November 2015

Last week, when I was looking at how Halloween celebrating has exploded, I realized that this may be influenced by the proliferation of "Con culture" that has taken the country by storm. What used to be a few hours of dressing up and strolling the neighborhood to get sacks of candy has turned into something much larger.

Looking at friends' photos on Facebook, I saw fewer "off the shelf" costumes and more that were infused with imagination. Whole families were dressed by theme, many based on comic characters. The elaborate makeup and hairstyles were impressive.

I think the sharing of Con photos, as well as extensive media coverage of both San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con (I loved when the latter was trending at the top of Facebook), have encouraged this, as well as the large number of smaller conventions that have sprung up across the country. We are trying to stay on top of these with our list that can be found later in this newsletter, and we encourage you to reach out with any that we may have missed.

Even traditional book fairs are in the game. The Miami Book Fair has embraced graphic novels and comics for years now; they were pioneers in this. We salute them for this and for making these titles part of the general conversation about books.

We are working to do the same. We recently updated our Kidsreads.com Series Feature, and we included graphic novel/hybrid graphic novel series. You can find the series organized by age or alphabetically here, and here is how to get to graphic novels/hybrid graphic novels. We will be updating this feature quarterly.

We've also updated our Graphic Novel Core Lists. These are titles that we think are "key" reading for those who are either enthusiasts or new readers. Below we have links to each list broken out by age so you can find titles quickly. These are set up as spreadsheets so it'll be easy for teachers and librarians to order titles that may be missing from their collections. (Please note: Titles highlighted in green on each list are new additions.)

Meeting creators at conventions is a highlight for every fan. Below we are sharing three interviews to give you an opportunity to get to know a few creators who we recently featured. And, of course, there are reviews!

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

 

Representative John Lewis, the author of the graphic memoir MARCH: Book Two, sits down with us to discuss the second in a series about his experiences during the American Civil Rights Movement. The former chairman of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, Lewis was one of the leading voices for nonviolent protest and civil disobedience in the 1960s. He is the only living member of the "Big Six," and one of 10 activists to speak to the more than 250,000 Americans gathered at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in 1963. Lewis has served as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district since 1987, and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

• The Adult Graphic Novel List
• The Teen Graphic Novel List
• The Kids Graphic Novel List
• The Adult Manga List
• The Teen Manga List
• The Kids Manga List

We've got news! We've got analysis! We've got recommendations! We've got it all!

New York Comic Con 2015: Heroes and Villains Take the East Coast

Alternative Press Expo 2015: There’s No Place Like Home

Fancy a Tour of the Comics of Yore?

30 Years Later, Who’s Reading WATCHMEN?
 

Autumn is a time for change, and we’re not just talking about the leaves or a shift away from summer sun. Our 20 picks innovate and reinvent, telling stories we’re not used to or reimagining others in surprising and creative ways.

Curated by Maya Gittelman and John Maher
 

BEEF WITH TOMATO by Dean Haspiel (Graphic Novel)
A native New York bruiser is fed up with life in the dregs of a drug-addled Alphabet City where his neighbors are shut-ins and his bicycle is always getting stolen. He escapes from Manhattan to make a fresh start in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, only to face a new strain of street logic --- where most everything he encounters is not as it seems. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.

101 ARTISTS TO LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU DIE by Ricardo Cavolo (Graphic Nonfiction)
Here is a graphic novel in the form of Ricardo Cavolo’s personal diary, which follows the story of music through 101 essential artists --- from Bach to Radiohead, to Amy Winehouse, Nirvana and Daft Punk. With over a hundred uniquely colorful illustrations and handwritten text, lists, notes and personal anecdotes, this is a book to delight in. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.

OUT ON THE WIRE: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio by Jessica Abel (Graphic Nonfiction)
Every week, millions of devoted fans tune in to or download "This American Life," "The Moth," "Radiolab," "Planet Money," "Snap Judgment," "Serial," "Invisibilia" and other narrative radio shows. Using personal stories to breathe life into complex ideas and issues, these beloved programs help us understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. OUT ON THE WIRE offers an unexpected window into this new kind of storytelling --- one that literally illustrates the making of a purely auditory medium. Reviewed by John Maher.

SUICIDE SQUAD, Vol. 1: TRIAL BY FIRE by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell (Comics Collection)
When supervillains get caught, it's up to the government to keep the bad guys in captivity. Amanda Waller, a tough-as-nails federal agent, has other plans. She's heading up Task Force X (a.k.a. the Suicide Squad) as an ultimatum to the world's biggest villains. You either go on her shady, near-impossible missions in the name of democracy, or rot in jail. And one other thing: Most operatives don't make it back alive! Reviewed by Matt Lazorwitz.

HIP HOP FAMILY TREE, Book 3: 1983-1984 by Ed Piskor (Graphic History)
Ed Piskor’s acclaimed graphic novel series continues! Book 3 highlights Run DMC’s rise to fame and introduces unassailable acts like Whodini, The Fat Boys, Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh. The Beastie Boys become a rap group. Rick Rubin meets Russell Simmons to form Def Jam. The famous TV pilot to the dance show "Graffiti Rock" and the documentaries "Style Wars" and "Breakin’ and Enterin’" are all highlighted in this comprehensive volume spanning 1983-1984. Reviewed by Jeremy Estes.

THE LION OF RORA by Christos Gage, Ruth Fletcher Gage and Jackie Lewis (Graphic Novel)
In the tradition of Braveheart and 300 comes THE LION OF RORA, the true story of Joshua Janavel, farmer-turned-freedom fighter, who Napoleon called history's greatest military tactician. Celebrated in verse by John Milton, Janavel and his fellow Waldensians battled to save their people from tyranny and persecution, the first case in European history in which subjects of a ruler rebelled to defend their religious freedom. Reviewed by John Maher.

DIVINITY by Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine (Comics Collection)
From New York Times bestselling writer Matt Kindt (THE VALIANT, MIND MGMT) and blockbuster artist Trevor Hairsine (X-MEN: Deadly Genesis) comes a shocking new vision of 21st-century science fiction! At the height of the Cold War, the rest of the world's powers must decide for themselves --- will the enigmatic Divinity offer his hand in friendship, or will Earth's heroes find themselves helpless against the wrath of the divine? Reviewed by Matt Lazorwitz.

THE AUTUMNLANDS, Vol. 1: TOOTH AND CLAW by Kurt Busiek, Ben Dewey and Jordie Bellaire (Comics Collection)
When a secret conclave of wizards brings a legendary hero back from the forgotten past to save their dying world, they get a hero unlike anything they expected, and trigger a crisis none of them may survive. THE AUTUMNLANDS begins an epic fantasy tale of survival and adventure in a world of beast-wizards, sorcery, brutality and hope. Reviewed by Matt Lazorwitz.

THE LEAGUE OF REGRETTABLE SUPERHEROES: Half-Baked Heroes from Comic Book History by Jon Morris (Nonfiction)
You know about Batman, Superman and Spiderman, but have you heard of Doll Man, Doctor Hormone or Spider Queen? In THE LEAGUE OF REGRETTABLE SUPERHEROES, you’ll meet 100 of the strangest superheroes ever to see print, complete with backstories, vintage art and colorful commentary. So prepare yourself for such not-ready-for-prime-time heroes as Bee Man (Batman, but with bees), the Clown (circus-themed crimebuster), the Eye (a giant, floating eyeball), and many other oddballs and oddities. Reviewed by Matt Lazorwitz.

THE SPECTATORS by Victor Hussenot (Graphic Novel)
What if we are merely shadows, our characters defined by a simple inflection of light? The realm of possibilities opens up, because in our world we are nothing but spectators. THE SPECTATORS unfolds as a poetic and philosophical introspection on the nature of man. Victor Hussenot's palette is awash with subtle color, gently carrying the narrative and allowing the reader to envelop themselves in the lyricism of the work. Reviewed by Jeff Ayers.

BATTLE LINES: A Graphic History of the Civil War by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm and Ari Kelman (Graphic History)
The graphic novelist Jonathan Fetter-Vorm and the award-winning historian Ari Kelman team up to create a unique portrait of a brutal and defining event in American history: the Civil War. The result is BATTLE LINES, a monumental graphic history --- rendered in Fetter-Vorm's sweeping full-color panoramas, and grounded in Kelman's nuanced understanding of the period --- offering a series of wholly new perspectives on the conflict that turned this nation against itself. Reviewed by Jess Costello.

CRIMINAL MACABRE: The Third Child by Steve Niles and Chris Mitten (Graphic Novel)
Cal McDonald has changed...and maybe not for the better. Locked away and numbing himself with booze and aspirin, the undead Cal feels the evil consuming him. Will he be able to withstand its pull, or will he become the monster war's greatest weapon of destruction? Reviewed by Matt Burbridge.
 

HONOR GIRL: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash (Graphic Memoir)
Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her 15-year-old life at the 100-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She's from Atlanta, she's never kissed a guy, she's into Backstreet Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of a pleasant, peaceful nothing...until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser and, most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counselor named Erin. Reviewed by Alyssa Luis.

STEVE JOBS: Insanely Great by Jessie Hartland (Graphic Biography)
This fast-paced and entertaining biography in graphic format is a perfect complement to more text-heavy books on Steve Jobs like Walter Isaacson's biography. Presenting the story of the ultimate American entrepreneur, who brought us Apple Computer, Pixar, Macs, iPods, iPhones and more, this unique and stylish book is sure to appeal to the legions of readers who live and breathe the techno-centric world Jobs created. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

MIKE'S PLACE: A True Story of Love, Blues, and Terror in Tel Aviv by Jack Baxter, Joshua Faudem and Koren Shadmi (Graphic Novel)
There's a rule at Mike's Place: never, ever talk politics or religion. At this blues bar on the Tel Aviv beachfront, an international cast of characters mingles with the locals, and everyone is welcome to grab a beer and forget the conflict outside. At least, that's the story Jack and Joshua want to tell in their documentary. But less than a month after they begin filming, Mike's Place is the target of a deadly suicide bombing. Jack, Joshua and the Mike's Place family survive the only way they know how --- by keeping the camera rolling. Reviewed by Sally Tibbetts.

FANTASY SPORTS, No. 1 by Sam Bosma (Graphic Novel)
In Sam Bosma's debut graphic novel, a young explorer and her musclebound friend go treasure hunting in a mummy's tomb --- but if they want to get rich, they're going to have to best the mummy in a game of hoops! Can they trust their bandaged adversary to play by the rules? Or will they be stuck in the tomb...forever? Reviewed by Caritza Berlioz.
 

SCARLETT: A Star on the Run by Susan Schade and Jon Buller (Graphic Novel)
Scarlett is a small, harlequin-colored cat and a huge movie star. And what's more --- she talks! However, abused by her producer, she dreams of but one thing: escaping! So when the occasion presents itself, she runs for her life. In the company of Trotter, a dog who has escaped the same torment, she is taken in by Mr. Bougnon. But with the noose getting tighter, will they manage to elude their terrible pursuers? Reviewed by Charles Payseur.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Philip Pullman (Graphic Novel Adaptation)
Lyra Belacqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with her dæmon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle --- a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, and a mysterious substance known as Dust. As she hurtles toward danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win --- or to lose --- this more-than-mortal battle. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

CHILD SOLDIER: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War by Michel Chikwanine and Jessica Dee Humphreys (Graphic Nonfiction)
Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his schoolyard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world. This book, presented in a graphic novel format, is part of that effort. Reviewed by Anita Lock.

IMELDA & THE GOBLIN KING by Briony May Smith (Fairy Tale)
Far away behind the hills, a girl called Imelda lives beside a fairy forest. Every day she ventures into the forest to play with her fairy friends. But within the deepest, darkest depths of the trees lives the worst creature of all --- the Goblin King! When he kidnaps the Fairy Queen, the fairies call upon Imelda to help. Soon she has a cunning plan to turn the Goblin King into a worm and rid the forest of him for good! Reviewed by Jess Costello.

LITTLE NEMO'S BIG NEW DREAMS by Josh O'Neill, Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens (Comics Broadsheets)
Winsor McCay's legendary comic strip, "Little Nemo in Slumberland," has inspired today's foremost cartoonists to craft their own dreamlands. From the original broadsheet-sized edition, TOON Graphics has selected more than 30 glorious, unforgettable or even silly dreams. Join Nemo on his journey out of 1905 and, dream by dream, explore the wild and wonderful world of today's most imaginative dreamers! Reviewed by John Maher.

SUNNY SIDE UP by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Graphic Novel)
Sunny Lewin has been packed off to Florida to live with her grandfather for the summer. There she meets Buzz, a boy who is completely obsessed with comic books, and soon they’re having adventures of their own: facing off against golfball-eating alligators, runaway cats and mysteriously disappearing neighbors. But the question remains: Why is Sunny down in Florida in the first place? The answer lies in a family secret that won’t be secret to Sunny much longer. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

SPACE DUMPLINS by Craig Thompson (Graphic Novel)
For Violet Marlocke, family is the most important thing in the whole galaxy. So when her father goes missing while on a hazardous job, she can't just sit around and do nothing. To get him back, Violet throws caution to the stars and sets out with a group of misfit friends on a quest to find him. But space is vast and dangerous, and she soon discovers that her dad is in big trouble. With her father's life on the line, nothing is going to stop Violet from trying to rescue him and keep her family together.Reviewed by Jeremy Estes.

ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD by Yvan Pommaux and Richard Kutner (Graphic Novel)
Son of a muse, the young musician Orpheus has everything: talent, beauty, courage, love. Then, in a moment, everything is lost. His bride, Eurydice, is killed in a terrible accident on their wedding night. Armed only with his lyre, Orpheus enters the desolate Underworld, where no mortal has ever gone before. He's determined to achieve the impossible --- bring his wife back to life, restore their happiness, and ensure he's never in danger of losing her again. Reviewed by Aimee Rogers.

THE WILD PIANO: A Philemon Adventure by Fred and Richard Kutner (Graphic Novel)
Look closely at the map in your library, classroom or home to discover eight fantastic letters: A-T-L-A-N-T-I-C! You'll be shocked at all the magic that one little word can hold. The farm boy Philemon knows better than anyone what the Atlantic promises; he tumbled down a well last year and fell out the other side onto the island of "A"! That time, Philemon barely escaped with his life. Now he must return to the Atlantic and search for the friend he left behind. Reviewed by Aimee Rogers.