Graphic Novels

Gr 7 Up–During the Cold War, Russia and the U.S. were entrenched in a battle to be first in space. Laika tells the tale of one special soldier in that battle, the dog who flew in Sputnik II. Former Gulag prisoner Korolev has ascended to the rank of Chief Designer, and, after the successful launch of Sputnik I, he is called upon to send a live creature into space within one month’s time. Laika, also known as Kudryavka (curly tail), is a down-and-out stray caught by local officials and sent to the canine lab at the Institute of Aviation Medicine. Higher-ups notice the dog’s special ability to withstand g-force, environments without gravity, and the special gel food given to the test subjects. When the time comes to select a dog to go into space, she is the obvious choice. Abadzis’s artwork genuinely captures the Cold War atmosphere, while the youth-friendly textual take on the politically dangerous USSR compares favorably to that of Marjane Satrapi’s depiction of unstable Iran in Persepolis (Pantheon, 2003). Abadzis provides enough historical content to make Laika a valuable teaching tool, but teachers using the graphic novel with middle schoolers may need to explain some of the subtle nuances of politics in the USSR. Those with a special fondness for dogs may wish to have some tissues handy.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA

Gr 7 Up–Tasha deals with stress in a variety of ways. When this book opens, she has just thrown an iron out of the window upon learning that her mother is bringing home yet another new boyfriend for her to meet. But such physical reactions aren’t the norm; usually she deals with her problems by writing about them in her blog, Blabbermouth. Many people (including her mother) read it regularly, so whenever Tasha uses it to vent her feelings, word spreads like wildfire. Many parts of this story are laugh-out-loud funny, and Tasha’s witty words keep the pace moving quickly. The plot slows down when she learns that Mom’s new boyfriend, Jed, and his daughter, Chloe, share a secret, and through uncovering and exposing this secret (through Blabbermouth, naturally), Tasha helps to change Chloe’s life and form a real friendship with her. The dialogue, and especially the humor, rings true. Alexovich’s black-and-white artwork reflects both the frenetic action and the emotional angst of the tale. This book is a highlight of the Minx line, and every graphic-novel collection should have at least one copy.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

Gr 7 Up–Harley Quinn is a blond who is obsessed with men (especially the Joker) and who is not as dumb as she looks. Poison Ivy is a redhead who has an unusual connection to plants and whose tough exterior can occasionally be softened–usually by something green and leafy. When these two women team up, chaos ensues. Whether they’re fighting the good guys, the bad guys, or one another, the results are fast and funny. The full-color artwork utilizes different artists and styles for each story, showing both the deeper and lighter sides of Harley and Ivy. The stories showcase the dysfunctional relationships between the women and the men they love, hate, and need. There are many hilarious episodes; the moment in “Love on the Lam” when the Joker threatens Two Face with a rubber chicken is beyond priceless. But there are also rare moments of tenderness, as when Ivy, after learning that the Joker once again moved without telling Harley where he was going, asks Harley to leave the Joker once and for all and go out on her own. She doesn’t, of course, but at least Ivy cared enough to ask. This collection of stories about Gotham’s sexy supervillains will be a welcome (albeit short-lived) addition to any graphic-novel collection.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

Gr 8-10–Cyan, an Abyssinian cat, is abandoned in the basement Dumpster of an apartment building after his young owner dies. Believing his master’s promise to come back from the hospital, Cyan resolves to stay there until his return and finds himself at the center of a turf war between bands of cats each trying to claim the location. The felines are primarily portrayed as humans with cat ears, fangs, and tails, but are occasionally shown as ordinary cats to indicate how they exist in the world to outsiders. The book has strong ties to otaku culture, with references to role-playing, other manga series, video games, and generally instilling in the characters–who are cats, remember–a disconcertingly deep love of the artifacts of human pop culture. Additionally, they all have special moves and signature attacks, much like anime-series or video-game figures. The way that this animal world is portrayed can be fun, and it’s interesting to see humanoid characters so tiny next to artifacts of human culture, but that’s not quite enough to keep readers’ interest. The first chapter sets up the central conflicts–an ancient legacy, two warring clans, a love interest–but then each subsequent chapter explains how Cyan will relate to the other cats in his basement. Kingdom feels slow and formulaic, and while the artwork has style, the similarly formulaic character design makes it seem staid.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 4-7–Nine stories irreverently capture a child’s offbeat, often overly literal view of the world. Sardine and her friends Little Louie and Captain Yellow Shoulder are space pirates, out for fun, adventure, and the never-ending fight against Supermuscleman, chief executive dictator of the universe. In one selection, they find out that all children have a monster assigned to their bed to frighten them, and then move it to a grown-up’s bed; in another, they find a baby rocket that fell from its nest and tenderly nurse it back to health with kerosene. The shaky lines and bright colors of Sfar’s drawings evoke a childlike simplicity and exuberance. Young readers may not understand all of the jokes, but they should be entertained by the limitless fount of silly ideas and the array of whimsical space creatures, including the ghost Pallid Pete and Octo the octopus.–Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Gr 4-7–Kiki Kittie’s secret identity is Fashion Kitty, a superhero who rescues victims from fashion emergencies. She comes to the rescue when a new girl at school, Cassandra, bullies students into dressing alike in dull, monochromatic outfits. The illustrations’ clean lines and childlike playfulness resemble the drawings in both Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm’s “Babymouse” (Random) and Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” (Scholastic). However, this book lacks the mischievous edge of those books. The story contains some obvious lessons; “nobody likes a litterbug,” the narrator preciously reminds readers at one point. She also panders to readers by defining words throughout. Still, the funny story and attractive art should make this title popular.–Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Gr 7 Up–The Blue Beetle is a superhero who has doggedly persisted in comics since the initial imitative boom of Superman wannabes in 1939. So why has no one ever heard of him? He has been published by four different companies, been featured in newspapers, had a radio show, and been the subject of a highlight event at the New York World’s Fair, and yet he languishes as a third-stringer in a world increasingly populated by spandex heroes of every description. Acquired by DC Comics in the 1980s, the Blue Beetle continued to teeter on the edge of obscurity. He then headlined in a popular humor book, until he was abruptly killed off and reinvented during the recent “Infinite Crisis” series (DC Comics). This volume combines artifacts of his various guises with a chatty history of the personalities and business deals that led to the character’s creation and evolution over almost 70 years. The text is rambling but determined to dish up some good stories about the imperfect process behind the valiant attempts to fix this largely unknown character in the public’s eye. It lacks any serious speculation about why lightning didn’t strike the Blue Beetle in the way it did Superman, the Green Hornet, or Spider-Man, but it provides a sufficient number of anecdotes and muddy artistic reproductions for readers to draw their own conclusions.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 4-7–These volumes were written and illustrated with reference to particular translations and with the consultation of various university professors. The texts read like updates of the venerable “Classic Comics” series, attempting to render these tales in an accessible form that still maintains the tone of the source material. Jolley covers the events that befell Odysseus between the end of the siege of Troy and his departure from Calypso’s island. Introduced as a wise strategist, he doesn’t come across well here, as the narration focuses on choices he makes that result in many of his shipmates getting devoured. And while the book opens with some elegant depictions of the gods’ wrath witnessed as the power of nature, the actual anthropomorphization of the gods later on makes them seem lacking somewhat in potency. Similarly, some modern turns of phrase in the narration seem at odds with efforts to maintain a visually historical depiction. Beowulf reads like ancient poetry, the dialogue rife with stately declarations of heritage, complete with ceremonial repetition, an effective mimic of the tradition. The fetishizing of ancestry and weapons might elude the intended audience, and unfortunately hints to more sophisticated readers that some original content was left out. The action and character design are strong and clear, with solid, comfortable storytelling that is strongly helped by the capable color work.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 7 Up–Grace Kwon’s friends throw her a surprise 18th birthday party with a picnic in the park. There they meet a strange vendor who refuses to sell them ice cream, but sells them a pig-shaped piñata instead. When it finally breaks after falling on Grace’s head, she learns that it’s empty. Later that night, when she returns to the park, she meets a little girl, a young woman, and an old woman who look familiar. It turns out that all of them are named Grace Kwon, and that they all share the same birthday. Now Grace must deal not only with the philosophical concept of encountering her past and future selves, but also with the day-to-day chaos that they create. Between the child stealing snacks, the senior citizen smoking cigarettes, and the young woman hitting on Grace’s drama teacher, the teen naturally becomes confused and exhausted. The black-and-white pictures are simply drawn, but manage to convey all the emotional highs and lows of this story. The title refers to a subplot so small that readers might not recognize the reference until they’ve finished the book and taken some time to digest it. When they make the connection to the title, that moment of epiphany will come as a welcome surprise. This unique story is a strong addition to most collections.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

Gr 8 Up–An underground group of pilots is trying to take down Iron, an oppressive multinational corporation, and they are interested in a police officer named K because of his ability to predict what his opponents will do next. In rescuing Sara, a member of the underground, K finds himself erased from the system he tried to protect. Should he believe the underground and reject everything he’s known, or try and reclaim his old life, potentially endangering his girlfriend in the process? The artwork is fine, with occasional elegant blends of painted imagery and meticulously applied screentone. However, the storytelling needs work, particularly in the early action sequences; dialogue explaining what just happened frequently fills in for actual clarity in the images themselves. And while the storytelling does improve over the course of the book, the chapters get shorter, with a greater reliance on cliff-hangers and bloody macho violence. The basic design similarity of the female characters is regrettable; it reinforces the notion that the women are interchangeable and not truly characters in and of themselves. Stylish and with some technical flair in the art, Phantom proves disappointingly overreliant on masculine action cliché.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 9 Up–Fans of Bisco Hatori’s “Ouran High Host Club” books (Viz Media) will recognize the premise of this shojo manga: girl breaks boy’s toy and is coerced into joining his club to repay her debt. The girl, Hana, counts sleeping as her number one hobby. In a daze, she gets hit by Izumi’s car. He forces her to join the field hockey club as a way to make up for the dent she left. The club is made up of rich boys who never play a game but love to travel. They take Hana (who can literally goaltend in her sleep) all around Japan. She gets to ride in helicopters, take a train, and spend time in beautiful hotels. She complains the whole way, making it difficult to see why these boys would want her along. A helpful feature is the explanation of the honorifics in the front and the cultural references in the back. The story has potential but, unfortunately, a borderline narcoleptic just isn’t very interesting. The other characters stick to their clichés. The jokes are slapstick and often fall flat. With all the manga being published right now, it is safe to skip this one.–Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA

Gr 4 Up–Both volumes begin with a spread featuring a quote from the original text. Characters are introduced on the following page, though many lack any useful context and some are very minor. The design is tidy, with ample white space. Quick paced by necessity, each story progresses in short two-page episodes, helped along by a few sentences of narration under each frame. Detailed illustrations in muted colors work with the stormy, furtive story in Kidnapped and the dim underground setting of Journey. Dramatic, action-filled scenes and highly expressive faces catch readers’ eyes and pull them into the stories. The footnotes provided are useful for understanding the smattering of dialect, and a map shows the protagonist’s travels. Each volume also includes a biographical sketch about the author, a chronology, articles providing context for the story, and a description of how the book has been received over time. Though perhaps less successful than The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Moby Dick (both Barron’s, 2007), each book would serve as an attractive introduction to either Stevenson or Verne. Useful for libraries where these novels are taught or for schools building graphic-novel collections.–Neala Arnold, St. Francis Elementary School, MN

Gr 7 Up–Tamako is the 13-year-old daughter of Japanese pop-idol Shinju Momono. Unfortunately, this secret child could ruin his image, so Tamako moves in with her mother’s agent. There she finds Kanji, the boy who “promised” to marry her when they were children, but he doesn’t remember her. Hijinks ensue as Tamako tries, and fails, to be the model of an ideal wife; she is better at being a tomboy, and Kanji is already a self-sufficient young man. Pearl Pink, while not a breakout volume, is a solid one, containing believable plot, character depth and development, and a strong story. Tanaka’s drawings show a wide range of emotion and contain enough flowery backgrounds, pretty boys, and cute girls to keep shojo lovers happy. While full of light humor and comedic moments, Tanaka’s story brings up real issues for the real world. It shows that relationships should be based on love and knowledge of one another more than love at first sight or childlike notions and promises. Kanji is determined to make Tamako understand this point. This is a fine addition to larger collections, and with only four volumes in the series, it would also be good for libraries on a budget that want to expand beyond core titles.–Cara von Wrangel Kinsey, New York Public Library

Gr 7 Up–Charlotte, a rebellious Londoner, is sent to live with her grandparents in the country as punishment for sneaking out to a club with a fake ID. She is predictably bored with her life, but things change when a friend of her grandparents is found dead. Charlotte and a cute local, Howard, decide to investigate, and the two eventually uncover a coven of witches that makes regular sacrifices to a dragon. The sharp-edged illustrations are manga-inspired, but they’re more expressive and contain more detail (especially in Charlotte’s elaborate Goth outfits) than usual. The protagonist is a witty, engaging character and the plot is full of action, though the rushed ending is disappointing. Still, this is a smart, quirky tale, and its stylish illustrations and fast-placed plot give it mainstream appeal.–Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Gr 10 Up–After running away from his home on the Prairie Rose reservation at age 13, Dash Bad Horse returns 15 years later, making trouble everywhere he goes. He comes to the attention of the local crime lord, Lincoln Red Crow, a ruthless and conniving man who immediately puts him to work as a tribal cop. On the surface, Bad Horse is Red Crow’s muscle, stamping out competitors who threaten his boss’s hold on the tribe and silencing a contingent of protesters who oppose the developing casino that will increase Red Crow’s wealth tenfold. However, readers learn early on that Bad Horse is a federal agent working undercover to bring down Red Crow and his criminal empire. Tensions increase when both a former girlfriend and Bad Horse’s mother question his return to Prairie Rose. The basic plot owes a lot to typical mob stories, complete with an unflinching portrayal of violence, prostitution, and drug abuse. The reservation setting, though, allows Aaron to explore these ideas in a fresh manner. Guéra uses bold lines and frenetic panels to highlight the blood-and-bullets style of action, but he also lends these characters a sense of personality unique to a book of this type; the art and Aaron’s dialogue combine to make each character feel larger than life and leap off the page. Part two, a chapter dubbed “Hoka Hey,” works in layers of flashbacks, hinting at stronger development of both character and theme as the series continues.–Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA

Gr 10 Up–Following the establishment of Wes Cutter as sheriff of Blackwater, MO, in Loveless: Kin of Homecoming (DC Comics, 2006), this collection opens with a series of three single-issue backstories for each main character–Wes, a former Confederate soldier; his wife, Ruth; and Atticus, a former slave. The stories differ in the depth of their revelations, Atticus’s providing some perspective on African Americans’ roles in the Union army, and Ruth’s giving further information about her relationship with Wes’s brother. The book then moves on to show Wes’s first maneuvers as sheriff, giving further evocation but still no detail as to the shape and extent of his long-term plan. His particular schemes are shunted aside by the arrival of a brutal bounty hunter hired by the town elders to kill both Wes and a man who’d been hired by a company with ties to the North. The previous volume made up for its slow-burning story with an abundance of atmospheric artwork, which was particularly effective due to the textured coloring. This book has a more muted tone due to frequent night sequences, extended sepia-tone flashbacks, and three different artists with whom the colorist demonstrates varying degrees of comfort. The presence of multiple artists also tends to obscure clarity as to who’s who, as characters not only change appearance between the current setting and the past, but also from illustrator to illustrator. The book is provocative, and has some compelling perspectives on a challenging time in history, but the muddled storytelling and obscure plot mechanics make it an unsatisfying read.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 10 Up–Collected here are the previously published first three volumes of the highly regarded “Northwest Passage” series and 28 pages of notes by the author. Set in 1755 in Rupert’s Land (the vast territory that drains into the Hudson Bay), the series is a classic adventure story with an oversize hero and a villain as deceitful and onerous as any. Englishman Charles Lord puts aside his personal dream of finding the Northwest Passage and attends to the rearing of his son and to the wishes of the Hudson Bay Company. Pitted against Lord is the evil French mercenary and ruthless opportunist Guerin Montglave. With clever treachery, Montglave captures Lord’s trading post, Fort Newcastle, driving him and a small band of his men into the wilderness. Enlisting the support of some old and extremely resourceful friends, Lord plots his revenge. Chantler fully develops numerous secondary characters and subplots, and takes great care in establishing historical accuracy. Importantly, he makes clear that the prize (for most) is the wealth to be gained from the fur trade, and how this affected the conflicts and collusions among the English, the French, the mercenaries (or varying nationalities), and the various Native peoples. The artwork is forceful and fluid, economically advancing the story. The dialogue is equally sharp and dramatic. What sets this volume apart, however, are the notes. Chantler sheds light on the multilayered process of creating a historical graphic novel, discussing crucial plot decisions, layout concerns, character development, research efforts, and numerous other problems and solutions.–Robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Gr 10 Up–Most of the manhwa translated into English have been comedic romances: sweetly ironic stories populated with pretty, wide-eyed girls and darkly mysterious love interests. With its mix of heart-pounding action and thin layers of political intrigue, this novel is different. Set in a desert wasteland of the primitive past, it focuses on Batu, a powerful shaman warrior capable of feats beyond the skills of normal men, who is entrusted to protect the son of a warrior-wizard hated by a jealous king for his power. Batu and his ward live in hiding until a second shaman warrior stumbles across their doorstep; he’s on the run from a relentless militia. Batu must decide whether to remain in hiding or to join forces with his fellow shaman and take the fight directly to the enemy. The artwork is highly accomplished, particularly when conveying fight scenes built around complicated martial-arts choreography and vicious swordplay. The tightly composed visuals add to the frenetic pace of the plot and bring to mind the style of Kazuo Koike’s manga classic “Lone Wolf and Cub” series (Dark Horse). Warrior’s one failing is that it’s all action, with little below the surface. While there are hints of deeper stories down the line, this volume by itself won’t have much appeal to readers looking for strong character development or complex plotlines.–Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA

Gr 10 Up–Orphan Taisuke Kano spends his days protecting his friend Yuichi Hirose from school bullies and isolating himself from social convention. When strange dark weather descends upon his town, Kano finds himself experiencing a powerful, cosmic moment. That same day thousands of people commit suicide, one right in front of Kano, who swears that the jumper looked peaceful, even cheerful as she fell. Hirose is found surrounded by corpses and charged with murder, but it seems that the detective investigating the circumstances may be connected with the mass suicides in a mysterious, unearthly way. And it becomes increasingly clear that not only had those who died been affected by something like a virus, but that Kano was also supposed to be among them. The volume ends on a potent cliff-hanger, with few questions resolved. The subject matter is not dealt with gruesomely, which helps make the story all the more eerie and affecting. Highly charged and certainly disturbing, this book has the potential to be the sort of cerebral psychodrama that made Yoshiyuki Sadamoto’s “Neon Genesis Evangelion” books and Tsugumi Ohba’s “Death Note” series (both Viz Media) such huge hits, but it remains to be seen whether future titles will continue to focus on contemporary issues or push into a more fantastical realm.–Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 10 Up–After losing his mother to cancer, 10-year-old Lester moves in with his Uncle Ken, a gruff and solitary bachelor who owns a small farm in rural Ontario. Ken tries his best to reach out to his nephew but can’t relate to this boy who wears a superhero cape and prefers reading comics to watching hockey on television. Lester spends most of his time by himself until he makes a friend with the least likely of characters: Jimmy, a disgraced pro hockey player who now runs the convenience store at the local gas station. Jimmy enters Lester’s imaginary world by helping him build a fort to stave off an alien invasion and encouraging him to write and draw his own comic book. The bond that grows between the two helps both Lester and Jimmy move beyond the tragedies life gave them. Lemire’s writing nails that complicated mixture of anger and sadness that comes with losing a loved one. His black-and-white illustrations work equally well, using rough and chunky lines to powerfully re-create the solitary nature of farm life and Lester’s vivid imagination. Teens will love the humor in Lester’s odd imagination and will be touched by the heart of a book that delivers a compelling look at tragedy and how to move on after it strikes.–Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA

Gr 10 Up–Many generations prior to Luke Skywalker or any other familiar names in the Star Wars universe, Padawan Zayne Carrick is framed for murdering fellow Jedi students. On the run with oddball companions like the smuggler Gryph, the female bodyguard Jarael, and a lazy Droid named Elbee, he falls into a number of adventures as he tries to stay ahead of the authorities and discover who set him up. Readers following the full series get more pieces of the larger plot against Zayne, cluing them in to an evil cabal hidden within the Jedi Knights themselves. This title, however, is largely built around a self-contained plot arc, making it an easy entry point into the series. Pitting Zayne against evil scientists, Mandalorian Bounty Hunters, and incompetent kidnappers, Flashpoint is filled with action, tricks, and no small amount of humor. Zayne himself is a great character; while he lacks experience using the force, he holds the twin talents of fast quips and daring escapes that still make Han Solo so popular in the original stories. Although drawn and colored by a large team of artists, the graphics have a unified feel, with solid lines and hyper-neon colors that enhance the action. Set so far in the past, the story has little to do with the events fans know so well, but Miller has created an excellent adventure filled with characters and fast-paced action within the spirit of the original, making this a must-have for rabid fans of the Star Wars universe.–Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA

Gr 11 Up–DC is promoting its backlog of classic superheroes once again with this collection of mostly late ’50s to early ’60s issues of The Flash. Unfortunately, one person’s classic is another person’s lackluster read. While the artwork has all of the comic’s typical style, with boldface names and shock lines surrounding each fight and explosion, the villains–Captain Cold and Gorilla Grodd–seem buffoonish now rather than menacing. In one panel, a destroyed rocket ship prevents our heroes from returning safely home. Yet in the very next panel, the Flash has fixed everything with his super-speedy mechanical ability. It’s hard enough to recall the drama around such story lines as an adult reader, and younger readers who don’t recall the Soviet Union or the space race certainly won’t. These issues are set in the postwar years when the modern technologies we have become inured to were new and exciting. This series is billed as the “Library of Classics” and for collectors, it is perfect. But for young readers growing up in the MySpace age, it appears tame or simply absurd.–John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Gr 10 Up–This series is based on the premise that a mysterious plague has wiped out all of humanity save for one man, the aggressively average Yorick Brown, and his pet monkey, Ampersand. Where some writers could have easily capitalized on the stereotypes of such an exhausted male fantasy, Vaughan creates complex situations; imaginative scenarios; and multidimensional, realistic, and likable characters. In Motherland, which collects single volumes 49-54, he uncovers a barrage of nail-biting secrets, such as the possible source of the original plague, the origins of vicious ninja Toyota, and the loyalties of Rose the Australian spy/lover of Dr. Mann. Further, readers find that Yorick is not in fact the world’s last man and that, despite warring armies of Amazons, violent preteen gangs, and the proliferation of male-impersonating prostitutes, human relationships and a desire to create prevail. As one character prophetically claims, “Artists are supposed to hold up a mirror to society, but ours could be a…f-ed up funhouse mirror!” That is exactly what Vaughan has done here and with shimmering results.–Shannon Peterson, Kitsap Regional Library, WA