by Lars Brown illustrated by Lars Brown Bex Glendining with John Kantz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 4, 2020
Complex, challenging, and ultimately rewarding.
On a mysterious island, three strangers-turned-friends find themselves in an endless loop of fighting monsters; can they find a way to break the cycle?
Harald, James, and Alma spend their days battling ferocious beasts in endless dungeons on an island they cannot seemingly depart. For the most part, the trio enjoys their group dynamics and the fighting, finding gamelike satisfaction in always having another foe to defeat. But soon, Harald begins to question the nature of their reality; could there be something more to this life than an interminable circuit of creation and destruction? Is there a way off this strange island? The trio finds that they must confront their lives and the choices they made prior to their arrival on the island. Brown’s clever mashup smashes genre constraints, rendering this akin to It’s a Wonderful Life told through a delightfully snarky gamer’s lens, absent Christmas but heavy on the monsters. The full-color illustrations add a rich cinematic quality to the already nuanced storytelling. At times,the storyline can be demanding, with its intricate plotting and frequent and dizzying temporal jumps, but for all of its seeming recapitulation and futility, a heartwarming (but decidedly not cloying) conclusion awaits and should satisfy even the most cynical readers. The three main characters appear white; secondary characters encompass a broader spectrum of skin tones.
Complex, challenging, and ultimately rewarding. (Graphic fantasy. 13-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-945820-50-2
Page Count: 340
Publisher: Iron Circus Comics
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
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by Gene Luen Yang ; illustrated by Gurihiru ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2020
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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by William Shakespeare ; adapted by Crystal S. Chan ; illustrated by Poe Tse ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2019
Shakespeare’s fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience.
Manga that brings to life Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy.
This third entry in Manga Classics’ adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays maintains their practice of reproducing the full text of the original. The black-and-white illustrations allow readers to easily follow the plot while also picking up on subtle themes that are significant to understanding the play. For example, the abundant imagery surrounding the moon is emphasized by the moon’s presence in the backgrounds of many panels throughout the book, drawing readers’ attention. Long dialogues are also explained visually, which allows young readers to grasp what is being discussed without the need for a glossary or translation into modern English. The nobility is portrayed in a typical manga fashion with large eyes, small noses, and well-defined ears—but with appropriate Grecian clothing—while the commoners are easily visually distinguishable from them in style. The guide to reading manga at the beginning unfortunately describes the right-to-left reading order as “backwards from the normal books you know,” a strangely judgment-laden description for a book using manga to broaden the cultural exposure of young readers. However, the creators’ notes at the end offer fascinating insights into the adaptation process and may inspire budding manga artists to attempt their own works.
Shakespeare’s fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience. (cast, creators’ notes, character design sheet) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947808-10-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Manga Classics
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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by William Shakespeare ; adapted by Crystal S. Chan & Michael Barltrop ; illustrated by Julien Choy
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