Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
The three exciting stories James Otis Smith tells in Black Heroes of the Wild West — those of Mary Fields, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons — represent only a small part of the variety of Black experience on the American frontier. All three people were born into slavery but used their skills to set their own paths. These tales are told to refute the popular assumption that cowboys and other Wild West denizens were white. Mary Fields was a stagecoach […]
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The Poorcraft Cookbook is an outstanding addition to the Poorcraft series. The original volume, which came out in 2012, had a handful of recipes (focusing on rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, and a roast chicken) in the food chapter. This volume, by Nero Villagallos O’Reilly, expands greatly on the idea. It takes a while before we actually get to the recipes, as advice on buying and cooking comes first. Penny (the one with the practical advice) and her dog Nickel help […]
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Hope Larson’s All Together Now is the second book in the Eagle Rock trilogy, which began with All Summer Long. While the first book dealt with Bina’s lonely summer, this volume tackles creativity and relationships. (Eagle Rock is the name of the Los Angeles neighborhood where Bina lives.) Bina and her friend Darcy have a band, but they need a drummer. They find Enzo, but adding a new person means the relationships change, particularly once Darcy and Enzo start dating. […]
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Dead Reckoning is an imprint of the Naval Institute Press dedicated to graphic novels and focused on military history and biography. That’s specialized, but this release, authored by Ben Towle, has the potential to greatly expand their readership. Who can resist stories of brave animals? Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat contains short pieces about various creatures who’ve fought in wars. The title is a little odd, as few animals can make fists, but it’s a reference to Two-Fisted Tales, the […]
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It’s rare for the Science Comics line to have a misstep. Most of their books are both entertaining and wildly informative, with a ton of facts woven into a story. It’s that combination that makes learning easy. Unfortunately, story is where Science Comics: Spiders: Worldwide Web falls down, as the book by Tait Howard is mostly an overwhelming list of facts. There’s no space to give the reader a chance to understand or remember what they’re being shown. The balance […]
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Olive is back and struggling with friendship in Kayla Miller’s Clash. The young woman, first seen in Click, normally makes friends with everyone. That’s why she’s happy to volunteer to show new student Nat around. Unfortunately, Nat may not have the best motives in return. She’s quick to join up with the cheerleaders. She declares things “dorky” or “old news.” She’s a show-off, and soon Olive is afraid that her friends will like Nat better. Miller does an excellent job […]
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Subtitled A Gourmand’s Trip Through a Top Chef’s Atelier, The Secrets of Chocolate is a delicious book. The author, Franckie Alarcon, spent a year back in 2013 working with and observing chocolate chef Jacques Genin’s creations. (The chef clearly establishes early on that he is not a chocolatier, as he doesn’t make the chocolate itself. Instead, he melts it and makes candy or pastries from it.) Alarcon’s excitement and enthusiasm is a pleasure to read. He takes the reader through […]
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The original, unabridged text of the founding document of the United States is presented in comic form, with each clause or section of the Constitution illustrated in a single-page panel. Author R. Sikoryak uses the original spelling and punctuation, so, for example, “choose” is “chuse”, reminding us that this is a historical document. End notes tell the reader which clauses have later been superseded. There’s also a list of when the amendments were proposed and ratified. Constitution Illustrated is educational […]
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