5 Ways to Spend Your Gift Certificate
I love getting gift certificates, but after all the seasonal foofaraw, when I finally get to the store, I often blank. Should I take a chance on something new, or pick up the one I've wanted forever? For anyone who might find themselves in the same situation, here's a list of comics and graphic novels that are worth a gift certificate buy.
What is it? Guy Davis is best known these days for his artwork on B.P.R.D. and The Zombies that Ate the World. In the late 1990s, he created a fantastic horror universe of his own with The Marquis. Set in an alternative-universe Ancien Regime France, The Marquis follows the story of Vol de Galle, an aging bureaucrat of the Inquisition who gains the power to see devils who possess innocents, and the ability to send them back to Hell. Assuming that these abilities are granted to him by his patron saint, De Galle believes he's doing God's work, but the truth is much more complicated. Why is it worth reading? The Marquis: Inferno is an engrossing tale of horror set in a world of societal change. Ancien Regime lords and ladies turn into grotesque monsters at a stroke of the Marquis' sword (and Davis' pen) as de Galle limns personal purpose in this universe's meeting (or not) of theology and societal ethics. Why is it worth buying? The stories in this volume were previously published in two separate collections, Danse Macabre and Intermezzo. But much of Davis' penwork and painstakingly applied shading film dissolved into a muddy presentation on those editions' pulp paper. This new edition uses a white glossy paper that is much more favourable to the artwork. It also collects all the Marquis stories in one volume and includes new material, namely re-coloured pages (by Dave Stewart), an expanded sketchbook and a collection of comic and trade paperback covers from the U.S. and France. Speaking as a fan of Guy Davis and someone who owns one of the earlier editions, I must say that the Dark Horse edition of The Marquis: Inferno is well worth the purchase. For more about this book: Read my review here.
What is it? Skim is an original graphic novel that sprang from a 32-page one-shot comic by the Tamaki cousins. This book is named after its protagonist, Skim, a high school student who has always been an outsider. Skim's diary entries add up to a discourse on how teens construct personal identities through class, pop culture, ethnicity, body image and sexual orientation. The catalyst for the character's examination of self and society is the suicide of a popular girl's boyfriend. Pushed to contemplate mortality at an early age, Skim and her friends betray much about themselves in their reactions to the boy's death. Amidst this drama, Skim's attachment to a female teacher takes her into uncharted territory. Why is it worth reading? Skim has earned a passel of accolades, including the Doug Wright award for Best Book. Textually, Skim is witty, unsentimental and emotionally powerful. Visually, Skim is striking, with brushstrokes that are as fluid as teen identities can be. Why is it worth buying? Skim is a fantastic book in itself, but if you've read the original one-shot, you'll be fascinated by how well the Tamaki cousins have filled out the story and revised the art to tell a multi-layered story. For more about this book: See my interview with the Tamaki cousins when the original 32-page Skim comic was published.
What is it? Nate Powell takes us into the heads of two young siblings, Ruth and Perry, who both suffer from neurological disorders. Their issues alienate them from other kids at school, but connect them to their grandmother, who had secretly suffered from similar disorders for years. Eventually, Ruth and Perry take their own journeys, and Powell takes us along through their point of view. Why is it worth reading? Swallow Me Whole enters the children's world via panels unmoored from a grid, expressive lettering and word balloons and textured blacks. The comic is so intense that it's difficult not to read in a single sitting: once you're dropped into Ruth and Perry's world, it's hard to get out. Why is it worth buying? I was intimidated by the heavy subject matter, but I forgot about that in about two panels because the art is mesmerizingly suited to the tell the Ruth and Perry's story. Even in its moments of stillness, there is so much happening on so many different levels of reality.
What is it? This is a great little book that demystifies cartooning and tells a story at the same time. It begins as an elf shows a princess how easy it is to write a comic. To illustrate how to write a comic, the elf takes the reader into the story of a chivalrous tale of a knight trying to save a princess from a candy-eating dragon. (Is something in the air? There's one in Jack of Fables as well!) Why is it worth reading? While this book is intended for young readers, the adventure is charming, pressing and very amusing. Like good animation, the artwork is deceptively simple but conveys a sense of non-stop motion. There's also a great twist ending that addresses gender issues in fun and effective way. The story as a whole also reinforces the idea that when you create something, you get to choose who and what you want to be. Why is it worth buying? This is a great comics primer for kids, and even includes examples of kid art to demystify the cartooning process. It's also inspirational for the young at heart: I know of at least three other adults whose first response to this book was: "I want to draw a comic!"
What is it? The first book in a series of adventures featuring Scott Pilgrim, a slacker-turned-Bollywood-number-performing-superhero. From some fairly prosaic personal problems, Scott finds himself having to defeat seven evil ex-boyfriends with the goal of dating the woman of his dreams. It's a modern day parallel to Odysseus in the contest that Penelope holds to determine which of her suitors will be her consort! Why is it worth reading? Besides being good, almost-clean fun, Scott Pilgrim is a really good example of genre-blending in comics. It combines aesthetic and thematic elements of manga, superhero comics and indie comics. From the indie comics of the day (the mid-1990s), O'Malley gives us a small, personal narrative that drives the story. The identity and coming-of-age issues are given a fantastical twist with the introduction of the superhero genre's trademark emergence of hidden powers. Many manga have elements of both personal and heroic stories, and it has the visual vocabulary to show extremes, which is probably how O'Malley can create such believable characters, even when they're doing unbelievable things. Why is it worth buying? If you're like me, you can be slow on the uptake sometimes. With a Scott Pilgrim movie just around the corner, now is a great time to either start the series or to get reacquainted with it. For more about this book: Read Lee Atchison's interview with Scott Pilgrim here. |
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