News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

There are some terrific new graphic novels in this month’s selection that includes the first volumes of four new series, Incal, Strongman, Mean Machine and Green Wake.

Rock bottom / Joe Casey, Charlie Adlard.
“What would you do if you discovered you were turning to stone? What would that extraordinary circumstance do to your life? Writer Joe Casey (Wildcats Version 3.0, X-Men, and Superman) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Charlie Adlard (Walking Dead) answer these questions and more in this long-awaited, gut-wrenching original graphic novel drama. Thomas Dare was an ordinary man with ordinary problems, until fate steeped in to turn his life upside-down.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Lenny Zero & the perps of Mega-City One / Andy Diggle…[et al.], writers ; Jock…[et al.], artists.
“It takes a special kind of criminal to survive on the mean streets of Mega-City One. Lenny Zero; an ex undercover Judge whose always one step ahead of the game, playing mobsters and the law alike. Slick Dickens, master criminal and style trendsetter is always ahead of the pack. He kills good and looks even better, but can any real person ever be this cool? In the Big Meg’s Barrio Blocks, they call Carlito Agarra the ‘Bato Loco’ or ‘crazy guy’ Carlito is just trying to make his way, no matter how dishonest, but that’s not so easy when both the mob and the judges are always on your back.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

I will bite you! : and other stories / by Joseph Lambert.
“This volume collects many of the self-published mini-comics of a lauded newcomer, whose illustrations have appeared in various publications and includes some new material as well. The comics here are sophisticated, unusual narratives about animal musicians, mischievous children, cavemen and heavenly bodies.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)

The Incal / Alexandro Jodorowsky, writer ; Moebius, penciller & inker.
“The first volume of this classic sci-fi adventure featuring John Difool, a private detective. With the great darkness attacking the galaxy, Difool races through the cosmos with his pet concrete bird, Deepo, and the Universe’s greatest warrior, the Metabaron, on a quest to face the great evil.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)

Chico & Rita / Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba.
“Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unite them, but their journey brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood, and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love. This is based on the true story of Grammy Award-winning Cuban pianist and bandleader Bebo Valdes.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The hidden / Richard Sala.
“Is this the end of the world? How did it happen? Why did it happen? There is one man who knows… Take a walk with the dazed survivors of a mysterious worldwide catastrophe. They are bound for a place, somewhere in the desert, where a terrible truth awaits them.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Drawing from memory / Allen Say.Drawing from Memory
“This 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, this story presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)

Strongman / writer, Charles Soule ; artist, Allen Gladfelter.
“Tigre, a masked Mexican wrestler and crime-fighting movie star, was huge in Mexico in the 1970’s. These days, he’s 65 and drunk, living in Manhattan. When a beautiful woman begs him to stop an organ trafficking ring, the old warrior decides to take one last, epic shot at redemption. This is the first volume in series.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Mean Machine : real mean / John Wagner…[et al.]
“The first volume of a new series. Born and raised in the Cursed Earth as a member of the notorious Angel gang, “Mean Angel “(aka the Mean Machine) is one of the most dangerous criminals to ever plague Judge Dredd’s Mega-City One. With his mechanical claw and head dial, which amps up his anger and aggression from Mean to Brutal, Mean Angel is one of Judge Dredd’s toughest adversaries, a head butting psychopath with a penchant for destruction” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Green Wake. Volume one / Kurtis Wiebe, story ; Riley Rossmo, art and colors.
“This highly acclaimed series is a riveting tale of loss and horror. In the forgotten town of Green Wake, a string of grisly mutilations leads Morley Mack on the trail of a young woman named Ariel, who is the prime suspect. But when a stranger with startling connections to Ariel arrives under mysterious circumstances, Morley unravels a dark plot with a surprising link to his past.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)