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Shelf Life: Introduction and Graphic Novel Edition
By Psyche | November 3, 2007
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Shelf Life will be a regular feature, a cross-section of books I’ve devoured recently, often themed. I’m a voracious reader with eclectic tastes. Often the reading I do relates directly to research I’m doing for a particular project (an essay, or book, etc.), but I also frequently indulge in pop fiction, graphic novels, and biographies. What I’m reading at any given moment tends to inform my thought, and likewise my writing.
I’m a latecomer to graphic novels, I’ll admit. I read comics as a teenager, mostly the various X-Men titles and their spin-offs, along with the Spider-Man titles. I then put comics away. In the past few years I’ve gotten back in the habit, but in book form.
The first I read was The Watchmen, by Alan Moore as it had been recommended to me numerous times. It was an adult story, which was good to see; unfortunately I failed to see the brilliance in it.
Nonetheless, I thought I’d give graphic novels another chance and picked up the first Sandman, as I was already familiar with Neil Gaiman’s work (having particularly enjoyed Good Omens and Neverwhere). The characterization of Dream and the rest of The Endless was captivating, and I’ve stuck with it, recently finishing Volume 6: Fables and Reflections, which includes a great story about Emperor Norton I of the United States and Protector of Mexico.
I don’t always keep up with the new ‘net lingo. I still remember when FTW meant “Fuck The World”. Now apparently it means “For The Win” apparently derived from a gaming acronym. (Those crazy kids.) So when people said “squee” as an expression of joy I was a little confused, and was referred to Jhonen Vasquez’s comic compilation of the same name. I found Squee a delightful read1, and shortly followed it with JTHM: Director’s Cut – even more entertaining. For those not up on this
Club Zero-G, by Douglas Rushkoff and Steph Dumais I wanted to like. Unfortunately its target audience is likely to already be familiar with its main theme, that each individual is ultimately responsible for creating the world they want to live in. It fell a bit flat, but there may be younger folk who can benefit from its message; it’s not really an adult title.
My husband picked up Y: The Las Man: Unmanned, Volume 1, by Brian Vaughan, Pia Guerra, & Jose Marzan, Jr. after reading a review of it, and it starts off interestingly. A mysterious disease kills all males in the world of all species, save for one man and his monkey. Explaining the plot further makes it sound a bit hokey, but it doesn’t come across that way in the writing (at least, not overmuch), and I’d like to check out the next volume before my mind is made up.
The last graphic novel I read was a few weeks ago: Fallen Angel, by Peter David & J.K. Woodward. I love the artwork, it’s a blend of almost photorealism and shadow, with sparse use of muted colour; it lends great effect and atmosphere to the story. In this first volume To Serve in Heaven, we learn of the origins of the Fallen Angel and how she fell and came to live in the city of
Often I’ll buy random books based on their cover, without knowing anything of their author or content, an attempt at exploring new territories. I’m always open to recommendations.
Posts Related to Shelf Life
- Shelf Life: Introduction and Graphic Novel Edition
- Shelf Life: Occult Biography Edition
- Shelf Life: Esoteric Anthology Edition
- Enchanted by Baudelaire, and the Gamemaster
- Though the child in it, the self-dubbed Squee, uses it as an expression of extreme terror, not joy. Go fig. [back]
- Four Letter Acronym [back]
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November 11th, 2007 at 6:18 am
A few names you may care to check out…
the nikopol trilogy, by enki bilal: egyptian gods, future fascist governments, climate change, and other fun things.
the incal series, by alejandro jodorowsky and moebius: a tarot inspired universe, of sorts…
a contract with god, by will eisner: a masterpiece. in fact, ANY of his work.
the metabarons series, by juan gimenez and jodorowski: story is derived from the incal mythos, but the art is simply stunning.
Do let me know if you find/like any of them!
Also, is it easy to find imported bande desinee in francophone canada?
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