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Graphic Novels Jan/Feb 2024
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Blood of the virgin
by Sammy Harkham
"After fourteen years in the making, renowned and beloved graphic novelist Sammy Harkham finally delivers his epic story of artistic ambition, the heartbreak that it can bring, and what it means to be human Set in and around 1971 in Los Angeles, Blood ofthe Virgin follows an immigrant film editor named Seymour who is desperate to make his own movies. But without money or clout, he has no choice but to spend his days slumming it for the worst and most exploitative production company in town. When Seymouris given the chance to make a film of his own, his unbending principles and relentless drive violently clash with an industry that rewards everything but principles and drive. As Seymour's blind ambition pushes the movie along, his home life grows increasingly fraught. Blood of the Virgin uses the film's production as a means to spiral out in time and space to create an epic novel that explores the intersection of parenthood, 20th-century America, sex, the immigrant experience, and the era of grindhouse movies. Like a kaleidoscope, Blood of the Virgin shifts and evolves with each frame, allowing the reader to zoom out and see that at its core, this book is about the making of a man"
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The talk
by Darrin Bell
"This graphic memoir by a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning offers a deeply personal meditation on the "the talk" parents must have with Black children about racism and the brutality that often accompanies it, a ritual attempt to keepkids safe and prepare them for a world that--to paraphrase Toni Morrison--does not love them. Darrin Bell was six years old when his mother told him he couldn't play with a white friend's realistic water gun. "She told me I'm a lot more likely to be shotby police than my friend was if they saw me with it, because police tend to think little Black boys--even light-skinned ones--are older than they really are, and less innocent than they really are." Bell examines how "the talk" has shaped nearly every moment of his life into adulthood and fatherhood. Through evocative original illustrations, The Talk is a meditation on this coming-of-age--as Bell becomes painfully aware of being regarded as dangerous by white teachers, neighbors, and strangers, and thus of his mortality. Drawing attention to the brutal murders of African Americans like Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, and showcasing his award-winning cartoons along the way, Bell takes us up to the very moment of reckoning when people took to the streets protesting the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and when he must have "the talk" with a six-year-old son of his own"
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Carmilla : the first vampire
by Amy Chu
"Before Dracula, before Nosferatu, there was...CARMILLA. At the height of the Lunar New Year in 1990s New York City, an idealistic social worker turns detective when she discovers young, homeless LGBTQ+ women are being murdered and no one, especially thepolice, seems to care. A series of clues points her to Carmilla's, a mysterious nightclub in the heart of her neighborhood, Chinatown. There she falls for the next likely target, landing her at the center of a real-life horror story-and face-to-face withillusions about herself, her life, and her hidden past. Inspired by the gothic novel that started a genre and layered with dark Chinese folklore, this queer, feminist murder mystery is a tale of identity, obsession and fateful family secrets"
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Okinawa
by Susumu Higa
Via heartbreaking manga illustrations, an award-winning cartoonist examines the history of Okinawa and its military occupation. Original. Illustrations.
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Roaming
by Jillian Tamaki
"Over the course of a much-anticipated trip to New York, an unexpected fling blossoms between casual acquaintances and throws a long-term friendship off-balance. Emotional tensions vibrate wildly against the resplendently illustrated backdrop of the city, capturing a spontaneous queer romance in all of its fledgling glory. Slick attention to the details of a bustling, intimidating metropolis are softened with a palette of muted pastels, as though seen through the eyes of first-time travelers. The awe, wonder, and occasional stumble along the way come to life with stunning accuracy"
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Last on his feet : Jack Johnson and the battle of the century
by Adrian Matejka
"On the morning of July 4, 1910, thousands of boxing fans stormed a newly built stadium in Reno, Nevada, to witness an epic showdown. Jack Johnson, the world's first Black heavyweight champion, was paired against Jim Jeffries, a former heavyweight champion then heralded as the "great white hope." It was the height of the Jim Crow era. Through a combination of breathtaking illustrations and striking verse, Last on his feet honors a contentious civil rights figure who has for more than a century been denied his proper due"
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The nice house on the lake
by James Tynion
"Everyone who was invited to the house knows Walter--well, they know him a little, anyway. Some met him in childhood; some met him months ago. And Walter's always been a little...off. But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter's invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house in the woods, overlooking an enormous sylvan lake. It's beautiful, it's opulent, it's private--so a week of putting up with Walter's weird little schemes and nicknames in exchange for the vacationof a lifetime? Why not? All of them were at that moment in their lives when they could feel themselves pulling away from their other friends; wouldn't a chance to reconnect be...nice? In The Nice House on the Lake, the overriding anxieties of the 21st century get a terrifying new face-and it might just be the face of the person you once trusted most."
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Washington's gay general : the legends and loves of Baron von Steuben
by Josh Trujillo
"Tells the true story of one of the most important--but largely forgotten--military leaders of the American Revolution, Baron von Steuben, who brought much-needed knowledge to the inexperienced and ill-prepared Continental Army. As its first Inspector General, von Steuben created an organizational framework for the US military, which included writing the Blue Book guide that became the standard for training American soldiers for more than a century"
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Daughters of snow and cinders
by Nuria Tamarit
"Fleeing the fires of her war-torn homeland, a young woman travels to the New World in search of gold to rebuild her life. In this strange, lawless land, Joana encounters friends (the kind Native women Tala and Opa), foes (the cruel gold hunter Matwei and his men), and an unexpected traveling companion who may just be her good luck charm - and amidst the icy reaches of the wilderness, a fearsome fantastical beast lurks in the shadows"
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Indianapolis Public Library P.O. Box 211 Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-0211 317-275-4100www.indypl.org/ |
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