Comic strip and books received in early November

New collections and books on comics have been rolling in from publishers for pre-Christmas / Hannukah / Kwanza publicity. I still can't keep up on reading all of the books coming out, so here's the blurb of each of them from Amazon. I would recommend any of these for a fan though, especially Doonesbury and Roy Thomas' new DC World War II collections.

Four books relating to comic strips have come in already this month:

The Weed Whisperer: A Doonesbury Book 

by G. B. Trudeau
Andrews McMeel, $20

Welcome to the age of pivots. Two centuries after the Founding Fathers signed off on happiness, Zonker Harris and nephew Zipper pull up stakes and head west in hot pursuit. The dream? Setting up a major grow facility outside Boulder, Colorado, and becoming bajillionaire producers of “artisanal” marijuana. For Zonk, it’s the crowning reset of a career that’s ranged from babysitting to waiting tables. For Walden-grad Zip, it’s a way to confront $600,000 in student loans.

Elsewhere in Free Agent America, newlyweds Alex and Toggle are struggling. Twins Eli and Danny show up during their mother’s MIT graduation, but a bad economy dries up lab grants, compelling the newly minted PhD to seek employment as a barista. Meanwhile, eternally blocked writer Jeff Redfern struggles to keep the Red Rascal legend-in-his-own-mind franchise alive, while aging music icon Jimmy T. endures by adapting to his industry’s new normal: “I can make music on my schedule and release it directly to the fans.”

He’s living in his car.


 

Optimism Sounds Exhausting 

by Scott Adams
Andrews McMeel, $20

Does Scott Adams really have a hidden camera in your cubicle?

Dilbert, the cubicle-dwelling drone, is at his satirical best with this new collection of cartoons. Dilbert has managed to keep up with technology like iPads and Twitter over the years, as well as advanced systems like the Disaster Preparedness Plan that has its followers eating the crumbs from their keyboards. It doesn’t get any more sophisticated than that.

It’s an office code violation to be this good after so many years, but Dilbert keeps doing what he does best: passive-aggressively out-witting his superiors and exercising conflict avoidance. And he is so good. No wonder office drones and workforce automatons alike can’t resist the cold embrace of Dilbert’s workplace.


 

Tales from the Deep: That Are Completely Fabricated: The Twentieth Sherman's Lagoon Collection

by Jim Toomey
Andrews McMeel, $15

Join Sherman, the lovable shark, and his aquatic cohorts in the comfy environs of Sherman's Lagoon.

Sherman’s Lagoon is an imaginary lagoon somewhere in the tropics, inhabited by a cast of sea creatures whose lives are curiously similar to our own.

Sherman, the main character, is a great white shark who is completely unaware of how intimidating his species can be. He gets pushed around by the other characters, namely: Hawthorne the hermit crab, Fillmore the sea turtle, and his wife, Megan, who is another great white shark, of course. 

 

The Art and Making of The Peanuts Movie 
by Jerry Schmitz
Titan, $35 

This in-depth book goes behind the scenes of the movie-making process and looks at how the movie continues the tradition and legacy of Peanuts. An unmissable experience.

For the first time ever, in November 2015, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang we know and love from Charles Schulz's timeless "Peanuts" comic strip will be making their big-screen debut; like they've never been seen before in a CG-animated feature film in 3D.

Three books relating to comic books are all reprints of World War II stories from DC Comics, edited by Roy Thomas, a former writer for the company who specialized in retro stories. The stories can be corny now, but these are nice collections and well-priced.

 

Wonder Woman: The War Years 1941-1945 

by Roy Thomas
Titan, $25

Wonder Woman, warrior princess of the Amazons, is among the most famous heroes of all time. From her introduction in 1941, she has been a shining example of feminism and the strength of womankind. But what was her role during the wartime of her creation? Wonder Woman: The War Years 1941-1945 details how she used her super speed, strength, and Golden Lasso of Truth during World War II to bring peace and justice to a turbulent world.

 



  

Batman: The War Years 1939-1945

by Roy Thomas
Titan, $25 


For more than 75 years, through countless comics, television, and movies, Batman has been a symbol of strength and perseverance. He was created in 1939, on the brink of World War II -- a volatile time, when we needed a hero most. Who better to come to the rescue than the Caped Crusader? For the first time, Batman: The War Years 1939-1945 details The Dark Knight's involvement in the war and his fight against some very real villains. 

 







 Superman: The War Years 1938-1945 

by Roy Thomas
Titan, $25

 .

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!

The Man of Steel is one of the most recognized characters in pop culture. Though he may not be from this planet, his dedication to protecting its people is inspiring. Superman: The War Years 1938-1945 shows how his introduction at the start of World War II lifted the spirits of a weary country and brought people the hero they so desperately needed.

 

Batman's Dark Secret 

by Kelley Puckett (Author) and Jon J Muth (Illustrator)

Scholastic, $18

Batman's Dark Secret is an inspiring story of how a young child overcame his fear of the dark and became a crime-fighting superhero.

One day, a lonely orphan named Bruce Wayne finds himself in a dangerous situation. He defends himself against a monster bat--and he wins. From that time on, he is determined to fight evil. He becomes ... Batman!

In advance of the new Batman movie coming out in March 2016 comes a beautifully illustrated hardcover version of Batman's Dark Secret! The cover features a new illustration by Caldecott Honor winner Jon J Muth! 

Before Muth switched to children's books, he was a comic book artist for years. This is a very good-looking book.

With a Wink and a Nod: Cartoonists of the Gilded Age

Kamerer, Tracy L. and Janel D. Trull

Palm Beach, FL: Henry Morrison Flagler Museum,  2015

Not the actual cover)

With a Wink and a Nod: Cartoonists of the Gilded Age will examine the history of Puck and American humor through 72 original drawings created for the magazine from the collection of Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf, supplemented with published cartoons and more than 20 vintage issues of Puck. Organized by the Flagler Museum, With a Wink and a Nod runs from October 13, 2015, through January 3, 2016. An illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition.

Finally, I received a copy of this exhibit catalog book because I know Frederic Sharf, the man who loaned the artwork.  Presumably it will eventually be on sale at the museum's website. All the artwork in the book is reproduced from the originals. It's a nicely done, albeit minor, addition to the literature about cartoonists of the 19th century.

Comics & Beer - Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together

A guest review by Chris Ingram

The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution, by Jonathan Hennesey and Mike Smith, and illustrated by Aaron McConnell (Ten Speed Press 2015, $19), is a 174-page volume that tells the story of ‘the world’s favorite beverage.’ This non-fiction 'graphic novel' covers a broad sweep, ranging from what is known about the history of beer in the ancient world to the craft beer explosion of the early 21st century.

The book opens and closes with a few pages of framing telling the story of a typical guy making a beer run for a get-together, and his bewilderment at the many different styles of beer that are available today. An encounter with a friendly (and very knowledgeable about beer!) store clerk provides the jumping-off point for the history of beer.

The book is split into eight chapters, but I would split it into three parts: a brief history of brewing in the ancient world (roughly from prehistory to the era of the Roman Empire), a short but thorough description of the brewing process, and a longer section which covers the history of beer brewing and consumption from the Dark Ages to the present.

McConnell’s illustrations are well suited to the demands of this book, varying interestingly in style from chapter to chapter, although not so much as to be jarring. Some scenes are drawn in a realistic, open style, such as those in the modern day setting or recent history, while scenes from antiquity or medieval periods seem to have thicker lines and an overall darker palette. 

Interspersed with the chapters of the book are page-sized “Meet The Beer” illustrations, each covering a different popular style of beer (Lambic, Bock, Pilsner, etc.). These combine a handsome illustration showing that type of beer and placing it on three different scales - corresponding to color, bitterness, and alcoholic strength - together with a few paragraphs of text describing the history of that style. Examples of that beer style are also named in the illustration, which provides a reference for less beer-savvy readers.

The authors discuss the ancient origins of beer recounting particular examples that are known from documentary and archaeological sources ranging from Scotland to Sumeria to ancient China. A more speculative theory - the ‘beer theory’ of agriculture - is also presented.  The gist of this theory is the idea that the back-breaking labor of early agriculture was motivated in part or in whole by the desire to obtain a steady source of grain - in order to brew beer! Regardless of whether that theory is true, many examples of beer or beer-like beverages from the ancient world are included (some of which have had modern reinterpretations, such as Chateau Jihau by Dogfish Head Brewery).

The brewing process is presented in some detail, with cartoonish illustrations that help to offset the technical complexity of the topic. As a layperson who knows far more about consuming beer than brewing it, I found this chapter especially illuminating. 

The balance of the book covers the history of beer from the Dark Ages up to the present. Episodes in the history of beer are presented as short vignettes that do a good job of setting the broader historical context. The shift in beer production from literally a cottage industry to mass production (and the concurrent shutting out of women, the traditional brewers of beer in the home), the discovery of yeast and the effects of the scientific revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries on brewing are all presented in an engaging way. Finally, the book concludes with a chapter on the origins of today’s vigorous craft beer scene, both in the US and Europe (driven primarily by the UK, but also informed by brewing traditions in Belgium and elsewhere). As someone who has benefited from that craft beer revolution personally, I gained a new appreciation for the origins of beer from this book. 

 The authors will be appearing in the area this week.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Thursday, October 22, 2015: Book Sales, Signing; Beer. Free and open to the 21+ public.
ATLAS BREW WORKS
2052 West Virginia Avenue NE, Suite 102, District of Columbia 20002
Time TBD

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
Saturday, October 24, 2015: Book Reading & Signing. Free and open to the public.
ATOMIC BOOKS
3620 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211
Local craft brews will be available at Atomic Books' smashing in-store bar!
Time 7:00 PM

Titan Comics of early October 2015 and The Bus 2

Titan Books continues its aggressive Titan Comics line expansion with a wide variety of material. They just sent ComicsDC a wide variety of books, ranging from children's to greatest generation readers. Text in italics is a blurb from their website.


Dreamworks Home Vol. 1 Hide & Seek & Oh

Writer Max Davison and Artist Matt Hebb

Fresh from DreamWorks Animation’s new film Home, Titan Comics bring you the all-new adventures of the friendliest and most inept world dominators you’ve ever seen! The Boov are an alien race trying to make Earth their home, but they really don’t get human culture... In these two original stories, Tip and the Boov alien Oh attempt to play hide-and-seek – with inter-dimensional consequences! And Oh faces the perilous pitfalls of job-hunting!


This is really aimed at a very young reader, as it has a cameo by Where's Waldo in it. I haven't seen the movie, but in the comic, the girl Tip takes the lead of solving the problems that Oh the alien has gotten them into.

Dreamworks Classics Vol.1

Writers
Andy Lanning
Dan Abnett
Tom DeFalco

Artists
Brian Williamson
S L Gallant

From the hit movies to the comic pages, Titan presents classic DreamWorks tales starring Shrek and the Madagascar gang! Shrek faces a bunch of Trolls and then takes part in a pie-eating contest (against Fiona, no less!). Meanwhile over in Madagascar, the gang try to build a new house – with disastrous results – and then they go to a party at Prince Julien’s!

I wasn't paying much attention to this comic collection of Shrek and Madagascar stories, until I saw the artist - our local Dupont Circle denizen Shannon Gallant, who also pencils G.I. Joe.. So everyone should by this collection and wander the Circle until Shannon signs it for you.


 DreamWorks Penguins of Madagascar: The Great Drain Robbery

Writers

Alex Matthews

Andy Lanning

Cavan Scott

Jim Alexander

Artists

Andy Lanning

Egle Bartolini

Lucas Fereyra

This collection packs together Titan's complete Penguins of Madagascar comic series, presenting hilarious and dangerous hijinks with everyone's favourite flippered friends from the Madagascar movies. It's penguins vs. rats in 'The Great Drain Robbery', the fellas face a cunning new circus performer in 'When In Rome', have an adventure on the red carpet in 'Big Night Out', engage in some clowning around with ferrets in 'Big Top' and finally travel to London to visit the Crown Jewels - with hilarious consequences - in 'Operation: Heist'.

I'm surprised by the variety of styles of art in this collection. DreamWorks obviously did not provide a staid model sheet, and it makes the collection more enjoyable. The characters of the Penguins have been well-established by the movies and tv, and the writers have turned in perfectly acceptable plots for  a children's comic. Anyone looking for a comic for the 10-and-under set could consider this, although at $20 it's price point is more like a standard superhero collection.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Omnibus: Volume One 

by Tony Lee (Author), Dan McDaid (Author), Tim Hamilton (Illustrator), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Matthew Dow Smith (Illustrator) 

The journey starts here, with the first installment of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives! Join the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they explore the wonders of time and space - where nothing is ever quite as it seems! Collecting the first three complete story arcs of Doctor Who Series 2, don't miss out on these fantastic adventures!

I'm turning this one over to my daughter for review as she's a fan. Hopefully she'll get back to us with a review. Again, as with the Penguins, I'm struck by the wide variety in artistic styles.

Universal War One Vol.1 

Denis Bajram

THE WHOLE WORLD IS AT WAR. AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET WORSE. Humanity has colonized our entire solar system. In the middle of a civil war between the core planets and distant outlying planetary settlements, an immense black wall appears, cutting our solar system in two. The black wall absorbs all light and matter, and it's up to a band of disgraced soldiers to investigate the phenomenon.

This is a goodly-priced collection of six French albums. Bajram's art is attractive. European SF rarely engages me, but I'll try to get back with a review.

FLASH GORDON Vol.4 

Don Moore
Austin Briggs

Continuing the space-bound adventures of Flash Gordon, the original guardian of the galaxy as he strives to save us all from a slew of super-villainy hell-bent on domination, destruction and devilment; including the ruthless, seductive, Storm Queen of Valkir!

 Once upon a time, in our local galaxy, Star Wars didn't exist. Instead, we had Flash Gordon. This is a big meaty reprint book of color Sundays of the comic strip from the 1940s and it's going to be good. 

Minions Vol.1 Banana!

Writer

Didier Ah-Koon

Artist

Renaud Collin

They’re the most loveable evil henchmen ever created… Stuart, Kevin, Bob and the rest of the Minions return for laughs and gags in this hilarious comic collection. Collecting together Minions Comic Issues #1 and #2, laugh along as the Minions unleash their unique brand of mayhem on the world.

I just saw the movie the other day, and liked it. I think this collection, which is mostly wordless as you'd expect, should be a fun read. It's in European hardcover album format and should be a good present for pre-teens.

The Bus 2

Paul Kirchner

Tanibis, 2015, $25.

One of my favorite comic strips is Paul Kirchner's The Bus which appeared in alternative newspapers in the 1980s. I reviewed the collection that reprinted them, and figured that I'd seen it all. But Kirchner had returned to the strip and I'm looking forward to diving into his return to the wordless surrealism of commuting. I can't recommend Kirchner's strips highly enough. These two books would make great holiday presents.


Here's the publisher's blurb:


 During the years 1974 to 1986, after working as an assistant to Wally Wood, Paul Kirchner created several comic strips such as Dope Rider for High Times magazine and the bus for Heavy Metal. In 2012, French publishing house Tanibis published an anthology of the bus strips that was nominated at the Angoulême International comics festival, proving that even a 30-year old public transportation vehicle can take part in a Grand Prix. In 2013, Paul Kirchner surprised commuters when he decided to start working again on the bus. He fixed the old vehicle up, took it out of the garage and called its iconic passenger in the white overcoat back on duty, waiting to be taken on new, exotic adventures. The bus' unpredictable personality causes him to mimic classic pop culture icons such as King-Kong or Steve Martin while in turn analyzing or teleporting his passenger. And that's only when it's not cheating on him with other commuters. Kirchner's new ideas are on par with the original strips, proving that his creativity didn't end with the 80's. The crazy cartoon logic of the original strips is still present, and wackiness is the norm. Some details, such as the so-called « smart » phones or the passengers' looks, root the stories in the 21st century, but Paul Kirchner's universe retains a timeless vintage aesthetic that blends eras, lending these new stories a hint of nostalgia. The Bus 2 will be published in hardcover horizontal format identical to the previous collection published in 2012. Back in that twilight dimension he calls home, it is rumored that Paul Kirchner is at work on new material for his psychedelic western Dope Rider. After all it seems that the bus' passenger is not the only one who gets caught occasionally in strange time warps... Parts of The Bus 2 material have previously been published in magazines in north America and in Europe.

International Ink: The GNs of August

Regular readers of my reviews know that I'm preferring Young Adult and children's comics much more than the latest attempted cannibalization of ossified superhero stories that were being rehashed when I was young.

The recent mails have brought some good ones.


Sunny Side Up
by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Scholastic

Following the lives of kids whose older brother's delinquent behavior has thrown their family into chaos, Sunny Side Up is at once a compelling "problem" story and a love letter to the comic books that help the protagonist make sense of her world.

The Amazon description isn't really accurate - Sunny Lewin is sent off to Florida to stay with her grandfather in a retirement community instead of taking a family vacation, and she doesn't know why she's being punished like this. She makes friends with the son of one of the staff members, and eventually finds out that her parents are dealing with drying her older brother out. This is one of the best stories I've read this year.


Hilo Book 1: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
by Judd Winick
Random House

I'm also a big fan of Judd Winick, and it was a pleasure to see him return to the light humor that characterized his comic book Barry Ween, Boy Genius. A young boy appears to have crashed, naked into a suburban neighborhood where he's found by D.J., a boy who has a big family but no friends. The boy, Hilo, has no idea who he is, or where he came from but soon ends up fighting giant robot monsters that are also landing like he did. Heavily-influenced by Bill Watterson and Calvin & Hobbes, this series is worth reading by adults and kids.

Space Dumplins

by Craig Thompson

Scholastic

The online description fails to do this very odd story justice. Highly acclaimed graphic novelist Craig Thompson's debut book for young readers about a plucky heroine on a mission to save her dad.For Violet Marlocke, family is the most important thing in the whole galaxy. So when her father goes missing while on a hazardous job, she can't just sit around and do nothing. To get him back, Violet throws caution to the stars and sets out with a group of misfit friends on a quest to find him. But space is vast and dangerous, and she soon discovers that her dad is in big, BIG trouble. With her father's life on the line, nothing is going to stop Violet from trying to rescue him and keep her family together.

After Thompson's Orientalist tour-de-force Habibi, this book is absolutely bizarre. The father is a miner/lumberjack of space whale poop, which is the energy source that runs multiple space stations, filled with sweatshops and aliens. The mother is a seamstress with a talent for design who's plucked out of a sweatshop to work on a safer space station, and brings her daughter along after the whales ate her school. While on the station, she meets a sentient chicken boy who sources buttons for the designer. It gets weirder from there. I have no idea how children will take to this book, but I enjoyed it in the way that I enjoy late Kirby. Just hold on and marvel.

Other books received this month, but not yet read:

The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution

by Jonathan Hennessey, Mike Smith, Aaron McConnell

Ten Speed Press

A full-color, lushly illustrated graphic novel that recounts the many-layered past and present of beer through dynamic pairings of pictures and meticulously researched insight into the history of the world's favorite brew.

Democracy

by Alecos Papadatos, Abraham Kawa, Annie Di Donna 

Bloomsbury 

Democracy opens in 490 B.C., with Athens at war. The hero of the story, Leander, is trying to rouse his comrades for the morrow's battle against a far mightier enemy, and begins to recount his own life, having borne direct witness to the evils of the old tyrannical regimes and to the emergence of a new political system.

This is Bloomsbury's first graphic novel,but it's by the well-received Logicomix team.

Great Showdowns: The Revenge

by Scott Campbell

Titan

They're back - with a grudge to settle! Following the bestselling first and second volumes, here's an all-new collection of artist Scott C's strangely good- natured confrontations between his favorite movie characters.

I don't think I'm the intended audience for this, but his watercolors are pretty.

Assassin's Creed - Leila (Vol. 6)

by Eric Corbeyran and Djillali Defali

Titan

A graphic novel based on the videogame. Also not aimed at me, but I'll give it a try based on this description: In 14th century Egypt, the seasoned Assassin El Cakr seeks to return the mysterious Scepter of Aset to the Brotherhood… when it is stolen by a mysterious woman named Leila. Seven centuries later, El Cakr's descendant Jonathan Hawk desperately tries to get his hands on the relic – leading to an ultimate showdown between the Assassins and the Templars.

 

The Art of Regular Show

by Shannon O'Leary

Titan

The Regular Show came on the air after my daughter stopped watching the Cartoon Network. Still I'm a sucker for behind-the-scenes art books, and I own the Fluxx game. I may get one of the neighborhood kids to give me 500 words on this though. The Emmy Award-winning Regular Show, created by JG Quintel, is a jewel in the Cartoon Network crown with over 100 million viewers globally. The series follows the hilarious and surreal adventures of blue jay Mordecai and his best friend, Rigby the raccoon, as they make their days working at a local park anything but regular. Mordecai and Rigby are joined by their boss Benson, an explosively angry gumball machine, yeti groundskeeper Skips, loveable lollipop man Pops and other weird and wonderful friends. This is the world of polar-bear portals and demonic hot-dogs where adventure can be found in the most surprising places.

The Definitive Betty Boop: The Classic Comic Strip Collection

by Bud Counihan, Max Fleischer

Titan

Before Marilyn and Madonna, Betty booped and wriggled her way into hearts worldwide with her unique mix of wide-eyed innocence and powerful cartoon sensuality. Although she made her film debut as a curvaceous canine cabaret singer in the Max Fleischer short Dizzy Dishes on August 9, 1930, Betty Boop remains animation's first leading lady and a glamorous international icon. This beautiful volume collects Betty's adventures as they appeared in the funny pages of daily newspapers in the 1930's, capturing all the cheeky fun embodied by the character. These comic strips are from well-before my time, but I'm looking forward to dipping into them. This is a Golden Age for comic strip reprints, one last seen in the late 1970s, and if you're interested in strips, you should be spending a lot of money now.

Two other books I've read, after funding them on Kickstarter, are worth mentioning.

Girl Genius: The Second Journey of Agatha Heterodyne TP Volume 1: The Beast of the Rails

by Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio

Airship Entertainment.

The Foglio's steampunk webcomic is extremely popular, and collected annually. I don't think this is a great jumping-on point, but  you can read all the preceding story online, so buy this one if you haven't already started the series. Adventure, Romance, Mad Science! Agatha is the last of the Heterodynes, a notorious family of Mad Scientists that everyone had thought safely wiped out. When a rival scientist traps her family castle and the surrounding town in a time-freeze, Agatha must embark on a journey to find a way to reverse the effect and save the people she loves. This volume is a great jumping-on point for readers wanting to discover the award-winning Girl Genius series! 

 

Comic Book People 2: Photographs from the 1990s

by Jackie Estrada

Exhibit A Press

This is a book for the hardcore comic book fan, consisting of photographs taken at cons throughout the '90s. I enjoyed it, but I know and like the work of most of the people in this book. If you know who Dave Stevens is, this might be a book for you.

International Ink: Smallbug Comics, the Avengers and Bone book reviews

It's been months since I've had the time to post any reviews, but some new material has arrived in the mail recently and it's prodded me to start again. I'll try to work my way backwards too, even if it's only a brief mention of the book and my thoughts on it. - Mike Rhode*


Charles Brubaker's minicomics, Smallbug Comics #2 (December 2014) and #5 (March 2015) remind me of the heyday of Harvey Comics. His characters Koko the Witch and her younger brother Jodo would easily fit into Casper the Ghost's world. In #2 Jodo accidentally acquires the Wizard King's crown and proceeds to enjoy all the attention he gets -- until the crown is reported stolen. In #5, Koko and Jodo take an 'enchanted' yet still horrible train ride for a break on their annual day off. Both stories rely heavily on physical humor and sight gags. Brubaker's storytelling is competent -- you can tell what's happening, and the words and text work together (this isn't always true of comics, even from full-time professionals).

Ask a Cat consists of 1-page cartoons from an advice column answered by a cat. They didn't do much for me, but a colleague at lunch laughed out loud at "What should I make for dinner?" and "Meow, meow, meow, meow. Meow?" The appeal of this zine probably depends on your interest in cats on the internet.

I think these minis would be good for teens, especially those interested in DIY comics. Brubaker's websites are www.bakertoons.com and bakertoons.tumblr.com Brubaker also writes on the history of animation at Cartoon Research.

Jeff Smith's Bone: Out from Boneville Tribute Edition (Scholastic Graphix, $15) is a very pretty version of the beginning of the almost classic graphic novel. An insensitive or suspicious reviewer may believe that this edition is an answer to the age-old question of "how to sell yet another version of the book to people who already have it?" I personally have the original comic books, Smith's b&w reprints, Smith's one-volume b&w reprint, and the Scholastic editions with Steve Hamaker's excellent coloring. This 'tribute edition' is for Scholastic's 10th anniversary of publishing the story; the comic books themselves began in the early 1990s. And what's the tribute one may wonder? In addition to a "brand-new illustrated poem by Jeff Smith!" one also gets "minicomics and artwork inspired by Bone, created by 16 bestselling, award-winning artists." The poem features the Rat Creatures and much of the artwork is from Scholastic's stable of cartoonists turned children's book authors. For the record, the sixteen are Kate Beaton, Jeffrey Brown, James Burks, Frank Cammuso, Nathan Fox, Jimmy Gownley, Kazu Kibuishi, Mike Maihack, Scott Morse, Jake Parker, Dav Pilkey, Greg Ruth, Dan Santat, Raina Telgemeier, Doug TenNapel and Craig Thompson. Snark about multiple editions aside, Bone is one of the great comics for youngsters, and this version is a good introduction to the series.



Marvel: The Avengers Vault (Thunder Bay Press, $35) is by noted comic book writer Peter David (who, according to the Grand Comics Database, never actually wrote the Avengers). As a wee lad, my favorite superhero team was the Avengers. I'd been given a copy of Avengers #8, introducing Kang the Conqueror, by a cousin, and I spent the next 25 years buying their comics. I can't really relate to the Avengers-centric Marvel Universe of today, but the movies are well-done and probably a good part of the reason this book exists. And honestly, the kid reading Avengers #8 would have loved this book. The 'Vault' part of the title is "ten collectible pullouts: a Thor poster, concept art for Iron Man, Captain America's Sentinels of Liberty membership card, original art by Jack Kirby, and more - perfect for the superfan's bedroom wall." The text of the book is quick summaries of the histories of the Avengers and its most famous members Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk. David does a good job of summarizing almost 50 years of comic book backstory for each chapter, including the major supporting characters, and highlighting Marvel's post-Civil War history. Chapter 6 is a brief look at animated television adaptations, and then there's an appendix of Avengers members which splits into teams such as The Illuminati, the New Avengers, and the Mighty Avengers. It's too much for this aging fan's brain, but a tween who likes comics or the movies should love this book.

*'International Ink' is what Jonathan Fischer, my first editor at the City Paper, titled the column whenever I did book reviews.

International Ink: Tommysaurus Rex

Doug Tennapels' newly-expanded and colored graphic novel Tommysaurus Rex (Scholastic) is, as you might expect from the title, an odd animal. First published in 2004, this story of a boy and his dinosaur is aimed at children, but is really all-ages.

Ely's dog Tommy (and best friend of course) is killed by page 10 setting a rather dour tone for a book's beginning. His parents dispatch Ely to his grandfather's farm for the summer in hopes that he'll get over the death. When he arrives, his grandfather has a toy Tyrannosaurus Rex as well as a lot of farm chores for him. At the end of his first day, Ely is confronted by Randy, a local bully, who chases him into a cave and smears 'dog poop' on him. That night his grandfather hears about it, and while the two are talking about the morality of trying to make someone at poop, Grandpa's leg cramps. "It's just my trick ankle. It fires up everytime something good is about to happen. That or it's gout."

Guess which it is? That night, Ely hears a roaring through his open window and follows the sound back to the cave. Tennapel's tale takes a hard turn towards fantasy by having a small tyrannosaur hatching in the cave. It imprints on Ely, and the next morning Grandpa becomes the first person to ever say, "A dinosaur is eating my cow." Damage around town soon follows, but Grandpa and Ely convince the mayor that they can train the dinosaur and it will become a tourist attraction. As he trains it, Ely eventually comes to believe the dinosaur is Tommy reincarnated. The story meanders along through the dinosaur's training, a guest appearance by animator Ray Harryhausen, a kitty rescue, and further trouble with Randy until it reaches an unlikely, but emotional climax.

(an uncorrected proof was provided by the publisher for this review)

International Ink extra: Gettysburg: The Graphic History

The Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point in the Civil War, took place 150 years ago today. Gettysburg: The Graphic History by Wayne Vansant (Zenith Press, 2013, $20) is a graphic history of the story of the battle. Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army had led his troops north to Pennsylvania, hoping to both shock the North and reprovision his armies with food and clothing captured from Union states. The Union, or Federal troops, under the newly appointed Major General George Meade, intercepted them near the small town of Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania. Although Lee did not want to fight a pitched engagement, his cavalry scouts under JEB Stuart had wandered south towards Washington and didn't warn him away from the Union (or Federal) troops. Once some of his troops were committed, Lee decided to fight, hoping to punch a whole in the Union line of defenders. For three days, the two sides fought with thousands of men until the Union broke a last chance charge by General George Pickett. On July 4th, the Confederates retreated, and Meade didn't follow them in spite of President Lincoln's urgings.

The story is so big and complex that it doesn't fit well into 96 pages. Vansant does a competent job of explaining the preparations before the battle, the three days of the battle and the aftermath, including the full text of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address which dedicated the Union cemetery. He's obviously used reference photographs, and his artwork makes the famous people recognizable, if a bit stiff. He approaches the story chronologically, and one can get an idea of how the battle unfolded, but the book remains rather dry. Given his young adult audience, Vansant draws a minimum of bloodshed. When he writes, "Down below, General Hood's left arm was shattered by a shell burst," he draws Hood and his horse blinded and pushed to one side by the explosion and only colors them with a golden wash. I do not think most readers would actually want any more graphic detail than that, but Vansant's decision does sap some of the essence out of the story. His need to jump from one small segment of the battle to the next, unavoidable as it may be, has the same effect.

The story appears to be factually correct, although some items such as drawing Confederate General Lewis Armistead advancing with his hat speared on his sword aren't explained. Perhaps he thought sharpshooters would aim for his hat? A final round of proof-reading would have avoided mistakes such as "Choked with emotion because he did not want to make this attack, Longstreet nearly nodded." (p. 81) Presumably 'merely' is meant, not 'nearly' since a near nod is not much of a military command.

In conclusion, this book is most likely to appeal to a boy who already has an interest in the Civil War or military history, and is a perfectly reasonable starting place for someone looking at the vast amount of Gettysburg literature.

Still coming next - Tommysaurus Rex.

International Ink extra: The She-Hulk Diaries

Along with Rogue Touch, The She-Hulk Diaries by Marta Acosta (Hyperion, $15) is Marvel Comics' latest experiment in reaching a new audience. The books are superhero romance novels. As a superhero fan, I'm perhaps 1/2 of the audience they're aiming at; I'm certainly not a woman who reads romance novels. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel.

I'm not currently keeping up with Marvel's ever-expanding Avengers line, so I'm not sure how the book fits into continuity. In Acosta's story, Jennifer Walters and her alter-ego She-Hulk (annoyingly aka Shulky) have a Jekyll and Hyde relationship with one personality displacing the other rather than the comic book's original version of She-Hulk as a more confident, less uptight and fun-loving version of Jennifer. John Byrne even had She-Hulk practicing law (which is referenced in this novel, but not in a believable fashion). Like Byrne, Acosta has a light humorous hand with the character, and refreshingly doesn't take superheroism too seriously.

As with Hyde, She-Hulk is a released Id and has been tossed out of Avengers Mansion for being too destructive and disruptive. Jennifer, narrating the story via her diary, is living in a borrowed apartment and looking for a new life - a new job, a new apartment and a new boyfriend. Her secret identity as She-Hulk is making all of these objectives difficult.

In coincidences that could only happen in a comic book, or a romance novel, Jennifer gets a job at a law firm that is suing over failing artificial organ transplants, and her former lover Ellis Tesla is the son of the firm;s owner, engaged to its hot-shot lead attorney AND being sued by the firm in the organ case. Tesla is a former musician whose most famous song "Flesh-Eating Bacteria Girl" is about Jennifer, although she continually denies it. Acosta keeps a lot of balls in the air as Jennifer works all of these things out, as well as random attacks by a minor league supervillains, while trying to keep a lid on She-Hulk.

The story is full of lines such as "In order to get Ellis out of my head, which is already crowded by Shulky sprawling all over the place, I decided to participate in something outside my comfort zone" (which is a Game of Thrones party at a bar). After a few minutes of reading, one gets used to them and begins looking forward to the next escapade. This novel won't be for everyone, but if you're a fan of strong female superhero characters, give it a try.

Next up: Tommysaurus Rex by Doug Tennapel

International Ink extra: Zits: Chillax

For several years, I've written International Ink, an infrequent column on the City Paper's website, with reviews of comics-related books. I plan on continuing it, but I've fallen way behind on reading the books I'm being sent or have bought, so I'll be posting single book reviews here over the summer. When I get caught-up, I'll try to get back to the multi-book columns in the CP.

First up is Zits: Chillax (Harper, $9.99) by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman. It's an illustrated novel, a form that's made a popular comeback in the comics world with the success of Wimpy Kid. The genre is old though - I've got a copy of Skippy by Percy Crosby from 1929 sitting next to my computer as I type this. Borgman's illustrations are integral to the story, as the text quits and let the picture carry the story at times.

I had no idea that a Zits young adult novel was coming out, and was rather surprised to get a copy. For any fan of the strip, it's definitely worth  reading. Since the press release says the comic is in 1,700 papers, that's probably a  respectable number of people. The novel features all the main characters and reads much like a comic strip continuity. Strip star Jeremy and his best friend Hector have tickets to a Gingivitis concert. The band "has a reputationf or some pretty insane stage behavior. Sure, there has been the occasional wardrobe slippage, virgin sacrifice, and live animal ingestion, but it's not like these guys use that to get attention. They are first and foremost musicians." In between ignoring homework about Richard Nixon and Watergate, the two boys need to figure out how to get permission to go to the concert. When they find out that their garage band's guitar-player Tim sold them his tickets because his mother has cancer (a revelation done solely as a splash page illustration), they decide to go to concert and  buy something memorable there for Tim (with a bit of prodding from Jeremy's girlfriend Sara).

The novel slips into slapstick when they get to the concert, but even with the cancer subtext it's a light fun read. Borgman's cartoons definitely add to the story, and while Scott's language is probably not that of a real teen, he has a way with a phrase. If you or your children enjoy a drawing with an accompanying sentence such as "There's something beautiful about causing somebody to spew a mouthful of soda just by saying something hilarious (unless, you know, you're in the row in front of that person)"  give this novel a try. A second  book, Shredded, is previewed at the end. I'll be looking for it.

Next up - another comics-related novel: She-Hulk Diaries, a romance story.

Comic book reviews on City Paper

International Ink: France, Canada, England, New York, and New Haven
Posted by Mike Rhode on Jan. 5, 2011

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/books/2011/01/05/international-ink-france-canada-england-new-york-and-new-haven/

 

PR: Fantom Comics Holiday Recommendations

We're just abouta week from Christmas and there's still plenty of time to do right by your favorite comics fan. So, put down The Chia Pet 'cause Fantom Comics is here to help with a handy-dandy list of recommendations for the comics fan or anyone looking for something new and exciting!   If you're a fan of The Walking Dead comic and TV series (Image Comics), you may like:   Chew Vol. 1 through 3 (Image Comics):   Vice cop Tony Chu lives in a world where, after a global epidemic of avian flu, all poultry is illegal. Chu also has a secret; he's a "cibopath," a person who gets psychic impressions from the things he eats. While investigating an illegal chicken smuggling operation, he tastes a bowl of chicken soup, finding himself on the trail of a serial killer.   If you're a fan of the current Batman series of movies, you may like:   Batman: Year One (DC Comics)   The skill of leaping from rooftop to rooftop while dodging bullets isn't something you learn overnight. No, there's a definite learning curve. This book explores the forging of a man into a hero. Batman: Year One is what many believe to be Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Sin City writer/artist Frank Miller's stronger Batman work.   If you're a fan of Breaking Bad, you may like:   Scalped Vol. 1 through 6 (Vertigo):   Bearing nunchucks and an attitude, Dashiell Bad Horse returns to the Prairie Rose Reservation he left fifteen years ago. A lot's changed in the years, he's been gone, meth labs litter the area adding more misery to the already crushing poverty. Soon, a 97 million dollar casino will open on this land, headed up by Lincoln Red Crow, a man from Dash's past who'll also play a major hand in his future. With brilliant characterization and sharp dialogue, Scalped is simply of the best books being printed today. If you're a fan of TV's Mad Men, you may like:   Richard Stark's Parker series by Darwyn Cooke (IDW Publishing):   Parker is neither hero nor villain. He knows exactly who he is. He's a thief, simply out for his next dollar. What makes him the character so interesting is that when it's all said and done, you'll respect the character's honesty. Adapting author Richard Stark's singular character is master storyteller Darwyn Cooke of DC: The New Frontier fame. Art-wise, Cooke builds a world reminiscent of the time in which Mad Men is set while maintaining the stylistic flourishes comics fans have come to appreciate within his work. Look for both The Hunter and the newly released, The Outfit.   If you're a fan of James Bond and The Jason Bourne series of books and movies, you may like:   Queen and Country Definitive Editions One through Four (Oni Press):   Tara Chace is an operative within The British Secret Service. The work is rarely glamorous and rarely involves traveling to exotic locations, sipping martinis. When the assignment does come, it usually involves being sent to some far off place with the express knowledge that you may be being sent off to die and knowing that if you live, you may need to drink to forget the things you've done. You'll never see the espionage thriller in the same way after reading this.   If you're a fan of Calvin and Hobbes, you may like:   Tiny Titans (DC Comics):   Full of good, simple fun and drawn in an art style accessible to young and old, The Tiny Titans are the child sidekicks of some of superherodom's most famous heroes. Robin, Superboy, a couple of Wonder Girls, a Kid Flash and few super-pets, among others, hang out in a clubhouse while keeping the world safe for whimsy.   If you're a fan of the Iron Man movie and comics series, you may like:   Secret Avengers (Marvel Comics):     Following the events of the Siege mini-series, Steve Rogers, the former Captain America, realizes a need for a more pro-active team of Avengers; one that takes the fight directly to any potential threat. Featuring Avengers mainstays such as Black Widow while utilizing mission specific and insanely clever additions such as Shang Chi, The Master of Kung Fu, Secret Avengers is what happens when childhood fave G.I. Joe meets the storied Avengers franchise.   If you like True Blood book and TV series, you may like:   American Vampire Volume One, co-written by Stephen King (Vertigo Comics):   Skinner Sweet is sick. Sick of aristocratic vampires trying to run the world. Sick of the romanticizing of what he is. Sick of vampires who seek the light. Skinner Sweet is an outlaw and vampire turned during the height of The Wild West. Skinner Sweet does not sparkle. Under the stellar writing of Stephen King and Scott Snyder, he shines.   If you're a fan of political thrillers, you may like:   Ex Machina Vol. 1 through 10 (DC/Wildstorm)   Following his actions during a pivotal moment in American history, Mitchell Hundred has become the first superhero ever to be elected Mayor of New York. Operating in real time, Ex Machina follows this man through his four years in office. One of comics' best series, Ex Machina opens with a first chapter that will leave you absolutely stunned and a final chapter that will leave you speechless If you're a fan of the Harry Potter series of books, you may like:   The Books Of Magic (DC/Vertigo)   Tim Hunter, a bespectacled, young British orphan is taken on a tutorial through The Books of Magic by some of the world's greatest magicians. Will he reject or embrace his destiny to become the world's greatest magician? Released in 1990, a full seven years before the first Harry Potter novel, The Books Of Magic is written by Sandman and American Gods author Neil Gaiman.   If you're a fan of the recent Green Lantern trailer, you may like:   Green Lantern (DC Comics)   Hal Jordan is a test pilot, ne'er do well and possessor of the most powerful weapon in the universe, the Green Lantern Power Ring, a ring fueled by the only thing he has in spades: willpower. The only thing that can stop Hal Jordan is the one thing he's never known: fear. When the two meet, a battle of truly universal importance will take place and a legend will be born. To get your best look at just who Hal Jordan is; the trade paperback collections of Green Lantern: Secret Origin and Green Lantern: Rebirth are both highly recommended.   These and many other fine titles are in stock and ready to make a day. As always, feel free to come down and see us and we'll be more than happy to help out.   Best! Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478 www.fantomcomics.com