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Graphic Novels and Comics for adult readers January 2020
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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 Prince of Cats by Ronald Wimberly
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Prince of Cats
by Ronald Wimberly
From the publisher: "Prince of Cats is the B side to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, played at an eighties block party in a NY where underground sword dueling blossomed alongside hip-hop, punk, disco, and no wave. It's a deconstruction of Romeo and Juliet's romantic meta narrative focusing on the minor players with Tybalt at the center."
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The Tenderness of Stones
by Marion Fayolle
From the publisher: “'We buried one of dad’s lungs,' announces the narrator of The Tenderness of Stones. The lung is so large it takes three men to carry it—and that is just the beginning. The family looks on as, under the dispassionate orders of anonymous white-clad strangers, their father is disassembled, piece by piece: His nose is removed from his face and tied, temporarily, to his neck; his other lung is pulled out and he is forced to lug it around in a cart; his mouth is pried off and stored away, leaving him mute. Beneath it all is one devastating truth: Soon, he will be gone entirely.
"Marion Fayolle is one of the most innovative young artists in contemporary comics, and in this startling, gorgeously drawn fable she offers a vision of family illness and grief that is by turns playful and profound, literal and lyrical. She captures the strange swirl of love, resentment, grief, and humor that comes as we watch a loved one transformed before our eyes, and learn to live without them."
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Little Bird vol. 1: The Fight for Elder's Hope
by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram
From the publisher: "With the same limitless scope as Star Wars, and the social-political explorations of A Handmaid's Tale, Little Bird tells the story of a young resistance fighter battling against an oppressive American Empire while searching for her own identity in a world on fire. A gorgeously illustrated epic where one girl risks everything to save her people, their land, and the freedom they so desperately deserve."
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The Song of the Machine: From Disco to DJs to Techno
by David Blot and Mathias Cousin
From the publisher: "The Song of the Machine is a celebration of a musical wave that swept across the world over decades, demographics, and dance styles. Originally published in 2000 in France, and updated through today for this first English edition, the electrifying narrative introduces readers to the harbingers of the genre, such as David Mancuso, Larry Levan, and Frankie Knuckles [...]; the prototypes of modern-day nightclubs and dance venues, like The Loft and Studio 54 in New York City, the Palace in Paris, and the Hacienda in Manchester, England, and of course, the technology and machines that first produced and synthesized the records that galvanized a movement."
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Thor vol. 3: War's End
by Jason Aaron et al
From the publisher: "After years of Malekith's plotting, the War of the Realms is raging full force - and for Loki, that means it's time for a family reunion! Fatherly love is not something that the God of Lies is terribly familiar. Having been adopted by Odin as an infant and raised in the Asgardian royal family, Loki never had a chance to bond with his birth people - the fearsome Frost Giants. But now, the Giants have invaded New York City as part of Malekith's war on Midgard. And you'd think that Loki would take the opportunity to find some quality time to spend with dear old deadly Dad! And he will. But not in the way you'd think..."
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Reincarnation Stories
by Kim Deitch
From the publisher: "Kim Deitch is an underground cartoonist―i.e., a contemporary of Spiegelman, et al.―whose craft just keeps getting better and better. Aesthetically inspired by silent film and 1930s animation, Deitch’s comics are infused with 1960s psychedelia and spiritualism. Reincarnation Stories is a collection of comics narratives that combine into a graphic novel. It spans the past, present, and future of human history, with appearances by Frank Sinatra, monkey gods, a forgotten cowboy star of the silver screen, and a tribe of Native Americans that successfully resettled on the moon. In a parallel reality, Deitch himself is the mega-successful creator of a series of kids books about a superhero called Young Avatar, who helps marginalized souls lead better lives and whose alter ego is a carpenter. Deitch’s spiritual nemesis (an incarnation of Judas Iscariot), Waldo the Cat, makes an appearance."
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Grease Bats
by Archie Bongiovanni
From the publisher: "So, no one told you life was gonna be this gay! Grease Bats stars Andy, a trans genderqueer individual who is both tough and loving, and their BFF Scout, an all-feelings-all-the-time mistake-maker.
"Andy and Scout are best buds, roommates, and gay disasters. Along with their friends and plenty of beer, they’re just trying to make it through their 20s, survive late capitalism, and navigate the dating world. Tough and loving Andy is a genderqueer trans individual, who dates like there’s no tomorrow, while Scout, an all-feelings-all-the-time mistake-maker, is still languishing over her ex-girlfriend…from like two years ago."
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Nancy
by Olivia Jaimes
From the publisher: "In 2018, Olivia Jaimes became the first woman to write and illustrate the classic comic strip Nancy. Her fresh, irreverent take on the classic comic strip has become a sensation with readers and has earned praise from dozens of media outlets, several of which have named it the best comic of the year. This hardcover collection includes the first nine months of Jaimes' run on Nancy, along with an introduction, essay, interview with the author, and a special gallery of Nancy fan art by the author."
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Ultimate Alliance of Hardcore Lady-Types Thursday, January 9, 7:30 p.m. Ultimate Comics of Cary: 1301 Buck Jones Rd. Every month we'll read and discuss a new comic or graphic novel -- join us the (mostly) first Thursday of each month!
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Duos Comic ClubSunday, January 26, 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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