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Graphic Novels & Comics February 2016
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Hello there! 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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The Multiversity
by Grant Morrison and a quantum entanglement of artists
This mind-boggling volume collects Grant Morrison's recent series of single-issue jaunts through the world(s) of DC Comics, and is a sure bet for long-time fans and folks who want to explore the seemingly infinite possibilities of working within the superhero character-genre. Includes, in the words of Li'l Batman, "files on the fifty-two known worlds of something called the local multiverse -- data complied by some kind of super-race." Hey, that's us!!
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Low vol. 1: The Delirium of Hope
by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini
From Paste: "The world of Low offers domed cities, robotic exo-suits and massive sea creatures, making this new series as science-fictionally surreal as possible, but as Remender says, it’s ultimately a story about hope. The personification of that hope is Stel Caine, the matriarch of a prominent family, who won’t give up... Remender and Tocchini have crafted a rich world, loaded with its own deep history, societal norms and resentments. Watching as this world unfurls and seeing what makes it tick ought to be as exciting as the tribulations of the Caine family." (Note: there's a lot of sex and drugs here, so keep away if that's not your thing.)
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ODY-C vol. 1, Off to Far Ithicaa
by Matt Fraction and Christian Ward
Matt Fraction takes a big step away from his snappy but down-to-earth dialogue (Hawkeye, Sex Criminals) to write this gender-switched, psychedelia-laden, space operatic take on Homer's Odyssey. Weird and ambitious and beautiful, not to mention written in a surprisingly readable six-syllable dactylic hexameter (Homer's meter of choice), this is a mustn't-miss. A MUSTN'T MISS. (Like Low, it's full of sex and drugs, though in a verrrry different way, but still: avoid at will.)
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Rasputin: The Road to the Winter Palace
by Grecian, Rossmo, Plascencia, and Mauer
Rasputin is no stranger to comics (cf. Hellboy and the excellent Petrograd), but there's always room for more! From the publisher: "In one night Rasputin was poisoned, beaten, stabbed, shot in the head, and drowned, then tied up and thrown in a frozen river. But how did he get from Siberia to the Winter Palace? And why did it take so much hard work to kill him?" Answers may be found here, but they're not easy ones.
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Incognegro
by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece
From the publisher: "The early 20th Century: an era when lynchings were commonplace throughout the American South. To most of the press, this epidemic of racial murder wan't even news. But a few courageous reporters from the North risked their lives to expose these atrocities. They were light-skinned African-American men who could 'pass' for white. They called this dangerous assignment 'going incognegro.' Zane Pinchback, a reporter for the New York-based New Holland Herald, barely escapes with his life after his latest 'incognegro' story goes bad. But when he returns to the sanctuary of Harlem, he's sent on a new story-- the arrest of his own brother, charged with the brutal murder of a white woman in Mississippi."
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City of Glass
by Paul Auster, Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli
An adaptation of the acclaimed Paul Auster novel gets rolling when mystery writer Daniel Quinn receives a late night call asking for help from a private detective named Paul Auster (!!), and it only gets more mysterious, more literary, and more postmodern from there. Highly recommended!
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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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Red Handed: The Fine Art of Strange Crimes
by Matt Kindt
"Welcome to the city of Red Wheelbarrow, where the world's greatest detective has yet to meet the crime he can't solve-- every criminal in Red Wheelbarrow is caught and convicted thanks to Detective Gould's brilliant mind and cutting-edge spy technology.But lately there has been a rash of crimes so eccentric and random that even Detective Gould is stumped. Will he discover the connection between the compulsive chair thief, the novelist who uses purloined street signs to write her magnum opus, and the photographer who secretly documents peoples' most anguished personal moments? Or will Detective Gould finally meet his match?"--from publisher's web site
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Saturday, February 23, 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 mysteries! Check out some recommended titles above.
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Ultimate Ladies Book ClubThursday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. Ultimate Comics Raleigh,1301 Buck Jones Rd, RaleighThe 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. February's Pick is Bitch Planet!
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Color of Fandom Book Club Meets every month, alternating between comics and prose written by and/or featuring main characters who are people of color. February's title is Locke & Key vol. 1-6!
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Durham Comics Project: Drink & DrawWednesday, Feburary 17, 7-9 p.m.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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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 Street, Durham, NC 27702
librarywebmaster@durhamcountync.gov
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