Great Graphic Novels of Fall 2011: Nonfiction
Check out all our Fall 2011 picks in these other categories:
Kids | Tweens | Teens | Adult Fiction
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September
Blankets (new hardcover and softcover editions)
by Craig Thompson
Top Shelf
On sale now
Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. A profound and utterly beautiful work, now available in both a new hardcover and new softcover edition.
Drawing from Memory
by Allen Say
Scholastic Press
On sale now
Drawing from Memory is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As WWII raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained—and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, Drawing from Memory presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us.
Code Word: Geronimo
by Capt Dale Dye (USMC, Ret); Julia Dewey Dye, PhD; John M. Del Vecchio,Gerry Kissell, and Amin Amat
IDW
On sale September 20
The leader of SEAL Team 6 uttered, “Geronimo,” and the world let out a sigh of relief. The symbol of ultimate evil was no more. Code Word: Geronimo is the amazing, moment-by-moment story of the clandestine raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. This historical keepsake commemorates the bravery and valor of SEAL Team 6 as it descends into a foreign land and achieves the near impossible.
October
Meta Maus
by Art Spiegelman
Pantheon
On sale October 4
In the pages of MetaMaus, Art Spiegelman re-enters the Pulitzer prize–winning Maus, the modern classic that has altered how we see literature, comics, and the Holocaust ever since it was first published 25 years ago. He probes the questions that Maus most often evokes—Why the Holocaust? Why mice? Why comics?—and gives us a new and essential work about the creative process. MetaMaus includes a bonus DVD that provides a digitized reference copy of The Complete Maus linked to a deep archive of audio interviews with his survivor father, historical documents, and a wealth of Spiegelman’s private notebooks and sketches.
Marzi
by Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia
Vertigo
On sale October 25
Told from a young girl’s perspective, Marzena Sowa’s memoir of a childhood shaped by politics feels remarkably fresh and immediate. Structured as a series of vignettes that build on one another, Marzi is a compelling and powerful coming-of-age story that portrays the harsh realities of life behind the Iron Curtain while maintaining the everyday wonders and curiosity of childhood.
November
Kenk: A Graphic Portrait
by Richard Poplak, Alex Jansen, Jason Gilmore, and Nick Marinkovich
Pop Sandbox
On sale November 2
A multiple award-winning 300-page journalistic comic book surrounding Igor Kenk—whom the New York Times named "the world's most prolific bicycle thief."
The Next Day
by John Porcellino, Jason Gilmore, and Paul Peterson
Pop Sandbox
On sale November 2
A groundbreaking graphic novella constructed from intimate interviews with real survivors of near-fatal suicide attempts.
Underwire
by Jennifer Hayden
Top Shelf
On sale November 8
Sometimes you just gotta pick yourself up by your brastraps. Underwire collects the wise and witty autobiographical comics of a captivating new voice: Jennifer Hayden, cartoonist and politically incorrect mother of two. She may not have all the answers, but she's not gonna let that stop her from enjoying the prime of her life--her forties!
