When studying World War II in high school, I vaguely remember brief mentions of Japanese internment camps, but it was never really more than a footnote in a larger discussion of America’s history. With that tragic oversight in mind, I am glad we have the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy. The book is an insightful look at the events of WWII from someone whose experience was different than those of the people who were in power and those who fought on the front lines.
Bone: Out from Boneville
I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to get to Jeff Smith’s epic, Bone. If you grew up patroning comic stores in the 90’s, like I did, you are probably already familiar with the artwork of Bone. I remember seeing issues and posters of the little bald white cartoon characters set against a fantasy world backdrop on the shelves and walls of my local comic shop. Maybe I was more prone to seeing Smith’s work, growing up in Columbus, Ohio, as that is where he works and resides to this day. But regardless of where you reside, Bone has become an international hit and independent comic book success story.
Nimona
Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson was originally published as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2012 as part of Stevenson’s senior thesis. HarperCollins would go on to publish the graphic novel in 2015. It has since gone on to be recognized for several awards, including being a National Book Awards finalist and an Eisner Award nominee for Best Digital/Web Comic.
Amiculus: A Secret History
Amiculus: A Secret History is the work of writer/ creator Travis Horseman and artist Giancarlo Caracuzzo. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the book was first published in 2014. Described by Horseman as a “lost history of the fall of Rome… from the point of view of Rome’s last emperor, a twelve year old boy named Romulus.” and “[A] mosaic of conspiracy within conspiracy. Bloodshed and betrayal. Tragedy and Loss.” Continue reading “Amiculus: A Secret History”
Dinosaur Arsonist
Dinosaur Arsonist is a clever potentially one-off comic (the backcover promises a return in First Dinosaur on the Moon) written by James Moore with art by Talcott Starr. Through the course of 19 pages we learn the history of a Coelophysis punished by his pack for some unspecified crime, cursed to keep guard over the land should his bones ever be disturbed. Awakened by oil drilling in present day, he quickly absorbs all the knowledge of the past eon for which he has laid buried. He then, reluctantly at first but eventually with great passion, begins setting about his duty to lay waste to those that disturbed his land the only way he knows how: with a flamethrower.
My Hot Date
My Hot Date is the Ignatz award-winning (2016, Outstanding Story) short comic telling the true story of author Noah Van Sciver’s first date as a 14 year old kid growing up in the suburbs of Arizona. The artwork is amazingly colorful and fun, and the dialogue and look help to capture the feelings and attitude of the time both in society and in a young boys life. Continue reading “My Hot Date”
The Complete Persepolis
The Complete Persepolis collects the two English translated works of Marjane Satrapi (published as four separate works in their original French) chronicling her childhood to her years at school abroad (Persepolis 1) and her return to her home in Iran (Persepolis 2). The novel reads as a series of vignettes detailing important moments in Satrapi’s life as an Iranian growing up in Iran and Vienna during the Islamic Revolution. Continue reading “The Complete Persepolis”