Comic book recommendations

[emanate]

Anybody into manga? It circulates phenomenally well at my library and one of the teens asked me if we could start a manga group at the library. We've had two meetings so far. They come in and we just go into the teen room and chatter about about what they've been reading lately, including other comics. Sometimes they draw while we're talking and recommend things that the library doesn't have so I can check into ordering them. It's fun. So far they've got me reading Tegami Bachi (Letter Bee) and I'm enjoying it so far.

[Whappo]

That sounds awesome, Laura! Manga clubs are really popular in the libraries in all my neighbouring boroughs too; there is so little out there for teens of an evening and that this is a popular activity for some is great (literacy! Visual literacy! Creativity!). I'm always a little disappointed by the organisation of comics in libraries though. My borough has two comic sections in its libraries, one of which is the 'teen graphic novels' section - this appears to be a sometimes arbitrary or downright erroneous division. There's ad hoc organisation within these sections (by publishing house or larger series), but there's no set classification to help you find something (I'm aware this is a larger problem with most classification schemes). Comics can be REALLY daunting for an outsider because of complicated crossovers, sub-series and sequencing, and to just shove everything into one homogeneous mass suggests to me that it's there to provide for existing fans without considering the broader appeal.

I'm not huge on manga (though I did have my anime phase as a teenager) myself, to be honest.

[emanate]

I totally agree that the organization of comics in libraries often leaves something to be desired. It's tricky for all of the reasons you've mentioned. One of my issues with our collection is that it's all shelved by the last name of the author. Considering how many series have switched authors during a series run, that can be problematic. I've seen that some libraries shelve comics by series name if its a series and author if it's a stand-alone comic, but I can see how that would confuse people too.

One thing I'm considering doing is having the comics that are based on other teen books reprocessed so they can sit alongside their prose counterparts in the teen fiction section. (Something like the recent graphic novel version of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, for instance.) The circ numbers are low for most of those titles and one of the reasons for that is that I don't think a lot of the teens realize that these adaptations exist when they are browsing the fiction collection. I've pointed them out during manga club and a couple of the teens were like, "Woah! People make comics based on other books? WANT BOTH, PLZ."

Anyhow, just things I'm pondering.

[Whappo]

I went to Canada Water Library yesterday to get some comics and their comics section is actually really well organised (at first look, don't quote me!). They do the obvious thing and shelve by publisher then by series title, with singular works on their own by author. Everything is close enough together that if you do get confused you can just check both places (they've got a wide selection, but the shelving is zig-zagged nicely). It's not as close to me as two other libraries (and in fact it adds a third borough's libraries to my collection - I live in a very sweet spot BETWEEN WORLDS) but the half hour walk is definitely worth it.

It's really good to know that you're so aware of the collection though. A lot of public libraries over here rely on a lot of volunteer staff and minimal professional staff, and one of the downsides is that volunteers might not have the specialised knowledge and certainly don't usually have the time to get to know a collection thoroughly. Sometimes you'll ask someone on the floor if they can find a comic for you and they just don't know that part of the library (through no fault of their own). Sometimes, of course, you luck out and the volunteer is really into the section you're interested in as well!

And do NOT get me started on the weird cataloguing of comics in public library (especially consortia) OPACs. I can't fault them too much because it's likely it's outsourced and/or taken directly from the vendor because of cost savings, but I've asked for things that libraries say they have multiple copies of and yet they claim to have never held them.

#librarianproblems

[emanate]

They do the obvious thing and shelve by publisher then by series title, with singular works on their own by author. Everything is close enough together that if you do get confused you can just check both places (they've got a wide selection, but the shelving is zig-zagged nicely).

That sounds sensible! It's awesome that you have so many libraries relatively close to you. Walking to the library is the best. I find it keeps me from checking out ALL THE THINGS at once because I know I'll have to carry whatever I check out back and forth.

It's really good to know that you're so aware of the collection though. A lot of public libraries over here rely on a lot of volunteer staff and minimal professional staff, and one of the downsides is that volunteers might not have the specialised knowledge and certainly don't usually have the time to get to know a collection thoroughly.

I try! Our teen room is small enough that I've been able to acclimate myself to what's in there in just a few months, but I'm still getting to know what's available in our branch libraries.

And do NOT get me started on the weird cataloguing of comics in public library (especially consortia) OPACs. I can't fault them too much because it's likely it's outsourced and/or taken directly from the vendor because of cost savings, but I've asked for things that libraries say they have multiple copies of and yet they claim to have never held them.

Yeah, tell me about it. I took a class in library school which required us to read the first volume of Brian K. Vaughn's Runaways. A bunch of us tried to request copies from the university library and the public libraries in our area. Those of us who were sent copies were sent wildly different things. A library-bound edition of the first issue of the comic, a collection called Pride & Joy that reprinted the first six issues of the comic, and a giant tome containing a bunch of randomly bound issues... what a mess. Our instructor took it as an opportunity to talk with us about the challenges and headaches of cataloging comics.

[DavidIX]

Anybody reading any of the Marvel NOW! titles? It's a (sort of) line wide relaunch initiative by Marvel to restart some of their big name series with creative team changes and new number 1s, although it's different than the DC New 52 thing because there are no actual rebooting of continuity. Below under spoilers are my thoughts on the three titles that I've been reading so far....although I expect to add a couple of others to my list.

Avengers written by Jonathan Hickman, art by Jerome Opena

This is clearly influenced by the success of the Avengers film from last year because it just feels so amazingly cinematic. With a massive roster for the new team which is a great mix of big name heros and more obscure characters. The art by Opena is gorgeous. We're 3 issues in and I really look forward to seeing how they play this going forward so that we can see some more actual interaction between the team members.

All New X-men written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Stuart Immonen

Ok so I'll admit to being really sceptical about the premise of the original 5 xmen being brought forward in time to see what they've become. Before reading it I thought it sounded horrible, but I figured I'd give it a go because I enjoyed what Bendis did during his time on the Avengers. Boy was I proven wrong. The characterisation of the original 5 is spot on, especially love some of the reaction shots of young iceman meeting his present day self. The young Jean is a really interesting one, because unlike a lot of other X-men fans that I know I haven't had a real desire for Jean to return. A younger version, untainted by the years of complications brought up by death and rebirth and PHOENIX means that we've got a character who's reactions to the world around her are genuinely interesting. So far we're 6 issues into the run and now that the initial shock of the original 5 being in the present is kind of out of the way I wanna see where they end up and if young Scott is able to break out of the shadow of his older self's actions.

Young Avengers written by Kieron Gillen, art by Jamie McKelvie

As a big fan of the original Young Avengers series from a few years back I was really excited when this new series was announced. It features a team comprised of a mix of a few members of the original and some new characters like Kid Loki and Miss America Chavez. Only read the first issue rather quickly last night so I need another run through it to really gather my feelings but what jumped out at me was the art work. It's got an almost 'pop art' quality to it that I think works well with this younger group of heros. Not much plot to speak of yet, but if it continues along the path that's set out in #1 then it looks like it's going to be quite a ride!

Anyone else reading these, I'd love to hear what you think about them or the Marvel NOW! line as an idea.

[Homogenik]

This was really moving to me :



"The Song of Roland focuses on the life and death of the father-in-law of Rabagliati’s alter-ego Paul, who has been called “The Tintin of Quebec” By Le Devoir. The French edition, Paul à Québec, was critically hailed, winning the FNAC Audience Award at France’s Angouleme festival, a Shuster Award for Outstanding Cartoonist, and was nominated for the City of Montreal’s Grand Prize, and the Audience Award at Montreal’s Salon du Livre. The book is currently in production by Caramel Films. In his classic European cartooning style Rabagliati effortlessly tackles big subjects. As the family stands vigil over Roland in his hospital bed, Rabagliati weaves a story of one man’s journey through life and the legacy he leaves behind. The Song of Roland is a mid-career masterpiece from one of Quebec’s finest draftsmen."
source

[UnderTheFunk]

I got Cinderella: Fables are Forever, a spin-off of the Fables series, from the library yesterday. I read three pages and put it down because I was so put off by the cover (Cinderella in the snow, in a skimpy bikini), and how forcefully it screamed, "Look, this is about WOMEN!!" In bikinis.

On a brighter note, I'm looking forward to reading all of these in the coming weeks!

Booklist's Top 10 Graphic Novels: 2013.
Chipman, Ian

Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama. By Alison Bechdel. Illus. by the author. 2012. Houghton, $22 (9780618982509).
The author of the celebrated Fun Home (2006) here levels her penetrating gaze onto her relationship with her mother, her experiences with psychotherapy and analysis, and her growth as an artist.

Building Stories. By Chris Ware. Illus. by the author. 2012. Pantheon, $50 (9780375424335).
Ware’s latest high-concept, form-shattering work isn’t even a book at all. Fourteen assembled pieces—books, pamphlets, broadsheets, scraps, a giant board—explore lives of quiet desperation in a Chicago three-flat.

A Chinese Life. By Li Kunwu and Philippe Ôtié. Illus. by Li Kunwu. 2012. SelfMadeHero, paper, $27.50 (9781906838553).
This poignant memoir and intimate yet sweeping chronicle of the convulsive development of modern China introduces the West to a masterful graphic storyteller, a longtime artist for a Communist Party newspaper.

Goliath. By Tom Gauld. Illus. by the author. 2012. Drawn & Quarterly, $19.95 (9781770460652).
If the oddsmakers had known the truth about Goliath—a bumbler despite his generous girth—David never would have been the original underdog. A spare gem of wry humor and deft storytelling.

Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City. By Guy Delisle. Illus. by the author. 2012. Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95 (9781770460713).
Focusing not only on the political and religious tensions of the holy city of Jerusalem, Delisle’s travelogue also delves into the connections and humanity that make us all universally similar.

Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand. By Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl. Illus. by Ramón K. Pérez. 2012. Archaia, $29.95 (9781936393091).
An unfilmed screenplay from Henson’s early, experimental days is lavishly visualized by Pérez, who in turn subverts the expectations of sequential art through the story of an unnamed man questing through the desert.

The Lovely Horrible Stuff. By Eddie Campbell. Illus. by the author. 2012. Top Shelf, $14.95 (9781603091527).
Campbell’s seriously playful look at money ranges from autobiographical passages to sheer flights of fancy, all rendered in a simple, scratchy style that belies the thoughtfulness of his approach.

RASL, v.4: The Lost Journals of Nikola Tesla. By Jeff Smith. Illus. by the author. 2012. Cartoon, paper, $19.95 (9781888963328).
The conclusion to Smith’s noirish, fringe-science thriller is a full-throttle plunge through parallel dimensions and mind-bending twists.

SagaSaga, v.1. By Brian K. Vaughan. Illus. by Fiona Staples. 2012. Image Comics, paper, $9.99 (9781607066019).
Veteran scribe Vaughan teams up with mainstream comics’ most explosive new artist in this opening salvo to an epic smashup of space opera and quirky fantasy.

Sailor Twain; or, The Mermaid in the Hudson. By Mark Siegel. Illus. by the author. 2012. First Second, $24.99 (9781596436367).
The siren song of a mermaid’s beauty is nothing to be trifled with, especially on the deep, brooding waters of the Hudson for Captain Twain of the steamboat Lorelei.

[Churumbela]

My best friend is currently reading Saga v. 1 and I CANNOT WAIT until she finishes it, because she's letting me borrow it.

[UnderTheFunk]

I finally got my hands on Saga and read it yesterday!

Immediately handed it to my husband, and we both agreed it was the best comic we've read in a few years. I especially loved the artwork and the simplicity of the panels.

[SweetPea]

I finally got my hands on Saga and read it yesterday!

Immediately handed it to my husband, and we both agreed it was the best comic we've read in a few years. I especially loved the artwork and the simplicity of the panels.

OMG I LOVE this book! The story is compelling and it's not some rehashed super-hero bullshit (love superheros, but new is good).

I'm falling in love all over again with Hellboy. 'Hellboy in Hell' is fantastic... and the new BPRD isn't half bad either! Mike Mignola can do no wrong in my book though

[Tonic]

Just discovered this thread.

Um, though the movie promises to SUCK, I'm digging the new Jem & the Holograms COMIC designs. They're replete with realistic bodies and Kimber and Stormer are lesbians and a couple.

THE MISFITS:


JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS:

[Tonic]

I'm also beginning to love the other work of the artist drawing the new Jem book: Ross Campbell. There's a good interview with him here... and I LOVE what he would do with Supergirl. I say that as someone who loathes the ultra-boring Superman franchise.

[Spikey]

Anyone ever use Amazon / Kindle for comics? I'm a huge fan of classic X-men, and I had always assumed that it was only those annoyingly bad cross-over collections that would be available, but to my surprise I encountered single issues of 80s X-men secondary series, like New Mutants ('83), X-Factor ('86), Excalibur ('88). I don't think they're complete though (hard to figure out), but still...there are even limited things on it that are often overlooked / left out of collections, like X-terminators ('88) ;

Of course, it is still fragmentary at best, I hope they expand it. What is the worth of series like New Mutants and Excalibur if they don't even include the graphic novels / specials that begin them.

[seso]

Also, is BONE as good as say?

I love Bone, especially the rat creatures. Got my roommate into reading the whole series and gave her the first issues of The Golden Compass

also a big Saga lover here, too bad Marko his beard had to go again.

The Crystal Sword is a big fantasy classic for me, as is Peter Pan by Loisel.
The Cycle Of Cyann and Children Of The Wind (I guess they would be translated like that) by François Bourgeon

I enjoyed the first issue of He Man : Eternity War, not too sure about the second part

right now I'm diving into Frederik Peters his work (Coma, Sandcastles, Aâma,...)

also loved the comic book adaption for Nausicaa and I tried getting into Dragon Ball, starting from the beginning...one thing I will always regret, is not buying a compilation of x-rated adventures for all Dragon Ball characters. It was quite explicit, have never found it again and I wonder if it was an official thing

and I love Mike Mignola his style too