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GraphicNovelReporter.com
Newsletter |
August 25, 2011 |
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Quick Links to Features on Graphic Novel Reporter
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Game Changers
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I don’t usually look at books in-depth here in the introduction to the newsletter, but I have to make an exception in the case of Habibi. Craig Thompson’s newest book isn’t even out yet (it releases on September 20th), but I’ve been reading an advance review copy…and I’m absolutely blown away by it. In fact, I think it’s easily the best graphic novel of the year, and probably the decade. Yes, it’s that good.
It’s an allegory on the areas in which Islam and Christianity overlap, a story about love and family and devotion, an intense look at Middle Eastern life, and a wonderful scrutiny of human existence. It reads in parts like a fairy tale or a spiritual parable, but it’s also an epic novel and includes all the attendant literary values of one. And then, on top it all, there is the artwork. Thompson’s line work here is beyond brilliant, combining myriad styles and capturing the rich historical legacy of the cultural and religious volumes that inspired it. This is a work that truly changes the game and sets a new standard for all the graphic novels that follow it.
When you talk about game-changing graphic works, the inevitable comparison is Maus, so it’s interesting that Habibi is coming out so close to the release of MetaMaus (in stores October 4th), a comprehensive look back at Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer-winning book through interviews, recollections, and so much more. Reading both books in such close proximity was an interesting comics journey. Maus changed the world of comics forever when it was published in the ’80s, and now Craig Thompson is set to do it in the 21st century. You’re definitely going to want to check both out. Our complete Fall Preview will be in our next update on September 8th.
The winners of the Harvey Awards were announced last weekend at the Baltimore Comic-Con (to see who won, click here.) I’m sorry my schedule was such that I didn’t get a chance to go to Baltimore this year, especially because all the reports that I’ve heard have been glowing. While San Diego Comic-Con is certainly fun and an event that nothing can be likened to, to me, it’s the smaller cons that really capture what comics and graphic novels are all about. That is to say, they get to the heart of comics collecting and allow people who are really passionate about comics to mingle and share their enthusiasm. I feel quite happy amid the craziness of San Diego and what that brings, but it’s the smaller cons that really make a collector like me feel right at home. And as a publisher recently pointed out when Carol and I met with them, the smaller conventions really mean a lot to the local folks and give publishers a chance to reach out directly to their core audience.
And all of that puts me in mind of the upcoming New York Comic-Con October 13–16, which is itself pretty huge but also manages to capture that true comics spirit. It’s grown significantly over the past few years, but I love how it remains true to its roots. We’re plotting out some panels and working on some big stories for it, so stay tuned.
Scroll down below to see the new interviews, reviews, and more we’ve got posted now on GNR. This time, we talk to the creators of two very funny works: New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, who’s written an A-Z catalog of her biggest fears in graphic form; and the incredibly witty Gordon McAlpin, whose webcomic Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show has recently been collected in trade paperback. If you’ve ever worked in a movie theater, you’ll relate. Actually, if you’ve ever been to a movie theater, you’ll relate. It’s got a charming universal appeal.
There’s plenty more news, and particularly a lot of reviews, online now. Read on to find out all that’s going on now at GraphicNovelReporter.com.
Happy reading,
John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)
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CREATOR INTERVIEW
Moving Pictures: Gordon McAlpin on Multiplex
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What really goes on behind the scenes at your local multiplex? Gordon McAlpin gives us a backstage pass to all the antics in Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show. Here’s his take on the little scenes behind the big screens. By John Hogan |
Click here to read our interview with Gordon McAlpin.
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FEATURE STORY:
Going Native: Frank Frazetta's White Indian and the Dynamics of Playing Indian, Part 1
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The publication of the Frank Frazetta collection White Indian spurs this essay on the cultural landscape of comics. Surprisingly, comics of the 1940s and 1950s had a peculiar relationship with the U.S.’s failed Native American policies due to the fact that both DC and Marvel presented modern, contemporary, 20th-century Indian story lines in several key titles. In fact, when compared to film or television of the same decades, comics were far more socially aware of the political realities facing native peoples than they would be in the late 1960s and 1970s. By Nathan Wilson |
Click here to read our feature on Going Native.
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EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS:
New York Comic Con
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| The biggest comic and pop culture convention on the East Coast returns this October! New York Comic Con takes place October 13-16 and hosts a wealth of comics and entertainment legends. This fall, nearly 100,000 fans will gather to witness the latest news in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television, including panels and autograph sessions and screenings. Find out all about it here! |
Click here to read more about New York Comic Con.
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EXCERPT:
The Next Day by Paul Peterson, Jason Gilmore, and John Porcellino
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Every year, nearly one million people die from suicide. More than 20 times as many people attempt it.... What if they had waited just one more day? The Next Day is a groundbreaking graphic novella constructed from intimate interviews with survivors of near-fatal suicide attempts. In this poetic and profound philosophical exploration, four seemingly ordinary people each offer haunting personal insight into life, the decision to end it, and what comes after. The Next Day graphic novella is an exciting hybrid of documentary film and comic book, cowritten by former social worker Paul Peterson and filmmaker Jason Gilmore, and illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist John Porcellino. Here is a preview look at this moving work.
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Click here to read our excerpt of The Next Day.
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VIDEOS
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| Two new graphic-novel trailers from Image Comics! Pherone and Moriarty are both exciting series now collected in trade paperback. Check them out here. |
Click here to see the videos.
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FICTION REVIEWS
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The Incal Classic Collection by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius
Collecting and reissuing the classic tale with its intended original colors, Humanoids' latest offering, The Incal, has already been recognized with a 2011 Eisner Award nomination for Best Archival Collection. For audiences familiar with Jodorowsky and Moebius or for novice readers desiring to read a triumph of sequential art, there is no better format to experience The Incal than Humanoid's superior production quality. Reviewed by Nathan Wilson
Judge Dredd: Mega-City Masters, Vol. 2 by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Mark Millar, Pat Mills, and Dan Abnett
Whereas volume one relied on the Art of the Law to lure readers in and addict them to the world of Mega-City One, Judge Dredd: Mega-City Masters, Vol. Two rests on the Word of Law. Presenting some of the most original voices in contemporary comics heralded on both sides of the Atlantic, this latest installment showcases the narrative power of Judge Dredd. Reviewed by Nathan Wilson
Secret Warriors, Vol. 4: Last Ride of the Howling Commandos by Jonathan Hickman, Alessandro Vitti, et al.
The Secret Warriors defy an easy explanation: a group of highly trained military warriors-turned-mercenaries who are sometimes (and sometimes not) affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s covert anti-terror operations. This time, their attack on a terrorist base in China has gone awry, and as they remember their fallen comrades, they also have a lot of explaining to do. Reviewed by Collin David
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Click here to read all our fiction reviews.
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NONFICTION REVIEW
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Drawing from Memory by Allen Say
Caldecott Award winner Allen Say returns to themes and memories he first explored in The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice with his latest book, an illustrated autobiography of childhood and adolescence in postwar Japan. Reviewed by Nathan Wilson
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Click here to read all our nonfiction reviews.
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| REFERENCE REVIEWS |
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Captain Britain: Birth of a Legend, Vol. 1 by Chris Claremont, Herb Trimbe, and John Buscema
Although Captain Britain didn’t make a huge smash in the States, he was clearly cemented in Marvel’s superhero universe. Captain Britain: Birth of a Legend, Vol. 1 reprints 38 issues of Captain Britain’s series as well as a couple Spider-Man team-ups from the creative glory days of the 1970s. Reviewed by John Hogan
Weird but True Toon Factoids by Craig Yoe
You learn a wealth of information in Craig Yoe’s delightfully entertaining Weird But True Toon Factoids!, a collection of little bits of data that add up to a crash course in comics history. Reviewed by John Hogan
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Click here to read all our reference reviews.
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| TEEN REVIEWS |
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Doctor Who II, Vol. 1: The Ripper by Tony Lee, Andrew Currie, and Richard Piers Rayner
What if all the spam in your in-box came to life? What if Jack the Ripper was actually an alien from outer space? Doctor Who handles both situations with his usual charm in two stories that are fun for newcomers and longtime fans alike. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson
The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 1 and 2 by Yukino Sai and Yura Kairi
Shurei, who was denied a civil servant job because she’s a woman, becomes consort to the emperor. Along the way, she finds an incredible opportunity to let her intelligence finally shine through. Reviewed by Danica Davidson
Grand Guignol Orchestra, Vol. 3 by Kaori Yuki
Lucille and Eles discover a new strain of the Guignol virus (which turns people into zombies) while doing undercover work at a convent. Reviewed by Danica Davidson
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Click here to read our teen reviews.
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COMING SOON
August 24th |
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Here’s what you can look forward to in the weeks ahead!
August 24
28 Days Later, Vol. 5: Ghost Town
Boom! Studios
Astro City: Life in the Big City
DC Comics
Awakenings
Arcana Studio
B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth, Vol. 1: New World
Dark Horse
Boris Karloff: Tales of Mystery Archives, Vol. 6
Dark Horse
Bubbles & Gondola
NBM
Captain America: Prisoner of War
Marvel Comics
Carnage: Family Feud
Marvel Comics
Chew, Vol. 4: Flambe
Image Comics
The Chronicles of Conan, Vol. 21: Blood of the Titan and Other Stories
Dark Horse
The Clockwork Girl
HarperCollins
Creed Omnichronos
IDW Publishing
Crossed, Vol. 2: Family Values
Avatar Press
Cthulhu Tales Omnibus: Delirium
Boom! Studios
Darkwing Duck, Vol. 3: Fowl Disposition
Boom! Studios
DC Universe Legacies
DC Comics
Doom Patrol: Fire Away
DC Comics
Farscape, Vol. 5: Red Sky at Morning
Boom! Studios
Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 1
Marvel Comics
G.I. Joe Special Missions, Vol. 4
IDW Publishing
His Dream of the Skyland
Gestalt Publishing
How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less
Vertigo
Insanely Awesome Mad
DC Comics
Jenny Finn, Doom Messiah
Boom! Studios
Knuckles: The Echidna Archives, Vol. 1
Archie Comics
Lady Death Origins, Vol. 2
Boundless Comics
Little Green Men: Small Package, Big Fun
Ape Entertainment
Little Jackie Lantern Board Book
IDW Publishing
Marvel Masterworks: Sub-Mariner, Vol. 1
Marvel Comics
Meow, Vol. 1
Kettledrummer/Diablo Edicione
Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show, Vol. 1
Chase Sequence
New Teen Titans Omnibus, Vol. 1
DC Comics
Planet of the Apes, Vol. 1
Boom! Studios
Pocket God: A Tale of Two Pygmies
Ape Entertainment
Pure Pajamas
Drawn and Quarterly
Roger Langridge: The Show Must Go On
Boom! Studios
Rotten, Vol. 2: Revival of the Fittest
Moonstone
Shadowland
Marvel Comics
Shadowland: Street Heroes
Marvel Comics
Shadowland: Thunderbolts
Marvel Comics
She Only Liked Me for My Brains
Kettledrummer/Diablo Edicione
Silver Surfer: Devolution
Marvel Comics
Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Vol. 6: Beyond the Grave
Bongo Comics
Spider-Man: The Next Chapter, Vol. 1
Marvel Comics
Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago…, Vol. 4
Dark Horse
Supergirl: Bizarrogirl
DC Comics
Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story
Image Comics
Team Ups of The Brave and the Bold
DC Comics
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection
IDW Publishing
Three Men in a Boat
Campfire
Transformers Classics UK, Vol. 1
IDW Publishing
Trout
Arcana Studio
World of Warcraft, Vol. 4
DC Comics
X-Men Legacy: Collision
Marvel Comics
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Click here to see what's coming soon!
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