Sheer Awesomeness
No, really -
(link ripped off from Warren Peace Sings the Blues - good find!)
A World at War
Young Bill Young here. I’ll be hosting this blog the next three days while Sadie is in Denver helping to select the next round of Great Graphic Novels for Teens. It’s my first time blogging, so this should be fun.
I’m an SF geek, raised on DC superhero comic books, and a big reader of science fiction and speculative fiction novels from Isaac Asimov to CJ Cherryh to Connie Willis. When I rediscovered comics a couple of years ago, I was naturally drawn to titles with SF themes. Devil’s Due Publishing’s Drafted certainly satisfies my jones for this type of fare.
Writer Mark Powers and artist Chris Lee skilfully introduce the premise: a group of aliens known as The Select arrives on Planet Earth and drafts humans against their will to help fight in an interstellar war against a malevolent, predatory species of planet eaters. The planet eaters are already landing on Earth, and The Select tells humans they have no choice but to cooperate if they want the remotest chance to save their home.
Like all good science fiction, it’s not just about the big plot—it’s about the characters, and this is where Drafted excels. Unburdened by human discrimination, The Select assembles small fighting units regardless of the race, creed, or socio-economic backgrounds of the individual fighters. The members of each unit must hone their skills together and learn to get along if they hope to have any success.
The core cast includes convenience store clerk Gabriel Contreras, who becomes leader of his unit; Emergency Medical Tech Kris Nelson, who’s cancer is cured when The Select arrives; Raisa, an anti-Taliban rebel from Afghanistan; London psychiatrist Devon McNeil; Preston Walker, the President of the United States (a barely-disguised George W. Bush); and computer programmer Audrey Martin, who’s capture by the enemy and subsequent return to her fighting unit provides an OMG twist to the story.
Powers has great empathy for his characters, and we care about Contreras’s unit as well as the humans left on Earth (including First Lady Lori Walker) who work to keep some semblance of civilization.
Drafted has reached the end of it’s first arc, or “season”, and the first trade paperback of the first six issues is out. The second trade is due out in March. Powers has plans for this epic series, so now is the time to enlist!
Also check out the Comixology podcast with Mark Powers.
Obama and his superhero endorsers
Well, you could read the ongoing “you ripped me off” saga between Marvel and Erik Larson concerning the Obama/Spidey cover…or you could, you know, watch the actual inauguration!!!
Amazing Spider-Man #583 (Obama variant cover)
Last Minute Gifts
“Not just for nerds!”, proclaims a Publisher’s Weekly article on giving graphic novels to the readers on your Christmas list. They have a pretty good list and here’s (in my opinion) the highlights.
Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka – have I talked about this mange enough yet? No? Ok, let me reiterate. This story about a talented yet mad doctor is both heartwarming AND gory. A perfect gift!
Ghost World, Special Edition by Daniel Clowes - ok, I admit I saw the movie before reading the book. I liked the movie, loved the book. I don’t usually compare the two but this deluxe edition includes the movie screenplay so obsessives can sit and pick apart the differences. It also includes a “where are they now” comic! Awesome!
Hellboy 2: The Chained Coffin, the Right Hand of Doom, and Others by Mike Mignola - they claim this list isn’t just for nerds but include a “velvet-bound, over-sized book that showcases [Mignola's] his stunning art to it’s fullest”. I don’t know about you but the only person who gets excited over my absolute or deluxe editions is a total (cute) nerd. So if you know one, trust me, big giant comics that feel really heavy are the perfect gift!
Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly – I became a fan of Brian Wood after his collection of short stories, Demo. Local is just as good, if not better. Plus, it includes a chapter set in Norman! Nothing like seeing your local haunts depicted in a story about loss and depression is there?
Kramer’s Ergot #7 edited by Sammy Harkham – I haven’t read it but I can’t go a single day without hearing about it.
Gifts they recommend that I would pass on:
DC Vault and Marvel Chronicles – two histories of the giants, complete with memorabilia and an insane price tag.
Will Eisner’s The Spirit: A Pop-Up Graphic Novel by Will Eisner – yay! Sexism! Racism! In 3D! Include a pair of tickets to the awful looking movie to really make someone uncomfortable this Christmas. *Disclaimer* I know Eisner is a genius but really, the Spirit needs some updating and Darwyn Cook’s version doesn’t really manage it.
Bone on your Phone
Publishers Weekly reports that uclick has rolled out a comic app for the iPhone. Currently, they report that Bone and Nancy Drew are doing well, leading them to believe that the market is in younger readers. Younger readers? With iPhones? Who are these kids??
I’m all for new ways of accessing comics. Getting a story on your phone could be fun. The people at uclick say that paneled format works the best, however, I imagine if there’s a market all kinds of comics will soon be available.
But are we facing a literary digital divide? I seriously doubt that paper comics are going away anytime soon but the article discusses original content being available in the future. So what about those readers who can’t afford the phone? Should libraries start ordering iPhones?
An Extremely Graphic Thanksgiving
I was going to do a post highlighting some of the really good but depressing graphic bios out there. The idea was that this would make you grateful for your own family no matter how dysfunctional. But then, a colleague suggested doing ‘comfort comics’ or the comics you really like to come home too. That sounded like a much tastier idea.
So here it is, the comfort food for your inner child.
The turkey – The king of all comics, Charlie Brown. These strips appealed to young and old alike and they still hold a special charm. Luckily, you can get ahold of the collected strips in several bound anthologies.
Cranberry sauce – My personal favorite is the sweet and sour Archie. Whether you’re a Betty or a Veronica, revisiting this teenage gang may just hit the spot.
Mashed Potatoes – Casper the Friendly Ghost anyone? What? He’s fluffy and white!
Stuffing – I could literally stuff my self on The Far Side. The calendars? I would read all 365 days in one sitting, laughing at every page.
Pie – Super sweet Litte Lulu is a good ending to any comics meal. She’s cute and funny with legions of (still) devoted fans.
Who would do you want on your plate? Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
