New Graphic Novels at Kirtland!

The Kirtland Public library proudly introduces its new and expanded collection of graphic novels.  We have a wide selection of graphic novels that will appeal to children, young adults, and adults.  We have favorite superheroes, such as Batman, Spider Man, and Captain America as well as stories that will appeal to young adults and those interested in trying different comic styles, such as Manga.  If you are interested in reading something new or something familiar I’m sure we will have a graphic novel that will interest you.  The graphic novels described below are meant to give Kirtland library patrons a sense of the variety of graphic novels we have available.

George O’Connor. Olympians. (First Second: New York, 2010).    The acclaimed author, George O’Connor, in his series Olympians, uses ancient Greek mythology to re-tell the stories of the gods in this series of brightly illustrated graphic novels.  The library has Zeus, Ares, and Athena with more available!  Come and check out these entertaining books.  Readers of all ages will find the stories and artwork highly entertaining.

Matt Dembicki, ed. Trickster: Native AmericanTales: a Graphic Collection.  (Fulcrum Books: Golden, CO, 2010). Matt Dembicki, a comic book creator in his own right, assembled a group of Native American storytellers to create a book of trickster tales and legends from various native cultures.  The stories are visualized through the efforts of many talented artists and illustrators, who worked hand-in-hand with the storytellers to get it all just right. This book will provide an entertaining, beautifully presented view into one aspect of Native American culture and storytelling.  This is a must read for anybody interested in Native American stories or looking for something a little different.

Akira Himekawa. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. (Perfect Square: San Francisco, CA, 2014).  This series of Manga graphic novels ties their stories into that of the popular videogame series from Nintendo.  The books are laid out in the traditional Manga format: the book is read from right to left and is started from what American readers would consider the back of the book.  One does not need to be familiar with the videogames or their plot to enjoy the story and artwork in these books.  If you are looking for something a little different this may be the place to begin.

David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky. Spider-Man: Noir. (Marvel: New York, 2009).  This series takes familiar characters and re-imagines them in 1930s New York City.  Prior to be bitten by a spider Peter Parker, along with Aunt May, are socialist agitators trying to stir up the unemployed.  The arch-villain, the Goblin, is one of the most powerful gangsters in the city.  The drawings successfully capture the feel of earlier pulp and noir artwork.  If you are looking for a new twist to traditional superhero stories, this one will be just right.

Jordan Mechner, A.B. Sina, LeUyen Pham, and Alex Puvilland. Prince of Persia: The Graphic Novel. (First Second: New York, 2008).  While based on the popular video game series, this graphic novel is a story separate from the main storyline of the game. The graphic novel follows two separate, yet related, stories set several hundred years apart in the city of Marv.  Visually, the story set in Marv in the 9^th century, is told using bright pastel colors.  The other story, also set in Marv, however in the 13^th century, is visualized using darker hued colors.  As the two stories intertwine and co-mingle with each other the only way to sometimes to tell them apart is through their coloring.  If you are a fan of the 2010 movie The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, or perhaps if you remember the videogame, or are interested in well-written and beautifully illustrated stories this one will be right for you.

Victoria Jamieson. Roller Girl. (Dial Books for Young Readers: New York, 2015). This story follows Astrid as she explores a new sport, roller derby, and the changing dynamics of her friendship with Nicole, who prefers ballet to roller derby.  It sensitively handles the difficulties young people have in trying to find themselves and their way in the world.  After reading this book you will also have a good overview of the rules of roller derby by an actual roller derby racer.  This book is appropriate for children 9-12, and not just girls, but also boys.

These are just a few of the many selections available at the Kirtland Public Library! Stop by and see for yourself, and if you don’t see something you want the librarians are there to help you find it.

Fun Time to be a Comics fan.

Who would have thought that something that was considered highly nerdy when I was in elementary school, would catapult to the forefront of entertainment today? With movies like Marvel's The Avenger's and DC's Dark Knight Trilogy just smashing in the box office, Agents of Shield being primed for TV, and the new Captain America being shot right here in Cleveland? It's safe to say that comics are "in" right now.

It'd been a long time since I sat down with comics, but with our Clevnet system holding so many trade paperbacks and my love of the comic world freshly renewed? I eagerly jumped back into universes of some of my favorite series, and thought I'd share some of the series I've been brushing up on....
 

Ultimate X-Men: Ultimate Collections

If you were like me and were in school in the 90's, then you no doubt remember the X-men animated series. It was a franchise loosely based on the comic storylines but remained pretty faithful to the characters.

The Ultimate X-Men series is a reboot of that traditional franchise. Those familiar with the X-men mythos will find a number of the arcs familiar but the character designs and backstories have new modernized feeling to them. The area a number of subtle changes too that I found very interesting. It also ties in to the rest of the Marvel universe as well, so its not uncommon to see certain very famous avengers make an appearance as well. I very much got into the Ultimate series.

Deadpool

Don't let the name fool you, Deadpool is really funny. I've been driving my library's circulation staff insane with the number of these I've ordered. Marvel's "Merc with a Mouth" has really been growing in popularity recently and after reading through a number of his comics and can clearly see why. Pool has a pretty convoluted back story and plays second fiddle to a large number of bigger Marvel heroes and villains. So why is he so popular?

Because he's what you might call "Completely Unhinged." In between a super human healing factor and incredible combat skills, Pool will often argue with voices in his head with separate thought bubbles. He frequently references pop culture known to us the reader but not the universe, and on several occasions he just straight up bulldozes the fourth wall, because he seems to be the only one in his world who knows he's in a comic. You can pick up any issue of Deadpool and have it be funny, but our system has a lot of the classics and newer stuff to get, so feel free to start anywhere.

  

Marvel Zombies
 

Something else that is super popular right now is zombies. Not an interest many of my co-workers share with me but none the less, with the constant stream of films, books, comics and TV shows, its hard to deny that people love them undead walkers.
 

Marvel Zombies features the writing of Robert Kirkman, who some of you might know as the comic artist for the popular The Walking Dead series. And unlike most zombie stories, this one takes place from the perspective of the "heroes" after they have been infected. Zombies are bad enough, but zombies with super human powers and an uncontrollable hunger? Yikes.
 

As you might expect from a zombie comic, this series is a skosh on the violent side. And by a skosh I mean a lot. There is blood and gore, and a lot of it so you might want to keep this one clear of the younger kiddos. The series as a whole really is one massive exercise on how much worse things can get, but it's still a really fun read to see how storied heroes cope with becoming monsters. They also produced an offshoot where the Marvel Zombies take on Ash from Evil Dead/Army of Darkness which I found to be absolutely hysterical.

 

So there's just a sampling of some of the stuff I have been reading in my down time. Clevnet provides a great selection of trade paperbacks and graphic novels so you can get big chunks of the stories in each, and many of the characters have multiple issues available.  Remember folks, comics aren't just for kids and it's never too late to get started. So read some comics!