Comic Book Tattoo

Comic Book Tattoo Special Edition
Various authors and artists
ISBN: 978-1607060314
Published by Vertigo


Some of these stories are out there, some are thought provoking, some are just provoking. Some, well, there has to be a few "eh" in every collection.

To Sum: That being said, this is a collection of short stories inspired by the music and lyrics of Tori Amos. For those not familiar with Tori Amos, she's almost the weird cousin to Sarah McLachlin. She can be raunchy, honest, imaginative, twisted, and brutally open about her experiences.

And the graphic novel reflects that.

This is a hefty tome.

What to Watch out for: Well, this deals with some unusual themes, but if you've listened to some of Tori's music, so does she. There's some scenes and story lines that are dark, and explore an alternative life style. There's some twisty bits. There are also sweet stories, so it's not all weird.

Where to shelve: Adult. Nuff said. Older teens may like it, but this is probably best left in the adult section.

Should a library have it: There is literary merit, yes. There is also some gorgeous artwork.

How I heard about it: I didn't order this one, but did see it at B&N. This was one that was ordered about the time I was hired.

Other Reviews:

http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/comic-book-tattoo-review
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15838
http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=20&s=423&ai=76967
http://www.secondsupper.com/review.php?r=86
http://blog.oregonlive.com/steveduin/2008/09/comic_review_comic_book_tattoo.html
http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2008/09/comic-book-tattoo-ed-rantz-hoseley/

http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/18/interview-comic-book-tattoo/

Death: The High Cost of Living

Review to come tonight.

Initial reaction - Well done story that will appeal to some teens and adults. Well done.

Nylon Road

Nylon Road: A Graphic Memoir of Coming of Age in Iran
Written and illustrated by Parsua Bashi
ISBN: 9780312532864
St. Martin's Griffin

Quick Note: Many other reviews have compared this to Persepolis, a graphic novel that I have not read. As I haven't read it, I can't compare the two of them.

To Sum: The simple summary is that it is a writer/artist reflecting on what she's been through. However, there's a lot to this, and maybe more so because it's not a topic we hear a lot about in the West. Or worse, we stereotype and characterize the people from that region as all the same.

But, the interesting thing to me at least, was how universal her discoveries are. For example - at one point, she makes the connection that although the Europeans are very ignorant of Iran and the Middle East, she was just as ignorant of Europe and its people when she was in Iran.

And one of those truths? "I learned that not knowing is not a sin. Not knowing and yet being prejudice is where the problem starts."(Pg. 79)

What to Watch out for: This book covers a lot of topics, and few things are shown. However, it does talk about things from a mature standpoint of someone looking back at their life, and who they were at different points. The laws in Iran are very different from ours, and she shows this. There is some depictions of modern late teens in skimpy outfits as well as frank talk about stereotypes and the idea of freedom of speech. There are some very cartoony sunbathers that are topless (probably more common over there) and once or twice she has a swear word. Nothing major.

For the few negatives, however, I can not say how moved I was with this book. And to know that she is not alone in having suffered through that life. An important book if for no other reason than it gives us an honest look at what life was like for her under Shiite government, as well as the philosophical points she brings up.

Where to shelve: Given what I talked about in the previous section, I think it's important enough to just have in the library. Adults for sure. Older teens would probably appreciate it. If you have a high school library, I can see it for that.

The first chapter is available as a PDF:

http://us.macmillan.com/CMS400/uploadedFiles/Nylon_Road_-_chapter1.pdf

Other Reviews:
http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/125920921561484.htm
http://www.bookpage.com/books-10012517-Nylon+Road
http://us.macmillan.com/nylonroad
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,2306171,00.html
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/11/the-geekly-reader-nylon-road/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0312532865/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Links for me

Trying to find decent sites where I can get decent reviews.

http://www.shelfabuse.com/

http://comicsworthreading.com/category/graphic-novels/

http://www.grovel.org.uk/

http://www.noflyingnotights.com/ (Wish they would update the adult section on this)

Aetheric Mechanics

Aetheric Mechanics
By Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Gianluca Pagliarani
ISBN: 978-1592910489
Published by Avatar Press

To Sum: A world where Sherlock Holmes meets steampunk. Characters that are very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes (Sax Raker) and Dr. Watson (Doctor Robert Watcham - just home from a tour of duty on the front), work to solve the murder of several scientists in a case Sax (the Sherlock Holmes character) calls the Case of The Man Who Was Not There.

A good story that is well illustrated. Both writer and artists did their homework. While this is a short graphic novel (coming in at 48 pages), this comes across as a labour of love. There is some slight humor, somewhat subtle.

Some people might be put off that the graphic novel is in black and white, however, their loss.

What To Watch Out For: Eh, not much. There is a war going on, but nothing graphic is shown. The author has a line of "coarse" language, which is immediately apologized for by the speaker. (This does take place in Victorian/Edwardian London, after all. Manners are important.)

All in all, not really offensive, any more than an episode of NCIS or Sherlock Holmes would be.

Where to Shelve: I can see the adults checking this one out more than I can the teens. Not that the teens won't like it, but with it being more Sherlock Holmes like, it would seem to me to appeal to adults more. (Although with the Steampunk influence, the teens might like it more.) The nice thing about this is that it's relatively inexpensive. Yes, it's also short, but the cover price is $6.99.

How I heard of it: It came highly recommended from a dear friend of mine - Mr. Shading. He recommended several titles to me, and this was the first one I've ordered in and had the chance to read.

Other Reviews:

http://paradoxcomicsgroup.blogspot.com/2008/10/graphic-perception-aetheric-mechanics.html
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/11/17/a-whole-bunch-o-graphic-novels-handily-arranged-in-alphabetical-order/
http://geekylibrarian.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/review-aetheric-mechanics/
http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2008/steampunk-propaganda-aetheric-mechanics/
http://www.grovel.org.uk/aetheric-mechanics/
http://justhastobeplausible.blogspot.com/2008/12/aetheric-mechanics-warren-ellis.html
http://www.clandestinecritic.co.uk/2008/10/comic-book-review-aetheric-mechanics.html

The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity

The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity
By Mike Carey
ISBN: 978-1401225650
Published by Vertigo

An interesting concept, and a good beginning. I really want to see where this goes.

To Sum: Tom Taylor thought the fictional character, Tommy Taylor, that his dad wrote was just based on him. However, things come up that make Tom start to question his identity. And we find a shadowy group that wants to control the outcome of the telling of the tales. Add into that mix the fact that his father mysteriously disappeared, and things are happening that he can't explain.

An interesting story that mentions other literary figures and calls to mind other literary works. I really did like the "back story" on Kipling. It shows a lot about the organization, but it does a good job of making Kipling interesting, as well as tying the organization to other writers in history. Might actually make teens interested in older authors.

What to Watch Out For: Well, there's some interesting things that happen at the Horror writer's retreat, and the language can be a bit coarse in some areas. I didn't notice the For Mature Audiences on the back until I was done with it. There's killing and death, but I don't recall anything overly sexual in it.

Where to Shelve: Well, it's Vertigo and it has a For Mature Audiences label on it. However, what might also push it into the adult section is that the author has done other works - Lucifer, John Constantine : Hellblazer - that are in adult sections. (Or at least they are in mine.) Vertigo started off being where DC published it's line of comics "for mature readers", meaning adults.

Other Reviews:

grovel.com
mloknitting.com
the-trades.com
beatrice.com (Skip the first few lines if you haven't read the Lucifer books...)
Long Island Press
Fyreflybooks.com
Comicvine.com

X-Men: Magneto Testament

X-Men: Magneto Testament
By Greg Pak
Illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico
ISBN (HC): 978-0785138235
ISBN (TPB): 978-0785126409

To Sum: This is an amazing piece of work that can be read without ever knowing of the X-Men or who Magneto is. (Although, you maybe confused by the title.) Disregarding anything that comes later on and the whole mythos of the X-Men, this book does an amazing job of showing what it was like before and during the Holocaust. There is even several pages of notes at the back, describing where an image came from, or why something is in there. This book is a work of love, of dedication, and it shows.

To do what this section says, this book is about a family focusing in on the youngest of them, and what life was like before and during the Holocaust.

What to watch out for: Nothing really. Yes, it deals with the Holocaust, so there is death, but much of it is handled off-screen. The reader is made aware of what is going on, so it's not a sanitized version of the Holocaust.

Where to shelve: They've done a good job making this accessible for the early teens, but not too much that what happened is dumbed down. There's a guide in the back for teachers to use, but this could easily go into both adult and YA. The amount of research done is chronicled in the footnotes, which may interest some adults, and there is a list of additional websites where YA patrons might go to find out more.
It should be noted that Diamond publishers list this title as being 16+. It's also Marvel Knights publication, which is intended 15+, and there is also a Parental Advisory on the back (it's small and on the bottom right). However, there's also a teacher's guide in there intended for use for grades 7-10.

How I heard of this: Well, truth be told I ordered it in based off of Amazon, I believe. However, one of the guys that regularly checks stuff out of my section told me I had to read, and read it now - he had just returned it.

Other Reviews:

http://www.gregpak.com/magneto/ (The author's website, however it does show just how many awards this book has won.)
http://comicsplusblog.com/?p=765 (the person disagrees with me, but I'm cool with that)
http://acomicbookblog.com/comic-book-blog/4-graphic-novels-to-read-in-2010-claire/
http://ichliebecomics.blogspot.com/2009/02/magneto-testament.html
http://www.fistfullofcomics.com/v2/2009/10/16/off-the-rack-x-men-magneto-testament/
http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=20&s=422&ai=85212