> GRAPHIC NOVELS
Grass By Keum Suk Gendry-Kim Drawn & Quarterly, 480 pages, $34.95
Sometimes graphic novels can be perceived as a little frivolous. There are many exceptions, such as Persepolis or
Maus; the story of a Korean girl presented in Grass joins those prestigious titles as one of the most powerful and moving in sequential art.
It’s the biography of Okseon Lee, one of the thousands forced to become “comfort women” by the Japanese military during the Second World War. Her experiences, before and after her sexual slavery, are presented in matterof-fact terms by Gendry-Kim with an honesty that’s unique to this serious side of cartooning, with its simplified, direct depiction of people, their emotions and their environments.
And Gendry-Kim takes it further by examining her own experiences as she interviews Lee, showing herself and her self-doubt as part of the story.
This is an important book, which should be read widely.
Mars Attacks By Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer Dynamite Entertainment, 132 pages, $26.50
Everybody’s heard of Mars Attacks, right? The movie based on trading cards that’s a big ol’ joke about destruction caused by aliens that shout “Ack! Ack! Ack!” Right? Well, yes, but it’s also this treasure of a new graphic novel by up-and-coming creators who tell clever, emotional stories in the guise of comedy.
It’s about a father-and-son relationship that isn’t going so well. Spencer’s a feckless loser who wants to borrow money from his dad … when aliens start blowing the hell out of everywhere. So, with gigantic explosions and torched humans all around, the pair head for the hills, bickering all the way, and get ready to show the invaders what they’re made of.
Kyle Starks’ past work, especially
Sexcastle, is possibly the most underrated material in comics and it’s only a matter of time before everybody’s talking about him. Pair Starks with the superbly talent Schweizer and the result is explosive.
King of King Court By Travis Dandro Drawn & Quarterly, 460 pages, $34.95
Memoirs drawn in pen and ink are becoming almost as common as podcasts these days. So, when it starts to feel like everybody’s got one, this type of memoir needs to stand out — and that’s what King of King Court manages to do.
It’s based on the author’s experiences with his biological father, a charismatic figure struggling with drugs and, eventually, prison and worse. Throughout, Dandro uses his simple black-and-white style to present events starkly, and it’s often shocking to see a little boy (Dandro draws himself as a cute kid with messy hair and round, eyeless glasses) having these experiences. It adds extra sensitivity. The pace of the book is always crucial in comics, and this one, focused throughout on images more than words, is a page-turner, even if the subject matter isn’t an easy read.
Hotel Dare By Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre BOOM! Studios, 144 pages, $11.99
There’s a ton of fun in Hotel Dare, which is one of a series of tremendous books for middle grade and younger readers produced by the KaBOOM! imprint, as other comics publishers struggle to create appropriate stories for this demographic.
It has a lot of layers. There’s a tale of family conflicts centred on adopted siblings Olive, Darwin and Charlotte, extended to the difficult nature of their grandmother Mama Lupe and her own past. Then there’s the fantasy/sciencefiction layer, as a boring summer of chores at the family’s creepy hotel turns into a dimension-hopping adventure. And there’s a cultural element, too, with magic and mythology from a Mexican tradition that’s sorely under-represented in comic books. Most importantly, it’s really fun. Expect wizards, space pirates, creatures made from cotton candy, and swashbuckling battles to keep you entertained.