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

Auschwitz

Auschwitz
By Pascal Croci
ISBN: 9780810948310 (Hardcover)

Impressions: I've never read Maus. It's something I've been meaning to remedy for a while, but haven't. I have read other accounts of the Holocaust - both fiction and non-fiction, but not in graphic novel format. The artwork in this is captivating - both horrific and stark, reflecting the subject matter - and it is breathtaking.

To Sum: A couple in Yugoslavia in 1993 take refuge during the ethnic war in Bosnia. The old man says that is it time to remember, and begins to talk about his time in Auschwitz - where he finally got assigned to cleaning out the gas chambers. His wife picks up where he leaves off and tells what happened to her, and their daughter. The final pages brings us back to present day, and the fate of the couple.

One might ask the question - do we really need another graphic novel about the Holocaust? Or another book on it?

This book, in my mind, tells us why we need most of them. Yes, there are a few I can do without, as they over simplify what happened, or give a distorted idea of what went on. (Yes, I'm thinking of a certain book that was written for children/young YA.) This book, however, reminds us that the Holocaust isn't just the past. Events like it are still happening. And we must remember.

Things to watch out for: There's a lot of death. Most of it senseless. There are scenes of mass murder. Of burying the bodies (naked) from the gas chambers. Granted, given the title, most people should know not to expect champagne and roses, but better to err on the side of caution.

Where to shelve: Depending on your library, adult. Some may argue YA, but that will depend on your library. If you have just a high school section, or you are a high school librarian, I think this would be a valuable addition. However, if you are a public library, I would err on the side of caution and put this in the adult section. There is little in the way of nudity, but this is the Holocaust. Croci does not shy away from death and other unpleasant aspects of the Holocaust. And he also raised a lot of ethical dilemmas, and philosophical questions.

Who to recommend this to: People who have read Maus. Depending on the teen/child - those that have read Surviving Hitler. (Which is a far superior book to Boy in the Striped Pajamas, in my opinion.) Those that read Milkweed MAY also like this. This might also be good for adults who may have read Maus, or heard of it. There are a number of graphic novels dealing with the Holocaust, and personal memoirs of that time. This, with its eye-catching cover, is a quick, but deep read. I plan on rereading it a few more times as the end sheds more light on the story.

There is also an interview with the creator and how the story came about. While it is fiction, the author did a lot of research for it.

How I learned of it: Booklist had a review, as did Library Journal. The cover is very, very eye catching.

Other Reviews:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834515c2769e200d835398e1969e2
http://marksarvas.blogs.com/elegvar/2004/04/auschwitz_graph.html
http://catalog.dclibrary.org/vufind/Record/ocm52458976/Reviews
http://www.diamondbookshelf.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=20&s=422&ai=66611
http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=HARDCOVER:USED:9780810948310:8.95
http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com/2009/02/auschwitz-by-pascal-croci.html