Epic fantasy and science fiction graphic novel series
After quite a long hiatus, this series is back! If you haven’t read it before, my review of Volume 1 is here. I was quite excited to read it for my Short Stack Reading Challenge and ordered myself a copy to arrive just in time.
Photo is of “Saga Volume Ten” by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan. The paperback book is resting on a black cymbal among other parts of an electronic drum kit. The backdrop is a colourful artwork with digital elements. The cover is of a brown-skinned woman with blonde hair, a white man with koala ears and a bionic arm holding an axe, and an olive-skinned girl in a blue suit with horns.
“Saga Volume Ten” by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples is a comic book that picks up some years after the events of the previous volume. Narrator Hazel is now ten years old and is living on the treehouse spaceship with her mother Alana, adopted brother Squire and newcomer Bombazine. Eking out a living on the fringes, Alana hopes to “go legit” but when they cross paths with a pirate ship with two kids who shouldn’t exist, things absolutely do not go to plan.
This series is back with a vengeance and the decision to place it on hiatus was an excellent one. This volume felt fresh and re-energised with familiar old characters, fun new characters and high stakes. The book continues on with the familiar themes of war and identity, while more deeply examining the complex ideas of family, home and grief. The artwork is as dynamic as ever and the story flowed really well from page to page.
I think the only thing that annoyed me a bit was that despite ten years having passed since the events of Volume 1, Alana just hasn’t seemed to have aged at all. There is one point where she bares her breasts at the beginning of the book in protest about patriarchy and breastfeeding, and there is nary a droop nor a stretch-mark to be seen. Sure Alana may have a “perfect” body as the mother of a ten year old, but I felt like as a series purporting to outrage and challenge stereotypes, it could have been a good opportunity to show a bit of vulnerability and reality rather than simply sexualising Alana further. Bizarrely, when Alana consults a wolf-woman later in the book about cosmetic surgery, the wolf-woman has much more realistic breasts (notwithstanding that there are six of them).
Anyway, a fun addition to a long-running series that maybe isn’t as radical as it is trying to be.
One thing I love to do when I visit Canty’s Bookshop is to browse through their graphic novels because they often have some real treasures. This was a perfect example. It is one of the four books in a set of illustrated editions of the author’s “American Gods” series with really striking, stylised covers.
Photo is of “Black Dog” by Neil Gaiman illustrated by “Daniel Egnéus”. The hardcover book is resting on the body of a black dog with merle patterning and white markings. The cover is white with two abstract figures intertwined. One figure is black and red with breasts and two feline ears. The other is a light beige colour with a head like a black dog.
“Black Dog” by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Daniel Egnéus is a graphic novel adaptation of a novella sequel to the novel “American Gods”. Set after the events of “American Gods”, the protagonist Shadow finds himself in a small English village pub on a stormy night. He is invited to stay with a local couple who he warms to, but there is something sinister about the town and something very troubled about the couple.
This was a really tight, well-crafted story in a setting that Gaiman is completely at home in. The complexity and density of “American Gods” is completely pared back and what is left is dark British folkloric ambiance. I really liked how Gaiman picked up themes and threads from the the previous book but at the same time created something completely self-contained. Egnéus’ jagged, scratchy, silhouetted illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this story and help capture the grim atmosphere.
A really enjoyable story and I am very keen to collect the others in this series now.
Graphic novel adaptation of middle grade sci-fi series Animorphs
Somehow after reading this book, I managed to forget to review it, so here it is out of sync. I was so excited when I heard the “Animorphs” series was being adapted as graphic novels. I’m still trying to complete my collection of the original series (though I am getting a bit closer) and I will be making sure I collect all of these, but equally I am enjoying them and I’m keen to space them out and savour them as much as possible.
Image is of “Animorphs The Graphic Novel: The Visitor” based on the novel by K. A. Applegate and Michael Grant, and adapted by Chris Grine. The paperback graphic novel is sitting in front of a pet carrier. The cover is of a blonde girl in a green shirt and sweats carrying a red sports bag. Behind her are alien shadows against a green brick wall, and at the top are four images of her morphing into a cat.
““Animorphs The Graphic Novel: The Visitor” adapted by Chris Grine is based on the science fiction middle grade novel of the same name: the second book in the “Animorphs” series by K. A. Applegate and Michael Grant. The Animorphs are starting to get used to their new morphing powers, and Tobias is beginning to get used to permanently being a red-tailed hawk, but the threat of the Yeerks is ongoing. Although the way to the Yeerk pool is now closed, the Animorphs have discovered that their assistant principal is a controller: a host to a Yeerk. Rachel was friends with his daughter Melissa, and the Animorphs have to work out how to use that connection to get inside the assistant principal’s house.
This was another really fun adaptation with plenty of action and plenty of heart. Rachel was always described as this effortless beauty in the original books with this undercurrent of toughness, and I like her character design because it strikes an excellent balance between a typical Western beauty standard and the steeliness of a warrior. I also really liked this book because it straightaway rounds out Rachel’s character showing some of her hobbies, friendships and her compassion. I also found it quite amusing that early on, everyone looks absolutely gross while morphing except for Cassie and I look forward to seeing more of that.
There are already two more books out so I am very excited to get stuck into them.
Interactive graphic novel about love, letters and mystery
This book is the sequel to “Griffin & Sabine” which I reviewed a couple of years ago. I picked up this somewhat faded copy at a Lifeline Bookfair and when I was doing my Short Stack Reading Challenge and looking for some snappy books to read, I found this one on my comic book shelf.
Photo is of “Sabine’s Notebook” by Nick Bantock. The hardcover book is on a wooden table with different coloured envelopes scattered on top of it. The cover looks like beige sketchpaper with a rectangular blue postcard on top with sunbeams, clouds, stamps and strangle little black drawings of figures.
“Sabine’s Notebook” by Nick Bantock is an interactive epistolary graphic novel that picks up where the last left off. Unwilling or unable to face the truth of whether Sabine exists, Griffin invites her to stay in his home and sets off on a round the world trip leaving a trail of letters and forwarding addresses in his wake.
Like its predecessor, this is an incredibly enjoyable and tactile book. The joy of unfolding the envelopes and pulling out the beautiful handwritten letters is reminiscent of children’s pop-up and flap books. Despite the similarity in format to the previous book, Bantock nevertheless maintains a delicious tension throughout the book and leaves the ending in sublime ambiguity.
A very short, delightful book and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.
Biographical graphic novel about famous crime fiction novelist
I picked up this book at a Lifeline Bookfair, I think. I haven’t read much of Agatha Christie, but a lot of my family members enjoy her work, especially her books about the Belgian detective Poirot. A graphic novel sub-genre I’ve enjoyed previously is graphic novel biographies with one of the best being “Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Graphic Biography” which includes the incredible story of her father Otto Frank. I must have picked this one up some time ago, and decided to read it during my Short Stack Reading Challenge. I actually had a lot of trouble getting the right photograph for this review. I’ve been in the UK and Belgium, and tried to take photos at a library hotel, a comic book museum and even a comic-themed hotel. I’m not really happy with any of them (and was disappointed I didn’t see any Poirot statutes or anything in Brussels) so I’ll just include them all and be done with it.
Photo is of “Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie” by Anne Martinetti, Guillaume Lebeau and Alexandre Franc, and translated by Edward Gauvin. The paperback book is resting in front of windows made of carved stone. The cover is of a red-haired woman looking out at a city nightscape with a pen to her mouth. There are searchlights in the sky.
“Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie” by Anne Martinetti, Guillaume Lebeau and Alexandre Franc, and translated from French by Edward Gauvin is a biographical graphic novel about the famous crime fiction author Agatha Christie. The story opens with Agatha’s mysterious disappearance in 1926 and the grilling of her husband by police. The story then turns to Agatha’s childhood to follow the journey of how she became a bestselling writer and the events that led up to her disappearance, discovery and life afterwards.
Photo is of “Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie”. The paperback book is sitting below a striped wall with illustrated photoframes that have cartoon portraits inside.
This is an interesting presentation of a biography that takes some creative liberties to share Agatha’s story in a unique way. The art style, while simple, is easy to follow and captures the mood and key details of the era Agatha lived in. Agatha’s life is depicted as colourful and rich, full of inspiration for her stories. The authors made the interesting narrative choice to have Agatha converse with her character Poirot throughout the book: sometimes seeking creative and emotional support, sometimes using him as a soundboard, and sometimes arguing with him about his own character arc.
Photo is of “Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie”. In the background are comic books, out of focus, suspended from a ceiling.
I think while in many ways it is an original way to tell a story, I wasn’t sure that Agatha and Poirot’s conversations always added to the overall story. I appreciate what the authors were trying to achieve but I felt that their characterisation of Poirot, someone very invested in his own story, didn’t really match with Agatha’s own characterisation. The simplicity of the art style and the limited colour palette did make it difficult at times to distinguish between the characters.
A quaint and engaging way to present a biography and one that has inspired me to read more of Agatha Christie’s work.
I picked up a copy of this book ages ago from Canty’s Bookshop. Back in December (yes, I am still very behind on reviews!) I was raiding my bookshelves for suitable books for my Short Stack Reading Challenge and this little graphic novel was definitely on the list.
Photo is of “Zenobia” by Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman. The hardcover book is resting on wrinkled beige fabric that looks like it could be sand or waves. The cover is of a young girl facing away towards a destroyed city street in purple and apricot shades.
“Zenobia” by Morten Dürr and Lars Horneman is a graphic novel about a young girl called Amina from Syria who is on a crowded boat which is hit by a large wave. As she falls into the ocean, she thinks about her life before the boat, when her parents didn’t come back from buying ingredients for dolmas.
This is a quiet graphic novel that without direct reference or depiction of violence, explores the human impact of the Syrian civil war. Although Amina is the main character and point of view of the book, her voice is almost entirely internal and the situation is almost entirely outside her control, resulting in the very strong sense that she is voiceless and powerless. Dürr and Horneman draw parallels throughout Amina’s journey with text and imagery, with themes like salt, being lost and Zenobia, a Syrian heroine, connecting past and present.
I appreciate that this is a graphic novel that is suitable for younger audiences, and can help children to make sense of a very fraught and complex situation. However, while reading it, I did wonder if perhaps in making it so accessible, a little too much nuance was lost, including in relation to Amina’s true experience of living through conflict. I think a good counterpoint about conflict in and migration from the Middle East is “Persepolis“, written and illustrated by an Iranian author.
An easy read about a challenging topic for all ages that at times feels a little over-simplified.
Illustrated fantasy book about a society with sentient dinosaurs
I absolutely love graphic novels and illustrated stories, but somehow I missed this book which came out when I was a young kid. I picked up a copy from the Lifeline Bookfair quite some time ago, and everyone I have mentioned it to has been full of happy nostalgia. When I was picking out books for last year’s Short Stack Reading Challenge, I added this one to the list and was thrilled to finally get a chance to read it.
Photo is of “Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time” by James Gurney. The hardcover book is in front of the rear right foot of a large triceratops statue that is bigger than the frame. The cover has illustrations of people riding dinosaurs on it.
“Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time” by James Gurney is an illustrated fantasy story about an explorer and biologist called Arthur Denison and his son William. Told as though Gurney has discovered a forgotten sketchbook, the story follows Arthur and William after they are washed ashore on a strange land when their ship sank at sea. They soon discover that the land is inhabited by both people and dinosaurs who coexist peacefully. Over time, Arthur and Will explore the new land and its inhabitants and adjust to their new life in Dinotopia.
This is a beautifully illustrated, whimsical book that was a delight from beginning to end. Arthur’s perspective as a naturalist was an inspired way to tell the story as the reader uncovers new facets of Dinotopia at the same time Arthur does. The story is told in the style of a journal with the text accompanied by exquisite paintings of Gurney’s imagined society. The detail is sublime with all kinds of imagined elements for how such a cooperative society might operate such as botany, technology, culture, sports, transport, architecture, written language, clothing and more. The human inhabitants of the world are descendants of castaways or recent castaways themselves, resulting in a very pluralistic and tolerant community.
Some may critique the lack of conflict in this book, which flows in an even pace along what I have previously described as a “where we went and what we did there” trajectory but honestly the writing was so lovely, the illustrations so quaint and the worldbuilding so novel that I was willing to forgive just about anything and enjoy the peaceful ride.
An absolutely lovely book full of wonder and beauty and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.
Humorous comic about a musical barbarian superhero
I can’t remember exactly where I bought this comic from, but I think it was potentially from the creator himself at one of the Free Comic Book Days at Impact Comics pre-COVID. It looked fun and I’m always keen to support local authors and artists. It has been sitting on my shelf far too long and I pulled it out for the Short Stack Reading Challenge.
Photo is of “Iron Bard Ballisto” by Ben Hutchings. The comicbook is resting on top of sheet music and two black and one white vinyl records. Above the comicbook is a black, sparkly ukulele.
“Iron Bard Ballisto” by Ben Hutchings is a comic about an barbarian minstrel called Iron Bard Ballisto who infiltrates the multi-story building of a mysterious company called ZND. Using unlikely weapons like plectrums, vinyl records and actual song, Iron Bard Ballisto nullifies the enemies to crash the boardroom and save Tasmania.
This is a surreal, amusing story with lots of fun throwaway lines and ridiculous battle scenes. Hutchings is very creative with his use of music as a weapon, and pushes the theme to the extreme. The art style was both dynamic yet understated with a limited colour palette of blues and whites. I also really liked that there was some sheet music on the back which was fun to try out on my electric piano.
I think the only thing missing for me was clear motivations. Iron Bard Ballisto is understandably a bit wild but it wasn’t quite set out exactly why a body positive bra solutions business was harming the Tasmanian rainforest. Perhaps a bit more exposition would have been helpful (even if was as silly as the rest of the story).
A fun, ridiculous comic that was quick and easy to read.
Detective noir graphic novel about corruption and conspiracy in New York City
Content warning: murder, sexual harassment
I have been blogging here for 8 years and I cannot believe that this is the first time I am reviewing a book from this series. I think that’s a testament to how much I love this series that I have been waiting over 8 years for the next installment. It came out last year and I was so excited to read it, I knew that it was going to be the first book for my Short Stack Reading Challenge for December.
Photo is of “Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part One” by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. The hardcover graphic novel is resting on a chain between two metal gates. In the background is a construction site with a large orange crane against a sunset. The cover is of an anthropomorphic black cat in an olive green suit holding a gun. Beside him is an anthropomorphic brown weasel in a cap and leather jacket. In the background an eagle-like figure stands on a metal platform in front of a large bridge with cranes on top and a city nightscape in the distance.
“Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part One” by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido is the fourth volume in the “Blacksad” detective noir graphic novel series. The story is about John Blacksad, a black cat private eye who becomes involved in trying to prevent the assassination of Kenneth Clarke, the president of the Transport Workers Union. Clarke, a bat, is a keen advocate for public transport workers while the city is being brutally transformed by a construction magnate, a peregrine falcon called Solomon. However, Solomon’s reach is longer than Blacksad could even imagined and between a Shakespeare in the Park troupe, journalists, underground mechanics, the bourgeoise and the mob, a blackmailed gull brings everything crashing down.
All of the books in the “Blacksad” series are wonderfully intricate and complex, and this is no exception. Díaz Canales once again tackles hard-hitting social issues that, while set in the 1950s, nevertheless resonate with the modern reader in the battle for public space and a city’s soul. Guarnido’s illustrations feel especially urban in this graphic novel, highlighting iconic scenes, styles and even artworks from the New York cityscape without ever feeling stereotypical. He captures the crushing of crowds without ever losing detail or perspective, and the sense of place is cemented with fashion and technology from the times.
Another excellent chapter in the “Blacksad” series and I fervently hope it’s not 8 more years before we see “Part Two” translated.
Queer romantic young adult graphic novel set in the UK
Content warning: homophobia, sexual assault, disordered eating, mental illness, bullying
I saw lotsof trailers for the Netflix adaptation of this graphic novel and suddenly copies of it were for sale everywhere. It looked unbelievably cute and I had a book voucher leftover from Christmas, so I picked up a paperback copy of the first volume.
Image is of “Heartstopper: Volume 1” by Alice Oseman. The paperback book is resting against a legal graffiti wall beneath a simple representation of the Ukraine flag, blue and yellow, twisted in the middle, partially covered by a hot pink tag. Above the flag are two stylised leaves, also in blue and yellow, which reflect the colours used in the TV adaptation to represent Nick and Charlie. The cover is of two teenage boys in school uniforms, one with dark hair and one with light hair.
“Heartstopper: Volume 1” by Alice Oseman is a graphic novel about a quiet teenage boy called Charlie who goes to Truham Grammar School for Boys. At the beginning of the year, his school starts a new ‘vertical’ form group to take attendance and Charlie’s seat is next to a boy called Nick, the captain of the school rugby team. Although they are quite different, they become fast friends, and begin spending time together outside school. Charlie is the only openly gay student at Truham and even though he is developing feelings for Nick, all his friends are adamant Nick is straight. But maybe, just maybe he might like Charlie back.
This is an incredibly sweet and readable graphic novel that gently and courageously tackles a number of different social issues but especially coming to terms with your sexuality and identity as a teenager. I just adored how respectful Charlie and Nick are with each other and that only becomes more apparent as the series progresses. Oseman brings to light the loneliness of being the only openly LGBTIQA+ student in the school and how being forced to keep things secret can leave you vulnerable to abuse. I really liked how Oseman struck a balance between the supports Charlie has around him, especially his friends and his sister, and his vulnerability to bullying, negative self-talk and restricted eating.
One of the most unique and striking things about this graphic novel is the use of motifs like leaves, flowers around the panels to emphasise what is going on emotionally in the story. Oseman’s art style overall is quite simple yet expressive. I really liked that they shared earlier drawings of the comic from years before it was published online as a webcomic (which I was inspired to read and which is still being updated). From reading many webcomics, and even trying a couple myself, I know how difficult it is to find a consistent style while your art steadily improves from all the practise. While maybe not my favourite graphic novel from an aesthetic point of view, Oseman’s style is definitely unique more than adequately conveys the story.
Which brings me to the Netflix adaptation. If I liked the graphic novel, I loved the TV series. It was beautifully filmed, immaculately edited and very well-acted. I understand Oseman was one of the writers for the show, and I almost think this story really came to life in film. The show kept some of the embellishments of the comic with certain scenes split into panels like a comic or animated leaves and flowers floating across the screen. The secondary characters felt much more filled out as well, and while the TV series remained very faithful to the comic, almost scene for scene, it seemed like a much richer story. So much thought was put into characterisation, sets and even colour palettes. I watched it while I was sick at home with COVID and am not ashamed to admit that I watched the entire thing three times. The music was exceptionally curated and you can listen to the Heartstopper ‘mixtape‘ as well for the full sensory experience. Sometimes it feels like everything on TV is really depressing or intense or dark or scary, and it was so lovely to watch something that was warm and sweet, yet utterly compelling.
A thoroughly enjoyable and inclusive story that you can check out for yourself in book, webcomic or TV format.
Tinted Edges 