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Graphic Novels & Comics May 2015
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Greetings!My name is Patrick Holt, and I'm a librarian at Southwest Regional Library. I'm also a lifelong reader of comics and graphic novels. Check out the contents of this month's newsletter in the box to the left, and get access to past editions in the archive at the bottom of the page. I hope you find these recommendations worthwhile, and please email me at pdholt@dconc.gov if you have any thoughts or questions.
Thanks and enjoy!
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Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem
by Steve Niles, Dave Wachter, and Matt Santoro
From the back cover: "A British plane crashes on the outskirts of a small Jewish town, drawing the attention of Nazi forces. To protect their homes and families, one man gives his life to create a creature of legend--the golem. Following the orders of the man's grandson, the golem fights for the town and becomes a friend no one expected."
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Bomb Run and Other Stories
by John Severin and Harvey Kurtzman with Will Elder
From the publisher: "The team of Harvey Kurtzman and John Severin was one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of comics. The work they did combines the taut emotional and psychological insights of Stephen Crane with a verisimilitude so gritty that it seems as if they are reporting from the scene. Together with inker and friend Will Elder, whose own obsession for detail perfectly heightened the impact of every line, they produced 34 war stories — emotionally draining and dramatically eloquent — in just under three years. This book collects them all. Settings include: the Roman empire; the Revolutionary War; the American-Indian Wars; the Alamo; the Civil War; World War I (in the trenches and in the air); World War II (in the Pacific and in Europe, including the D-Day invasion); and the Korean War."
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Concrete Park vol. 1: You Send Me
by Tony Puryear and Erika Alexander
Grace Gipson at The Berkeley Graduate says that Concrete Park is "a dark and provocative near-future story that follows a group of Black and Latino teenagers in a tempestuous mega city (think Cairo or Rio) on a distant desert planet... When [its inhabitants are] left to their own devices, a story arises that questions the nature of human life, particularly those who have succumbed to the worst of human nature. With the story being affixed by seven characters, readers travel with them as they strive for power, hope, survival, and love... Concrete Park is a creative and thought-provoking tale of redemption that aims to deconstruct racial and gender stereotypes by using stylish storytelling within a graphic novel realm. Concrete Park is brilliant with its use of unforgettable protagonists, a colorful supporting cast, nonstop action and all of it presented in an exceptional, vibrant style."
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Weapons of Mass Diplomacy
by Abel Lanzac and Christophe Blain
Michael Cavna of the Washington Post says that WMD "should be especially enjoyed by anyone who has ever had to speak for a powerful person for a living. If you work for an agency or embassy, on the Hill or for a head of state, you will appreciate the greatness within these pages. And if you like “House of Cards” or reruns of “West Wing,” this book is for you, too. Beau Willimon can do scheming and Aaron Sorkin can do process, but “WMD” does both, brilliantly, with no need to go over-the-top; its political foot soldiers break camp without treading into high camp... Illustrator Christophe Blain renders all this brisk action and double-time doublespeak as visual poetry with a sense of physicality as fluid as Jules Feiffer’s. In this world where words can mean both nothing and everything, the line and the satire carry out a hilarious pas de deux."
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Want more? Join in the discussion at Main Library's monthly Graphic Book Club!
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Through the Woods: Stories
by Emily Carroll
From Meredith Woerner at io9: "Oh holy hell—Emily Carroll's horror comic collection Through The Woods is so freaking spooky. We absolutely inhaled this book when we got it in our hands. Each little horror comic is so creepy and absolutely gorgeous... Carroll found notoriety making horror comics and gorgeous illustrations online, but this book is truly something special. It's a collection of short horror comics all penned and illustrated by Carroll. Her devilish use of the slow burn and white space is just phenomenal. Seriously, I could not put this book down."
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B.P.R.D series
by Mike Mignola and others
Hellboy is the best known agent of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, but he's not the only one, as this epic series amply demonstrates! Beginning after Hellboy's departure, the B.P.R.D series follows the remaining agents as they stumble deeper and deeper into an impending apocalypse, the cause of which may be closer to home than they'd like to think...
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Heck
by Zander Cannon
Hector "Heck" Hammarskjold has inherited a house and a career from his late father, but this is no family-owned law firm or shoemaker's shop. No, Heck has the altogether unique job of delivering messages between the living and the dead -- specifically, the dead of hell, to which his new house has a convenient basement entrance. A clever re-framing of Dante's Inferno (not to be confused with Jimbo's Inferno), Heck is a harrowing but touching story of friendship and family, betrayal and redemption, and Zander Cannon's plain writing and high-contrast art complement each other perfectly. Highly recommended!
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X'ed Out
by Charles Burns
From the creator of Black Hole, X'ed Out follows Doug, a young artist whose troubled life, dreams, and photography blur into an unsettling, subconscious puzzle and the strangest Tintin homage you've ever seen. If you like this one, be sure to continue the story in The Hive.
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Saturday, April 18, 2 p.m. Main Library - 300 N. Roxboro St. Questions? Call John Davis at 919-560-0125 Join our MeetUp group at meetup.com/graphic-book-club Enjoy comic books or graphic novels? Join us for the monthly meeting of Main Library's Graphic Book Club. This month we're reading HORROR!
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Free Comic Book Day Saturday, May 2nd at comic shops across the Triangle! Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. More info at freecomicbookday.com.
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Ultimate Ladies Alliance discuss Ms. Marvel at Ultimate Comics |
Thursday, May 4, 8 p.m. Ultimate Comics, 6120-A Farrington Rd., DurhamThe first Thursday of each month the Ultimate Ladies Alliance meets to discuss a different comic or graphic novel. Join the Ultimate Ladies’ Alliance on Facebook for more info and to vote on your top picks for the next month’s meeting, plus suggest books for future discussion and share your favorites. May's selection: Ms. Marvel vol. 1: No Normal.
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Durham Comics Project at Read Local NC Sunday, May 17, 12-6 p.m. at Durham Central Park Join local writers, publishers, booksellers, libraries, designers, artists, critics, bloggers – and of course, readers! – to honor our local literary arts scene. Festival proceeds support a great cause: the Durham Library Foundation! Visit readlocalnc.org. Come to the DCP table to take a spin on the one-and-only Comics Contraption and get your copy of the Durham Comics Project book (plus t-shirts!)
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| Durham Comics Project: Drink & Draw Wednesday, May 20, 7-9 p.m. Location TBD - check our Meetup page or call 919-560-8590 for up-to-date info This monthly meetup is for those new to comics and seasoned vets alike. The hardest part of making comics is often making the time to draw, so let’s make that time together! We'll have an exercise or two (often collaborative), but you're welcome to just come to work on your own thing. |
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For personalized reading recommendations from Durham County librarians, try My Next 5! Simply complete an online form to tell us a little about what genres, books, and authors you like (or dislike). A DCL librarian will review your submission and reply with a list of the next five books you should read.
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NoveList Plus is a comprehensive database of fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages, including recommendations, articles, and lists for your fiction and nonfiction needs. DCL cardholders can access NoveList Plus from any computer.
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Links to newsletters from the past year:
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Durham County Library at
919-560-0100, 300 N. Roxboro Street, Durham, NC 27702
librarywebmaster@durhamcountync.gov
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