Empty's Theme Park

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Title:  Blacksad
Writer:  Juan Diaz Canales
Artist:  Juanjo Guarnido
Publisher:  Dark Horse
Genre:  Crime / Noir / Anthropomorphic

Have I Read It?:   Yes

Suggested For:   thejohnblog

Synopsis:  [via Amazon]  Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets. Guarnido’s sumptuously painted pages and rich cinematic style bring the world of 1950s America to vibrant life, with Canales weaving in fascinating tales of conspiracy, racial tension, and the “red scare” Communist witch hunts of the time. Guarnido reinvents anthropomorphism in these pages, and industry colleagues no less than Will Eisner, Jim Steranko, and Tim Sale are fans! Whether John Blacksad is falling for dangerous women or getting beaten to within an inch of his life, his stories are, simply put, unforgettable.

Comments:

This book comes from the European market.  It was collected and translated and released to the North American market a few years ago. It is, in a word, amazing.  Most notably, Guarnido’s art is simply gorgeous.  It may be my favourite book in my collection from a visual perspective.  You really have to see it to truly appreciate the craft.  The perspectives and the detail put into the environment really enrich the story.  It’s also a great little noir detective story with a twist….namely that all the characters are anthropomorphic animals.  That’s not to say that this is a childish story, though.  This is intended for adults only.  

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Title:  Asterios Polyp
Writer:  David Mazzucchelli
Artist:  David Mazzucchelli
Publisher:  Pantheon
Genre:  Fiction

Have I Read It?:   No.

Suggested For:   btothed

Synopsis:  

[via Amazon.com]  The triumphant return of one of comics’ greatest talents, with an engrossing story of one man’s search for love, meaning, sanity, and perfect architectural proportions. An epic story long awaited, and well worth the wait. 

Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City apartment goes up in flames. In a tenacious daze, he leaves the city and relocates to a small town in the American heartland. But what is this “escape” really about? 

As the story unfolds, moving between the present and the past, we begin to understand this confounding yet fascinating character, and how he’s gotten to where he is. And isn’t. And we meet Hana: a sweet, smart, first-generation Japanese American artist with whom he had made a blissful life. But now she’s gone. Did Asterios do something to drive her away? What has happened to her? Is she even alive? All the questions will be answered, eventually.

In the meantime, we are enthralled by Mazzucchelli’s extraordinarily imagined world of brilliantly conceived eccentrics, sharply observed social mores, and deftly depicted asides on everything from design theory to the nature of human perception.

Asterios Polyp is David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece: a great American graphic novel.

Comments:

I don’t have too much to say about this book because, well, I haven’t read it.  But about 2 years ago it was the darling of the “literary” comic book industry receiving countless accolades including 3 Eisner Awards.  I can’t say specifically why I chose to recommend this particular book to Bruce, (I don’t even know if there are any puns in it!) but he was the one I thought of immediately.  As with any of these recommendations, the best scenario is that the person finds the summary intriguing and in line with their tastes and decides to give it a shot.  If not…..no harm done.  And maybe it’s flashed across someone else’s radar too…

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Title:   Pride of Baghdad
Writer:  Brian K. Vaughan
Artist:  Niko Henrichon
Publisher:  Vertigo
Genre:  Good Question

Have I Read It?:   No.

Suggested For:   lafix

Synopsis:  

[via Amazon.com]  From one of America’s most acclaimed comics writers a startlingly original look at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War inspired by true events.

In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives. In documenting the plight of the lions, Pride of Baghdad raises questions about the true meaning of liberation - can it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity?

Based on a true story, Vaughan and Henrichon have created a unique and heartbreaking window into the nature of life during wartime, illuminating this struggle as only the graphic novel can.

Comments:

The synopsis coupled with the gorgeous art in this book should be enough to explain why I’m recommending it.  And while I haven’t read it myself, I will at some point, and it is highly regarded.  I chose it for Laura because while I know she has a passion for music and food, I know she also is a smart cookie with an interest in politics and other pursuits of the mind.  And she loves animals.  I think.  Well….she loves eating them, anyway.  Whatever the case may be, I think she’d like this book.  Because gosh darn it…..I’m good at recommendering.

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Title:   Northlanders
Writer:  Brian Wood
Artist:  Various
Publisher:  Vertigo
Genre:  Historical Fiction (aka VIKINGS!)

Have I Read It?:   Yes.

Suggested For:   brokenpintglass

Synopsis:  

[via Wikipedia] Wood has said that the series will be divided into long story arcs alternated with short arcs.

In the first arc, “Sven the Returned,” (issues #1-8) we follow the protagonist Sven, a self-exiled Viking warrior serving in the Byzantine Varangian Guard, as he returns (in A.D. 980) to his birth region in the Orkney Islands in order to reclaim his rightful inheritance.

The second arc, “Lindisfarne,” (issues #9-10) is about a young boy and the sacking of the Lindisfarnemonastery in A.D. 793, the beginning of the Viking Age.

The third arc, “The Cross + The Hammer,” (issues #11-16) is set around Dublin, Ireland circa the Battle of Clontarf (A.D. 1014), and follows the chase of an Irishman who attacks the occupying Viking forces using guerrilla tactics. He also accompanies his daughter Brigid while on the run.

Comments:

I decided not to recommend a specific volume of Northlanders, because they all pretty much stand alone and can be read unto themselves.  They take place at different times and places, but all follow stories of Vikings and other Scandanavian/northern peoples.  Brian Wood crafts wonderful tales of survival against both the harsh elements and people that inhabit these worlds.  I recommended this for brokenpintglass because these stories have a certain rugged poetry to them, and I think they would speak to his sensibilities.  Volume One:  Sven the Returned is a great tale and a great place to start, but a glance at the other volumes might reveal something more appealing to certain tastes.

I’ve added a sub-rec on this one to Julie, since she mentioned the other night she loves vikings.

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Title:   Strangers In Paradise:  Volume 1
Writer:  Terry Moore
Artist:  Terry Moore
Publisher:  Abstract Studio
Genre:  Fiction

Have I Read It?:   No.

Suggested For:   undercover-blond

Synopsis:  

[via Amazon]  Katchoo is a beautiful young woman living a quiet life with everything going for her. She’s smart, independent and very much in love with her best friend, Francine. Then Katchoo meets David, a gentle but persistent young man who is determined to win Katchoo’s heart. The resulting love triangle is a touching comedy of romantic errors until Katchoo’s former employer comes looking for her and $850,000 in missing mob money. As her idyllic life begins to fall apart, Katchoo discovers no one can be trusted and that the past she thought she left behind now threatens to destroy her and everything she loves, including Francine. This is the first edition in the series - don’t miss it!

Comments:  

I know Miss J does a lot of writing, but I’m not sure if she does a lot of reading.  Strangers In Paradise is a critically acclaimed series that is on my long list of stories to get to.  It’s a pretty lengthy series, and it’s in black and white, which will turn some people off.  That being said, Moore’s storytelling and art are supposed to be top-notch and when I thought of who this story might resonate with, undercover-blond quickly came to mind.  This is very much a story about life and relationships and is intended for an adult audience.  (translation:  boobs and sexy things)

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Title:   The Hedge Knight
Writer:  George R. R. Martin
Artist:  Mike Miller
Publisher:  Dabel Brothers / Marvel
Genre:  Fantasy

Have I Read It?:   Yes.

Suggested For:   apieceofmine

Synopsis:  

[via Amazon]  Contains an all new exclusive short story by George R. R. Martin! An adaptation of Martin’s hit novel, bringing the world of A Song of Ice and Fire to life in comic book form. Night falls over the life of one noble knight and brings the dawn of his squire’s knighthood. Dubbing himself “Ser Duncan the Tall,” “The Hedge Knight” sets forth to the tourney at Ashford Meadow in search of fame and glory and the honor of upholding his oath as a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately for him, the world isn’t ready for a knight who keeps his oaths, and his chivalrous methods could be the very cause of his demise.

Comments:

I’ve recommended this for Katie because I know she’s a fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series and this story may have fallen under her radar.  It initially appeared in a short story fantasy collection called Legends.  It’s a story that stands alone and takes place years prior to the main series.  A few years back it was adapted into a comic mini-series (6 issues) and this is the collected work.  I’ve had some bad experiences with prose works adapted to comic form in the past, mostly due to the loss of story in trying to fit everything in.  In the case of a short story, I found it worked much better.  The art on this book was very enjoyable (and I included the link to the paperback instead of the hardcover because it has the “look inside” feature).  There is also a second story called The Sworn Sword, that was also adapated that is a sequel to this one.  Both are another colourful piece of tapestry in the world of Westeros.

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Title:   Habibi
Writer:  Craig Thompson
Artist:  Craig Thompson
Publisher:  Pantheon
Genre:  Fiction

Have I Read It?:   No.

Suggested For:   pikkutiikeri

Synopsis:  

[via habibibook.com]  From the internationally acclaimed author of BLANKETS (“A triumph for the genre.”—Library Journal ), a highly anticipated new graphic novel.

Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, HABIBI tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them.

At once contemporary and timeless, HABIBI gives us a love story of astounding resonance: a parable about our relationship to the natural world, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and, most potently, the magic of storytelling.

Comments:

Now that our Finnish girlfriend has returned from the abyss of relocation, I feel it’s safe to make this recommendation.  Well….sort of.  I’ve recommended different things to Maija in the past to varying degrees of failure.  Of course, in those cases I was mostly recommending things that “I” liked.  In this case, I haven’t read the book, but it seems like a story and subject matter that might appeal to her literary tastes.  It’s quite a large tome for an original graphic novel (672 pages), and has been very well-received critically.  I can’t speak much more to the story, so in this case I’m making more of a “Does this sound interesting to you?”, recommendation instead of a “You should probably read this.”  In this way, I absolve myself of any liability.  :)

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Title:   Essex County
Writer:   Jeff Lemire
Artist:   Jeff Lemire
Publisher:  Top Shelf Productions
Genre:  Fiction

Have I Read It?:   No.

Suggested For:   dresspants

Synopsis:  

[via Amazon]  Where does a young boy turn when his whole world suddenly disappears? What turns two brothers from an unstoppable team into a pair of bitterly estranged loners? How does the simple-hearted care of one middle-aged nurse reveal the scars of an entire community, and can anything heal the wounds caused by a century of deception? Award-winning cartoonist Jeff Lemire pays tribute to his roots with Essex County, an award-winning trilogy of graphic novels set in an imaginary version of his hometown, the eccentric farming community of Essex County, Ontario, Canada. In Essex County, Lemire crafts an intimate study of one community through the years, and a tender meditation on family, memory, grief, secrets, and reconciliation. With the lush, expressive inking of a young artist at the height of his powers, Lemire draws us in and sets us free. 

Comments:

I gifted this book to my brother-in-law on his birthday.  While I haven’t read it, I do hope to eventually (I’ll probably borrow his!).  This book was nominated as one of the top 5 finalists in Canada Reads last year, and has been critically acclaimed throughout the comic book industry.  Jeff Lemire is a Canadian cartoonist who now works out of Toronto but grew up in Essex County where these stories are based.  He is masterful at telling very personal stories with touches of the strange, and sometimes a hint of horror.  This is the book that immediately came to mind when I thought of Clint.  

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Title:   DMZ Vol. 1:  On The Ground
Writer:  Brian Wood
Artist:  Riccardo Burchielli
Publisher:  Vertigo
Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Have I Read It?:   Yes.

Suggested For:   rosieloveswords

Synopsis:  

[via Amazon]  A near-future America is torn by war between the Free Armies, who control New Jersey and the inland, and the United States, ensconced in New York City’s boroughs. In the war-torn DMZ of Manhattan, Matty Roth, hired as a phototech intern to a famous battlefield journalist, is stranded when the rest of his crew is killed. Overcoming initial panic, he decides to remain as the sole embedded journalist in the devastated, largely depopulated city. It’s a career-making assignment—if it doesn’t get him killed. Befriended by former med student Zee, who runs a clinic, Matty discovers a society struggling to survive amid skirmishes and snipers (appropriate soundtrack music: Talking Heads’ “Life during Wartime”). Of the DMZ issuescollected here, the first three establish its premise. In the succeeding two, Matty discovers the “Ghosts of Central Park”—paramilitaries who defend the now-deforested preserve and its zoo animals—and chases a robber who steals his press badge. Wood’s writing does justice to the intriguing concept, and Burchielli’s jagged artwork effectively conveys the characters’ desperation. 

Comments:

This is the first volume of DMZ that is just wrapping up now in the 70-something single issue range.  It is also the only volume of the series that I have read thus far, but I’m eager to find the time to continue.  Brian Wood is a great writer who really speaks to his generation (X’ers).  He also has a deep fondness for his hometown of New York which is the setting of many of his stories.  This story in particular touches on issues of politics, survival, journalism and finding one’s purpose.  It is a sprawling tale that I think Rosemary will enjoy, should she decide to check it out.  For a smaller commitment and perhaps one more closely in line with the things she teaches, The Nightly News which was recommended for Rich is a great alternative.