Blog Posts by Subject: Comics and Graphic Novels

You probably have never heard of the superheroine Vixen before. Unlike Batman or Superman, she's not quite as famous. Although she was set to star in her own series in the late 1970s, the first issue of her comic debut was abruptly cancelled. It wasn't until July of 1981 that DC Comics introduced her in the Superman-centric title Action Comics #521. Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner are credited with creating the character, one of only a handful of African American women to appear in superhero comics. An international hero, Vixen uses a totem that allows her to access the abilities of nearly any creature from the animal kingdom.

On the first Wednesday of every month, the Mid-Manhattan Library hosts a monthly screening of anime. This spring and throughout the summer, we will be featuring patrons who have been attending Anime Night. Over twenty people came last night to see a screening of Bamboo Blade. Want to get in on the fun? Next month on May 4th, NYPL at Nite will be showing Trigun at 7:00 PM. Bring your friends!

Lynda Barry, most renowned for her comic strips and graphic novels featuring the character of Marlys, has written and illustrated two different books that incorporate cartoon characters into an unusual and inspiring exploration of the creative process.  One focuses more on writing and the other focuses more on artwork, but the graphic novel format means that fans of words and pictures alike will be able to appreciate both books.

Here are some of the latest and greatest graphic novels around, as recommended by the American Library Association's 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.  See if you agree with my favorites from this list, and feel free to recommend some of your own!

I recently moved into a new apartment with a friend of mine from grade school and one of our big splurges was the magical DVR player. For someone who rarely has time to watch TV, I was given a basic lesson by my roommate in how to record shows. As we were scrolling through TV listings, I found myself announcing the shows and movies that were first published as books. And to my roommate's displeasure, I decided to record The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. 

While I may be a beginner at DVR'ing, I'm well experienced at placing holds via The New York Public Library's Catalog. Here are some book recommendations that have inspired some of 

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's... an angst-ridden Superman!

It's always hard trying to reimagine a celebrated fictional character who has been around for almost seventy years. Writers want to touch upon the rich history of the character while also inventing a fresh and new feel for audiences who may not be as familiar with who he or she is. A good example of this would be Clark Kent, better known to the world as Superman.

At the Webster Branch, we recently put up a display with all of the books covered in brown paper. Above it there is a sign that reads: “Do You Judge a Book by Its Cover?” The rules are if you unwrap a book—based on the short description taped to it—you must check it out. Even if you’ve read it before, or if you think you won’t like it. Take it home, give it a shot. Don’t judge it by its cover alone!

Did you love comics as a kid but feel guilty when you're reading them now? Well here's a few graphic novels, all illustrated by the author, which are a little more for adults than for children. I wasn't crazy about all the titles on this list (I tend to like the ones for kids a lot more) but all of them show real creativity and are worth checking out at least once. If you think I'm a little too harsh, or maybe you even agree with me, be sure to comment below and tell me why you think I may have been a little too critical with your favorite title. Happy reading! 

Sometimes all we need is a good laugh!

Below I put together a simple comic strip, with a picture of the Sedgwick Branch Children's Information Desk and a silly version of myself. 

I hope you enjoyed reading Palestine, by Joe Sacco. If you didn’t have a chance to read the book and participate, please feel free to post your thoughts at a later time. The discussion will remain online in the Reader’s Den.

Superheroes. They’re the good guys. When things get bad, heroes are the ones we turn to. What happens, however, when the heroes turn out to be pretty bad themselves?

You call in The Boys.

Welcome to week three of the October 2010’s Readers Den. Here are some discussion questions:

Joe Sacco is a Maltese-American cartoonist and writer. He has written several comic books and comic book collections. The author was born in Malta in 1960. When he was one, his family left Malta and moved to Australia. In 1972, Sacco and his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Oregon in 1981 and shortly after, he began working as a journalist. Unsatisfied with a career in journalism, two years later, the author moved to Malta to focus on his cartooning.

Welcome to the October 2010 online book discussion.

This month we will be discussing Palestine, by Joe Sacco. Feel free to participate and make comments.

Everyone knows Batman. He’s iconic. He’s the superhero. All that changed, however, at the end of a DC Comics crossover event called Final Crisis. Batman was apparently killed by the villain Darkseid. With Bruce Wayne gone, there was a void in Gotham City that needed to be filled. It was the perfect time for a new costumed vigilante to rise.

Enter Batwoman.

Revolver by Matt Kindt

Imagine if the film Groundhog Day was put into a blender with a parallel universe and a generous dose of darkness.  If you drank the smoothie that was made from these strange ingredients, then you might have the first inkling of an idea of what Revolver was all about. 

How I Made It to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story by Tracy White is so moving and so painful that it will inspire readers to track down the author just so that they can talk to her and look deeply into her eyes to see if she's really okay now.  But this isn't the story of Tracy White.  It's the story of Stacy Black.  Sort of. 

What if you found out one night that your parents are evil? This is the very real problem that six kids face in the first volume of Runaways after seeing their respective parents kill an innocent girl. After witnessing the murder (and as the title might suggest), the teens decide to run away. They kids are, in order of appearance:

Some of you might think that you already know the story of the Wizard of Oz.  But if you're basing that assumption on your memories of the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, then some of you are wrong.  However, it's not too late to catch up with the REAL story of what happened in the land of Oz.  Eric Shanower's graphic novel version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is incredibly faithful to L. Frank Baum's original story ... which means that it demonstrates all the ways in which the land of Oz was wonderful, magical, unusual, and sometimes dangerous.