Bookhunter

Bookhunter by Jason Shiga (2007), 144 pgs.

Oakland Public Library, 1973. The crime: impossible. A refence book, "for in-library use only", has been stolen and replaced with a near-perfect fake. Who had the know-how to make this switch? How was the thief able to get the reference copy out past the alarmed sensors? The library police are the only ones with the literary vernacular and the guts to solve this tricky case before it's too late. The stakes are high; the books are bound; and the criminal is going down.

Any library nerd will love this graphic novel. There is an overdramatized police procedural plot regarding a missing library book, a car chase complete with someone hanging off the back of the car, 1970s technology...what's not to love?! The art style is very different, colored in shades of brown and gray (library theme I assume), and looks a little silly, but it is clearly meant to emphasize the absurdity of it all. It is a fun and quick read for anyone nerdy enough to wade through the old technology references. 

Watchmen

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1987), 416 pgs. 

It's New York City in the 1980s. Nuclear war is at the top of international consciousness. Costumed heroes have mostly fallen out of the public eye since they were outlawed in 1977. Both the catalyst and the deterrent of rising nuclear tensions resides in the city in the form of Dr. Manhattan, the world's only crimefighter who possesses superhuman (and seemingly unlimited) power. When heroes from an old group of masked adventurers called the Watchmen start dying under mysterious and violent circumstances, the other former members (disjointedly) reunite to figure out what plot is afoot. Is humanity in danger? Can the Watchmen save it before it's too late? Should they? 

Watchmen is a heavy, very meta superhero story about what it means to be human and what it means to be a hero. The "heroes" in the Watchmen group are all presented as very flawed people who abuse their power, operate outside the law, and oftentimes look down upon those they are supposed to protect. At the same time, a pretty pessimistic view of humanity is presented as the cycle of violence in the story goes round and round like the hands of a clock. Fans of "The Boys" TV show on Amazon Prime, or just of dark, gritty superhero stories chock full of complex characters and symbols, will enjoy this highly acclaimed graphic novel.

Die Vol. 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker

 Die Vol. 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, 184 pages.

In 1991 six teenagers disappear from the home where they were playing a tabletop roleplaying game called Die for Dominic Ash's sixteenth birthday. Two years later five return. They cannot speak of what happened to them. Twenty-five years later Ash receives in the mail the metal twenty-sided die that transported them to a terrible fantasy world on his sixteenth birthday, splashed in blood. It belonged to Sol, the gamemaster, the one who didn't come back. The group hasn't seen each other in years, avoiding reminders of their traumatic two years. But now they are together again considering if they can save the friend they thought was dead, and are instantly pulled right back into the world they never wanted to return to.

This comic series has been described by the author as "Goth Jumanji" and that doesn't seem too far off the mark. This volume had to do a lot of heavy lifting establishing the world, rules, and history, which meant we only got hints of a lot of what I believe it's building to. That being said, I'm already hooked. The characters are very flawed, and also very engaging, so I'm excited to see where we're going with this! The art is also super cool. And, as a ttrpg nerd, I am of course sold on the premise. This won the British Fantasy Award and was a finalist for a Hugo, and I think those accolades are definitely deserved. 

Fun Fact: The author is releasing an actual rpg book for the game represented in this story, and it sounds really interesting!

Strange planet

 Strange Planet / Nathan W. Pyle, 144 pgs.

An alien's view of human behavior, which will serve to get you to question a lot of your behavior.  Or maybe just everyone else's behavior if you are super uncomfortable with things that hit a little to close to home. The drawings may seem a little simple at first but then you realize they are fabulous.  I'm also very attracted to the color scheme of this book. Haven't convinced you yet?  At 144 pages, the commitment isn't huge so go ahead and place you hold now.

Speed Bump

 

Speed Bump: a 25th anniversary collection / Dave Coverly, 211 pgs.

25 years is a silver anniversary.  Coverly's cartoons do not disappoint.  They are all single panel works that have appeared in a variety of places.  Coverly has, perhaps, created my favorite cartoon of all time as seen below.  This collection is very good.

Safely endangered comics

Safely Endangered Comics / Chris McCoy, 144 pgs.

Hilarious! I found so much to love here.  The illustrations look simple but they are brilliant.  McCoy has an interesting perspective.