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Graphic Novels and Comics for adult readers November 2019
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Hello there! My name is Patrick Holt, and I'm a librarian at Southwest Regional Library and 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. Image from Epileptic by David B.
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Alay-Oop
by William Gropper
From the publisher: "William Gropper was [...] a master of visual storytelling, best seen in his only full-length narrative work, Alay-Oop. First published in 1930, just as Gropper was coming to the height of his powers, this lost classic of the graphic novel presents an unusual love triangle: two circus acrobats and the honey-tongued schemer who comes between them. In page after page of charming, wordless art, Gropper takes us from the big top to bustling New York streets, from a cramped tenement apartment to the shifting landscape of a dream, as his characters struggle with the conflicting demands of career, family, and romance. A timeless and surprisingly modern yarn—with backflips aplenty.
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Tony Stark: Iron Man. Vol. 2, Stark Realities
by Dan Slott and Valerio Schiti
From the publisher: "Arsenal, the monstrous robot that once took on all he Avengers, is back in an all-new way. Who does it serve? What are the secrets it's guarding? And how will they rock Tony Stark's world to its core? The trap that's been building for some time has finally sprung."
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Frogcatchers
by Jeff Lemire
From the publisher: "A man wakes up alone in a strange room with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. The padlocked doors and barren lobby reinforce the strangeness of this place. This is—as he reads from an old-fashioned keychain beside his bed—the Edgewater Hotel. Even worse, something ominous seems to be lurking in one of the rooms.
"But when he meets a young companion—the only other soul in this vast, enveloping emptiness—his new friend begs him not to unlock the door. There must be something behind it…but what?"
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Eileen Gray: A House Under the Sun
by Charlotte Malterre-Barthes and Zosio Dzierzawska
From the publisher: "Meet Eileen Gray, the female architect behind the world-renowned E-1027 house and a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture. In 1924, her work began in earnest on a small villa by the sea in the south of France. Nearly a century later, this structure is a design milestone. But like so many gifted female artists and designers of her time, Eileen Gray's story has been eclipsed by the men with whom she collaborated. Dzierżawska's exquisite visuals illuminate the previously overlooked struggles and triumphs of a young queer Irish designer whose work and life came to bloom during the 'Années Folles' of early 20th century Paris."
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Peplum
by Blutch
From the publisher: "The man known as Blutch is one of the giants of contemporary comics, and Peplum may be his masterpiece: a grand, strange dream of ancient Rome. At the edge of the empire, a gang of bandits discovers the body of a beautiful woman in a cave; she is encased in ice but may still be alive. One of the bandits, bearing a stolen name and with the frozen maiden still in tow, makes his way toward Rome--seeking power, or maybe just survival, as the world unravels. Thrilling and hallucinatory, vast in scope yet unnervingly intimate, Peplum weaves together threads from Shakespeare and The Satyricon along with Blutch's own distinctive vision. His hypnotic storytelling and stark, gorgeous art pull us into one of the great works of graphic literature, translated into English for the first time"
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Epileptic
by David B.
From the publisher: "An honest and horrifying portrait of the disease and of the pain and fear it sowed in the family, Epileptic is also a moving depiction of one family’s intricate history. Through flashbacks, we are introduced to the stories of Pierre-François’s grandparents and we relive his grandfathers’ experiences in both World Wars. We follow Pierre-François through his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, all the while charting his complicated relationship with his brother and Jean-Christophe”s losing battle with epilepsy. Illustrated with beautiful and striking black-and-white images, Epileptic is as astonishing, intimate, and heartbreaking as the best literary memoir."
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Yellow Negroes and Other Imaginary Creatures
by Yvan Alagbé
From the publisher: "Yvan Alagbé one of the most innovative and provocative artists in the world of comics. In the stories gathered in Yellow Negroes and Other Imaginary Creatures--and never before available in English--he uses stark, endlessly inventive black-and-white brushwork to explore love and race, oppression and escape. It is both an extraordinary experiment in visual storytelling and an essential, deeply personal political statement. With unsettling power, the title story depicts the lives of undocumented migrant workers in Paris. Alain, a Beninese immigrant, struggles to protect his family and his white girlfriend, Claire, while engaged in a strange, tragic dance of obsession and repulsion with Mario, a retired French Algerian policeman. It is already a classic of alternative comics, and, like the other stories in this collection, becomes more urgent every day"
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Playback
by Ted Benoit and Francois Ayroles
From the publisher: "Betty Mayfield is blond and beautiful and has just been found guilty of murdering her husband. But when the judge realizes the jury is terrified of her father-in-law--the man who owns everything in this small North Carolina town--he overturns the verdict. Her father-in-law swears vengeance, and Betty flees. Seeking a new life, she meets Larry Mitchell, a brash but charming gigolo, on the train to Vancouver. He brings her to the Royal Vancouver Hotel, where she checks into a room beneath the penthouse of wealthy playboy Clark Brandon, who takes her under his wing. When Mitchell's body turns up on Betty's balcony, jaded inspector Jeff Killaine is assigned to the case, but finds himself falling for Betty. Did she do it, or was she framed? This graphic novel presents a heart-pounding tale of betrayal, blackmail, and murder that will take you to the edge of your seat on a ride through Raymond Chandler's last thriller."
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NC Comicon: Bull City Friday-Sunday, November 8-10 Durham Convention Center: 301 W. Morgan St. in Durham "The greatest three-day comic book show in the Triangle returns!" Featuring guests like Kevin Eastman, Becky Cloonan, Tini Howard, and many more, as well as lots and lots of local and regional cartoonists and the like, PLUS an AMAZING appearance by Durham Librarians Larkin Coffey, John Davis, and Patrick Holt (oh, hi) on Saturday at 5:00! WOW WOW WOW
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Duos Comic ClubSunday, November 17, 2-4 p.m.Southwest Regional Library: 3605 Shannon Rd. (not a library-sponsored event)
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Patrick's Triangle Comics Newsletter is an irregular and incomplete list of comics and comics-adjacent happenings in Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill and beyond. If you are a comics maker, maker-adjacent, a maker of comics-adjacent things, or adjacent-adjacent, then this is the newsletter for you! Check out the latest edition here, and email the editor (me again) to subscribe.
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Do you know a kid (6-12) or teen who wants their very own Graphic Novels and Comics newsletter? Well now they do! Both newsletters are bi-monthly, and you can view and subscribe at our full list of newsletters. Tell your friends! And your kids!
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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 -- all ages of readers welcome!
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Want to keep up-to-date on new books at the library? on everything from Horror to Home & Garden!
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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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Check out the library's top ten checkouts! Lists include top tens for adult fiction and nonfiction, movies, young adults fiction, picture books and kids' fiction.
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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 St., Durham, NC 27701
librarywebmaster@durhamcountync.gov
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