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Graphic Novels & Comics September 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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Genius vol. 1: Siege
by Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman, and Afua Richardson
Oliver Sava of the AV Club reports that "Genius follows 17-year-old tactician Destiny Ajaye as she unites the separate gangs of her neighborhood against a common foe: the police. Destiny witnessed the LAPD gun down her parents as a young child, and dedicated her life to military strategy in hopes of inciting permanent change by taking the fight directly to the cops." Sava's review (which contains major spoilers) calls this title "the most relevant comic on stands", citing its diversity of characters, diversity of creators, and relevance to the recent one-year anniversary of events in Ferguson, MO, despite being six years in the making.
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Bright-Eyed at Midnight
by Leslie Stein
From a preview at Entertainment Weekly: "From Jan. 1, 2014 to Jan. 1, 2015, Leslie Stein took advantage of bouts of insomnia, and drew one page of comics each night at midnight. The result is Bright Eyed at Midnight, a dreamy collage of watercolor images and words, with themes and scenes spanning from Stein’s 1980s childhood, to playing rock and roll, to hanging out at bars, to dreams, to artist’s block."
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Judgment Day and Other Stories
by Joe Orlando and others
From the publisher: "Joe Orlando was a mainstay at EC, especially on science fiction, and this collects 23 of his best SF stories. All of them, most scripted by Al Feldstein, serve up classic O. Henry-style endings, such as 'I, Robot' and 'Fallen Idol'. The title story is one of EC's most famous, with its blunt anti-racism message. When it was printed during the era of the Comics Code, publisher Bill Gaines and Feldstein had to fight to keep the story's final panel "reveal" (and thus its whole point) intact. It was a Pyrrhic victory, however, as 'Judgment Day' became the last story in the last comic book EC published. This volume also features two of Orlando's outstanding adaptations of classic Ray Bradbury science fiction stories: 'The Long Year' and 'Outcast of the Stars'. Also included are all of EC's 'Adam Link' adaptations, a series which was later also adapted for The Outer Limits TV show and featured Leonard Nimoy."
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Swamp Thing: The Root of All Evil
by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and others
From the publisher: "A lost Swamp Thing epic written by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar is collected at last. The rug is pulled out from under Alec Holland as he awakens from a coma in a South African hospital. But are the nightmares of a shambling swamp creature the result of a powerful hallucinogen he ingested during his experiments on plants? If so, what is the secret behind the Swamp Thing that's pursuing Abigail Arcane through the Louisiana Bayou, intent on murder?"
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Melody: Story of a Nude Dancer
by Sylvie Rancourt
From the publisher: "In 1980, Sylvie Rancourt and her boyfriend moved to Montreal from rural Northern Quebec. With limited formal education or training, they had a hard time finding employment, so Sylvie began dancing in strip clubs. These experiences formed the backbone of the first Canadian autobiographical comic book, Melody, which Rancourt wrote, drew, and distributed, starting in 1985... These stories are compelling without ever being voyeuristic or self-pitying, and her drawings are formally innovative while maintaining a refreshingly frank and engaging clarity. With a knowing wink at the reader, Rancourt shares a world that, in someone else’s writing, might be scandalous or seedy, but in hers is fully realized, real, and often funny."
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Law of the Desert Born
by Charles Santino, Louis L'Amour, Beau L'Amour, Katherine Nolan and Thomas Yeates
A Louis L'Amour short story adaptation! In 1887, the drought-stricken New Mexico Territory sees a series of revenge killings that stir the blood of local law enforcement and citizen alike. The killer is hunted by a posse whose unlikely leader is a half-Mexican, half-Apache convict who has more invested in the capture than the lawmen who reluctantly rely on his guidance. A classic plot of betrayal and redemption lies here, told with naturalistic black-and-white artwork that reminds us of classic E.C. Comics or even Will Eisner at its best moments. It's no Blueberry (which is sadly out of print), but hopefully this publication will usher in a new round of westerns for comics readers.
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Gus and His Gang
by Christophe Blain
From an interview at Newsarama: "Mixing slapstick comedy, romance, and some frank family-rearing, Gus and His Gang isn’t quite like anything else you’ve read, and it continues a string of genre-bending, intelligent and engaging narratives from First Second Books."
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The Sixth Gun
by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt and others
This Weird Western series follows Drake Sinclair, an ex-Confederate who's landed an unlikely job of tracking down six darkly powerful weapons and keeping them from the likes of an undead Confederate general, holy men with dubious motives, powerful voodoo masters, and just about everyone else who knows about them. This SUPER fun series should definitely be read in order, and is highly recommended.
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Lewis & Clark
by Nick Bertozzi
From the publisher: "Two of America’s greatest explorers embark on the adventure that made their names—and sealed their fates.In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed St. Louis, Missouri, for one of the greatest adventures this nation has ever known. Appointed and funded by President Jefferson himself, and led by a cadre of experts (including the famous Sacajawea), the expedition was considered a success almost before it had begun. From the start, the journey was plagued with illness, bad luck, unfriendly Indians, Lewis’s chronic depression, and, to top it all, the shattering surprise of the towering Rocky Mountains and the continental divide. But despite crippling setbacks, overwhelming doubts, and the bare facts of geography itself, Lewis and Clark made it to the Pacific in 1806. Nick Bertozzi brings the harrowing—and, at times, hilarious—journey to vivid life on the pages of this oversized black-and-white graphic novel. With his passion for history and his knack for characterization, Bertozzi has made an intimate tale of a great American epic."
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East of West
by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta
The four horsemen of the apocalypse are down a man when Death goes AWOL, and the mortal forces that think they're pulling the strings are faced with some difficult choices as their prophecies near completion. This weird western series delivers deep intrigue, stretched family ties, and a truly unique blend of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. Highly recommended!
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Saturday, September 19, 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. This month's theme is Westerns! Check out some recommended titles above.
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Ultimate Ladies Book ClubThursday, Sept. 3, 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: X-23 the Killing Dream by Marjorie Liu and Will Conrad.
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Durham Comics Project: Drink & DrawWednesday, Sept. 16, 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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Gene Luen Yang at Quail Ridge Books Wednesday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. 3522 Wade Ave in Raleigh Award-winning author and illustrator Gene Luen Yang may have one of the most unusual 'day jobs' of a published author - he's a high school computer programming teacher. The creator of American Born Chinese, Boxers & Saints and more brings us his new Secret Coders on Wednesday, September 30 at 7 pm. From the graphic novel superstar comes a wildly entertaining new series that combines logic puzzles and basic coding instruction with a page-turning mystery plot! For ages 8+.
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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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