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Graphic Novels & Comics August 2015
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Greetings!My name is Patrick Holt, and I'm a librarian at Southwest Regional Library. I'm also a lifelong reader of comics and graphic novels. Check out the contents of this month's newsletter in the box to the left, and get access to past editions in the archive at the bottom of the page. I hope you find these recommendations worthwhile, and please email me at pdholt@dconc.gov if you have any thoughts or questions.
Thanks and enjoy!
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Spawn of Mars and other stories
by Wallace Wood
From the publisher: "In these stories, Wood sets his sights on the details. His spacesuits feel like they actually work. His spacemen are handsome and rugged, and his spacewomen are some of the most beautiful and intrepid ever to sashay across the stars.
"Included are Wood's early collaborations with the famed science fiction author Harry Harrison—who began his career as Wood's partner.
"And with titles like “Spawn of Mars,” “The Dark Side of the Moon,” “A Trip to a Star,” “The Invaders,” “The Secret of Saturn’s Ring,” and “The Two-Century Journey,” how can you go wrong? This is EC science fiction at its finest."
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Kiss me, Satan!
by Victor Gischler and Juan Ferreyra
Comicbookresources.com says, "In Kiss Me, Satan! #1, Victor Gischler and Juan Ferreyra blend comedy, action, and mob drama together for their stunning new take on the fantasy genre. Caught between a vampire hit squad and a warring pack, werewolf Barnabus Black has one goal in mind despite the danger: earn back his lost soul. Gischler lays down an entertaining and solid story for this issue that is standard of most other introductory issues; ultimately, however, Ferreyra is the one who absolutely steals the show with his gorgeous, innovative artwork.With a slick Goodfellas vibe and spectacular art, Kiss Me, Satan! #1 bursts with potential."
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Letter 44 vol 1: Escape Velocity
by Charles Soule and Alberto Albuquerque
From Io9's first-issue preview: "As presidents leave office, they also leave a letter for their successors. In Oni Press' new comic Letter 44, the newest president is taken aback when he reads the letter from the man who preceded him — a man who seemed to tank the economy and embroil the nation in needless wars — but was actually secretly preparing America for an imminent alien invasion."
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The Bunker vol. 1
by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joe Infurnari
Joshua Yehl at IGN says that "To detail any part of the core mystery or even the story in general would spoil what makes this read so great, so I will attempt to dance around any specifics. A group of friends discover a bunker, and what they find will change their lives forever. And I mean that without a hint of hyperbole. The Bunker doesn’t give them super powers or hide a talking monster or anything like that. Aside from what appears to be an ounce of time travel, this is all based in the reality that you and I live in, and the hinted danger that looms ahead is nothing that couldn’t happen today or tomorrow or in ten years. That’s why The Bunker is scary as heck and will have you wound up from start to finish."
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Superman - Action Comics vol 1: Superman and the Men of Steel
by Grant Morrison, Rags Morales and Andy Kubert
Laura Sneddon at comicsbeat.com says of Grant Morrison's fractured and bizarrely uplifting run: "This is not the Superman of All-Star Superman. That Superman was older, matured, and a perfect focus of the Silver Age made real. This Superman is born from the pages of the Golden Age, each issue showing another edge of the same character while introducing the instruments of his incredibly complex life. He’s just a man who will never give up – the message at both the beginning of issue one as he threatens a corrupt businessman, to the end of issue eighteen where he hugs his dog and jokes about his hard won fight for both his life and the entire universe. An alien alone perhaps, but one who is very human. All-Star Superman was a god you could believe in; Action Comics Superman gets sh*t done."
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Superman: Red Son
by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett
This fascinating thought Elseworlds experiment divert's Kal-El's Kryptonian escape pod trajectory from the American Midwest to the farmlands of Soviet Ukraine, setting him on the path to become the U.S.S.R.'s most formidable weapon. Although the book aspires to more plausibility than it can support, it's a worthwhile read that serves as a de facto critique of the standard Superman story. Plus it's got one of the coolest alternate universe Batman cameos ever!
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It's a Bird...
by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen
In this excellent fictionalized memoir, writer Steven Seagle struggles to reconcile the cultural significance of the Man of Steel with his own perspective: that of a comics writer assigned to write a Superman story while facing his own genetic predisposition toward Huntington's Disease,
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Saturday, August 22, 2 p.m. Main Library - 300 N. Roxboro St. Questions? Call John Davis at 919-560-0125 Join our MeetUp group at meetup.com/graphic-book-club Enjoy comic books or graphic novels? Join us for the monthly meeting of Main Library's Graphic Book Club. June's theme is "Every Hero Has a Story: SUPERMAN"! Check out some recommended titles above.
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Ultimate Ladies Book ClubThursday, August. 6, 8 p.m. Ultimate Comics, 6120-A Farrington Rd., DurhamThe first Thursday of each month the Ultimate Ladies Alliance meets to discuss a different comic or graphic novel. Join the Ultimate Ladies’ Alliance on Facebook for more info and to vote on your top picks for the next month’s meeting, plus suggest books for future discussion and share your favorites. This month: Bryan Lee O'Malley's Seconds. September's title is X-23 the Killing Dream by Marjorie Liu and Will Conrad.
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Oak City Comic Show Sunday, August 16, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Raleigh Hilton: 3415 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh
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Durham Comics Project: Drink & DrawWednesday, August 19, 7- 9 p.m.Location TBD This monthly meetup is for those new to comics and seasoned vets alike. The hardest part of making comics is often making the time to draw, so let’s make that time together! We'll have an exercise or two (often collaborative), but you're welcome to just come to work on your own thing.
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For personalized reading recommendations from Durham County librarians, try My Next 5! Simply complete an online form to tell us a little about what genres, books, and authors you like (or dislike). A DCL librarian will review your submission and reply with a list of the next five books you should read.
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NoveList Plus is a comprehensive database of fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages, including recommendations, articles, and lists for your fiction and nonfiction needs. DCL cardholders can access NoveList Plus from any computer.
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Links to newsletters from the past year:
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Durham County Library at
919-560-0100, 300 N. Roxboro Street, Durham, NC 27702
librarywebmaster@durhamcountync.gov
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