God Loves, Man Kills (X-Men)

God Loves, Man Kills (X-Men)
Chris Claremont

To Sum: The X-men face off against a evangelistic foe, who turns one of their own against them. There are a lot of similarities (as well as a lot of differences) between this and the X-Men 2 movie. I would almost say that the movie was based off of the graphic novel.

Things to watch out for: There is a dream scene where a character is crucified, and the X-Men visit him in demonesque visages.* Also, there's a powerful scene early on between Kitty and her dance instructor involving a derogatory word for an African-American. In context, the word is needed to make the scene, and the point, work. However, in both cases, someone could get there knickers in a twist.

Where to shelve: Originally, this was printed without the Comic Code. What does that mean? It means it was probably intended for adults. I have this one in my adult collection, partly for themes, partly because of the religious aspect - Stryker is a Reverend and is the bad guy.

Marvel's website does list the book as being for "T+", which means 13+, with a caution that parents may want to preview first. I think I first read it at 15, so 13 seems a little young to me.

Who would like this: Most X-Men fans. People who want to read Watchmen, but it's checked out.

How I heard about it: This is one straight from my formative years. I picked it up when I was a teenager. I was very much into the "Classic X-Men" series, and starting to realize that there was a modern Uncanny X-men still running. I picked up this graphic novel because it still had the old characters - and my favorites : Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde.

* - I am trying not to interject too much of my personal life into this. However, when I had this as a teen, my dad flipped through it one day, and came across the part where the character is being crucified, and was not happy about me reading it. (I may have lied to keep it.) The crucifixion scene is eye catching, and seems to be where the book wants to open to.

Other reviews:

http://geoffklock.blogspot.com/2008/09/jason-powell-on-god-loves-man-kills.html (Not a glowing review, but gives you another view)
http://www.denofgeek.com/comics/98416/revisiting_the_xmen_god_loves_man_kills.html
http://www.thexaxis.com/minis/godlovesmankills.htm
http://io9.com/314748/must-read-x+men-god-loves-man-kills

Why I Killed Peter

Why I Killed Peter
By Oliver Ka
ISBN: 9781561635436 (Hardcover)

This is another translation of a French work. And while comparisons can be made to Miss Don't Touch Me, they really are in different categories. The French do have different cultural standards than Americans, which should be noted early on.

To sum: This is probably more non-fiction than fiction, being based on the author's life, but we have it classified as fiction. Oliver begins each chapter with "I killed Peter because I am X years old" and then highlights what happened that year, focusing on events that lead up to a priest sexually abusing a boy, as well as the effect it had on the boy's life into his adult years.

The Art: The art works well. Subtle changes happen as the story goes on. I love the final picture as well. Things are depicted both casually, and with great care, depending on what is required. The use of color is also well done.

Things to watch out for: This is for mature readers, which is says right on the back. The actual incident of sexual abuse is done in panels that are almost completely blacked out. It does focus the reader on the words, and what is happening without actually showing anything. However, people flipping through will probably focus on the drawings of naked bodies - male and female. Oliver's parents lead a hippie life style, and Ollie as a young boy was often around naked adults. Also, there is talk about Ollie's father having many girlfriends - along with stylized drawings of women.

Another thing that may offend patrons is there's a lot of discussion about religion - Oliver's parents are described as hippies and anti-religious, while his grandparents are depicted as very religious. Oliver talks about the confusion that created. And then there's the priest, Peter, who sexually abuses Ollie.

This book also talks about a lot of different sexual situations besides the incident with Peter - Ollie's parents are depicted as having an open marriage as well as Ollie's first sexual experience with a girl is depicted.

Should I have it in the library: There's a lot that can be discussed about what lead up to it, and how it could have been prevented, what people could have done differently. How Peter "trapped" Ollie into agreeing to the sexual incident is probably textbook on how it is done, but important all the same.

While all that is good, the main reason I purchased it was for those that may also have been abused. There is something powerful about finding yourself, or a situation you were in, in a book. It maybe that they have never talked about it. It maybe that a family member may see this and realize that something happened. Almost as important, in my mind, is that it shows the impact that one incident had on Oliver's life and how it changed his relationships from that moment on.

Who Would Like This: Fans of biographies, especially graphic novel adaptations. If they like Blankets, this would probably be a good one to recommend as it has a similar vein of themes - but different treatments.

Where to shelve: This one, powerful as it is, is definitely adult.

Things that may get questioned: I showed this to my boss when I wanted to order it, and she flipped through it - and stopped. Near the end, Ollie goes to confront Peter some 20 years later. Ollie and his collaborator Alfred took photographs of their trip to the summer camp where the sexual assault happened. My boss asked me if that was normal, and while it isn't, we are seeing a bit more of photography and photographs being used in graphic novels - most recently in The Photographer. It's only a few pages, but it may catch people off guard.

How I heard about it: A good review in Booklist, or Library Journal. A professional catalog gave it a good review and it looked interesting.

Reviews:

http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/why-i-killed-peter-review
http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/03/09/nbm-releases-little-nothings-2-miss-dont-touch-me-why-i-killed-peter-first-time/
http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2009/01/06/2198/
http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2009/03/06/why-i-killed-peter/
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/01/10/why-i-killed-peter-ogn-review/

from the publisher:
http://www.nbmpub.com/comicslit/whyIkilled/whyhome.html

Queuing up

Just queuing up a short list of graphic novels that I'll be looking at next, in no particular order:

God Loves, Man Kills
Green Arrow: Quiver
We are on our own
Smoke
Marvels
Auschwitz
Simon's Cat
Bunny Suicides
Why I killed Peter
100 Bullets
House of Mystery 1


And more...

I will say, that I was going to review Bunny Suicides sooner rather than later, but I just sold the copies I had a few weeks ago to help pay for some stuff that's come up. Short review - they are funny, but they weren't meant for teens. A smart woman - Robin from No Flying, No Tights - said at a seminar I was at, that we have to consider who the intended audience was meant to be. And given some of the references, it's clear that the cartoons are more for adults - British cultural references, science fiction references, and other cultural references that would be understood by those that actually lived through the 80's.

WE3

WE3
Written by Grant Morrison
ISBN: 978-1401204952
Published by Vertigo

To Sum: WE3 is a story about three animals - a dog, a cat, and a rabbit - that are experimented on by the U.S. government and made into cybernetic killing machines. They escape and look for "home," but going there isn't going to be easy as the government wants the project, and them, decommissioned. The art is very good, and the "lost" posters just about break your heart.

Things to watch out for: Well, violence is a plenty in here given that the animals are killing machines. Oh, and there are modified rats and a mastiff in here as well. And there is some on screen death and bodies.

Should I have it in a library: As with a lot of Morrison stuff, there's a lot in here, and it's not just about violence. There are bigger ideas at hand - where is "home", how we treat animals, and more. And many people have admitted to crying during the reading of this. This is a slim graphic novel - only combining three issues - but there's a lot to chew on.

Who would like this: people with experience with graphic novels. This is not something you give to someone who's never experienced the genre before. Anyone who is thinking of reading Watchmen, give them this first. It's not as thick, or as heavy, as Watchmen, but it will get the thinking going. People who like both animal stories and robots would love this.

Where to shelve: Some places are rating this 14+, but to me, this goes in the adult section (which is 16+ where I am). Younger teens maybe able to follow the story, but there's a lot there. And there's a difference between reading and understanding.

It's hard not to feel for the animals in the story. You really want to give 1 a dog biscuit and tell him he's a good dog.

How I learned of it: I read it at a friend's house, and remembered it. When I was first hired, and given the okay to order graphic novels for the adult collection, this was in the first order.

Other reviews:

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/111949504898976.htm
http://comics.ign.com/articles/673/673191p1.html
http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/03/31/we3/
http://www.grovel.org.uk/we3/
http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2005/01/28/we3/

Miss Don't Touch Me

Miss Don't Touch Me
by Hubert & Kerascoet
ISBN: 978-1561635443

There's something we don't have a lot of in America, and that's graphic novels like this one. It's adult, and a fun read. It's not deep, it's not earth shattering, but it reads like a mystery novel/drama made into a comic book. Everything you need to know about the book is on the back of it 1) For Mature Audiences and 2) a brief summary of the plot.

To sum: To sum up the story, a girl's sister gets murdered by a serial killer and it was made to look like a suicide. The girl starts investigating and follows the trail to a high end brothel, where she takes a job. Since she's worried about her virtue, she takes a job as Miss Don't Touch Me - an English Governess persona, which is basically a dominatrix. Set in 1930's Paris, there are scenes of semi naked women, and there's some violence as well.

Things to watch out for: Patrons that just flip through this without understanding what they are looking at are going to see scenes from life in a brothel. Complete with mostly naked customers, women in skimpy outfits, as well as violence. It is stylized, but if they are going to just point at one panel and object, there are ones in here that they may do it to.

Should I have it in a library: Overall, this is a rare sort of graphic novel. It's a translation from a French work, so the standards are slightly different. But what really sets it apart is the fact that it's not trying to blow your mind with deep messages; it's not making political statements; it's not heavy with symbolism. It's a story about a girl trying to solve a murder, and adapting to life in a brothel. It's fluff, and fun at that. A quick read with a great feel for the era it's in.

Who would like this: Well, it's not a typical graphic novel. It's part murder mystery, part intrigue, part enjoyable, "fun crap" (as one review puts it, and I agree). Give it to people who have read some graphic novels, but are tired of the superhero genre, or the heavy stuff.

How I can to learn of it: I learned of it through Booklist, which recommended it.

Other reviews of it:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/01/25/review-miss-dont-touch-me/
http://www.readaboutcomics.com/2009/02/27/miss-dont-touch-me/
http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2009/01/graphic_novel_review_miss_do_n.html
http://highlowcomics.blogspot.com/2009/02/baser-instincts-miss-dont-touch-me.html
http://www.grovel.org.uk/miss-dont-touch-me/
http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/03/09/nbm-releases-little-nothings-2-miss-dont-touch-me-why-i-killed-peter-first-time/
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/03/robot-reviews-miss-dont-touch-me/

Oh! First entry!

So, why another blog to review books? Well, because I couldn't find one that had what I needed.

And what is it I needed?

As a library worker (not an official Librarian with a gilded and capital "L" - more on that below), I order graphic novels for the adult section. I have been having a hard time find places that offer good reviews on stuff for libraries, and especially for people who order for the adult section. There are many sites out there that have stuff for ordering for teens' and children's sections, but not much for those of us that order for the 18+ crowd (or 16+ in my case.) For reference, at my library, we have a juvenile/children's section, which goes up to about 6th grade, and we have a teen section with goes from about 7th-12th grade. However, there's nothing to say that a 4th grader can't take something out of the teen section, just as there's nothing to say that an 11th grader can't check something out from the adult section. Which is why my section is 16+. Since the teen section covers such a range of ages, it was thought the stuff more suitable for "older teens" would be better placed in the adult section. Again, anyone can check anything out from any section. As a librarian (little l), it's my job to help them find it. It's the parent's job to decide if they can read it.

Now, I do not have the almighty Masters degree, which often times separates librarians from Librarians. (Also, people with the MLS/MLIS seem to have ninja powers of not being detected. Must come with the degree.)

What I do have, however, is the fact that I have been collecting comics for more than half my life. And helped really build the small collection at my library. (I think we now have about 300 titles, and it was about 35 when I started.)

What I hope to provide here, for myself at least, is a place where someone can go to get references on graphic novels for adults for libraries. What I thought of it, how I came to hear of it, any other reviews, and other information that is available. I want this for several reasons - as a way to have it all in one place, but especially so that if something gets challenged, I can justify why I purchased it and have my rebuttal prepared.

The best defense? Maybe.

Hopefully, this is the beginning of something long term. I hope to cover mainstream stuff, as well as things that fly under the radar.

Next post will be a review.