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GraphicNovelReporter.com
Newsletter |
June 10, 2011 |
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Quick Links to Features on Graphic Novel Reporter
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| The Road to ALA |
It’s been a busy couple weeks, and it’s nice to be back reporting to you on what’s going on in comics.
The week before Memorial Day still seems like a blur with all the goings-on at BookExpo America. The show was a huge success (publishers are more positive about things than I’ve seen in a while), and comics and graphic novels definitely had a place at the show, though fewer publishers were exhibiting than usual. It was incredibly nice to see the upcoming books and get to catch up with our comics publisher friends. And it was a lot of fun to moderate the Hot Fall Graphic Novels for Libraries panel on Wednesday, which, despite its title, included picks from throughout 2011 and was also geared toward retailers and general readers. The hour-long presentation was nicely attended, and all the panelists provided a very balanced look at kid, teen, and adult books to keep an eye out for (to see the list of books picked, click here). The panelists included college librarian Karen Green, New York City librarian Ryan Donovan, New Jersey high-school teacher Leigh Brodsky, and retailer Jeff Ayers…it was a nice mix of opinions and experiences!
The creators behind two of the books I selected for the panel are profiled on GNR right now. First up, we have an interview with Carla Jablonski, the writer of the Resistance series, set in World War Two France and starring a family of characters who are trying to fight off, in their own small way, the Nazi invasion. It’s real-world stuff and it’s fascinating history, all admirably researched and presented in a way that’s accessible to readers of all ages. I’m a big fan of the series (which will be a trilogy). I think it would fit in well with a classroom setting, but it’s also a generally enthralling read on its own. It’s actually quite tense and frightening as the children in the family get more and more involved in the resistance effort, knowing fully well that the Nazis will not show them any mercy just because they’re children. They are putting their own lives on the line every bit as much as any adult fighting the war.
Do a complete 180 and you’ll get to the other creator interview online right now (after the seriousness and nailbiting of Resistance, you may really need this). I’m a big fan of Jason Shiga’s hilarious semiautobiographical tale of love gone wrong in Empire State. I honestly laughed out loud more than once while reading this book, and I wanted to get to the story behind it. So I’ve interviewed Shiga and asked him about presenting this personal story of chasing a girl across the country, only to find out she’s fallen for another guy. As I said about the book in the BEA panel: Yes, that may sound like a plot you’ve seen and read many times before, but Shiga has the charm and wit to pull this off in a new and interesting way. It’s good stuff.
Now that BookExpo is over, the GNR team has moved on to the next big event (and one of the most exciting!) on our calendar: the American Librarian Association Annual Conference in New Orleans. This congregation of the nation’s librarians is being held from June 23–28, and, much like BEA, it will hold all the news about the biggest and most buzz-worthy books of the year. I’m happy to see how important a role graphic novels continue to play in libraries throughout the country, a fact that is keenly on display at the ALA conference. There are panels, signings, talks, and more going on, all related to graphic novels, throughout the week. Click here for details on those.
But what I’m most excited about is GNR’s co-sponsorship of the $20,000+ Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway. You may remember a similar event we co-sponsored with the same folks at the recent Texas Library Association's annual conference. This new event builds on that one’s huge success and is even bigger. One lucky library will win an amazing lineup of more than 750 graphic novels hand-selected from a variety of the industry’s top publishers, as well as library furniture and shelving from Brodart Company. All of the books being given away in this contest will be on display at ALA in the library shelving. The contest is sponsored by Brodart Company, Diamond Book Distributors, and GraphicNovelReporter.
We scored a major coup with this program when award-winning and bestselling artist and writer Jimmy Gownley (of Amelia Rules! fame) agreed to design the logo and illustrate the signage for this event. It is an amazing gift that he has donated to this worthy cause, and we are enormously grateful to him for both his enthusiasm to participate and his amazingly quick turnaround. Jimmy was very modest about his generosity, as evidenced by what he said about his work for the $20,000+ Great Graphic Novel Giveaway: “Libraries were among the first and biggest supporters of me and Amelia Rules! It was an honor for me to provide the artwork for this incredible giveaway.” It is much appreciated, and if you or someone you know is a librarian attending the ALA conference in New Orleans, please stop by Booth 1760 and say hello…and register to win! You can read details about this contest here. Spread the word around, too, please!
Meanwhile, we’re also preparing for next month’s San Diego Comic-Con. This should be a blockbuster conference, due in no small part to all the…well, blockbusters. With the summer movie season fully underway, this is a summer filled with more comics movies than ever before. What’s even better: All these movies look good. Really good, in fact. (I have to say I’ve loved both Thor and X-Men: First Class, and Green Lantern and Captain America look to be even better.) If you, like me, can’t wait to see them all, I hope our new reading guide will help you bide the time (and if you’re new to the characters in all these movies, this article will help you get better acquainted with the comics legends before you see them on the silver screen).
And of course with summer in full swing, you’ll definitely want to keep up with everything on our Hottest Graphic Novels of Summer 2011 list. Whatever your taste (and whatever age group you want to buy books for), you’ll find some great stuff here.
Keep scrolling down to find out what else is new on GraphicNovelReporter, including all our latest reviews!
Happy reading,
John Hogan
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CREATOR INTERVIEW
Carla Jablonski's Resistance Effort |
Noted children’s author Carla Jablonski teams up with artist Leland Purvis in the wonderful Resistance trilogy, set against the backdrop of World War II France. It’s a tough, historically accurate look at one family’s struggle to remain together (and alive) during this tumultuous time while also living up to their own political and moral ideals of what is right. With Book 2, Defiance, recently out, we talked to Jablonski about how this remarkable series came to life.
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Click here to read our interview with Carla Jablonski.
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CREATOR INTERVIEW
Empire State Blues: An Interview with Jason Shiga |
Love makes us do crazy things. For writer/artist Jason Shiga, it inspired a cross-country bus trip to meet up with the girl he’d lost his heart, a trip that inspired the hilariously funny and charming Empire State, now out. It’s a look at the down side of love, but it’s also heartwarming in its own way, a slight departure for the radically creative talent behind Meanwhile. Here’s what Shiga had to say about the book.
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Click here to read our interview with Jason Shiga.
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FEATURE STORY
The Hottest Graphic Novels of Summer
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Every summer brings with it a wealth of new graphic novels. The excitement that surrounds the conventions that pop up all over the country (most notably San Diego Comic-Con) creates a whirlwind of comic material. From books for young readers to hot fiction and nonfiction for adults, we've got them all covered so you can prioritize your reading lists all summer long!
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Click here to check out the hottest graphic novels of summer 2011.
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EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS
Spotlight on New Orleans
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From June 23-28, 2011, in New Orleans, the American Library Association's Annual Conference will take over the city! The world’s largest event for the library community brings together more than 25,000 librarians, educators, authors, publishers, literacy experts, illustrators, and suppliers, a remarkable opportunity for every library. This year's ALA conference will also afford one lucky library the opportunity to win The $20,000+ Great Graphic Novel Giveaway, co-sponsored by Brodart Company, Diamond Distributors, and GraphicNovelReporter.
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Click here to read more about upcoming events and conventions.
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FEATURE STORY
Big Box Office Books
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We’re heading into a summer of huge blockbuster movies based on comic books: Thor, Green Lantern, Captain America: The First Avenger, and X-Men: First Class among the most hotly anticipated. While their digitally enhanced cinematic presence might be awesome to behold, these guys have been around for decades, fighting their way through enemies on carefully drawn and inked comic pages. If you want a broader picture of these beloved superheroes, these are the books you want to check out.
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Click here to check out our feature story on Big Box Office Books.
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FEATURE STORY
Hot Fall Graphic Novels for Libraries
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| The Hot Fall Graphic Novels for Libraries panel at Book Expo America was a lively, spirited discussion of some highly recommended graphic novels for kids, teens, and adults. With an excellent panel that included New York City librarian Ryan Donovan, Columbia librarian Karen Green, New Jersey teacher Leigh Brodsky, and Forbidden Planet's Jeff Ayers, it was a diverse lineup. Here's the complete list of titles chosen by the panelists. |
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OP-ED
Meet the Gurus!
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Mary Klucznik is a library media specialist at Chittenango High School in New York State. Over the past year, circulation for graphic novels there has increased three-fold, and a lot of it is due to the fact that she has enlisted students (now called The Gurus) to help with collection development. She shares her success story with us here. |
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FICTION REVIEWS
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Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths is a story that anyone can understand, a story of both the nobility of human spirit and the absurdity of war. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson
PunisherMAX: Bullseye by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon
For decades, the Punisher has waged a one-man war on crime, hunting down drug lords and criminal kingpins. Now, bruised, battered, and broken, the Punisher finds himself the hunted, the prey of an insane hired assassin called Bullseye. Reviewed by Michael Hicks
Felix the Cat: The Great Comic Book Tails edited by Craig Yoe
Felix the Cat travels the universe on his magic carpet and gets into comical scrapes at home and abroad in these imaginative comics from the 1940s and 1950s. Reviewed by Brigid Alverson
Rasetsu, Vol. 7–8 by Chika Shiomi
Rasetsu is trying to find true love in order to break the curse of an evil spirit. She reaches her twentieth birthday, the day the evil spirit is set to come and collect her. Reviewed by Danica Davidson
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Click here to read all our fiction reviews.
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| NONFICTION REVIEWS |
Lewis & Clark by Nick Bertozzi
Beginning in 1803, as Meriweather Lewis receives notice that congress has approved of his exploration and he recruits his partner, William Clark, Lewis & Clark masterfully relives one of the most epic journeys in history. Reviewed by John Hogan
The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld
Is the news media a hopelessly biased, profit-seeking monster that controls not only public discourse, but our very thoughts? Well, the answer is “yes and no”…at least according to this insightful media literacy text. Reviewed by Peter Gutiérrez
Constructing Green Lantern: From Page to Screen by Ozzy Inguano and Chris McDonnell
After a too-brief intro from Geoff Johns, Constructing Green Lantern presents its info in a series of bite-sized yet nourishing chapters. The reader is treated to endless behind-the-scenes images, reference photos of actors and study models, stunning concept art, and more. Reviewed by Peter Gutiérrez
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Click here to read all our nonfiction reviews.
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| TEEN REVIEWS |
Unwritten, Vol. 3: Dead Man’s Knock by Mike Carey and Peter Gross
As with volumes one and two, the art is strong and the story is well-conceived in Dead Man's Knock. Although the actual execution may leave some audiences wanting more, Carey and Gross have provided enough visual and narrative capital in all three editions to maintain reader interest and highlight the diversity and talent for which the Vertigo imprint is recognized. Reviewed by Nathan Wilson
Uncanny X-Force: The Apocalypse Solution by Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña
The ancient mutant Apocalypse has been resurrected, and X-Force, led by Wolverine, takes it upon themselves to kill him. Rick Remender launches Uncanny X-Force in grand, bloody fashion, reintroducing Marvel's band of murderers and mutants with an epic story arc that takes the black-ops team to the moon to stop their oldest foe before humanity is wiped out. Reviewed by Michael Hicks
Batman and Robin, Vol. 3: Batman Must Die! by Grant Morrison and Frazer Irving
A poisoned Gotham City, a Joker driven by revenge, and the supposed return of Thomas Wayne fuels the latest installment in Grant Morrison's ongoing examination and evolution of the Batman mythos. Morrison finishes his run on Batman & Robin by tying up loose ends from his previous entries, including the history of Dr. Hurt and the return of Bruce Wayne, and paves the way for his next batch of stories in Batman, Inc. Reviewed by Michael Hicks
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Click here to read our teen reviews.
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COMING SOON
June 8th - June 15th
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June 8
Angel, Vol. 9: The Wolf, the Ram and the Heart
IDW Publishing
Ant-Man and Wasp: Small World
Marvel Comics
Baltimore, Vol. 1: The Plague Ships
Dark Horse
Batwoman, Vol. 1: Elegy
DC Comics
Captain America by Dan Jurgens, Vol. 1
Marvel Comics
Captain America: Fighting Avenger
Marvel Comics
Captain America: No Escape
Marvel Comics
Danger Girl: Campbell Sketchbook
IDW Publishing
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger: Little Sisters of Eluria
Marvel Comics
Deadpool Team-Up, Vol. 2: Special Relationship
Marvel Comics
Dean Motter's Mister X: The Brides of Mister X and Other Stories
Dark Horse
Elephantmen, Vol. 4: Questionable Things
Image Comics
Generation Hope: The Future’s a Four-Letter Word
Marvel Comics
Golly, Vol. 1: Catching Hell
Image Comics
Jericho, Season 3
IDW Publishing
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Vol. 12
Dark Horse
Level Up
First Second
The Lil Depressed Boy, Vol. 1: She Is Staggering
Image Comics
Magdalena: Origins, Vol. 2
Top Cow
The New X-Men by Grant Morrison, Book 2
Marvel Comics
Preacher, Book 4
Vertigo
Punisher Max, Vol. 6
Marvel Comics
Runaways, Vol. 5: Escape to New York
Marvel Comics
Something Monstrous
IDW Publishing
Spawn Origins, Vol. 11
Image Comics
Star Trek Classic Movie Omnibus
IDW Publishing
Superman Chronicles, Vol. 9
DC Comics
Sweet Tooth, Vol. 3: Animal Armies
DC Comics
Thor: Gods on Earth
Marvel Comics
Twilight Experiment
DC Comics
June 15
Arkham Asylum: Madness
DC Comics
Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Lost Adventures
Dark Horse
Bomb Queen VI: Time Bomb
Image Comics
Captain America: The Red Menace Ultimate Collection
Marvel Comics
Creepy Comics, Vol. 1
Dark Horse
Deadpool, Vol. 7: Space Oddity
Marvel Comics
Dethklok
Dark Horse
Dungeons and Dragons, Vol. 1: Shadowplague
IDW Publishing
Falling Skies
Dark Horse
Fantastic Four by Waid and Wieringo Ultimate Collection, Book 1
Marvel Comics
Forgotten Fantasy Sunday Comics 1900–1915
Sunday Press Books
Green Lantern: Brightest Day
DC Comics
Hellboy Library Edition, Vol. 4: The Crooked Man and The Troll Witch
Dark Horse
Hulk, Vol. 2: Hulk No More
Marvel Comics
Hulk: Gray
Marvel Comics
John Byrne’s Next Men, Vol. 1
IDW Publishing
Justice League: Cry for Justice
DC Comics
Kane and Lynch
Vertigo
Legion Lost
DC Comics
Marvel Adventures: Avengers Digest: Hulk
Marvel Comics
Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America, Vol. 5
Marvel Comics
Nogoodniks
Drawn and Quarterly
Proof, Vol. 6: Endangered
Image Comics
Scary Godmother Comic-Book Stories
Dark Horse
Secret Warriors, Vol. 5: Night
Marvel Comics
The Sixth Gun, Vol. 2
Oni Press
Troublemaker
Dark Horse
The Uncanny X-Force: Deathlok Nation
Marvel Comics
The Uncanny X-Men: Quarantine
Marvel Comics
We 3 Deluxe Edition
Vertigo
Wolverine and Jubilee: Curse of the Mutants
Marvel Comics
X-Factor, Vol. 11: Happenings in Vegas
Marvel Comics
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