4 librarians and 5 titles

Once again, our 'comic book mafia' group of four NJ librarians will be presenting at this year's conference. All four of us are championing different graphic novels and trades at this session: Year’s Best Graphic Novels 2008.

As I am working on the handout and my slides, here are the five titles I will cover:

WHAT IT IS by Lynda Barry ADULT/YA

9781897299357

Writer and cartoonist shows readers how she makes art and encourages us to make our own. Each page is gorgeously illustrated with collage, letter fragments, monkeys, birds, and little Lynda Barry, whose trailer-park, TV-lit childhood and chain-smoking mother will be utterly familiar to devoted readers.

CAIRO by G. Willow Wilson ADULT/YA

9781401211400
A lush and energetic drawing style makes for a beautiful book,. Wilson, a journalist who has spent many years in the city of the book's title, constructs a gripping narrative, mixing magic, politics and romance. the knowledgeable view of the Islamic world and interesting visual effects do keep the reader's attention.

TONOHARU, Part 1 by Lars Martinson ADULT
978-0980102321

Daniel Wells begins a new life as an assistant junior high school teacher in the rural Japanese village of Tonoharu. Isolated from those around him by cultural and language barriers, he leads a monastic existence, peppered only by his inept pursuit of the company of a fellow American who lives a couple towns over.

TINY TITANS by DC Comics JUVENILE
Discover what life is like for the young heroes of Sidekick Elementary in this new collection featuring TINY TITANS #1-6! Kid-friendly versions of the Teen Titans and their rogues gallery star in this fun, light-hearted, all-ages romp beautifully written and illustrated by Art Baltazar and Franco.

MINI MARVELS by Chris Giarusso for Marvel Comics JUVENILE
Here come the Mini Marvels in their very own comedy/adventure digest! Featuring Spidey, Wolvie, Iron Man, Hulk and more Marvel favorites – reimagined for an all-ages audience!

yum yums

Battle for the Cowl

I've been on the outside of the DCU, having given up Trinity and not having read Final Crisis, or Batman R.I.P. But I decided to give "Battle for the Cowl" #1 a chance. Cover art shows Nightwing, Batwoman, Oracle, so at least it involves DCU characters I like. All the villians are mentioned or shown also- Poison Ivy, Joker, Black Mask, Riddler, Penguin.

But, I feel like the "world without___" has been beat down in the DCU. Back to 52 (a year without Supes, Batman, WWoman) until now-- is Didio trying to warn us that if DC Comics went under what we'd miss? That's a cynical and depressing take on our heroes.

Anyway, I will read issue 2 based on my interest from BftCowl.
Issue 2 on sale April 8th.

goodies

I've been happily processing the 41 adult graphic novel titles and the 61 young adult GN's we ordered. We order others, but I get to select and order a few large carts a year. It is one part of this particular public library I enjoy-- I hear other systems just centrally order or reference librarians are not part of the selection process. While they are not "mine", I get to support a few artists and titles that might not be ordered-- of course, those books must be listed with a big jobber to be ordered in the first place. If only I had a batch of dough to take to a comiccon on behalf of the library!

Today: Sentences, Spirit 12, Joeker, Manga Shakespeare, Bone, Mammoth book of Manga.

comic film dates

Mark our calendars!

Marvel Spider-Man 4

Three Marvel Studios superhero pics will debut in summer 2011, including the May 6 bow of Sony's "Spider-Man 4."That's to be followed by the June 17 release of "Thor," which was to have opened in summer 2010, and the July 22 opening of "The First Avenger: Captain America."

multicharacter superhero tentpole "The Avengers" from July 15, 2011, to May 4, 2012.

"Iron Man 2" remains the same: May 7, 2010.

Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2
Marvel wouldn't confirm Rourke's involvement, but he's planning to join Downey, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson, with Scarlett Johansson the frontrunner to play the Black Widow.

John August to write "Preacher" film
He has quite a task to compress this sprawling, raunchy and devoted fan favorite. We'll see..

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen's The Comedian) to make "Losers"
DC-Vertigo comicbook about a band of black ops commandos who are set up to be killed by their own government. They barely survive and set out to get even.

quotable

The best lines from my recent comic stack- at least according to my own sense of humor or intellect:

Air 6:
"In 1937, I was chosen from among the ninety nines for the most ambitious flight in history: circumnavigating the globe in a hyperprax aircraft" - Amelia Earhart

Fringe 2:
"They just showed us a billion-dollar teleportation machine. What else could they be possibly hiding?"

House of Mystery 10:
"Poet, look at me. Get the goddamn bundt pan!"

Buffy VS 22:
"Vampires aren't cute and fluffy! And a kitty cat? Come on!"

Birds of Prey 126:
"I mean, maybe it is an "evil internet".."

Jack of Fables 30
"What do we do now? Everybody read for your lives!"

NYT, what is it about you? (that's from Annie)

I sent this to my library system's reference librarians today-- when the paper of record begins to finally begins to give graphic novels our place in the world of best sellers.

"The New York Times has introduced weekly graphic novel (or as the Gray Lady calls them, “graphic books”) bestseller lists via its Arts Beat blog today, a huge step on the long path to legitimacy for the comics medium."

Librarians are discussing whether these weekly GN lists will drive patron requests, only time will tell.

3 lists—Graphic Books (hardcover), Graphic Books (softcover) and Manga

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/introducing-the-new-york-times-graphic-books-best-seller-lists/?pagemode=print

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/14461.html

2 trades

Read this trade from Phillygirl's collection:
Fables vol 11 War and Peace
The war for Fabletown heats up! Cinderella heads out on a cloak-and-dagger mission to bring a mysterious package back into town. But when the Empire heads after the same prize, there's no telling who will be left standing when the smoke clears. Collects issues #70-75 of the award-winning series.

I thought I was closer to catching up with the single issues, but I guess I'll keep reading the trades. From Willingham's comments, there doesn't seem to be an end issue date currently. I had in my end that it was a limited run, like Y or 100 Bullets. Great to see Cinderella the spy, Boy Blue confessing his feelings for Rose Red, and the fables vs. empire war.

Speaking of 100 bullets, I'm rereading 100 Bullets: First Shot Last Call. I enjoy it, but probably much like the first Fables trade, it takes a few to really hook you. Phillygirl gave me the last three.

I have about 3 weeks of comics waiting. I see the Batman: Battle for the Cowl is coming. Can't say I'm over the moon for anything else new. Just my regular pull list.

I will watch Watchmen

...tonight. We have a group of 7 of us, including several True Believers and 3 librarians. At least 2 have the original comics (not me, I'll admit that I read Watchmen in trade about 15 years after its release).

I've read some pieces of reviews, but am much more optimistic for a great film I saw 20 mins, and maybe its just seeing the beloved panels come to life, but I am sold. Snyder really has his finger on the comic, and I went from someone who thought this film was unmakeable to being a fan.

3 hours on Imax tonight!

Vertigo title to look for..

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less

Phillygirl and I heard about this at the Vertigo panel at NYCC, and it sounded quite interesting. I'm not familiar with Sarah Glidden's mini-comics, but here is something original and thought-provoking to look foward to.