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. 

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vols. 1-8

 

Batman: The Dark Knight Detective, Vol. 7 by Louise Simonson, Kelley Puckett, Peter Milligan, Alan Grant, et al. (1991) 282 pages

I read eight volumes of this comics series that ran from the 1980s to the early '90s, but I'll just recommend one. I enjoyed the first story, "The Third Man," with two "armchair detective" older ladies getting involved in one of Batman's cases. Then there is a good three-parter. Video game monsters are coming to life in the real world and Robin/Tim Drake's knowledge of these games comes in handy. Even Gordon gets addicted to video games. Batman's research finds a kid in Arkham with the ability to project "video hallucinations," but is he really responsible. This is followed by a curious two-parter with a flashforward story featuring Ra's Al Ghul and Talia. Batman is unable to walk after a fall, Alfred is in an exoskeleton, and Robin/Tim is older. Through desperation Batman makes himself a cybernetic suit, and eventually returns to Ra's mountain lair. Next, the military wants Batman's help with a monster who has the ability to telekinetically set off explosions. In a bit of social commentary, it turns out the person is a black woman that the military has been experimenting on. The head officer is trying to use fear to set Batman and the woman against each other, but they both approach each other with an open mind and catch the officer in lies. Then there is another three-part adventure. An explosives expert is demolishing certain buildings around Gotham. Batman learns some Gotham history. The guy blowing up buildings is a fan of the architect who built Gotham's original skyscrapers and thinks the old architecture "keeps the demons at bay." In part three, Batman sets a trap. Finally, in "The Library of Souls" we get a mystery where Batman gets help from a librarian. They figure out that a recent pattern of dead bodies is based on the Dewey Decimal system and, so, the killer is also a librarian. I thought the writing was particularly good in each of these and the art by various artists helps tell the story well.

Batman: Earth One and Batman '89

 Batman: Earth One, Volume 1 by Geoff Johns (2012) 142 pages and Batman '89 by Sam Hamm (2022) 152 pages

I've read a handful of Batman graphic novels on Hoopla recently. Let me recommend two. The first volume of Batman: Earth One with art by Gary Frank was very good. It takes place in an alternate world where certain characters and events are slightly different than in the regular Batman continuity. We see a bit more of Bruce's boyhood while his parents are still alive. And later when he is putting together his Batman costume/persona, I really appreciated that this version shows him as just a man. His body and his tech are less super. The police are under the thumb of organized crime. It is still a dark criminal world, but very grounded in reality.

Then a newer Batman graphic novel imagines that Tim Burton got to make a third Batman movie. Sam Hamm has a story credit on both of Burton's Batman movies. Joe Quinones illustrates the characters to look like Michael Keaton, Billy Dee Williams, and Michael Gough, etc. The story here provides a lot of things that I liked. We get to know Billy Dee Williams' version of Harvey Dent much more deeply. We witness his transformation into Two-Face. We are also introduced to a brand new character who becomes Batman's sidekick Robin. There were some panels where the action was not quite clear, but it was good to revisit this version of Gotham.

Girl Waits With Gun

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart, 408 pages

In 1914, Constance Kopp and her sisters were driving their buggy down the street when a ruthless factory owner (and possible gangster) crashed his car into them. Despite repeated warnings from her conservative sister Norma and threats of violence and kidnapping from the factory owner, Constance doggedly pursues justice against the factory owner. Constance has nerves of steel and moxie to spare, making this a truly thrilling story.

What makes it even COOLER is that Constance Kopp was a real person, and many of the events in this novel are true. Stewart invented a secondary plot, as well as a couple characters and character traits, but most of the story is true, including the super-awesome newspaper headlines Norma is constantly clipping and sending to her sisters. Kopp is a fascinating woman, and Stewart did an excellent job bringing her to light.

Ms. Marvel, vol. 2: Generation Why

Ms. Marvel, vol. 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson, art by Jacob Wyatt and Adrian Alphona, 136 pages

My love for the first volume of Ms. Marvel is known (see here), and it continues with volume 2 of this series. Kamala is still adjusting to her superpowers and being a hero, and she finds unexpected guidance from one of the best - Wolverine, who's in Jersey City looking for a mutant kid who disappeared on her way to the Jean Gray School. Kamala knows that it's the work of the Inventor, and after facing some truly terrifying genetically modified alligators living in the sewers (and fangirling super hard), she and Wolverine discover that the Inventor is using teens to power his mechanical inventions. And by "power," I mean literally plugging them into his machines and using them as batteries. Kamala is ready for action, but when it hits a little too close to home, she has to decide if being a hero is worth putting the ones she loves in danger. Wilson continues to make Kamala a lovable geek (the internet meme speak is a lovely and funny touch - more comics could use dogespeak, in my opinion), and Alphona's art still manages to pack a lot of detail and movement in, even when it's limited to a single panel. I love the addition of Lockjaw, Kamala's helper in Inhumanity and new giant, teleporting dog - he's so gloriously goofy! While I love DC and their emphasis on darker, grimmer stories, it's fun to switch up things every now and then and read something that's so infused with fun.