDmrnoAg6EL1BtG-mbw26fWE6Yjl5rq8JQML43tzydJ2N6hhbpWi1rMumThENCRQc/s1600/250px-RASL_Teaser_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-m86-NQgDa3SFp3L9Wvznb1IqQs7uTKiSCSBgpQMoVAtLlxpP2r2rE9d6Rh3y5b_5nV8ULECfvxMhDmrnoAg6EL1BtG-mbw26fWE6Yjl5rq8JQML43tzydJ2N6hhbpWi1rMumThENCRQc/s320/250px-RASL_Teaser_Cover.jpg" width="224" /></a> </div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RASL </i>series by
Jeff Smith </b></div>
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Cartoon Books proudly presents Jeff Smith's new adventure
series, RASL - a stark, sci-fi series about a dimension-jumping art thief, a
man unplugged from the world who races through space and time searching for his
next big score - and trying to escape his past. In this first of three graphic
novels, Rasl faces an assassin's bullet and stumbles across a mystery that not
only threatens to expose his own illicit activities, but could also uncover one
of the world's most dangerous and sought after secrets!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi384PG-RN5td_2wgWO5MKW21u2zqNZUL6eFwBQM7n_ALX9zn2oqLcbSzRCLfhy-fpoKmdIf6NfDgW2aQt81wPw-qUsh60yVvUIyRfCYPSGtoXRWppT5_Yj6p_KMUo1PqVreP7FbZcC0UgZ/s1600/01_Lilli_Caree_HeadsOrTails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi384PG-RN5td_2wgWO5MKW21u2zqNZUL6eFwBQM7n_ALX9zn2oqLcbSzRCLfhy-fpoKmdIf6NfDgW2aQt81wPw-qUsh60yVvUIyRfCYPSGtoXRWppT5_Yj6p_KMUo1PqVreP7FbZcC0UgZ/s320/01_Lilli_Caree_HeadsOrTails.jpg" width="244" /></a><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heads or Tails </i>by
Lilli Carre</b></div>
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The creator of 2008’s acclaimed graphic novel <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Lagoon</span></i> — named to many annual
critics’ lists including <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Publishers Weekly</span></i>
and <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">USA Today’s Pop Candy</span></i> — is back
with a stunningly designed and packaged collection of some of the most poetic
and confident short fiction being produced in comics today. Carré’s elegant
short stories read like the gothic, family narratives of Flannery O’Connor or
Carson McCullers, but told visually. Poetic rhythms — a coin flip, a circling
ferris wheel — are punctuated by elements of melancholy fantasy pushed forward
by character-driven, naturalistic dialogue. The stories in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Heads Or Tails</span></i> display a virtuosic
breadth of visual styles and color palettes, each in perfect service of the
story, and range from experimental one-pagers to short masterpieces like “The
Thing About Madeline” (featured in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Best American Comics 2008</span></i>),
to graphic novellas like “The Carnival” (featured in David Sedaris’ and Dave
Eggers’ 2010 <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Best American Nonrequired Reading</span></i>,
originally published in <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">MOME</span></i>).</div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">50 Girls 50 </i>and
Other Stories by Frank Frazetta and Al Williamson</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqlmZT5NYqPvSG1yiraUOsOv0noHEFTPiDC5EqSBtRnShArwanT-H_ZjdSELgi-3HUtVxVJ_LFzN1Da8fk5izH75UCHOIJh2f-wI1WNVGx-oj5pAu8ODqJwnkPGu_Mwf6b7VyVCVT8u2w/s1600/50+girls+50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqlmZT5NYqPvSG1yiraUOsOv0noHEFTPiDC5EqSBtRnShArwanT-H_ZjdSELgi-3HUtVxVJ_LFzN1Da8fk5izH75UCHOIJh2f-wI1WNVGx-oj5pAu8ODqJwnkPGu_Mwf6b7VyVCVT8u2w/s1600/50+girls+50.jpg" /></a>Barely old enough to drink when he joined the EC Comics
stable, Al Williamson may have been the new kid on the block, but a lifetime of
studying such classic adventure cartoonists as Alex Raymond (<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Flash Gordon</span></i>) and Hal Foster (<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Prince Valiant</span></i>) had made him a kid
to reckon with — as he proved again and again in the stories he created for
EC’s legendary “New Trend” comics, in particular <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Weird
Science</span></i> and <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Weird Fantasy</span></i>. As
a result of Williamson’s focus, it’s possible to compile all of Williamson’s
“New Trend” EC work into one book — which Fantagraphics is finally doing here.
Sci-fi aficionados should note that although most of the stories were written
by Al Feldstein, <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50 Girls 50</span></i>
features three of EC’s legendary Ray Bradbury adaptations, including “I,
Rocket” and “A Sound of Thunder” — and a unique curiosity, a strip adapted from
a short story submitted by a teenage Harlan Ellison. Williamson ran with a gang
of like-minded young Turks dubbed the “Fleagle Gang,” who would help one another
out on assignments. Thus this book includes three stories upon which Williamson
was joined by the legendary Frank Frazetta, and one story (“Food for Thought”)
where Roy Krenkel provided his exquisite alien landscapes, to make it one of
the most gorgeous EC stories ever printed. As a supplementary bonus, <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50 Girls 50 </span></i>includes three stories
drawn by Fleagles sans Williamson: Frazetta’s <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Shock
SuspenStories</span></i> short “Squeeze Play”; Krenkel’s meticulous “Time to
Leave”; and Angelo Torres’s “An Eye for an Eye,” an EC story that famously fell
prey to censorship and was not released until the 1970s. As with other
Fantagraphics EC titles, <i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">50 Girls 50</span></i> will
also include extensive story notes by EC experts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU7TUdl9M4YnjkFVO7lHLySfE8Lbhcscf0T3ylO9heGQZnYw-Q9TmwDCQCSmQ6B55vk1z8PdTg5JWBAuWkVIksqUq4Vd7frho6hDS7ikGv4ugxaUZRcHm-QKuSxwcBIrjMJhEdqouKoth/s1600/beta+testing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpU7TUdl9M4YnjkFVO7lHLySfE8Lbhcscf0T3ylO9heGQZnYw-Q9TmwDCQCSmQ6B55vk1z8PdTg5JWBAuWkVIksqUq4Vd7frho6hDS7ikGv4ugxaUZRcHm-QKuSxwcBIrjMJhEdqouKoth/s320/beta+testing.jpg" width="229" /></a> </div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beta Testing the
Apocalypse</i> by Tom Kaczynski</b></div>
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<i>Beta Testing</i> includes approximately 10 short stories, most notably
“The New,” a brand new story created expressly for this book. It’s Kaczynski’s
longest story to date. “The New” is set in an un-named third-world megalopolis.
It could be Dhaka, Lagos or Mumbai. The city creaks under the pressure of
explosive growth. Whole districts are built in a week. The story follows an
internationally renowned starchitect as he struggles to impose his vision on
the metropolis. A vision threatened by the massive dispossessed
slum-proletariat inhabiting the slums and favelas on the edges of the city.
From the fetid ferment of garbage dumps and shanties emerges a new feral architecture.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman and the Court
of Owls</i> vol. 1 by Scott Snyder</b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qCLE7HLUBpCK9bhOffDnrvhhvDK3_TscCh4zujSH5Qd18UKj_ozXxfOrw48OPfrVMgA9hyphenhyphen79yta7mo805egF1ovrQ_hzWdl3fk3rE_tJBhxWizwyYDr1Cv38cI530yUaZIRbKYH10K_i/s1600/batman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qCLE7HLUBpCK9bhOffDnrvhhvDK3_TscCh4zujSH5Qd18UKj_ozXxfOrw48OPfrVMgA9hyphenhyphen79yta7mo805egF1ovrQ_hzWdl3fk3rE_tJBhxWizwyYDr1Cv38cI530yUaZIRbKYH10K_i/s320/batman.jpg" width="215" /></a>After a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, Batman
begins to realize that perhaps these crimes go far deeper than appearances
suggest. As the Caped Crusader begins to unravel this deadly mystery, he
discovers a conspiracy going back to his youth and beyond to the origins of the
city he's sworn to protect. Could the Court of Owls, once thought to be nothing
more than an urban legend, be behind the crime and corruption? Or is Bruce
Wayne losing his grip on sanity and falling prey to the pressures of his war on
crime?</div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sweet Tooth </i>series
by Jeff Lemire (August)</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn71PQvl0lCB7N0cAGtmQzUCPQ6josdgOd5icDmTHqjaHPBGQdO-MQ9r84mTskHtRKko6ykbNWduM5lh0aT40mmIcBQY4ptvBYguAqkl5gsfCqn0c9Un77-cC3r-98gHWVMBJHepDbIMt/s1600/sweet+tooth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn71PQvl0lCB7N0cAGtmQzUCPQ6josdgOd5icDmTHqjaHPBGQdO-MQ9r84mTskHtRKko6ykbNWduM5lh0aT40mmIcBQY4ptvBYguAqkl5gsfCqn0c9Un77-cC3r-98gHWVMBJHepDbIMt/s320/sweet+tooth.jpg" width="210" /></a>A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, SWEET
TOOTH tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children,
has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a
decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father he's left to fend for himself
. . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him.
Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated
American landscape to find 'The Preserve' a refuge for hybrids. (series
finishes with its sixth trade in June 2013)</div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sandman Mystery
Theatre </i>series by Matt Wagner</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggJ4tPLvbayp87Yommw0gBVV9TIfTkzkdjv8N0iPSz3yk4J21aHe8RgNWG24zurOJS4Uokhuk2BWSatO4hCGMHO9gTuPWdwjBya5blSXdnwqPdDqPYTOREpqTK6hmt5M0RuwHWq-41Qly/s1600/SandmanMysteryTheaterTarant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggJ4tPLvbayp87Yommw0gBVV9TIfTkzkdjv8N0iPSz3yk4J21aHe8RgNWG24zurOJS4Uokhuk2BWSatO4hCGMHO9gTuPWdwjBya5blSXdnwqPdDqPYTOREpqTK6hmt5M0RuwHWq-41Qly/s320/SandmanMysteryTheaterTarant.jpg" width="209" /></a>The hero of <i>Sandman Mystery Theatre</i> shares little
more than a moniker with Neil Gaiman's Sandman, star of one of the most
successful graphic novel series ever, but those who prefer the down and dirty
to the airy and fantastic may also prefer <i>SMT</i>, which features the
comics' original Sandman, millionaire Wesley Dodds, who, clad in trench coat
and gas mask and armed with sleep-inducing gas, fought criminals in the 1940s.
Wagner backtracks Dodds to pre-World War II New York City and models Dodds'
adventures less on superhero comics than on 1930s pulp magazines. He and
cowriter Steven T. Seagle create twisted crime stories--the arc this volume
collects involves a series of grisly murders--that Guy Davis illustrates by
expertly evoking the period looks of the pulps. <i>SMT</i> story lines are far
franker than their 1930s inspirations. This one depicts, besides the killings,
a circle of lesbian lovers, and the dialogue is R-rated. Although it hasn't
matched the popularity of Gaiman's creation, <i>SMT</i> is one of the most
successful revivals of a vintage costumed crime fighter.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOhXCJpyX1Hl0aL5AJySKPE8X5zFTDutfvv1Z1WtTMlDFn_TYLT6lPJlBVUVKtsJMPNDmlw-Q-DnXktz21h0i7TzOu2TFCWe4IFWWgxTiuT1CA9MfKSJ_J9DOcsuq7KEY0ZKAdb-lgGFE/s1600/hawkeye.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOhXCJpyX1Hl0aL5AJySKPE8X5zFTDutfvv1Z1WtTMlDFn_TYLT6lPJlBVUVKtsJMPNDmlw-Q-DnXktz21h0i7TzOu2TFCWe4IFWWgxTiuT1CA9MfKSJ_J9DOcsuq7KEY0ZKAdb-lgGFE/s320/hawkeye.png" width="211" /></a><br />
<b>Hawkeye vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction</b><br />
<br />
The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint
Barton - aka the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With
ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to prove himself as
one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a
packet of incriminating evidence - before he becomes the most wanted man
in the world. You won't believe what is on The Tape! What is the
Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the
globe...and the darkest parts of Hawkeye's mind. Barton and Bishop mean
double the Hawkeye and double the trouble...and stealing from the rich
never looked so good.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpYGs3X35MLArLhk9aWwImklXm9GQMX2t0zxbG0noUSHjsPhKYXLBB6qjZL3YK6qoyvNiUoxt_-c2aRcPGH1ZvGj3-VOTc-XE1kJnpw0HyD8iLrW62nn8cqEF4vVMvF5ZRewUrtqOitiJ/s1600/batgirl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpYGs3X35MLArLhk9aWwImklXm9GQMX2t0zxbG0noUSHjsPhKYXLBB6qjZL3YK6qoyvNiUoxt_-c2aRcPGH1ZvGj3-VOTc-XE1kJnpw0HyD8iLrW62nn8cqEF4vVMvF5ZRewUrtqOitiJ/s320/batgirl.JPG" width="218" /></a><br />
<b>Batgirl vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection by Gail Simone</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The nightmare-inducing brute known as Mirror is destroying the lives of
Gotham City citizens seemingly at random. Will Barbara be able to
survive her explosive confrontation with this new villain, as well as
facing dark secrets from her past? A new chapter in the riveting
adventures of Batgirl continue in stunning fashion, with script by
fan-favorite Gail Simone and stellar art by superstar Ardian Syaf!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPluN4zY8n7ZyUfSJyE9oJAFLoZoji1ZJs87bPJyqO-vzYh-P1ProVIH46onFo8XSJBe4ARPC-WGQVS1gJR0cM94_8IpY_k420WmM7_ghLdYzqNkVBXjAJj6pI-Iq7KNEXLZ6fDduBHcIz/s1600/queen+and+country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPluN4zY8n7ZyUfSJyE9oJAFLoZoji1ZJs87bPJyqO-vzYh-P1ProVIH46onFo8XSJBe4ARPC-WGQVS1gJR0cM94_8IpY_k420WmM7_ghLdYzqNkVBXjAJj6pI-Iq7KNEXLZ6fDduBHcIz/s320/queen+and+country.jpg" width="218" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Queen and Country The Definitive Edition vol. 1 by Greg Rucka</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Queen & Country, the Eisner Award-winning and critically lauded
espionage series from acclaimed novelist and comic book author Greg
Rucka, is back in a new series of definitive editions collecting the
entire classic series in just four affordable soft covers. In this
first collection, readers are introduced to the thrilling and
often-times devastating world of international espionage as SIS field
agent Tara Chase is sent all over the world in service to her Queen
& Country all the while Director of Operations Paul Crocker walks a
narrow tightrope between his loyalty to his people and the political
masters that must be served!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_3itjdnn213B8i7QXfSnFVLDBkYPTCq3MUry97r5cFidUSsQlu2YbfSwwD5jxTMMHzyS3bgfgWRMlZFYZ3nKZc4a82VHw7FuT0Khk73VX2trSHh-LPUmcFhvxY1Y3WLBW4CWYgohbq50/s1600/tales+from.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_3itjdnn213B8i7QXfSnFVLDBkYPTCq3MUry97r5cFidUSsQlu2YbfSwwD5jxTMMHzyS3bgfgWRMlZFYZ3nKZc4a82VHw7FuT0Khk73VX2trSHh-LPUmcFhvxY1Y3WLBW4CWYgohbq50/s1600/tales+from.jpg" /></a><br />
<b>Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan</b><br />
<br />
Shaun Tan follows THE ARRIVAL with a collection of off-the-wall tales
combined with his genius illustrations in a unique hybrid format that
will build on our current success. An exchange student who's
really an alien, a secret room that becomes the perfect place for a
quick escape, a typical tale of grandfatherly exaggeration that is
actually even more bizarre than he says... These are the odd details of
everyday life that grow and take on an incredible life of their own in
tales and illustrations that Shaun Tan's many fans will love.<b> </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIIXUR7bbiLw5hyj0qfRIG3d31_1IFxLqzI5oHOEChFLXT4uebJOmzZc1vVspgeQZwmgX8yVlEvTz_ZEszSn6Ftp-6YZZKIu2jsnH_6vGeHNTSz0JfPhJ8IpEpOHXava1_OeIfOhpSLYA/s1600/reMIND.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIIXUR7bbiLw5hyj0qfRIG3d31_1IFxLqzI5oHOEChFLXT4uebJOmzZc1vVspgeQZwmgX8yVlEvTz_ZEszSn6Ftp-6YZZKIu2jsnH_6vGeHNTSz0JfPhJ8IpEpOHXava1_OeIfOhpSLYA/s320/reMIND.jpg" width="210" /></a><b><br /></b><br />
<b>reMIND vol. 1 by Ed Brubaker</b><br />
<br />All <b>Sonja</b> wanted was to find her missing cat, <b>Victuals</b>,
but when he washes up on the shore of her sleepy coastal town several
days later with a head full of stitches and the startling ability to
speak and no memory of how he got that way her quiet life is forever
changed. Together they set out to solve the mystery of his
disappearance, embarking on a journey that leads to a strange kingdom
under the waves and into the heart of a royal power struggle, where the
answer to Victual s true identity could save or doom them all! <br />
<br />
<b>Ignition City vol. 1 by Warren Ellis</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxmFSE6fOhQGxajruNuuh2uCwZ5gbph_pZ2dUffC28Czk29Kd6ghrYj7RAKq7MWBifIM3tJU_txQVNQvwqsLBcuTL3QDc6F2jDZY-VrSjOv7gKLb9UnCyu7CJTDKldc5J0ssL7-wID9os/s1600/ignition+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxmFSE6fOhQGxajruNuuh2uCwZ5gbph_pZ2dUffC28Czk29Kd6ghrYj7RAKq7MWBifIM3tJU_txQVNQvwqsLBcuTL3QDc6F2jDZY-VrSjOv7gKLb9UnCyu7CJTDKldc5J0ssL7-wID9os/s320/ignition+city.jpg" width="205" /></a>Grounded space pilot Mary Raven has come to the interzone settlement in
the middle of Ignition City, Earth's largest spaceport, to recover the
effects of her dead father... or so people think. Mary really wants to
know how he died, and who was responsible. But today might be her last
day on Earth, trapped on the last spaceport where no one cares about
murder, and the only real currency is fear. She has her dead father's
ray gun, and that's enough for space hero-turned-arms dealer Lightning
Bowman to want her dead. But when she finds her father's lost diary she
discovers something nobody else in Ignition City knows... and they'll
want her dead for that, too. From Warren Ellis, the writer who
reinvented science fiction in comics, comes IGNITION CITY, a retropunk
"future of the past" where spaceships belch smoke and arguments are
settled with blaster pistols.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b> </b></div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-78683970232367564772012-12-19T12:13:00.002-08:002012-12-19T12:13:50.601-08:00iZombie by Chris Roberson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZKnet7qfs4vJXk17W0MKmmF0y5c_zqCUGzVM167gXJpKwwH2Vmlq5izLiWmgAkZACISIrBnyOrdQRMXnBsf2oIp9-arLXcYg8ASn0tQbJ6FfJBz7tkNNaAHufnHUwJqJRAASIxeOk4y-/s1600/izombie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZKnet7qfs4vJXk17W0MKmmF0y5c_zqCUGzVM167gXJpKwwH2Vmlq5izLiWmgAkZACISIrBnyOrdQRMXnBsf2oIp9-arLXcYg8ASn0tQbJ6FfJBz7tkNNaAHufnHUwJqJRAASIxeOk4y-/s400/izombie.jpg" width="266" /></a><i>iZombie</i> is an unfortunately titled <i>Scooby-Doo </i>meets zombies graphic novel series. Our zombie protagonist Gwen must eat brains of the dead to continue on living her "life." Unfortunately, this series was canceled after its fourth trade, just released this month.<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One particularly
sassy book clubber described <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iZombie</i>
as "it's like Nancy Drew if she was a zombie."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are your thoughts on this bold
assertion?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt there were
a number of similarities between this series and John Layman's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chew </i>series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agree or disagree?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The zombie genre
is definitely becoming an overused and tired cliché in the world of comics and
SF/F books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does Chris Roberson subvert
enough cliches to make this series enjoyable?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Female
protagonists in the comics world are not often portrayed well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does Gwen break the mold?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iZombie's</i> setting of Eugene, Oregon to
be a character in and of itself?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What inspiration
do you think Roberson and Allred drew from when devising this comic?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many folks
criticize the slow, ambling pace of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iZombie
</i>series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your thoughts?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iZombie</i> will be canceled after its
fourth trade, just released December 11th.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you think didn't resonate with readers?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concepts of
the undersoul (seated in the heart, emotions, fears) and oversoul (seated in
the brain, thoughts, personality) are used to describe the difference between
monsters and people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it have been
better unexplained?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you find these
poetic explanations out of sorts in a zombie comic?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iZombie </i>seems to meander once in a
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the driving element of
the series?</div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-14516024065942583172012-11-08T17:14:00.001-08:002012-11-08T17:14:33.932-08:00The Arrival by Shaun Tan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr6E_nNdnJbVN_VNYycOaxe-u3G8wyO-XIF7WIHsIP0m2swVzpNjkkn_dtrcRKRBuJPkz_kJfO-YpdR8MId4iPnK3Q-2RU3T3Z0mCsAjsvTnJkH_fzdrWwWc5tKfyurEJcAi-7TBzh_Wc/s1600/tan_shaun_the-arrival2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr6E_nNdnJbVN_VNYycOaxe-u3G8wyO-XIF7WIHsIP0m2swVzpNjkkn_dtrcRKRBuJPkz_kJfO-YpdR8MId4iPnK3Q-2RU3T3Z0mCsAjsvTnJkH_fzdrWwWc5tKfyurEJcAi-7TBzh_Wc/s320/tan_shaun_the-arrival2.jpg" width="248" /></a><i>The Arrival </i>by Shaun Tan is a wordless graphic novel following a man who immigrates to a strange and new land. Detailed sepia illustrations throughout help the reader follow along just like any other graphic novel. Below are the discussion questions:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you find
yourself reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Arrival</i>
differently than you read other graphic novels due to its wordlessness?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
purpose of the textures and colors used throughout the graphic novel?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each other person
that The Immigrant speaks with seems to have a tragic past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does this imply that everyone has baggage or
that this new world is some sort of peaceful utopia?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the new world just as vulnerable to
terrifying giant vacuum monsters and tentacles?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you find the
new world's style reminiscent of any other culture or art style?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
purpose of the two pages of multiple small square panels of clouds?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This technique has showed up in a few other
graphic novels we've read, what's the deal?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did Shaun Tan
write <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Arrival</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it wordless?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Tan has
described himself as a "translator" of ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does this knowledge put <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Arrival </i>in a different light for you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What were the
tentacle-things that drove The Immigrant away from home?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were they symbolic or literal?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shaun Tan is
usually a picture book author/illustrator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What differentiates this from a picture book as a graphic novel?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was your
favorite illustration in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Arrival</i>?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Arrival</i> harken back to any picture
books you read when you were a child?</div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-41830004535638286172012-10-11T15:08:00.001-07:002012-11-08T17:10:28.307-08:00Transmetropolitan series by Warren Ellis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7ReLDem9IRse6l6nNMF-8zdizz5xELIjHl_KbTr-MCAipGli0XdW4RjRJhDaSXCVlMb_K2yVe_nAKGUXVxOVQFt0ue1WnJ6_FtZgzYqcrlUCpLY0i-je9x5dcMIXdYNTY49jsHiNwt_n/s1600/transmet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7ReLDem9IRse6l6nNMF-8zdizz5xELIjHl_KbTr-MCAipGli0XdW4RjRJhDaSXCVlMb_K2yVe_nAKGUXVxOVQFt0ue1WnJ6_FtZgzYqcrlUCpLY0i-je9x5dcMIXdYNTY49jsHiNwt_n/s320/transmet1.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
<i>Transmetropolitan </i>is a cyberpunk series following Hunter S. Thompson-of-the-future Spider Jerusalem as he spits out vitriol-soaked articles for the City's masses to read and get angry about. With the aid of his Filthy Assistants and his bowel disruptor, he is on a mission to find the Truth. Here are the spoiler-free discussion questions:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are Spider
Jerusalem's morals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who or what does he
fight for?<br />
<br />
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are Spider's
motives throughout these stories?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt that the
Filthy Assistants were entertaining, but ultimately not integral to the
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your thoughts?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not many graphic
novels get political.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ex Machina</i>'s stories were taken straight
from post-9/11 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
headlines, did you sense any of the political stories in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transmetropolitan</i> ringing true or
familiar?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transmetropolitan</i> was written over the
course of 9/11, yet the book continued on apologizing to no one and not
confronting the issue as far as I could tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was this a good choice by Ellis?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you think he offended anyone at the time?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You only ever see
excerpts of Spider's articles until the very last trade, which collects them
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you think of this artistic
choice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would the articles have
clarified events or furthered Spider's character?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transmetropolitan</i> is most definitely
gritty, grimy, and over the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you
find this to be appealing or not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellis seems to be
a pretty varied writer, having this, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Orbiter</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Planetary</i> under his belt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there any common themes among his work?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with many
antiheroes, critics say that Spider Jerusalem is simply unlikeable and seems to
never be humanized throughout the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do you think?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vertigo Comics often seem to
subvert what we consider to be a hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is Spider a superhero in the same vein of the Sandman?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why does Spider Jerusalem
return to and tolerate the City?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does this
series illustrate the importance or lack of importance of journalism in a
democracy?</div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-32129298693303227322012-09-08T15:06:00.000-07:002012-09-08T15:07:23.609-07:00Tale of Sand by Jim Henson<br />
<a href="http://cdn.ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Taleofsand-finalcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://cdn.ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Taleofsand-finalcover.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" height="400" src="http://cdn.ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Taleofsand-finalcover.jpg" width="286" /></a><i>Tale of Sand</i> is a graphic novel adaptation of a "lost" Jim Henson film script. It was written before the days of all of that mop-mixed-with-a-puppet fame, so its a bit more overtly existential and cerebral. I think one reviewer explained it as <i>Dark Tower</i> inside of a Dali painting. The art is incredible as evidenced by my expert opinion and the number of Eisner awards this graphic novel has won.<br />
<br />
Here are the relatively spoiler-y discussion questions:<br />
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1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jim Henson is best
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12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does Patch
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sand?</div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-12897444209045549212012-08-27T13:16:00.000-07:002012-08-27T13:17:32.281-07:00Graphic Novel Selections January 2013 to April 2013Hi all, it's that time again to select the four from this list that we'd like to read in the faaaaar future. Here's what I'm thinking, as always suggestions are welcome. Source for descriptions: Amazon.com.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/underwaterwelder72dpi_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/underwaterwelder72dpi_lg.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="207" /></a><br />
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<b>Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire</b> </div>
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<br /></div>
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Pressure. As an underwater welder on an oilrig off the coast of Nova
Scotia, Jack Joseph is used to the immense pressures of deep-sea work.
Nothing, however, could prepare him for the pressures of impending
fatherhood. As Jack dives deeper and deeper, he seems to pull further
and further away from his young wife and their unborn son. But then,
something happens deep on the ocean floor. Jack has a strange and
mind-bending encounter that will change the course of his life forever!
Equal parts blue-collar character study and mind-bending science fiction
epic, The Underwater Welder explores fathers and sons, birth and death,
memory and truth, and the treasures we all bury deep down inside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Wizzywig by Ed Piskor</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/wizzywigcoverwspine_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/wizzywigcoverwspine_lg.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="267" /></a>They say "What You See Is What You Get"... but Kevin "Boingthump"
Phenicle could always see more than most people. In the world of phone
phreaks, hackers, and scammers, he's a legend. His exploits are hotly
debated: could he really get free long-distance calls by whistling into a
pay phone? Did his video-game piracy scheme accidentally trigger the
first computer virus? And did he really dodge the FBI by using their own
wiretapping software against them? Is he even a real person? And if
he's ever caught, what would happen to a geek like him in federal
prison? Inspired by the incredible stories of real-life hackers,
Wizzygig is the thrilling tale of a master manipulator - his journey
from precocious child scammer to federally-wanted fugitive, and beyond.
In a world transformed by social networks and data leaks, Ed Piskor's
debut graphic novel reminds us how much power can rest in the hands of
an audacious kid with a keyboard. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/kick-ass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/kick-ass.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="208" /></a><a href="http://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/kick-ass.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><b> </b></div>
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<b>Kick-Ass vols. 1 & 2 by Mark Millar</b></div>
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<span id="freeText15083059126201467782">Have you ever wanted to
be a super hero? Dreamed of donning a mask and just heading outside to
some kick-ass? Well, this is the book for you - the comic that starts
where other super-hero books draw the line. Kick-Ass is realistic super
heroes taken to the next level. Miss out and you're an idiot!</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPyERrZbYnwnyQXsapO5ew9_A4WcN20EdZVw_k1UGAEiWp3zDHpDtTLIC8-OOGQusXtXQZxRXFDyPyw2QD_VfEg1mBqCdaMJQOKB60MDY1i_OiAZhdgWAGwJ1AGn88bUOiznkFwVlMYSg/s1600/1-fun-home-alison-bechdel-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPyERrZbYnwnyQXsapO5ew9_A4WcN20EdZVw_k1UGAEiWp3zDHpDtTLIC8-OOGQusXtXQZxRXFDyPyw2QD_VfEg1mBqCdaMJQOKB60MDY1i_OiAZhdgWAGwJ1AGn88bUOiznkFwVlMYSg/s320/1-fun-home-alison-bechdel-cover.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>Funhome: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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In this groundbreaking, bestselling graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel
charts her fraught relationship with her late father. In her hands,
personal history becomes a work of amazing subtlety and power, written
with controlled force and enlivened with humor, rich literary allusion,
and heartbreaking detail.<br />
<br />
Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was
an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison
and her family referred to as the "Fun Home." It was not until college
that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her
father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead,
leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/blue_cover_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" id="il_fi" src="http://cdn.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/blue_cover_lg.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Blue by Pat Grant</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Part autobiography, part science fiction, Blue is the story of three
spotty teenagers who skip school to go surfing, only to end up
investigating rumors of a dead body in their beach town.<b> </b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b> </b></div>
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<a href="http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/15/15762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/15/15762.jpg" border="0" height="320" src="http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/15/15762.jpg" width="213" /></a><b> </b></div>
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<b>Green River Killer by Jeff Jensen</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Throughout
the 1980s, the highest priority of Seattle-area police was the
apprehension of the Green River Killer, the man responsible for the
murders of dozens of women. But in 1990, with the body count number</span><span style="font-size: small;">ing
at least forty-eight, the case was put in the hands of a single
detective, Tom Jensen. After twenty years, when the killer was finally
captured with the help of DNA technology, Jensen and fellow detectives
spent 188 days interviewing Gary Leon Ridgway in an effort to learn his
most closely held secrets-an epic confrontation with evil that proved as
disturbing and surreal as can be imagined. Written by Jensen's own son,
acclaimed entertainment journalist Jeff Jensen,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Green River Killer: A True Detective Story</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>presents the ultimate insider's account of America's most prolific serial killer.</span></div>
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1342197956l/15704307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1342197956l/15704307.jpg" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1342197956l/15704307.jpg" width="220" /></a><b>Saga vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war
fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a
dangerous old universe. From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K.
Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist
Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, North 40), Saga is the sweeping tale of
one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and
science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive
drama for adults. This specially priced volume collects the first six
issues of the smash-hit series The Onion A.V. Club calls "the emotional
epic Hollywood wishes it could make." </div>
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<b>The Hypo by Noah Van Sciver</b></div>
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<a href="http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hypo-The-Melancholic-Young-Lincoln-noah-van-sciver-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hypo-The-Melancholic-Young-Lincoln-noah-van-sciver-cover.jpg" border="0" height="320" src="http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hypo-The-Melancholic-Young-Lincoln-noah-van-sciver-cover.jpg" width="249" /></a>The debut graphic novel from (Denver-based) Noah Van Sciver follows the twentysomething
Abraham Lincoln as he loses everything, long before becoming our most
beloved president. Lincoln is a rising Whig in the state’s legislature
as he arrives in Springfield, IL to practice law. With all of his
possessions under his arms in two saddlebags, he is quickly given a
place to stay by a womanizing young bachelor who becomes his friend and
close confidant. Lincoln builds a life and begins friendships with the
town’s top lawyers and politicians. He attends elegant dances and meets
an independent-minded young woman from a high-society Kentucky family,
and after a brisk courtship, becomes engaged. But, as time passes and
uncertainty creeps in, young Lincoln is forced to battle a dark cloud of
depression brought on by a chain of defeats and failures culminating
into a nervous breakdown that threatens his life and sanity. This cloud
of dark depression Lincoln calls “The Hypo.” Dense crosshatching and an
attention to detail help bring together this completely original telling
of a man driven by an irrepressible desire to pull himself up by his
bootstraps, overcome all obstacles, and become the person he strives to
be. All the while, unknowingly laying the foundation of character he
would use as one of America’s greatest presidents. </div>
Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-83098660257916719382012-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:002012-08-07T10:39:40.090-07:00Saga of the Swamp Thing series by Alan Moore<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our next book club selection is one of the most famous comics runs in history, Alan Moore's 1980s <i>Swamp </i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Thing</i> run. Moore took what started as a rather cheesy action comic into a gothic, cerebral, and quite adult series. <i>Swamp Thing</i> becomes more than a monster in the first issue and the series gets even less conventional and more creative from there. Here are discussion questions for this month:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
reboots of obscure superheroes have been done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What did Alan Moore do differently?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swamp
Thing is a small part of the DC Universe, protecting only "the Green"
and his swamp in Louisiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do Moore
and other writers make him important DC storylines?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
the importance of Abigail in Swamp Thing's life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/SAGA-SWAMP-THING-VOL-1-HC-ALAN-MOORE-/13/%21B%28nR3DQB2k%7E%24%28KGrHgoH-EIEjlLlzEZJBKdOtv2%288g%7E%7E_35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/SAGA-SWAMP-THING-VOL-1-HC-ALAN-MOORE-/13/!B(nR3DQB2k~%24(KGrHgoH-EIEjlLlzEZJBKdOtv2(8g~~_35.JPG" border="0" src="http://i.ebayimg.com/t/SAGA-SWAMP-THING-VOL-1-HC-ALAN-MOORE-/13/%21B%28nR3DQB2k%7E%24%28KGrHgoH-EIEjlLlzEZJBKdOtv2%288g%7E%7E_35.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of
Moore's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamp Thing</i> arcs focus on the
characters and happenings around him rather than himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One later arc sees Abby defending her love
for Swamp Thing, another involves Constantine and the fate of Hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nolan's Batman films seem to follow the same
formula of not focusing too much on the hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What are your thoughts on this storytelling technique?</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than
Moore's run on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamp Thing</i>, it seems
the character has not had much success staying on for extended series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Does a horror/fantasy character not fit in the DC universe?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it
inevitable that a hero must die for a reboot to happen?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did
you think of the inclusion of the Floronic Man?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What was Moore's thinking in introducing a character in the DC Universe
with similar powers?</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film
and television adaptations of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamp Thing
</i>failed spectacularly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One reviewer
of USA's live action <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamp Thing</i> said
it wasn't even entertainingly bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What's so difficult about getting the character right?</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story
arcs occasionally touch on environmentalism and a Bigfoot-esque hunt for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamp Thing</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was Moore wise not to focus more on these
ideas?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moore was
writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Watchmen</i> simultaneously with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamp Thing </i>for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you see any evidence or hints of
this?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">11. <i>Swamp Thing</i> was the first to abandon the Comics Code Authority and cater to adults. Is this evident? What effect does that have on the series and other comics released at the time? </span></span></div>Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-75136093528319084782012-07-12T17:24:00.001-07:002012-07-12T17:25:32.001-07:00Essex County by Jeff Lemire<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuq5oBIViuzVxXrrA2-qJmvIrlYyYu6CiInECjiHirhpyDhxJpsV-b5SQChY9Zv_CLIJ4LDS7xerD2c7h-tt6HH7NJglhtfuaGTHXMC6yHzD-EGbhPu-OaSQEePnZe76JRxcQFVRnmJLg/s1600/essexcounty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuq5oBIViuzVxXrrA2-qJmvIrlYyYu6CiInECjiHirhpyDhxJpsV-b5SQChY9Zv_CLIJ4LDS7xerD2c7h-tt6HH7NJglhtfuaGTHXMC6yHzD-EGbhPu-OaSQEePnZe76JRxcQFVRnmJLg/s1600/essexcounty.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuq5oBIViuzVxXrrA2-qJmvIrlYyYu6CiInECjiHirhpyDhxJpsV-b5SQChY9Zv_CLIJ4LDS7xerD2c7h-tt6HH7NJglhtfuaGTHXMC6yHzD-EGbhPu-OaSQEePnZe76JRxcQFVRnmJLg/s400/essexcounty.jpg" width="266" /></a>Hailed as one of the greatest pieces of Canadian literature by well, Canadians and by comics fans as emotionally resonant, <i>Essex County</i> had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, it delivers on the most part and delivers a trio of interconnected stories in a style that recollects Thompson's <i>Blankets</i>. Here are the discussion questions:<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1. What do
you think Jeff Lemire set out to do in writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Essex County</i>?</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2. Jeff
Lemire writes both traditional superhero comics and these independent
autobiographical comics. Most authors
only do one or the other. Why?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3. What is
the significance of the bird?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4. How do the
characters in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Essex County </i>deal with
grief and loss?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5. What is a
superhero to Lester?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6. How does <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Essex County</i> differ from other similar
graphic novels such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blankets</i>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">7. Critics
applaud Lemire's subtlety and his ability to set a mood. How does he accomplish this?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">8. Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Concrete</i>, Lemire revels in the mundane. What differences are there in his prose that
makes for more or less riveting storytelling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">9. The
stick-tapping scene is often cited as an example of Lemire's talents. What does this scene accomplish? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">10. Lemire
creates conflict between characters by having them communicate poorly or in
some cases, not communicate at all. Is
this a contrived way of creating conflict or does it ring true to the way
people behave?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">11. What is
the importance of the setting? Could the
same story take place elsewhere?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">12. How did
you feel about the loose line art style?
What mood or visual feel does it give in comparison to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Habibi</i>'s intricate page designs and
mosaics?</span></div>
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<br /></div>Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-32285031257426221092012-06-04T13:56:00.000-07:002012-06-04T13:56:29.625-07:00Concrete vol. 1: Depths by Paul Chadwick<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ByX62qCOh2eBBLg-SusFAUAhi4zZsUykLadk24F82UCdsdepabkO5ybdAbzTvzCYS-vQA4WHMufvMuUy9sSe8ptf0_Qgr0EK4x4pdT4BGJKD_xA6iZ_a7It5xAqx6VWxCuyPrxIx2lz_/s1600/Concrete-Depths1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ByX62qCOh2eBBLg-SusFAUAhi4zZsUykLadk24F82UCdsdepabkO5ybdAbzTvzCYS-vQA4WHMufvMuUy9sSe8ptf0_Qgr0EK4x4pdT4BGJKD_xA6iZ_a7It5xAqx6VWxCuyPrxIx2lz_/s320/Concrete-Depths1.jpg" width="214" /></a>Concrete is a non-traditional superhero created by Paul Chadwick. Chadwick has tried a multitude of times in different stories to explain Concrete's origin story, but let's just say it involves aliens. Concrete has superpowers akin to more traditional superheroes, but his stories are characterized by using his powers for noble causes, such as rescuing miners from a collapsed cave. Below are discussion questions for the next book club:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul Chadwick
seems to want Concrete to be a non-traditional superhero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In what ways does he accomplish this?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were you satisfied
by Concrete's origin story?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it
superfluous?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the
significance of Concrete being a former Senatorial speech writer?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What commentary on
products and promotion is Chadwick making with all of the Concrete memorabilia?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you find the
art or layout of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Concrete </i>to offer
anything of note?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chadwick has said
these stories are semi-autobiographical, such as the one about hiking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compare what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Concrete</i> tells us about its author versus what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shortcomings</i> says about its author. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the lens through which the author
reflects upon him or herself make a difference in the end result?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it wise for
Chadwick to focus on the human element of these stories?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is offered here that isn't offered in
say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Thing</i> plot arcs?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Concrete</i> was written in the early
80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has this graphic novel aged well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How so?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What modern conventions are we missing/now accustomed to?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chadwick seems
content with Concrete doing the mundane in his stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this purposeful to better focus on the
human elements of the characters?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why
not have the best of both worlds: big exciting set pieces and human
elements?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concrete, who
wants to write of his adventures, is surrounded by two writers: one for a
scientific journal and one aspiring novelist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is the significance of this combination of people?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aliens who
transplanted Concrete's body were never heard from again and probably died on
their way back to their home planets, Poochie-style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cover up
story is that Concrete is a cyborg created by the U.S. government, as opposed
to the whole alien thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is this
possibly a better alternative<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the
masses to know?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concrete clearly
loves Maureen on some level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can a
doctor/patient relationship or a rock person/non-rock person relationship
work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is this important to the
series?</div>Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-37245214550817854252012-05-03T12:48:00.000-07:002012-05-03T12:48:59.862-07:00Habibi by Craig Thompson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvBStXDqnrNgENhE5plZ-pF-xiQkMWSHhDkZA0mcy0vAfcm_FbMzJxEUF4zTwujUfEr5ajsNVJ3m5nHRmta0-JY4n6BoXiaEQsgwJsDa4ZV8QAKsP9QuC9jWx9Wir8XGo9VCQ0aa4rLGg/s1600/Habibi_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvBStXDqnrNgENhE5plZ-pF-xiQkMWSHhDkZA0mcy0vAfcm_FbMzJxEUF4zTwujUfEr5ajsNVJ3m5nHRmta0-JY4n6BoXiaEQsgwJsDa4ZV8QAKsP9QuC9jWx9Wir8XGo9VCQ0aa4rLGg/s320/Habibi_0.jpg" width="250" /></a><i>Habibi</i> by Craig Thompson took six years to create and it shows. The incredible detail and research that went into this graphic novel is a shining beacon of accomplishments in the medium. As with <i>Blankets</i>, Thompson explores society and religion's relationship with sex while developing characters, symbolism, and motifs. <i>Habibi</i> especially takes an interest in Arabian calligraphy, which can be seen throughout the tome of a graphic novel. Here are the spoiler-filled discussion questions:<br />
<br />
1. What is the significance of calligraphy in the story and in the art?<br />
<br />
2. <i>Habibi</i> has been criticized for treating sexuality as forbidden or shameful. Your thoughts?<br />
<br />
3. Why is <i>Habibi</i>'s world a mashup of old and new?<br />
<br />
4. Keeping in mind the themes of love and affection in Blankets, how has Craig Thompson taken those ideas and evolved them in <i>Habibi</i>? What does it say about his evolution as a writer?<br />
<br />
5. What does <i>Habibi</i> say about humanity's relationship with nature?<br />
<br />
6. Did you find the interspersed Quran stories enriched the narrative?<br />
<br />
7. Robyn Creswell of The New York Times called this book "a work of fantasy about being ashamed of one’s fantasies." Your thoughts?<br />
<br />
8. Citing the portrayal of Arabs in <i>Habibi</i>, one critic said "The problem in making something knowingly racist is that the final product can still be read as racist." Do you agree?<br />
<br />
9. Why did Zam become a eunuch? Was "purifying his mind" not enough to dispel his disgust with his thoughts and the sexual transgressions against Dodola?<br />
<br />
10. What is the importance of the fisherman in the third act?<br />
<br />
11. What does Zam and Dodola's ship in the desert represent?<br />
<br />
12. Is romantic love that excludes sex possible? At that point, is it simply sibling-esque love?Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-19797321706806025752012-04-11T10:46:00.010-07:002012-04-11T11:12:23.958-07:00Graphic Novel Selections September to December 2012Hey all, this round of graphic novel selections was inspired partially by the Eisner nominees, so we've got some potential award-winners and mostly new books here. These are what I'm thinking, we need to narrow these down to four.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q5HC7gDnnzqhC0Iz9kQckQP30baINM9ikkivwdizRtesqYASQ8SR59AVfOvu8v7MOgJpa8wn0hm7fmTm7S50SB7Z2j1FAsJqD-bBpzeBLfoHQkWcDHe-v-mv0D5e3tgAh8MPlvUXuJMT/s1600/the+arrival.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q5HC7gDnnzqhC0Iz9kQckQP30baINM9ikkivwdizRtesqYASQ8SR59AVfOvu8v7MOgJpa8wn0hm7fmTm7S50SB7Z2j1FAsJqD-bBpzeBLfoHQkWcDHe-v-mv0D5e3tgAh8MPlvUXuJMT/s320/the+arrival.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730206455240373410" /></a><br /><strong>The Arrival by Shaun Tan</strong> - "Tan captures the displacement and awe with which immigrants respond to their new surroundings in this wordless graphic novel. It depicts the journey of one man, threatened by dark shapes that cast shadows on his family's life, to a new country. The only writing is in an invented alphabet, which creates the sensation immigrants must feel when they encounter a strange new language and way of life. A wide variety of ethnicities is represented in Tan's hyper-realistic style, and the sense of warmth and caring for others, regardless of race, age, or background, is present on nearly every page."<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dliB660gNa5SBs7S_y1fLHnETcV6sWtDANVx3OJAg9VYbI-fiP2fPbn-IV-PqgzGirsWC8UBcrHdlX8VDZpnph87zRjHlaxRUfbUdyWg_VcUzonZLn6Mbig09lpcGAIRaMnb9u9Qxt__/s1600/northland-330x5001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dliB660gNa5SBs7S_y1fLHnETcV6sWtDANVx3OJAg9VYbI-fiP2fPbn-IV-PqgzGirsWC8UBcrHdlX8VDZpnph87zRjHlaxRUfbUdyWg_VcUzonZLn6Mbig09lpcGAIRaMnb9u9Qxt__/s320/northland-330x5001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730206576422941506" /></a><br /><strong>Northlanders by Brian Wood</strong> - A gory Vertigo graphic novel series depicting the Northlanders, vikings of beardedness. A loose series, each trade follows a different protagonist and time period. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT6CExiybm5oNEQ6EnSKTH3mUhanyqfEPM-8QzOK-GBLnWpxYg3WbSfaCAk5wzLNKi8xiH3WGa-49kIs153ZAHrTl06BO_Z7bRR6XluJofBdOsrxQncvAmO3KvB9vG2JDyX4OzXPBvGb_/s1600/Epileptic+Cover.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT6CExiybm5oNEQ6EnSKTH3mUhanyqfEPM-8QzOK-GBLnWpxYg3WbSfaCAk5wzLNKi8xiH3WGa-49kIs153ZAHrTl06BO_Z7bRR6XluJofBdOsrxQncvAmO3KvB9vG2JDyX4OzXPBvGb_/s320/Epileptic+Cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730206695723280962" /></a><br /><strong>Epileptic by David B.</strong> - An autobiographical graphic novel in Craig Thompson's style about the author's epileptic brother. The art's swirly style visualizes the disability.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbsefaLWaZJbyh3mTgVC-SecTPQkM0yTKDNiAisE6OzEo5DY8MH9_Wyj6qpWgn7dOqhcB-E9uX77skAbG5p2Bq9vvVOh6aaQyLnhqLY7IgGQXpMKYSMvEZ4eCtQc-_mUZYVewkvvoB1xt/s1600/Transmetropolitan.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbsefaLWaZJbyh3mTgVC-SecTPQkM0yTKDNiAisE6OzEo5DY8MH9_Wyj6qpWgn7dOqhcB-E9uX77skAbG5p2Bq9vvVOh6aaQyLnhqLY7IgGQXpMKYSMvEZ4eCtQc-_mUZYVewkvvoB1xt/s320/Transmetropolitan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730206928387162850" /></a><br /><strong>Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis</strong> A dystopian future series follows journalist Spider Jerusalem who has various conspiracy and craziness-ridden adventures.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIHYAup9m7Ld84kvX60aUh0LiWnq8Wryz6ZO4Wxd2Cv1Toq8qOAy6GGdrQ3h89rP690DcFb4462vpfidufMVvYoZwLBe4w8SZPXLoNfuJfCLRQTUILMpAUcnb8bSQpsqv497xqQ696Dl5/s1600/tale+of+sand.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIHYAup9m7Ld84kvX60aUh0LiWnq8Wryz6ZO4Wxd2Cv1Toq8qOAy6GGdrQ3h89rP690DcFb4462vpfidufMVvYoZwLBe4w8SZPXLoNfuJfCLRQTUILMpAUcnb8bSQpsqv497xqQ696Dl5/s320/tale+of+sand.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207030045232098" /></a><br /><strong>Jim Henson's Tale of Sand by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl</strong> - "Discovered in the Archives of The Jim Henson Company, A Tale of Sand is an original graphic novel adaptation of an unproduced, feature-length screenplay written by Jim Henson and his frequent writing partner, Jerry Juhl. A Tale of Sand follows scruffy everyman, Mac, who wakes up in an unfamiliar town, and is chased across the desert of the American Southwest by all manners of man and beast of unimaginable proportions. Produced with the complete blessing of Henson co-CEO Lisa Henson, A Tale of Sand will allow Henson fans to recognize some of the inspirations and set pieces that appeared in later Henson Company productions."<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFeZwBhmHj9Jp8IeqaS7DdAwXSuVmISJM4iSXqCPUm2Zv8L_GUynqpsDBEKBsLMZN8ZZDRlNDSdWk5LQGEFEfW2-V3P-bLH6sr5Z-dwwJHFaZJ2Ju5aVQ9IPSH8H9Xfk0qOKcERdlIGwR/s1600/daredevil1cover2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFeZwBhmHj9Jp8IeqaS7DdAwXSuVmISJM4iSXqCPUm2Zv8L_GUynqpsDBEKBsLMZN8ZZDRlNDSdWk5LQGEFEfW2-V3P-bLH6sr5Z-dwwJHFaZJ2Ju5aVQ9IPSH8H9Xfk0qOKcERdlIGwR/s320/daredevil1cover2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207120464145058" /></a><br /><strong>Daredevil by Mark Waid</strong> - The first five issues of DC's Daredevil reboot has the most Eisner nominations this year and is getting heaps of praise. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnySFxt_V8H3kOVxt1-yFniqAiV7hnH8GH9TWOHFuC5CsLFnA4O7PpfqnmP1Q2NEtqa1UETrSEsEvkbqEJ-mW169LFAGjSe8-BztwKlMGytp1EScv26pwxxIxBsytLTK1G-ypNR2rm78SW/s1600/wonder+woman.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnySFxt_V8H3kOVxt1-yFniqAiV7hnH8GH9TWOHFuC5CsLFnA4O7PpfqnmP1Q2NEtqa1UETrSEsEvkbqEJ-mW169LFAGjSe8-BztwKlMGytp1EScv26pwxxIxBsytLTK1G-ypNR2rm78SW/s320/wonder+woman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207264431170354" /></a><br /><strong>Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello</strong> - Wonder Woman rebooted as more of a horror comic, "weird and worth your while." <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lE4LeoAXhVKXi2LmLdHZmSsfH1_p-a5zf7IBbjRwND6V0GZYULDgChOx_60lD-WIVrDl2Dz6M8eCE7Fa8ghce-9U0F_WzJY7lc6FnJyPwse4czwCNrLC7Qs9z6TNsk7ZrRlILTVj8Bwj/s1600/izombie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lE4LeoAXhVKXi2LmLdHZmSsfH1_p-a5zf7IBbjRwND6V0GZYULDgChOx_60lD-WIVrDl2Dz6M8eCE7Fa8ghce-9U0F_WzJY7lc6FnJyPwse4czwCNrLC7Qs9z6TNsk7ZrRlILTVj8Bwj/s320/izombie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730207344841136450" /></a><br /><strong>iZombie by Chris Roberson</strong> - "Told from a female zombie’s perspective, this smart, witty detective series mixes urban fantasy and romantic dramedy. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. She sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong."Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-42571754340864141212012-03-28T19:21:00.002-07:002012-03-28T19:43:03.875-07:00Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVD2ocBXsq_ER6LpRsy4kLYRHUEsJ1RcbTjDX1TWIh6L0kG5d-1p5fS4Qph4vaoLNUNDnO-dsqIQLXJVBqTf0IhCdtcDM40VFP9s9WmsvyEfJGlJiqIa4CJl3cUuK9s_vmbJxcX5TK889n/s1600/Marvel_1602.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVD2ocBXsq_ER6LpRsy4kLYRHUEsJ1RcbTjDX1TWIh6L0kG5d-1p5fS4Qph4vaoLNUNDnO-dsqIQLXJVBqTf0IhCdtcDM40VFP9s9WmsvyEfJGlJiqIa4CJl3cUuK9s_vmbJxcX5TK889n/s320/Marvel_1602.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725144053148451746" /></a><br /><i>Marvel 1602</i> is Neil Gaiman's first return to graphic novels after finishing the <i>Sandman</i> series and novels such as <i>Neverwhere</i> and <i>American Gods.</i> Much was expected of it and all said and done, it's an audience-splitter. I did not gain an appreciation for it until a second reading. In any case, the story and its characters play to Gaiman's strengths despite a questionable and hurried ending. Here are the questions:<br /><br />1. In the Afterword, Gaiman points out that <i>Marvel 1602</i> was divisive among critics. Why do you think this is?<br /><br />2. With <i>Marvel 1602</i> and <i>The Eternals</i>, Gaiman has now penned two alternate universe introductions that on their own are popular but these mythologies have mostly failed to continue past the first trade, mostly. Why?<br /><br />3. Gaiman contends that he was trying not to write in the same style as Sandman in <i>Marvel 1602</i>. Would you say this is a detriment to the writing?<br /><br />4. Gaiman wrote <i>Marvel 1602</i> as a post 9/11 no guns, no bombs story. Does this knowledge make any aspects of the graphic novel more significant?<br /><br />5. What Marvel characters didn't make the cut that you'd have liked to see?<br /><br />6. <i>Marvel 1602</i> included the X-Men, but not Wolverine, who even has time-appropriate old timey chops. Your thoughts on his exclusion?<br /><br />7. Some criticize <i>Marvel 1602</i>'s story for rationalizing and explaining the why of these characters being in an Elizabethan time period. Would have it been better unexplained?<br /><br />8. Were there any 1602-ized characters you didn't like?<br /><br />9. Gaiman is often criticized for his ability to wrap up his often complex interweaving storylines. Another tidbit to consider: he almost always needs two or more issues to wrap up what are usually proposed to be five-issue arcs. (This and <i>The Eternals</i>). Your thoughts?<br /><br />10. Other one-shot graphic novels like <i>Kingdom Come</i> require an extensive knowledge of the universe or a Wikipedia page handy while you are reading it. Does <i>Marvel 1602</i> suffer the same fate?<br /><br />11. Did the inevitability of Otto Von Doom and Peter Parquagh's fates detract from their character arcs?<br /><br />12. Where would you have taken <i>Marvel 1602</i> had it continued? Would it be a better alternate reality a la the X-Men canon?Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-35712379336426647722012-03-07T13:04:00.004-08:002012-03-21T15:16:34.852-07:00Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbYnCxULHgYiNMQBC8SdHAN_D0h9kmioH2Jvssy83ri1CMsaU9iQhNzRGNS-8G02HfN2Lx9hPzmN8g68RYDPf9tPaO9dRdNMTULSeQC83ETsSrQ7jE_T4h2ap6aiRdpO0urDi4vz8tFNL/s1600/daytripper.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717264838303238482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbYnCxULHgYiNMQBC8SdHAN_D0h9kmioH2Jvssy83ri1CMsaU9iQhNzRGNS-8G02HfN2Lx9hPzmN8g68RYDPf9tPaO9dRdNMTULSeQC83ETsSrQ7jE_T4h2ap6aiRdpO0urDi4vz8tFNL/s320/daytripper.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><i>Daytripper</i> is a graphic novel by Brazilian brothers Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon. It follows Bras, an obituary writer. Each of the ten issues serves as a puzzle piece to his life and the book ends leaving the reader wondering about what the individual pieces mean in context of the world view and philosophies set forth by the authors. Here are the discussion questions:<br /><br /><strong>1. Bras dies at the end of each issue only to pick up at a different spot in his life in the next. Which is the "true" reality? Does it matter?<br /></strong><br />I think <em>Daytripper </em>is showing various threads and places Bras' life could go should a certain event happen. The optimists in us would like to think the final reality in which Bras is an old man defying cancer treatment is the true reality.<br /><br /><strong>2. What is the significance of Bras' occupation? </strong><br /><br />As an obituary writer, Bras must summarize the life achievements and admirable things that a person did, depending on the time in life that she or he died. At the end of each issue when Bras dies, our book club suggested that Bras is writing those obituaries, speaking from an omniscient perspective about his life from that issue.<br /><br /><strong>3. What life philosophy does Daytripper ascribe to? </strong><br /><br />There are many, but it seems to lightly handle death, so one takeaway could be live your life as you will because death can come at any turn. Another strong theme seems to be family and making them the enjoyment of your life. Each issue centers around Bras and a family member or close friend.<br /><br /><strong>4. Why does Jorge act violently when Bras finally tracks him down? </strong><br /><br />In Jorge's mind, murdering Bras was a way to be together and its what they both wanted. They died together as friends would.<br /><br /><strong>5. What does the novel say about love and fidelity judging from Bras' two relationships? </strong><br /><br />There is no true love, simply the person who makes you happy at that time. <br /><br /><strong>6. What is the significance of dark and light? </strong><br /><br />There are multiple interpretations, but one notable occurrence is that Bras almost always dies in darkness on the page. Light usually illustrates happiness or beauty.<br /><br /><strong><br />7. What does Daytripper say about fatherhood and father/son relationships? </strong><br /><br />Bras ends up following in his father's footsteps, even smoking the same cigarettes eventually. Even though you may say "I'll never be like him," you share more than just DNA with your family.<br /><br /><strong>8. In his famous "desert speech," Bras' father asks "How do we find something--or someone--we can no longer see, but which is right there before us? And how do we hold on to what is most precious in life?" Do Moon and Ba answer this question? How does one do this? </strong><br /><br />This speech was meant to be a bit cheesy and manipulative in the context of the graphic novel, but it is an apt question. This is simply reinforcing the idea of fate, I think. Whatever is going to happen to you may be within grasp, but it will not occur until the right stars align.<br /><br /><strong>9. What are the commonalities between all of Bras' deaths? Do any stand out in particular? </strong><br /><br />Bras always dies in mundane, stupid ways. Often ways that would not usually claim a person's life. This lends creed to the idea that perhaps these are simply visions of how his life could have ended at that time rather than set in stone events.<br /><br /><strong>10. In the back cover synopsis, the fact that Bras dies at the end of each issue is not mentioned once. The only mention of death is the fact that Bras writes other peoples obituaries. What does this say about the book? </strong><br /><br />As many people said, <em>Daytripper</em> is meant to be confusing upon first reading it. After Bras dies in the first issue, then the next, the reader catches on to the pattern. I think the authors didn't want the book to seem like it was all about death, because it is not.<br /><br /><strong>11. In their author bio, Moon and Ba mention that they take their coffee the same way as Bras does, and draw a parallel between strong coffee and strong storytelling. What does that say about coffee (seriously), about their character, about them and about how they are all related? </strong><br /><br /><em>Daytripper</em> is set in Brazil and Latin Americans like their coffee strong and black. Moon and Ba I think modeled themselves after Ba and it would stand to reason that family is such an important part of the graphic novel seeing that the authors are twins. Coffee says about the character and the story that Moon and Ba wanted their story to have a complex, lasting flavor. There are some beverages and stories that are quick and sweet and there are stories like this one which take time to savor and enjoy.<br /><br /><strong>12. Why is there no obituary or death "on screen" in the last chapter? Why does Bras refuse treatment?</strong><br /><br />Perhaps it is showing readers that this is the "true" death or the true ending, that Bras' life will not continue in an alternate universe in the next issue. Bras refuses treatment because he is happy and ready to accept death's fate.Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-66163569253626850732012-02-06T15:18:00.004-08:002012-03-21T14:47:32.760-07:00Joker and Luthor Discussion Questions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dGqA0qtHGBaC2oJ4RzrQmxAqJJJDMOFWObITnIYMNByApuSbxr2AX5JYAy1VtNB5r5xIIocg7ExjFAazg8HJba3JAdeSRgOAC_zsUW4f5SxfoZzXeBIjqRSGJd-1hIq0OCC4TFPVRfU-/s1600/Joker-Azzarello-cv.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706167044852556818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dGqA0qtHGBaC2oJ4RzrQmxAqJJJDMOFWObITnIYMNByApuSbxr2AX5JYAy1VtNB5r5xIIocg7ExjFAazg8HJba3JAdeSRgOAC_zsUW4f5SxfoZzXeBIjqRSGJd-1hIq0OCC4TFPVRfU-/s320/Joker-Azzarello-cv.jpg" border="0" /></a> <i>Joker</i> and <i>Luthor</i> by Brian Azzarello are two villain-focused one shot graphic novels. The two have quite different plots but the goal is the same: to give us for once a look behind the scenes of some of the most famous villains of the DC Universe without having to wonder what our golden heroes are up to. Here are the discussion questions:<br /><br /><strong>1. Both graphic novels are focused on villains. Did you feel sympathetic or more understanding of their motives after reading them? </strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br />With <em>Luthor</em>, most definitely. Luthor has always been an interesting study in illustrating a villain's legitimate concerns and motives. <em>Joker</em>, not so much. We were not given a first person perspective and all we saw were the usual bouts of craziness that define the Joker's character.<br /><br /><strong>2. Batman and Superman respectively get almost no dialogue in either graphic novel. Was this an artistic choice? Why? </strong><br /><br />I think if even a small amount of panel time and dialogue were given to the century's biggest superheroes, Batman and Superman, the graphic novel would have lost its focus and readers would be clamoring to see what happens with them instead of the villanous subjects of these graphic novels.<br /><br /><strong>3. Does it seem to you that Batman seems to appear in more Superman one shot graphic novels than vice versa? Why?</strong><br /><br />In the handful of Superman one shot graphic novels I've read, it seems that Batman is a necessary foil. Superman is the light and Batman is the dark. They have different approaches to the same outcome. Batman for whatever reason does not need that foil as much, perhaps because Batman villains are more relatable than the often otherworldly Superman villains?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav1BpXKbEr631I3-dKImMHQX_s82hmDr7ACGWgvQXJ9nEvkIlJ5Rzq5p31yXiY8mgkA4BWZTKD97T4LODHfxz9np5Fs2evQi3LvjmKpVDgR6YSGzP9Ft171AC_2EYMF0kLxlmCOaHpV7y/s1600/luthor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706167048058199266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav1BpXKbEr631I3-dKImMHQX_s82hmDr7ACGWgvQXJ9nEvkIlJ5Rzq5p31yXiY8mgkA4BWZTKD97T4LODHfxz9np5Fs2evQi3LvjmKpVDgR6YSGzP9Ft171AC_2EYMF0kLxlmCOaHpV7y/s320/luthor.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>4. Lee Bermejo was criticized for modeling Joker after Heath Ledger's portrayal in Joker. Is this criticism legitimate? </strong><br /><br />There is much hubbub even still as to which came first, but I think the two influenced each other. This portrayal of Joker is so well done that it will be used for the next decade.<br /><br /><strong>5. It was never explained why Joker was released from Arkham. Did this bother you? </strong><br /><br />I suppose not. It was simply a set up to get the story where it needed to be. Joker is always escaping anyway.<br /><br /><strong>6. Do you agree with Luthor's sentiments that Superman is "not a man" and should be feared? Should the citizens of Metropolis trust Superman's word?</strong><br /><br />Yes. One of the most compelling elements of <em>Luthor</em> was his argument against Superman. As previously mentioned, the concerns are quite palpable. Metropolis' citizens must weigh the options and decide who is the trustworthy "man" of power.<br /><br /><strong>7. The story in Joker opted for a very simple arc while Luthor delved much more into Lex Luthor's ideals and morals. Did each serve its purpose? Is Joker too simple to justify a more complex story?</strong><br /><br />My main criticism of <em>Joker</em> was that it got a simple re-seize your lost territory story. <em>Luthor</em>'s story arc properly allowed Azzarello to explore Lex's morals and ideas in depth while <em>Joker</em> came off as a lazy one shot that didn't really tell us anything about Joker that we didn't already know.<br /><br /><strong>8. Azzarello chose to frame the story of Joker through the eyes of henchman Jonny. Why not through Joker's perspective? </strong><br /><br />I'm not sure. Framing it through Joker's perspective would have been a challenging and risky move. Perhaps Azzarello wanted to distance himself from Moore's <em>The Killing Joke</em> which featured the Joker's perspective heavily. Nonetheless, a first person exploration of modern day Joker would have made for a better graphic novel.<br /><br /><strong>9. How can Luthor rail against Superman for not being "human" but turn around and fall in love with his own inhuman creation Hope? </strong><br /><br />It is definitely hypocritical. I guess in Luthor's mind, he can accept Hope into his life because she is his creation. Perhaps her potential and his pride for her blind him from logic in this case.<br /><br /><strong>10. Why is Superman drawn as so evil? Is he drawn as Luthor sees him or simply more realistically? Is Superman such an image of "good" that a villain-focused story couldn't contain it?</strong><br /><br />As previously mentioned, had Superman been the "good" epic line delivering Superman, the focus on Luthor would have been lost. Another interesting point brought up by the book club is this is how Luthor always sees Superman. Luthor never sees the quiet and calm Superman. Through his eyes, Superman is a red-eyed angry alien monster.<br /><br /><strong>11. What other villains might warrant an entire miniseries?</strong><br /><br />Dr. Doom's name was thrown around a bit. Other Batman villains could be interesting such as Riddler or Penguin.<br /><br /><strong>12. What is the significance of the final panels and dialogue between Batman and Joker?</strong><br /><br />An amazing exchange, perhaps making the entire graphic novel worthwhile. Its about Batman's mask and why he shows his mouth and he mocks Joker's smile. I'm not sure there's a significance, but it is a fantastic microcosm of Joker and Batman's relationship.Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779817749410390150.post-13813307891649218592011-12-26T13:58:00.001-08:002012-03-21T14:18:04.135-07:00Scott Pilgrim series Discussion Questions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit11Cpi8UT5VIcyeV9l1MrDGBraY8oFVYPYZ8GJC5XMtKxGP-Re7uww1h-4TV1FtGiO2wMX9QXQJd5EBQSNYC-ywaFd2v63yKvTqPi2-u0oHibLK2UmB7OPKPTiZiN9mIBXDinNlYODE4c/s1600/ScottPilgrim.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690563113058721634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit11Cpi8UT5VIcyeV9l1MrDGBraY8oFVYPYZ8GJC5XMtKxGP-Re7uww1h-4TV1FtGiO2wMX9QXQJd5EBQSNYC-ywaFd2v63yKvTqPi2-u0oHibLK2UmB7OPKPTiZiN9mIBXDinNlYODE4c/s320/ScottPilgrim.jpg" border="0" /></a> <i>Scott Pilgrim</i> is a graphic novel series that was recommended to me by a fellow friend. At first I was creeped out by the similarities between my life and his (bass player, video game nerd, same age!?!?!) but then quickly realized along with a few million others just how charming the series is. Each of the six volumes of <i>Scott Pilgrim</i> are peppered with clever music and video game references and surprisingly deep characterization. Here are some not-very-spoilery questions for the series.<br /><br /><strong>1. Do you think the <i>Scott Pilgrim</i> series has crossover appeal between manga fans and graphic novel fans? </strong><br /><br />Most definitely. It is practically a gateway into the manga form. It is easy to pick up, Americanized, and short.<br /><br /><strong>2. For those who have seen <i>Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World</i> (the film), compare the relationship between Scott and Ramona in the film versus the graphic novel. </strong><br /><br />My criticism with the film was that the romance between Scott and Ramona felt sudden and forced. The graphic novels allow more time and space to develop that relationship.<br /><br /><strong>3. Books and graphic novel series' such as Ernest Cline's <i>Ready Player One</i> and <i>Scott Pilgrim</i> have constructed simple stories around a bevy of pop culture references with great success. Are they simply catering to nerds for profit or do these references add depth?<br /></strong><br />I loved <em>Ready Player One</em> even as a guy who is only nominally familiar with half of the pop culture references made. I think <em>Scott Pilgrim</em> is universally enjoyable and if you get the references that's just icing on the cake. I don't think the references are overbearing or catering too much to nerds, I think it is just a symptom of nerdy thirty something authors.<br /><br /><strong>4. How does Scott's demeanor change throughout the series? What did he learn? </strong><br /><br />Scott's character is clueless in all senses of the word. He is self-centered and seems unaware that he has hurt Kim and later, Knives. Throughout the series, he must be selfless and help Ramona with her problems to save the world and ultimately get the girl. These events help Scott focus on something other than himself and learn that other people matter. Hence his desire to go through the door with Ramona at the end of the series and tackle whatever lies ahead with her.<br /><br /><strong>5. What is the appeal of Ramona Flowers? Is she just a Manic Pixie Dream Girl? (MPDG defined: "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures." Example: Natalie Portman in Garden State, Zooey Deschanel in nearly everything, Ramona Flowers?) </strong><br /><br />I'm not sure what Ramona's appeal is. She seems distant and unpleasant. I guess she is kind of hot. Ramona is most definitely the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype, but O'Malley allows her character to grow a bit. I can see why there were Team Kim vs. Team Ramona campaigners while the books were being released, though.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI64kfNZL1mdEpU_68S_bvcWs4RD6Kudd5rqrKzIwvqSeUngsmSHkQ1_Qd6EW85tcXvYUcLEt-vi900ErCuIhE12umFO5xPGLrXbJKBYG4nKtNCbtzKCr0OmbmU9T5LMeJX_4WS4958fd0/s1600/level-up.PNG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690563169537622258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI64kfNZL1mdEpU_68S_bvcWs4RD6Kudd5rqrKzIwvqSeUngsmSHkQ1_Qd6EW85tcXvYUcLEt-vi900ErCuIhE12umFO5xPGLrXbJKBYG4nKtNCbtzKCr0OmbmU9T5LMeJX_4WS4958fd0/s320/level-up.PNG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>6. What does Kim Pine's role become in the series? What does she do for Scott? </strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Kim Pine is the catalyst to Scott's character development. She is the one who was hurt by him in the past and when Scott goes to save/visit her, that serves as the push his character needed to break away from his self-centeredness.<br /><br /><strong>7. Brian Lee O'Malley includes a playlist of music that inspired him for each volume. Does knowing the author's inspiration add any personal feeling or depth to the series? </strong><br /><br />I think knowing O'Malley's muses helps the series along most definitely, especially since music plays an important role in the story. Similar to the previous question about pop culture references, this music knowledge gives the reader a deeper understanding of the author's influences.<br /><br /><strong>8. Subspace goes largely unexplained through the series. Did you simply accept what it did or did this bother you? Why can Ramona access these doors?<br /></strong><br />I've been reading a lot of books lately that eschew explanations of supernatural occurrences. In this case as well, I don't think a science fiction-y explanation of subspace would have done anything for the story. <em>Scott Pilgrim </em>is above all else, a story focused on characters. The ambiguity in Ramona's origins and powers serves as the most intriguing unsolved mystery of the series (adding to the what happens after the end mystery)<br /><br /><strong>9. What was the driving narrative force of the series? What kept you reading?<br /></strong><br />Characters, Scott's character arc most definitely. Surprisingly, the fights simply drove the story along but weren't the most compelling part.<br /><br /><strong>10. What is the importance (or non-importance) of changing hairstyles?<br /></strong><br />It shows the superficiality of Scott's previous girlfriend Natalie/Envy. If she cares that much about Scott's hairstyle, she's probably not a good person to be with. Not sure on Ramona's changing hairstyles, perhaps that she's never solidified in once place and that she isn't happy with being nailed down to one style/thing. <br /><br /><strong>11. How did the <i>Scott Pilgrim</i> film adaptation differ from other comic to film adaptations?</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic91fACFnL_SqfyIrDKK5FmwWI0wxqFCjK2zk1V17k0Lvrz6bHOlT8mP_4s6SNE8pgsTgRJH9FMNT9kBjACa2PjR0R458msQIMnuRHBI_nziR9AZpCxwHLA7tNy2MWIt7QmOAwRCyfqS7C/s1600/082509_scottpilgrim-lg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690563500968258786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic91fACFnL_SqfyIrDKK5FmwWI0wxqFCjK2zk1V17k0Lvrz6bHOlT8mP_4s6SNE8pgsTgRJH9FMNT9kBjACa2PjR0R458msQIMnuRHBI_nziR9AZpCxwHLA7tNy2MWIt7QmOAwRCyfqS7C/s320/082509_scottpilgrim-lg.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em>Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World</em> felt more like a nod to the graphic novel series rather than a panel by panel adaptation a la <em>Sin City</em>. The humor and feel of the graphic novels were captured quite well.<br /><br /><strong>12. Do you think Scott and Ramona were meant to be together? Did they stay together?<br /></strong><br />My book club simply replied, "It doesn't matter," which bugged me. I don't think Scott and Ramona's relationship would last much past the end of the book, but the important lesson is that they both learned to make another person in their lives the center if only for a bit.<br /><br /><strong>Non-cohesive thoughts</strong>:<br /><br />-You know what was cool? The actual hours and names of various locations. Also, that awesome Shepherd's Pie recipe.<br /><br />-Brian O'Malley's significant other is Hope Larson, author of the graphic novel <i>Mercury</i><br /><br />-Edgar Wright, the director of <i>Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World</i> also directed with <i>Shaun of the Dead</i> and <i>Spaced</i>.Nick Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11674441480785341434noreply@blogger.com0