A selection of November graphic novels

Briar Vol. 1: Sleep No More by Christopher Cantwell with art by German Garcia (2023) 128 pages

Reading for #hooplachallenge "Beyond the Storybook" theme this month. Clearly leads right into volume 2, but I didn't love it enough to continue. Maybe later. Chapter one "Nothing Sharp in Sight" has the lovely transition from soft storybook telling of Sleeping Beauty leading to dystopian fantasy future. We even get a rodent of unusual size! The beginning of Briar Rose's journey is handled well. Bloody and scatological, Cantwell's use of language is stilted. Chapter two "The Witch Which Witches Not" reveals the evil that pursues Briar Rose and her growing band of misfits. Chapter three "Of Villainous, Cruel Gnomes" starts with a flashback for a new character and continues with the same sort of dark adventure. Chapter four "Adra Adrata Adracta" brings the threads together pretty well and reveals a surprise that makes sense going back to the beginning. I like the band of misfits and visually I like the series. I do want to find out what happens next, so I probably will pick up volume 2 at some point.

Ruins by Peter Kuper (2015) 328 pages

"Samantha and George are a couple heading towards a sabbatical year in the quaint Mexican town of Oaxaca. For Samantha, it is the opportunity to revisit her past. For George, it is an unsettling step into the unknown." I loved seeing the butterfly's journey. I loved getting to know the city of Oaxaca (wah-ha-ka) and surrounding areas of Mexico. Many layers to the relationship story, but a troubled one.

Lackadaisy: Volume 1 by Tracy J. Butler (2009) 96 pages

Tracy J. Butler is a local St. Louis artist. This is set in St. Louis in 1927. Prohibition has sparked the engine of organized crime. The story is full of 1920s slang and references. Good sense of humor. Good character development of anthropomorphized cats in spiffy outfits.

Once Upon a Time Machine edited by Andrew Carl, written and illustrated by many artists (2012) 431 pages

Anthology of many international comic artists adapting fairy tales from around the world into futuristic tales. There seems to be a large number of artists from Philadelphia invited to contribute. It is a mix of more or less successful adaptations. Some artists have provided just a single page illustration, but it is the other short adaptations that make it worth your while. I'll highlight a few that I thought were clever and unique, but you may be more strongly drawn to others. I thought "Pinocchio or The Stars Are Not Wanted Now" had a nice twist on the lesson of telling the truth or telling lies. "The Puppet-Show Man or No Strings" is based on a story I'm not familiar with, but it drew me in with its grungy art and 'be careful what you wish' lesson. "The Shepherd and the Weaver Girl" feels epic and mythical. This adaptation of the Chinese myth has a clever way of drawing on the old and imagining it in the future. I also liked the nanotechnology dreamed up in the adaptation of "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi." The adaptation of "The Ugly Duckling or The Ugly Part" changes the ingredients of the story quite a bit, but achieves a better moral in the end. I really enjoyed "Vasilissa the Beautiful" based on a Slavic Baba Yaga tale. And "The Gold Piece or A Destiny Earned" was sweet and meaningful.

Washington's Gay General: The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben by Josh Trujillo with art by Levi Hastings (2023) 192 pages

"A graphic novel biography of Baron von Steuben, the soldier, immigrant, and flamboyant homosexual who influenced the course of US history during the Revolutionary War despite being omitted from our textbooks." I love learning about history and a person's life in this way. Well illustrated and moves along fairly quickly. Some memoir scenes and other brief introductions of queer people in history are sprinkled in too. 

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang (2024) 320 pages

I grew up enjoying Illustrated Classics versions of Swiss Family Robinson and Robinson Crusoe. I also loved imagining the survival stories in Island of the Blue Dolphins and Incident at Hawk's Hill. I loved this story of nonbinary Ash challenging themselves to find their grandpa's hidden cabin in a National Forest in California. It feels very real as Ash studies and prepares. This is not a spur of the moment decision. Learning to survive with their dog, Chase, is an experience in which they learn from their mistakes and find what is most important in their life. Great art and structured like a journal.

The Stoneshore Register by G. Willow Wilson with art by M.K. Perker (2025) 128 pages

I like the lead character, Fadumo, a refugee and stranger to this Pacific Northwest town. The townspeople are fairly well drawn too, but we don't get to know them very deeply. I like the exploration of the uncanny and weird. I didn't enjoy chapter 4 as much. Chapter 5 nails the real message of the graphic novel when the immigration agents come looking for Fadumo. G. Willow Wilson's writing continues to be enjoyable.

Aristotle: A Graphic Biography by Tassos Apostolidis with art by Alecos Papadatos (2024) 216 pages

Nice framing device with a colleague of Aristotle teaching his students about Aristotle's life and thoughts. I like the basic color scheme. Some lengthy text for historical exposition is mixed with occasional humor and fairly detailed summaries of Aristotle's major philosophical concepts. I like the peek into daily life around Greece of the time and how Aristotle's relationships with family and friends is portrayed. The book does a good job of making him more than just the figure behind these abstract ethical/scientific concepts. He was real and enjoyed life.

Automatic Reload

Automatic Reload by Ferrett Steinmetz, 304 pages

Years ago, Mat was a drone operator for the U.S. military. During one of his assignments, Mat accidentally killed a young child while taking out the nearby terrorists, and the misstep has haunted him ever since. Now, he's replaced his four limbs with high tech robotic replacements, which he uses to help save hostages, re-calibrating after every mission to try to minimize casualties as much as possible. On what should be a routine protect-the-package mission, things go haywire, introducing Silvia, a woman whose panic disorder has been weaponized. Now their mission has changed to try to take down the shadowy organization who did this to her.

This is a fast-paced, fun book that reads like a shoot-em-up video game (in a good way), but also handles mental illness with kindness and compassion. It's fun, it's sweet, it's imaginative, and I absolutely loved it.

Trail of Lightning

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, 287 pages

After devastating floods wipe out most of North America, the Navajo reservation of what used to be the American Southwest is one of few places spared. But as the floods wiped out so much of humanity, the ancient Navajo gods and monsters have returned to wreak havoc. Maggie is a tracker and slayer of monsters, trading her skills for jewelry, blankets, and even the rare can of coffee. But recently, the horrors have begun ramping up, with a witch creating zombie-like monsters to ravage towns. Could Maggie's immortal monster-slaying former mentor be behind it? And what does trickster Coyote have to do with it?

The fusion of post-apocalyptic and ancient mythology in this book is amazing, and Roanhorse does a wonderful job of creating both complex characters and an action-packed story. I can't wait to discuss this with the Orcs & Aliens book group on Monday night, nor can I wait to read the sequel!

The Sky Is Yours

The Sky Is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith, 457 pages

Take Manhattan, and throw in the following elements in equal parts:

• horrific prison mismanagement (think a walled-in neighborhood where all criminals, regardless of crime, are thrown together); 
• a disturbing fascination with reality TV and technology; 
• a hopelessly romantic teenage girl whose only purpose is to be married off to a rich husband;
• and a freaked out kid who grew up on a trash island.

Mix well and cook with intermittent fire provided by two ever-circling dragons flying above the city.

Makes: one cynical, funny science fiction novel. Devour at will.

I read this book for the first time last year, and blogged about it here. I feel much the same on this reread as I did then (still loved it, still tickled pink at the character names), so I won't say much more in this post. I'm curious to see what the Orcs & Aliens think of it tonight though.

Woman World

Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal, 247 pages

When a birth defect slowly wipes men off the face of Earth, women create their own communities. This excellent graphic novel focuses on one of those communities, jumping between stories of the young, the old, the nudist, the friend-zoned. It's fantastic, it's hilarious, and I loved it.

The Power

The Power by Naomi Alderman, 386 pages

What would happen if women and girls the world over suddenly had power? Like, literal power, in the sense that they can create and manipulate electricity at will. How would women react? How would men? What would happen to society at large? Those are the questions that drive Alderman's book, and the answers she comes up with are definitely provocative. I liked the way this book was framed, following a handful of barely-connected people as they navigate the rapidly changing world. The book reminded me of both Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Brian K. Vaughn's comics series, Y: The Last Man. I very much look forward to discussing this with the Orcs & Aliens group next Monday night.

We cast a shadow

We cast a shadow / Maurice Carlos Ruffin, read by Dion Grahm, 324 pgs.

What would you do to make life better for your child?  How sure are you that your actions are for the best?  How can we add a satirical twist here that forces the reader to reflect on race and society?  I am amazed by this book and the path it takes. In the future, there are a few successful black people.  They, like our protagonist, are striving to be "the one" chosen by their law firm or other profession.  The books starts with several black associates viewing for the one shot at becoming a partner in the firm.  What would you do to achieve?  But the condition of blackness (as well as other ethnic conditions) is treatable.  You can get get rid of the dark skin through "demelanization."  Surgery can "correct" the shape of your nose, lips, and eyes.  Another of the firms exceptions is the Asian woman who is trying to repress her Asian characteristics because she is sick of being treated like the answer to every man's fantasy.  But I'm off track here.  Our protagonist is trying to help his child by erasing his blackness.  But does his son want to be "non-black?"  As the book goes on, we see desperation, cajoling, and retreat.  I'm convinced this book is brilliant and the audio was perfectly read by Dion Graham.
 

The test

The test / Sylvain Neuvel, read by Neil Shah, 108 pgs.

In the near future, to become a citizen, you take the British Citizenship Test.  If you pass, you can stay, if you fail, you and your family are immediately deported.  Idir is sitting for the test.  25 questions seal your fate, 1 of 3 fail.  He is just started when the testing center is taken over by a group of terrorists.  One of his fellow test takers is shot.  Idir moves to help him and is singled out by the terrorists who will kill someone every 15 minutes until they get what they want.  I will say no more but this is an amazing, powerful story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The audio version is fantastic.

The Emissary

The Emissary by Yoko Tawada, 138 pages

In Tokyo in the future, adults of a certain vintage are seemingly immortal, yet the toxic environment has rendered their great-grandchildren fragile, weak, and sick beings. It is against this backdrop that we find the energetic centenarian Yoshiro caring for his weak but wise great-grandson Mumei, worrying about Mumei's safety and diet, doing everything he can to create a comfortable and caring cocoon for the child, who seems destined to die well before his time. It may seem a depressing tale from this description, but somehow Tawada's quirky sense of humor brings a lightness to this dystopian tale. It's an odd little book, but I very much enjoyed it.

We Cast a Shadow

We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, 324 pages

The barest description of this book is simple: A black lawyer is doing everything he can to climb the ranks in his law firm, trying to do what he can to make his young son's life easier, both now and in the future. But the intricacies of what he's doing, what he's trying to do, and the hoops he's willing to jump through are what elevate this book to flat-out amazing.

Set in a future where black Americans are not-exactly-forced to live in fenced-off projects and where it's possible (but VERY expensive) to surgically erase blackness through "demelanization" and plastic surgery, our unnamed protagonist must, in turn, become a stereotype and a token POC to "earn" a promotion that will allow his son to get the procedure that will remove a growing dark birthmark from his lighter-skinned face — despite his white wife's protestations.

No matter how many ways I try to type and retype a description of this book, I realize that I'm never going to capture the power of it. All I can say is that, by setting this book in the future, Maurice Carlos Ruffin manages to illustrate the world we live in today better than just about any book I've ever read. This book is incredible, and I'll be shocked if it isn't taught, discussed, and dissected alongside Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man in the future.

Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, 310 pages.
When Tom saves the Head Historian of London from a knife attack he unwittingly becomes a part of a great conspiracy. And he suffers for it fast.
London is one of the bigger Traction Cities, mechanized cities that wander the land devouring smaller towns, using them for parts and enslaving their people.
The whole mobile cities eating other cities was new to me (even though this book came out in 2001, I hadn't hear about it) and having the two main characters, Tom and Hester, being on the run in a waste land wherein they would have to find a town or city and then find some way to board said town or city made for an interesting story. The movie is out now (gone now?) and I may see it someday. I look forward to reading the second volume in "The Hungry Cities Chronicles", Predator's Gold.

Rock Manning Goes For Broke

Rock Manning Goes For Broke by Charlie Jane Anders, 122 pages

Class clown and son of a stunt man, Rock Manning has made a name for himself starring in low-budget, chaotic, slapstick-y short movies that have gone viral online. The viewers, it seems are seeking refuge in the goofy flicks from a never-ending war that has the world in its grips. (The only other choice for respite is going down the rabbit hole of opioids.) Before long, the Red Bandana para-military group is approaching Rock and his filmmaking pal Sally to create some propaganda to cash in on Rock's stardom while selling their extremist views.

In this futuristic novella, Anders creates a parable for what's going on in the world today, complete with extreme politics and extreme measures of escapism. She doesn't draft an answer, or even a conclusion to these issues, but Anders does give readers something to consider as we seek out distractions or ways to deal with what's going on around us. It's an odd little book, but I'll be thinking about Rock Manning for a long time to come.

The Sky is Yours

The Sky is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith, 457 pages

For 50 years, the once-thrivng metropolis of Empire Island has been at the mercy of two dragons that constantly circle the skies above the island, lighting fires throughout the city whenever the mood strikes them. These dragons — one yellow, one green — never land, never eat, never sleep, and never communicate in any way with the people who live below them. While the threat of dragon-fire has led many to flee the city, there are some who remain. Among those: spoiled billionaire playboy teenager Duncan Ripple V; his arranged-marriage fiancee Baroness Swan Lenore Dahlberg; and hard-hearted drug kingpin Eisenhower Sharkey. There's also Abby, a girl who was raised alone on a neighboring garbage dump island and taught to fear all technology. These four people live isolated from one another, and from the city at large, yet circumstances force their stories to intertwine.

Along with these fantastically-named and well-rounded characters, Smith has created a nuanced world that almost becomes a character of its own. The plot, too, was excellently created, shining just a bit of light on the path forward without giving up the coming twists and turns, but with plenty of wry humor that sneaks up on the reader. I loved it!

American War

American War / Omar El Akkad, read by Dion Graham, 333 pg.

The story of the second American civil war that lingers for years as the Blues fight the Reds.  This story focuses on the Chestnut family who, in the beginning, are looking for a way out of the south.  The parents want a better future for their three children.  Unfortunately father Benjamin dies while trying to secure the papers needed.  The remaining Chestnuts end up in a refugee camp. This is where twins Sarat and Dana, and brother Simon do most of their growing up.  When the camp is attacked, somehow the three Chestnut kids survive although Simon is forever altered. Sarat becomes the toughest combatant in the south after being trained by a shady character who picks her out of the refugee camp.  Sarat performs a deed that changes the direction of the war., then later changes the entire country.  This book is told by her nephew, a man who has a heavy family history to bear.  The audio version narrated by Dion Graham is wonderful.  A powerful story that doesn't contain much sugar.

Version Control

Version Control by Dexter Palmer, 495 pages

In the not-too-distant-future, physicist Philip Steiner working on building a time machine (sorry, "causality violation device"), though after dedicating several years to the project, it's still not working. Or at least it doesn't appear to be working. Version Control follows Philip's wife Rebecca, a depressed woman working for Lovability, an online matchmaking site. Rebecca and Philip's relationship has become strained since their son died in a car accident, with Philip throwing himself into his work and ignoring his grieving wife. But then Rebecca makes a choice that changes their lives, though she doesn't really realize it.

This is ostensibly a science fiction book, complete with a time machine, but really, it's an exploration of society, technology, and relationships. Heavy stuff, and it can sometimes get a little slow, especially if you're looking for a straightforward time-travel story (because this really isn't that at all). It's definitely provided some food for thought, and that's a good thing.

Feed

Feed / M. T. Anderson 237 pgs.

Titus and his friends do spring break on the moon where he meets an unusual girl, Violet, who is home schooled and seems to know a lot more about the world but less about the technology that feeds them.  In the future, almost everyone is hooked up to a feed that presents constant information about items they can buy, fashion and how to decorate.  School is now run by corporations who have replaced a more traditional curriculum, for example, how to read, with product information.  Violet is different because she wasn't hooked up to the feed at birth.  Her parents were against it but realized she would need it get along in the world.  Her father was interviewed for a job where the interviewers stopped speaking but were communicating with each other over their feeds, he realized his daughter would not be able to make it in the world without the feed. The problem for Violet, is her feed is somewhat defective.  Since she had it installed later in life, her brain had already developed other ways of thinking that now conflict with the feed. Nobody seems to be willing/able to fix her feed and soon, it seems, she will die.  She wants to create some memories with Titus but he is turned off by her problems and impending death.

Not a lot of action but a book that makes you think.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, 352 pages

In the not-too-distant future, the real world has become a vast wasteland as most of the population spends its time logged into OASIS, a fully functioning simulated world, where people can buy, sell, learn, meet up, and go on various adventures through their avatars. The story begins on the day that James Halliday, the creator of OASIS, dies without heirs, leaving his entire fortune to the first person who is able to find the Easter egg he has hidden in OASIS. Ready Player One is the story of that quest, and of one poor kid from Oklahoma who incredibly becomes a front-runner in the race.

This book is a lot of fun. It's packed with geeky references to the 1980s, everything from movies to music to classic arcade games to D&D to books and more. This should be required reading for anyone who considers him- or herself a geek. Awesome book.

Winter

Winter by Marissa Meyer, 824 pages
Book 4 in the Lunar Chronicles

Spoilers if you haven't read Cress.

When last we met our crew, they had successfully managed to kidnap Emperor Kai before he could say "I do" to the evil Queen Levana. Orbiting Earth using Cress's hacker skills to evade capture, Cinder comes up with a plan that will get her onto Luna and (hopefully) start a revolution. Unfortunately, it involves Kai marrying Queen Levana after all, except this time on Luna, so that he can help smuggle them in.

Meanwhile, Jacin has made it back to Luna after seemingly selling out Cinder and her friends to Sybil Mira. He really doesn't care what happens - he just wants to get back to Princess Winter, Queen Levana's beautiful step-daughter. Winter herself is more than thrilled he has returned, not only because he is the only one who can calm her down when the walls start bleeding, but also because she loves him. Jacin also loves her, but knows that the two of them could never be together, for millions of reasons.

Cinder's plans are set. Can she and her friends start a revolution and change Luna forever?

What an adventure. 800-plus pages of cliffhangers, deadly struggles, and romantic moments later, and I can't believe the series is over. But what a fantastic ending! Every night I went to bed with my mind racing, not sure how everyone was going to survive and desperately hoping that they all would. Admittedly, there are a few moments that were a little too perfect (like Cress meeting Kai at just the right moment to evade capture), but the story moves so quickly that it's hard to be too judgmental. Meyer really drives home the deadliness of the Lunars and their powers in ways that weren't as obvious in the previous books, and she still manages to deftly weave all the different characters' narratives together without missing a beat. She also manages to make Winter almost satirically perfect as her stand in for Snow White (of course she could go convince a pack of Lunar special operatives to join Cinder's cause just by singing), but without making too much fun of her. Luckily I still have the recently released short story collection to keep me anchored in this wonderful sci-fi world.

Seveneves

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, 867 pages.

Stephenson, author of such science fiction classics as Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and Anathem tends to write books that are rather epic in scope. This novel starts with a contemporary setting and a rather believable apocalyptic event. As the nations of earth come together to try and save the human race by getting enough people off the planet and into some sort of  a sustainable future, Stephenson has what seems to be a complete story. But people in this world do what people do all the time, and soon jealousy, naked self-interest, and bad luck have the human race on the very edge of extinction. The last third of this book is somewhere between an extended epilogue, and a stand-alone story, though it wasn't til this point that I finally realized the significance of the title.
Stephenson is a very good writer, with a fair supply of style and a lot to say about science, people, and the ways in which life can become very complicated.

Great characters and interesting plot arcs keep the story going even after you think you had gotten to the end. A fun, entertaining tale that integrates the science into the tale seamlessly.
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The Wake

The Wake by Scott Snyder, art by Sean Murphy, colors by Matt Hollingsworth, 256 pages

Dr. Lee Archer, a cetologist, is recruited by the Department of Homeland Security to study a marine call that doesn't match any known animal. Taken to a secret deep-sea drill rig in the arctic circle, she meets the rest of the team, and, more importantly, the creature who made the call. Given that this is Scott Snyder and a horror story, things quickly go pear-shaped, as the creature escapes and all hell breaks loose. And then we fast-forward 200 years to a world running out of freshwater and constantly under siege by the creatures. Like all good Snyder stories, the world around the story is top-notch, and he quickly drops you into the conflict at hand, ramping up the tension as the DHS agent slowly explains why they're all there, and keeping it going as the crew try to escape. Sean Murphy's art is fantastic, especially his creature design, and Matt Hollingsworth's colors really add to the underwater feel of the story. Unfortunately, and maybe I was just not paying enough attention, Snyder makes a jump in explaining the end that I wasn't able to follow. Regardless, I still really enjoyed this story, and am eagerly looking forward to whatever Snyder dreams up next.