Graphic Novels

2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

| Tasha

YALSA has announced their picks for the top graphic novels of the year for 12-18 year olds.  There are 73 titles on the list and the committee selected a Top Ten:

   

The Helm by Jim Hardison and Bart Sears

Children of the Sea, Vol. 1 by Daisuke Igarashi

 

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer by Van Jenson and Dusty Higgins

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Nimura

 

Omega the Unknown by Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple

Bayou by Jeremy Love

A.D.: New Orleans after the Deluge by Josh Neufeld

Gunnerkrigg Court, Vol. 1: Orientation by Tom Siddell

Pluto by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Twilight the Graphic Novel

| Tasha

Welcome to the next dimension of the Twilight juggernaut.  Graphic novels.

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive (including an inside spread so you can see Edward himself) of the new offering by Yen Press.  The graphic novel will be released on March 16th with a large first printing of 350,000 copies. 

Libraries need to stock up.  The merger of the manga craze and the Twilight craze – this could be huge!

Red Ted and the Lost Things

| Tasha

Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Joel Stewart

This is a picture book graphic novel.  It is best described as sweet and quiet, two words that are rarely associated with graphic novels!  Red Ted has been lost on the train by Stevie who loves him as much as she loves cheese.  He is put on the lost and found shelf next to a green crocodile who has been there so long he can’t remember who lost him.  Red Ted doesn’t want that to happen to him, so he decides to escape.  The crocodile goes with him, jumping off the shelf and following the signs out of the station.  Once outside, they meet a cat who smells the cheese on Red Ted and then helps him find his way to Stevie by following the smell of cheese. 

The adventures they have on the way are not frightening, focusing on things like rain and dogs.  This book has a quiet story that combines an old-fashioned feel with a modern format.  It is a very good first graphic novel for young children who will enjoy the speech bubbles and the frames that they see in older siblings’ books.  Rosen tells a complete and charming story in just a few words and snatches of conversation.  Stewart’s art works really well here with the bright and bold colors of the main characters contrasting with the gray tones of the backgrounds. 

A graphic novel for the preschool set, this book has a charm about it that will find it happy owners.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Featured on 7-Imp.

Binky the Space Cat

| Tasha

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires

A new graphic novel series launches off with this first title.  Binky is a house cat who has never left the family “space station.”  But he is a cat with a purpose!  He is a space cat and will one day blast into outer space.  He can’t leave the space station without a helmet and other gear because he wouldn’t be able to breathe.  But even in the space station, he is surrounded by aliens.  He knows they are aliens because they can fly.  Readers will know they fly because they ARE flies.  Binky has to keep his special identity a secret from his humans.  So they don’t know of his ongoing research or the fact that he is building a space craft in his litter box. Will Binky blast off?  Or will his dreams fizzle out?

Spires has created a graphic novel with broad appeal.  Binky is a winning main character with his dreams, fears and bravery shown clearly.  This is a fresh-feeling book that has its own unique artistic style.  The illustrations are done in near sepia tones with bright bursts of red throughout.  They are filled with funny action.  Binky is portrayed as a cat with a round belly but lots of energy and drive. 

Young readers who enjoy more pictures with their books will be right at home here.  It is an easy graphic novel that does not speak down to young readers. 

Recommended for all library collections, this series deserves a spot on graphic novel shelves for elementary-aged readers.  I happily await the next Binky adventure.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed at Three Silly Chicks, A Year of Reading, 100 Scope Notes, and Young Readers.

Eternal Smile

| Tasha

The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

Three amazingly different and yet cohesive stories create this graphic novel.  In the first, Duncan is on the way to winning the hand of the Princess.  He has a magical sword that can slice the heads off of the frog-people and a desire to win.  But soon he discovers that his story has an entirely different piece to it.  In the second story, Gran’pa Greenbax is a frog who wants enough money to be able to dive into it and never hit bottom.  He’s not afraid to sell anything to reach his goal.  He is even willing to profit from the smile that has appeared in the sky, if he can.  But soon, he too discovers that all is not what it may seem.  The final story features Janet, who is stuck in a cubicle/watercooler culture where she doesn’t get any respect.  When she is contacted by a Nigerian prince who needs money, she gets caught up in a scam.  The question is who ends up profiting by it.

Strange, beautiful tales about being an outsider and being true to yourself, these stories will resonate with teens.  The artwork is very different in each story, setting them distinctly apart from one another.  From the epic fantasy art in the first to vintage comic book in the second, and ending with modern style in the final story.  At the same time, the stories all work together as a collection.  They have similar story arcs as well as that overarching theme of identity.

Highly recommended, this book belongs in all teen graphic novel collections because it shows teens how great graphic novels can be.  And if you are an adult like me who enjoys them, make sure you get your hands on this one.

Reviewed from library copy.

Gay & Lesbian Graphic Novels

| Tasha

Library Journal has a great roundup of graphic novels where either the superhero is gay or the novels feature leading LGBT characters or themes.  Though I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, some of my favorites are on the list:

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (a great graphic novel from last year)

Pedro and Me by Judd Winick (one of the first graphic novels I ordered in my small library at the time!)

Any of your favorites on the list? 

Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novels

| Tasha

Booklist has the 2009 Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth up.  A great list for libraries who may have rows of manga series but don’t quite know what to get in the latest graphic novels.

I’m very happy to see Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan on the list.  I’ve reviewed it.  Any other favorites?

Skim

| Tasha

Skim by Mariko Tamaki, drawings by Jillian Tamaki

Skim is a teen who defies easy categorization.  She’s trying to become a Wiccan, sometimes leans toward goth, is very artistic, and just may be gay.  She attends an all-girl private school where the boyfriend of one of the other students has just committed suicide.  Skim and her best friend, Lisa, begin to drift apart through a series of misunderstandings while Skim is drawn to one of her teachers.  This complex graphic novel captures perfectly the stress, depression and quest of being a teen.

This graphic novel has so many things going for it.  First and foremost is Skim as the main character.  She is a girl we see all too rarely in teen literature, a complicated and questing teen with brains.  The illustrations are equally compelling in their black and white palette.  They often take interesting perspectives on the scene they are portraying and offer further insight into the characters and story.

One of the top graphic novels of the year, this is a winner that is sure to be a hit with those who enjoy the Janes graphic novels by Cecil Castellucci.

Kin

| Tasha

The Good Neighbors: Kin by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh

Holly Black, author of amazing urban fairy tales, is now collaborating on a graphic novel series.  Rue’s mother has left, leaving her father deep in despair.  Rue herself has begun seeing strange things that no one else notices.  As she looks deeper into her mother’s history, she learns that what she is seeing is real and that mortals can’t see these strange creatures or fairies that surround them.  Of course, because she can see them, it means that she too isn’t a mortal creature.

Black has always written captivating novels for teens filled with angst, darkness and strange creatures.  In the graphic novel format, she stays true to her previous writings: something that will delight her fans.  Naifeh’s art is a great match to Black’s story.  His use of angular features and interesting perspectives all done in black and white will draw readers in.

Highly recommended for all graphic novel collections, this book will be a hit with fans of Black’s novels as well as fans of Melissa Marr’s popular books.  Teens will look forward to the next in the series.