Graphic Novels Recent Picks

February 2011

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The unwritten [1] : Tommy Taylor and the bogus identity / Mike Carey & Peter Gross, script/story/art.
"Tom’s father created the mega-popular Tommy Taylor boy-wizard fantasy novels, modelling the fictional epic so closely to Tom’s real life that fans constantly compare him to his counterpart. When a scandal hints that Tom might really be the boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a mysterious, deadly group that’s secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, to all the places in world history where fictions have shaped reality." (Amazon UK)

Blacksad / written by Juan Diaz Canales ; illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido ; lettering by Studio Cutie.
"Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets. Guarnido's sumptuously painted pages and rich cinematic style bring the world of 1950s America to vibrant life, with Canales weaving in fascinating tales of conspiracy, racial tension, and the "red scare" Communist witch hunts of the time. Guarnido reinvents anthropomorphism in these pages, and industry colleagues no less than Will Eisner, Jim Steranko, and Tim Sale are fans! Whether John Blacksad is falling for dangerous women or getting beaten to within an inch of his life, his stories are, simply put, unforgettable." (Syndetics summary)

Arkham Asylum : madness / written and drawn by Sam Kieth.
"It is the most feared house in all of Gotham. It contains the worst that the city has to offer. It is the place the Dark Knight's most dangerous and psychotic foes call home--the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane." (Syndetics summary)

Torpedo. Volume 2 / [story by Enrique Sa͡nchez Abuli͡] ; [art by Jordi Bernet] ; [translation by Jimmy Palmiotti] ; [lettering by Amauri Osorio].
"The continuing adventures of Luca Torelli, a cold-hearted gangster in the 1930s, and those in his merciless orbit. Abuli portrays the characters with humor and poignancy, and Jimmy Palmiotti's translations provide a true sense of New York in the 1930s. Jordi Bernet's art, of course, is lovely, but Torpedo is Bernet's masterpiece - the closest the graphic novel medium has ever come to The Godfather." (Syndetics summary)

Grandville / by Bryan Talbot.
"Two hundred years ago, Britain lost the Napoleonic War and fell under the thumb of French domination. Gaining independence after decades of civil disobedience and anarchist bombings, the Socialist Republic of Britain is now a small, unimportant backwater connected by a railway bridge, steam-powered dirigible, and mutual suspicion to France. When a British diplomat is murdered to look like suicide, ferocious Detective-Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard stalks a ruthless murder squad through the heart of a Belle Epoque Paris, the center of the greatest empire in a world of steam-driven hansom cabs, automatons, and flying machines. LeBrock's relentless quest can lead only to death, truth... or war." (Syndetics summary)

Pride & prejudice / writer, Nancy Butler ; artist, Hugo Petrus ; adapted from the novel by Jane Austen.

The complete Crumb. Volume 9, R. Crumb vs.the sisterhood / R. Crumb ; edited by Robert Boyd with Gary Groth.
"So is he a misogynist or isn't he? This might be the place to find out, with "The Many Faces of R. Crumb" and the nasty title story. Plus Crumb's weird funny-animal stories, illustrations from the cookbook "Eat It," and more!" (Syndetics summary)

Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965 / written and illustrated by Joe Kubert.
"This original graphic novel tells the harrowing story of a detachment of Special Forces soldiers on a simple recon mission into the village of DONG XOAI that turned suddenly deadly. It has the unique perspective of being in the very early days of the Vietnam War and Kubert is basing the story on extensive information gathered from the surviving members of the unit. It will cover not only the action of the event but the details of deployment and build-up that lead to the deadly encounter for these young American G.I.s." (Syndetics summary)

The legacy / written by Andrew McGinn ; drawn by David Neitzke.

Newave! : the underground mini comix of the 1980's / edited by Michael Dowers.
"The very best from comicdom's DIY/zine heyday!" (Syndetics summary)

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