Friends With Boys: A Graphic Novel Review

After years of homeschooling, Maggie McKay is starting high school. She’s kind of freaking out.

She can’t get a ride from her dad, the new chief of police, but does that mean she has to walk to school alone? Sure her big brothers will be there to watch her back, but will they have time for her with all of their other friends? Being friends with her brothers used to be enough. But now that their Mom left, it’s not the same. At all.

Luckily, Maggie meets Lucy and her older brother Alistair right away. Lucy and Alistair keep to themselves but soon they start eating lunch with Maggie. Together they even go on some small-town adventures.

All in all, things seem to be on the up and up for Maggie. At least, they are if she ignores the ghost that’s haunting her in Friends With Boys (2012) by Faith Erin Hicks.

Friends With Boys is an awesome graphic novel. Happily for all of you who don’t have access to the actual book through a store or library, it is also available online as a webcomic at friendswithboys.com! So cool.*

It’s always hard to decide where to start when I review a graphic novel and determine what is more important to the reading experience. This is doubly hard with a book like Friends With Boys which works so well on every single level.

Hicks’ drawings are filled with details and bring her characters to life with her beautiful black and white illustrations. The story is filled with charming tidbits about Maggie and her family as well as tantalizing additions to the plot.

I really enjoyed Friends With Boys it’s a guileless novel that is sweet and just filled with fun. With hints of a mysterious past for the McKay family, strong secondary characters, and a subtle supernatural twists Hicks leaves plenty of room for a sequel. I, for one, hope we get to see a lot more of Maggie and all of the boys she’s friends with (and Lucy too, of course).

*That is to say most of the story is available online. I didn’t check but I think it’s intact except for the last few pages.

Possible Pairings: Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova, Sea Change by Aimee Friedman, Clarity by Kim Harrington, Alice, I Think by Susan Juby, A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: Friends with Boys

Rapunzel’s Revenge: A Chick Lit Wednesday (Graphic Novel/Comic Book) Review

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful little girl named Rapunzel.

Stolen from her parents by a vengeful witch, Rapunzel grew up in a world of privilege and perfection except for the wall all around her home begging to be climbed.

On the other side of the wall, Rapunzel finds out the truth about her life and its lies.

She is trapped in a tower and she does escape. A gallant prince has nothing to do with it. But her mile-long braids-turned-lassos might.

Now that she’s free and knows the truth, Rapunzel has one thing on her mind. With the help of her big talking, man with a plan, sidekick Jack (yes, that Jack . . . the one with the beanstalk, yup) Rapunzel is ready to right some wrongs in Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale (husband and wife) and illustrated by Nathan Hale (no relation to either Hale).

Like a lot of readers, Rapunzel’s Revenge had me as soon as I heard about the premise. A feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale set in the American Old West? What’s not to love?

Some readers might be surprised by the depth of both the illustrations and the text or put off by the comic book styling. Yes, the book is geared more toward tweens and older children, but there is nothing wrong with that. And don’t let the comic book panels fool you, this is a humdinger of a book rich with enough detail and subtext to keep even the most advance readers busy (while the interplay of text and images can help readers on the other end of the spectrum).

There is an obvious juxtaposition between what Rapunzel narrates in what can only be called a “voice over” of the story and what she actually shows us.  (For an example see the section on page 34 and 35 describing Rapunzel’s triumphant escape.) This interplay adds a level or humor and depth to the story that, amazingly, can only come from a comic book format.

Nathan Hale spent more than a year creating the artwork for this book and it shows. Each panel is intricately drawn out so that the story jumps off the page. If you think the cover looks good, wait until you start reading the story.

Rapunzel is charming, Jack’s fast-talking humor make him easy to love, and the setting itself is so original that it’s easy to forget you might have met these characters before. Sometimes retellings of classic tales get it wrong. They’re completely off-base and make no sense or just a dry, pale, rehash of the original. Rapunzel’s Revenge is one that gets everything right.

Punzie and Jack’s adventures continue in Calamity Jack.

Possible Pairings: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne and Giselle Potter, Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox and Lydia Monks
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: Rapunzel’s Revenge

Dramacon Vol. 3: A Graphic Novel/Comic Book (Chick Lit Wednesday) Review

With two anime conventions under her belt, Christie knows exactly what to expect at the Yatta Anime Convention. Even her artist/partner Bethany feels like a pro at the con–especially with her drawing on the official convention t-shirts. Still both girls are in for a few surprises in Dramacon Volume 3 (2007), the final installment in Svetlana Chmakova’s super awesome series.

Christie and Matt might finally be ready to connect as more than friends. Matt’s girlfriend is out of the picture and Christie is out of excuses to not try and make their relationship work. But after two years of avoiding each other and denying their feelings, will these two be able to figure everything out before the convention is over?

While Christie knows exactly what she’s getting into at the convention, Bethany is completely surprised when she finds out her mother plans on dropping by the convention center. How will her mother react when she finds out that Bethany is at a comic convention working as, of all things, a comic artist?

This year’s convention might be a chance for the girls to realize a lot of their dreams–if they can make it through all the con drama first!

At this point, I think we’ve already established that I love Dramacon and think it’s brilliant. That said, I still wish this final installment had gone a bit differently. Compared to the first two volumes, Christie and Matt got very little “screen time.” Instead much of the comic focused on Bethany’s relationship with her mother and her own fledgling romance. While this story thread is very dramatic and compelling, I did start the series with Christie and I would have liked to spend more time on her character at the end of it.

Dramacon Volume 3 changes focus rather dramatically in comparison to the first two books in the series (as with the focus on Bethany and with much of the focus moving away from the actual convention). That said, this is still a great culmination to a much-loved series. Christie and Matt resolve (most of) their relationship problems once and for all. Bethany finally reveals her love of art to her mother.

By the end of the book there is a sense that whatever these characters encounter in the future they’ll be okay. Because they have each other. That’s a nice lesson to learn and one that this manga conveys very well. Dramacon was almost always cheerful and exuberant so it was nice to see the series end on an optimistic high note because the characters deserved nothing less as a sendoff.
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: Dramacon Volume 3

Dramacon Vol. 2: A Graphic Novel/Comic Book (Chick Lit Wednesday) Review

Having already conquered her first ever anime comic convention, Christie is ready to take her second Yatta Anime Convention by storm in Dramacon Vol. 2 (2006) by Svetlana Chmakova. Christie is also ready to show her new artist/partner-in-crime Bethany the ropes at the con. What Christie isn’t ready for is to find Matt, the mysterious cosplayer that rocked her world in Volume 1, back at the con–with his girlfriend!

Will these star-crossed not-quite-lovers ever connect? Will Chriss and Bethany’s comic ever get the respect it deserves? Will Bethany be able to reconcile her love of art with her mother’s staunch disapproval? Find the answers to those questions and more in Dramacon Vol. 2!

It’s hard to explain how much I love this series without sounding ridiculous. But I do. Dramacon is one of those things that just makes you feel good. It’s charming and sweet and exhuberant in a way that is zany and, really, perfect.

It was also interesting to read about Chriss and Bethany’s difficulties in the face of manga snobs who claim that “real” manga has to be written by someone who is Japanese. Even after researching graphic novels and comics for a school paper, I didn’t know that. Snobbery aside, Dramacon is about as real manga as you can get and it is awesome.

That’s all I’m going to say about this book as a manga because I think my review of Volume 1 covered my opinion of calling manga junk food (hint: it’s ridiculous). I will grant that this book might be a bit of escapism. But who doesn’t need that now and then?

What I liked especially in this story is that Chriss and Beth are both willing to walk away from their dreams to do what seems best in the long run. (It was heart-wrenching seeing Chriss watching Matt and his girlfriend. It was even more heart-wrenching seeing her walk away from him–again!) These are not, perhaps, the best choices or the easiest ones. But they are very real and I liked finding that bit of reality in a comic. That said, this volume obvious totally leaves readers hanging desperate to see if everything works out for the best in the final volume of the series.
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: Dramacon, Volume 2

Dramacon Vol. 1: A Graphic Novel/Comic Book (Chick Lit Wednesday) Review

Christie isn’t sure what to think at her first comic convention in Dramacon Vol. 1 (2005) by Svetlana Chmakova. She’s excited for a chance to exhibit the comic that she writes and her boyfriend illustrates. But when they get to the comic-con, it turns out nothing is what Christie expected.

Her boyfriend is a jerk. He says he’s flirting so that more girls will buy their comic buy Christie isn’t so sure–especially with the way he keeps leaving her alone for long periods at a time. Then there’s the mysterious cosplayer who keeps popping up when Christie needs him and seems to understand her better than her boyfriend ever will. Christie tries to make sense of her mixed feelings about the con and her love life in the foreground of a story that offers a tantalizing behind-the-scenes look at an convention no one is likely to forget!

Manga always gets a bad rap as the the “junk food” of the comic/graphic novel world. Truth be told, the junk food analogy always seems ridiculous when applied to books. Reading is reading and, frankly, I’d rather see someone reading manga or Goosebumps or whatever than not reading at all. Furthermore, I challenge anyone to find a better format for reluctant readers. If I could read Dramacon in a day I’m sure a reluctant reader could motor through it just as easily. And what is more thrilling for a kid who thinks they are a “slow” reader or who doesn’t like reading than to find a title they can plow through?

That said, Dramacon is also a really delightful story that is cute, peppy and will leave you smiling. This crazy sense of optimism and cheer permeates the book that will make it impossible to feel gloomy while reading it–really! (And the artwork is really great and well-plotted besides!)

The first in a three volume series, Chmakova gives readers action, romance and a surprising amount of character development given the relatively short format. Christie and her zany cohorts are really charming characters that I can’t wait to read more about.

The crossover potential is also huge because Dramacon covers so many topics: comic conventions, cosplay, relationships, coming of age, and even rape are all briefly (tactfully) touched upon here. Girls might gravitate to the pink cover, but boys are sure to appreciate Matt’s brooding, macho character. Dramacon is, basically, one of those mangas that can literally appeal to everyone.
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: Dramacon, Volume 1

Maus: A two-for-one graphic novel review

During my research last semester on graphic novels three pieces of information kept recurring: (1) Maus by Art Spiegelman is an amazing graphic novel that everyone–even the ones who don’t like graphic novels at all–love. (2) Maus is amazing and, having won a Pulitzer Prize special award in 1992, is one of the main reasons graphic novels have gained so much more mainstream appreciation as a legitimate format for literature. (3) If you read, write, or otherwise enjoy graphic novels you should be profusely thanking Spiegelman and Maus. (In all honesty I did make up that last part, but I think it was really implied in the subtext of all of my sources.)

Hearing all of that, of course, I felt like I had to read it. Technically speaking, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale can be seen as two separate books. The first book (Maus I) is titled My Father Bleeds History (1986). The second, Maus II, is called And Here My Troubles Began (1991). Eventually, the two volumes were published together as one book. I had initially planned to review the two books separately however after reading both I decided that, really, the stories are so intertwined it really makes more sense to review the titles together. (Amusing aside: I’m including the covers for both titles in this review, but they’re in German instead of English. Because this is my blog and I can do things like that if I want to.)

The entire Maus saga is very meta (dictionary definition: “referring to itself or to the conventions of its genre”)–very aware that it is a book and willing to make readers aware of that fact. The story begins with Art asking his father to tell him about his youth, specifically his experiences during the Holocaust. The structure here is smart and possibly too complex to have been pulled off with traditional prose. Spiegelman shifts between past and present with ease, deals with time lapses, and tells a compelling story all while illustrating (literally) the process of researching and creating that story.

He also does it all with allegorical animals standing in for people.

In this book the Jews are represented by mice while the Germans are cats (get it?). There are other animals represented in the story as people from different countries. While they are trying to pass as Poles, the Jewish mice are often shown wearing pig masks (Polish citizens are drawn as pigs) in order to blend in. Later in the story, once again creating a meta moment, Spiegelman shows himself wearing a mouse mask while promoting the book in “real life” (as a man). It sounds crazy when you try to explain it, but it also makes a crazy kind of sense.

Illustrated in black and white, the panels are on the small side and jump around the page. In other words, Spiegelman plays around with the sequencing to keep things interesting and fill the page in the best possible combination of panels.

Of course, this isn’t always a happy book. Much of the story deals with Vladek and Anja Spiegelman’s time in the Auschwitz concentration camp and what they had to endure there. And it’s depressing. At the same time, watching Vladek keep his head on his shoulders and survive disaster after disaster, the story has uplifting moments. At the risk of sounding trite, it shows that people really can triumph in the face of adversity. Not to say their experiences in Auschwitz had no effect on Vladek’s later life. It does. By extension it also greatly impacts Spiegelman’s life and how he and his father relate to each other.

Maus isn’t the type of book I usually read, largely because its necessarily depressing. I noticed my mood dipping as I worked through the book as I became invested with the characters. I also found myself feeling guilty while reading it. Here I am, half-Jewish (in so far as anyone can be half of a religion), and I know so little about that part of myself or that side of my family. My own ambivalence might explain why I cannot love this book as much as all its praise and supporters suggest I should.

To call Maus an ambitious piece of work is an understatement. Spiegelman takes on a lot in this relatively slim volume and , for the most part, delivers.

Possible Pairings: Alan and Naomi by Myron Levoy, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, Tamar by Mal Peet, Cures For Heartbreak by Margo Rabb, Hitler’s Canary by Sandi Toksvig
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: The Complete Maus

Jellaby: A Chick Lit Wednesday (Graphic Novel) review

I don’t think I mentioned this on the blog yet, but I spent the last two weeks writing two 20ish page papers about graphic novels. I can rattle off titles, a brief history of the term, benefits of the format, the difference between graphic novels and comics (trick question!), and even how to develop a graphic novel collection at your library. Having become one of those experts on graphic novels without reading any graphic novels, I decided to read Jellaby (2008) yesterday. I also decided to cross-post its review as this week’s CLW post and my inaugural graphic novel review. (I could have merged this with another category, but graphic novels/comics are so unique I thought they needed a different category.)

Having read Kean Soo’s Eisner nominated graphic novel Jellaby (2008) in a couple of hours, I can see why Lea over at Library Voice selected it as a reluctant reader pick. How cool is it for a child who dislikes reading to pick up a title and be able to read it in a few days?

This story does not, however, start with Jellaby. It starts with a ten-year-old girl. Portia does not like her new school. In fact, almost everything about school bores her. Even having the freedom to write her book report on “Reason and Emotion: Classical and Romantic Philosophies in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia” doesn’t do much to challenge Portia let alone engage her. Liking school is even harder when no one in school seems especially fond of Portia. With the added problems of a missing father and a busy mother, it’s no wonder Portia seems less than happy.

When Portia hears something outside her window in the middle of the night, she isn’t sure what to expect. But being a resourceful child, Portia takes a flashlight and goes out to investigate.

She finds a large purple monster who tries to eat said flashlight. Instead of being scared, or running away, Portia invites the monster inside and makes him a tuna sandwich. Suddenly Portia has exactly what she needed: a friend.

Matters get more complicated when Portia’s classmate finds out about Jellaby and insinuates himself into Portia’s decision to help Jellaby find his home. Thus begins a journey that, I should warn you, will not finish in this volume.

The illustrations are drawn primarily with purple, lavender, and black (with yellow and orange accents). I was impressed with how much variety Soo was able to get so much variation from such a small palette. I also liked the configuration of this graphic novel. The panels flowed in a sensible way so that sequencing wasn’t a challenge (sometimes I have a hard time reading comic book panels in the correct order). The writing is also large enough to make it easy to read without eye strain.

My Mom doesn’t agree with me on this–I think the word repulsive might have been used–but I think Jellaby is adorable—possibly cuter than either Portia or Jason, though I don’t know that they had a chance when being compared to a lovable, large purple monster. The story here is complex, but clearly plotted out, with a lot of fun characters. Like many other graphic novels, this title is one that will likely appeal to readers of multiple ages from a variety of age levels, which as far as book recommending goes, isn’t too shabby.

This is Kean Soo’s first graphic novel–hopefully the first of many about Portia, Jason and of course Jellaby. Oh, and Jellaby started out as a web comic which you can find at The Secret Friend Society along with Hope Larson’s comic Salamander Dreams which is archived on the site.
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Sound good? Find it on Amazon: Jellaby