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I am enjoying this “Summer of the Comics Fan” so much. That’s just what I’m calling it; it’s not like it’s an official name or anything. But considering how much comics-oriented stuff we’ve already seen (and the multitude of things to look forward to), it’s hard to imagine it being anything else. It even offsets my extreme ire over the movie Prometheus…my disappointment in it was profound after seeing it last weekend. Here’s my short review, in which I will mention none of the annoying plot holes and nonsensical storylines (here’s someone who did a really good job tackling those, by the way): Remember the intense humanity that Sigourney Weaver brought to Alien/Aliens? Where you felt like you were living along with every bit of her blood, sweat, and tears? Prometheus has none of that, so you really don’t even care about its dumb, cardboard characters.
But enough about that. Let’s talk about the cool things, like last week’s Hottest Graphic Novels of 2012 panel at BookExpo America. It was pretty incredible to see this huge lineup of books being discussed in front of a large audience who couldn’t wait to hear more. Panelists included Brigid Alverson (Good Comics for Kids), Josh Christie (iFanboy), Karen Green (Columbia University), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), and Emily Pullen (Skylight Books). All told, more than 50 books were previewed and discussed that day…but don’t worry if you missed it. We’ve got the entire slideshow up for review on GNR. While working on organizing the panel, I kept thinking, “I’m going to be very busy reading some great things this summer.”
The American Library Association will be holding its Annual Conference from June 21-26 in Anaheim, and as usual, the ALA is at the cutting edge of providing great graphic novel programming for attendees, as well as the usual Graphic Novel Pavilion, where you will find eager publishers ready to show off their latest books. You can check out their programming here. Plus, the first Will Eisner Graphic Novel Prize for Libraries debuts at this convention with a contest that will reward three very lucky libraries with about $4,000 worth of graphic-novel-related goodies: $1,000 in Eisner Award-nominated titles, a $2,000 voucher to be used to buy more graphic novels, and a $1,000 voucher to be used for a signing or an event related to graphic novels. (For more details on that, click here.)
I’m also getting excited to head off to San Diego next month for Comic-Con, with plenty more celebrations and events in store. As soon as the official site is updated with all the programming for the week, we’ll distill that information and post a listing of panels of particular interest to teachers and librarians.
The fact that The Avengers has earned more than half a billion dollars (and counting!) shows the enthusiasm movie audiences are feeling for comics-related movies…and I’m excited to watch it continue with The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man.
We’ve recently added some new reviews to the site, as well as some interesting new content and an interview with noted bestselling author Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn), who has adapted his beloved classic as a graphic novel. I hope all of this whets your appetite for a sizzling summer.
Enjoy,
John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)
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