Graphic Novel Resource Guide: Stories

"A pleasing range of comics from lesser-known, small press artists such as Sam Sharpe (Mom) to popular webcomic creators including Allie Brosh (Hyperbole and a Half) to tried-and-true industry favorites like Chris Ware (Building Stories). The "Best American Comics" series offers a comprehensive survey of new graphic fiction..." (Library Journal review)

"TV producer Mica Segal accompanies her grandmother, Regina, on the old lady's first return to Warsaw since she fled, pregnant by a gentile with Mica's late father, to Palestine in 1939. On the plane, the son of a friend of Regina's ebulliently accosts the women and thereafter seems to show up wherever they go, even separately. Mica shakes him by dodging into a cafe, where she meets a charming Pole who leads Jewish history tours. Not by chance, Regina comes on her own to the same cafe to meet an old man who lives in the building yes, Mica's grandfather. While the purpose of the trip is to assert Regina's title to a building her parents had owned, what develops is an intrafamilial tiff, an ultimately fulfilling reunion, and the possible start of a romance." (Booklist review.)

"A stunning, moving story about one man's life and all the possibilities to be realized or lost along the way. Brothers Bá and Moon take readers through the life of a man named Brás de Oliva Domingos, selecting a series of individual events of great significance to Brás, showing each as if it could be the day Brás dies, and in so doing creating an examination of family, friendship, love, art, life, and death that urges the reader to turn the same careful inspection on their own life." (Publishers Weekly review.) 2011 Eisner and Harvey award-winning graphic novel.

"In a world where superheroes have been outlawed, the murder of amoral government agent and ex-superhero the Comedian leads some of his former colleagues to investigate, and thereby uncover a plot of incredible scope and impact. Moore and Gibbons delve deeply into the psychology of the heroes, including the uncompromising, illegally operating urban denizen Rorschach; the wealthy super-intelligent businessman Ozymandias; and the atom-powered, blue-skinned, aloof Dr. Manhattan, and the heroes' political, technological, and cultural impact on their unsettled world is thoroughly delineated. Further, Moore proved himself an immensely skilled scriptwriter, weaving together complementary plotlines that comment on and deepen the book's main action. (Library Journal review)

"Brunetti, a cartoonist with work in various magazines and the comic Schizo, selects some of his favorite works from the field for this delightful introduction to contemporary "art comics." The 75 mainly North American artists were also included in his exhibition The Cartoonist's Eye at Columbia College Chicago in 2005. Brunetti writes a brief introduction and contributes only one page of comics, but the choice of work and arrangement of the book are entirely based on his view of the art form. This volume contains primarily comics originally published in books or magazines, though some content was created for this project." (CHOICE magazine review)

Ware's graphically inventive, wonderfully realized novel-in-comics follows the sad fortunes of four generations of phlegmatic, defeated men while touching on themes of abandonment, social isolation and despair within the sweeping depiction of Chicago's urban transformation over the course of a century...Ware's surprisingly touching story recounts their strange and pathetically funny reunion, invoking the emotional legacy of the great-grandfather's original act of desertion while presenting a succession of Corrigan men far more comfortable fantasizing about life than living it." (Publishers Weekly review)

"This epic tale is exceptionally well suited to the episodic telling necessary for a successful graphic novel, as the warrior-hero fights Grendel, Grendel's mother, and, ultimately, the dragon that claims his life, and (in true comic-book fashion) each challenge is significantly more difficult and violent than the one before. Although greatly abridged and edited, the text maintains a consistent rhythm and overall feel appropriate for the poetic nature of the story...Each specific event is complemented by illustrations that effectively convey the atmosphere-historical details are paired with sketchy, ethereal drawings, the violent battle scenes are darkly tinted with red, and the end of Beowulf's life is indicated by gray, colorless imagery." (School Library Journal review)

"Brilliantly observant, Ghost World captures the unthinking cruelty and insecurity of teenagers, but what is most impressive (and distinguishes it from the mocking approach of much of Clowes' work) is its sympathy, evident not only in deep understanding of the young protagonists but also in affinity for the supporting characters--even the parents, when they are glimpsed, are sympathetically depicted. Clowes' detailed, deadpan drawing is perfect for these slices of life, too, as he follows the girls' relationship to a poignant, melancholy conclusion. One of the most distinctive and accessible recent graphic novels." (Booklist review)

"American Splendor artist Neufeld beautifully depicts the lives of seven New Orleans residents who survived Hurricane Katrina. In the dialogue-free opening chapter, "The Storm," Neufeld powerfully intersperses images of the hurricane gathering speed with the cities it crippled when it hit Louisiana on August 29, 2005, specifically New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss. Readers are then introduced to seven New Orleans residents, from all walks of life and parts of the city...Though the devastation caused by the hurricane and the government's lackluster response are staggering, Neufeld expertly underscores the resilience of the people who returned to rebuild their lives and their city." (Publishers Weekly review)

"Zimmerman and Vansant document American involvement in the Vietnam War from its beginnings in the 1950s to the final days during the Ford administration. They touch on the war's political effects in the U.S. during the turbulent 1960s and '70s, including the downfall of President Johnson and the election of President Nixon, and writer Zimmerman tries to explore the war as a metaphor in American life, too. Zimmerman and artist Vansant are experienced with representing the war, and as a result, the book is chock-full of military information, and it's slanted toward the view that the war was a good initiative that lacked domestic support. The book does explain why traditional warfare was inappropriate in Vietnam, which made fighting it difficult for American soldiers." (Booklist review)

"A study of empire-building by established politicians and big businesses from the 1890 Massacre at Wounded Knee through the current Iraq war. As nonfiction sequential art narrative, this stellar volume is compelling both as historical interpretation and you-are-there observation during many eras and in many climes." (School Library Journal review)