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Top 28 Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga:
March 2021
As this unprecedented year lurches to its end and the world’s crisis continues, it’s a good time to look ahead with some hope of at least an improved 2021 and to some spirited, inspiring comics, created despite everything all over the world – works we can look forward to reading in these times. Among my highlights, two stand-out autobiographical debuts offer rich and riveting self-portraits of their creators, Shira Spector and Mannie Murphy.
Rebellion and self-determination can also drive seniors like a 76-year old widow in Shadow Life, as she escapes her care home to assert her independence and survival…
Now more than ever, graphic novels can also take us to places and cultures we may never experience first-hand, including the Central African Republic and its ‘forgotten crisis’...
And they can help us relate to the day-to-day realities, which can be so difficult for immigrant populations in the West, as stingingly captured by Aminder Dhaliwal’s Instagram comics…
As well as fresh graphic biographies of Bille Holiday, Edward Hopper and George Orwell, I’m also drawn to discovering more about the singular, exemplary life of Nellie Bly…
Considering what a brilliant sensei of manga Shotaro Ishinomori was, there’s way too little of his remarkable and substantial oeuvre published in English, so it’s great that this big compendium of seminal stories is coming out at last…
The 2x2 newspaper strip can be a little miracle in the right hands and incrementally, cumulatively build multi-faceted characters and how they interrelate. For me, Richard Short’s Klaus is right up there among the most unpredictable, captivating four-panel strips, with echoes from George Herriman’s inimitable Krazy Kat to Pablo Holmberg’s sublime Eden. Not unlike Herriman’s love triangle, there’s unlikely and unrequited multi-species romance and funny and philosophical interplay in a shifting landscape of a ‘Hartlepool of the mind’.
Finally, it’s also a thrill to join the punk everyman Jimbo stalking the wastelands once more, an apocalyptic pilgrim for our era…
Thank you for joining me month-by-month for my PG Tips Previews, which will continue through 2021. Sending happiness, health and hope to you all!
A House Without Windows
by Marc Ellison & Didier Kassaï
Humanoids Inc.
$19.99
The publisher says:
By the delicate hand of Didier Kassaï (Storm Over Bangui) comes a comic book documentary about the street children of Bangui, told in a style that mixes photo and illustration. In the Central African Republic, children grow up in a state of insecurity, poverty and malnutrition. The 2013 conflict only exacerbated this situation. The Central African Republic has become what many call “a house without windows.” Through illustrations and photos, this comic takes you into the heart of this “forgotten crisis.” With Central African artist Didier Kassaï and British photojournalist Marc Ellison as your guides, watch children at work in a diamond mine, observe life in a refugee camp and meet the street children of Bangui. Marc Ellison is currently based in Glasgow, Scotland, though this award-winning photojournalist’s favourite subject is Africa. Difficulties of reintegration of girl soldiers in Uganda, practices of female genital mutilation, topics on child marriage in Tanzania, sex workers facing the prevalence of AIDS in Mozambique, health challenges in Sudanese refugee camps, and the use of reality radio to help farmers in Mali are just some of the sensitive topics that Marc Ellison has focused on in his work with 60 Minutes, Al Jazeera, The BBC, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, The Toronto Star and Vice. A House Without Windows is his fourth work in comics journalism. Illustrator, watercolourist and self-taught caricaturist, Didier Kassaï was born in 1974 in Sibut, Central African Republic. He is known for his humorous watercolours and his active involvement in the drawing of the Central African press from 1994 to 1997, notably in the Biblical press of the Baptist Mid-Mission and in the satirical daily Le Perroquet. In 1998, he participated in several residencies and festivals in Africa, Europe and the United States. He is the co-author (with Olivier Bombasaro) of Gypépé the Pygmy and Adventures in Central Africa with Editions Ivoiriens Classic, he has also signed with several collective albums, some of which are published in France. In 2006, he won the Africa and Mediterraneo Prize in Bologna for his work: Azinda and The Forced Marriage, as well as the Vues d’Afrique contest at the Angoulême Festival with Bangui la coquette. His first solo album, The Odyssey of Mongou, was published in 2014 by Harmattan BD. The following year, he published Storm Over Bangui, published by La Boîte à Bulles (of which excerpts were previously published in La Revue dessinée), an album soon to be followed by Pousse-Pousse (L’Harmattan), which won the Best Project Award at the Algiers BD festival in 2009. 160pgs colour paperback.
Billie Holiday: The Graphic Novel
by Ebony Gilbert & David Calcano
Fantoons
$25.99
The publisher says:
Dive into the celebrated life of “Lady Day” with this fully-illustrated graphic novel that tells the story of Billie Holiday’s rapid—and, at times, grueling—rise to become one of the best musicians who ever lived. From her days as a young entertainer performing for small jazz clubs in Harlem, to headlining sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall, every trouble and triumph of Billie Holiday’s bold, influential career is featured in this graphic novel from Fantoons. Throughout the book’s 144 pages of dazzling colour illustrations, readers will revisit Billie’s peak years as she helped lead the transition from the Harlem Renaissance to the iconic Swing Era alongside some of the top names in jazz—including Artie Shaw, Lester Young, and Count Basie. Meanwhile, readers will learn the true history behind the making and recording of some of Billie’s most-classic hits, like “God Bless the Child,” and “Strange Fruit,” the latter of which is considered to be the first protest song of the civil rights era. Widely recognized as one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, Billie’s emotive voice, distinct phrasing, and flawless technique cemented her place as an American icon. Now, new and longtime fans alike have the opportunity to learn more about Lady Day’s short but spectacular life. At a time when the country is struggling with issues involving identity and race, this graphic novel provides a timely look into the fascinating life of a fighter, survivor, and world-renowned artist. With a Foreword by Keith Knight. Ebony Gilbert is the co-author of Women in Jazz Graphic Novels: Billie Holiday. Strongly impacted by the poverty, violence, and drug use she witnessed as a child living in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, Ebony has devoted her life to using the written word to highlight marginalised communities, give a voice to the voiceless and capture the experiences of the disenfranchised. While in high school, Ebony served as a frequent contributor to the Miami Herald and the Miami Times, where she published stories that called out the systemic racism and inequality facing minority youth. After earning a degree in English from the University of Florida, where she researched Black women in media, Ebony moved to Los Angeles and interned for a variety of high-profile media companies, including BET, The Queen Latifah Show and Overbrook, Will Smith’s production company, all while earning her M.F.A. in Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University. In addition to co-writing and directing complex[ion] woman, an award-winning play that explores the intricacies of Black womanhood, Ebony was named a 2018 Writer to Watch by WeForShe. She currently works as a story editor on The CW’s Batwoman TV series. 144pgs colour hardcover.
Cyclopedia Exotica
by Aminder Dhaliwal
Drawn & Quarterly
$24.95
The publisher says:
Following the critical and popular success of Woman World—the hit Instagram comic which appeared on 25 best of lists—Aminder Dhaliwal returns with Cyclopedia Exotica. Also serialised on Instagram to her 250,000 followers, this graphic novel showcases Dhaliwal’s quick wit and astute socio-cultural criticism. In Cyclopedia Exotica, doctor’s office waiting rooms, commercials, dog parks, and dating app screenshots capture the experiences and interior lives of the cyclops community; a largely immigrant population displaying physical differences from the majority. Whether they’re artists, parents or yoga students, the cyclops have it tough: they face micro-aggressions and overt xenophobia on a daily basis. However, they are bent on finding love, cultivating community and navigating life alongside the two-eyed majority with patience and the occasional bout of rage. Through this parallel universe, Dhaliwal comments on race, difference, beauty and belonging, touching on all of these issues with her distinctive deadpan humour steeped in millennial references. Cyclopedia Exotica is a triumph of hilarious candour. 268pgs two-colour paperback.
Edward Hopper: The Story of His Life
by Sergio Rossi & Giovanni Scarduelli
Prestel
$24.95
The publisher says:
This groundbreaking graphic novel delves into the life of the acclaimed artist Edward Hooper, whose iconic works depict quintessentially American scenes and experiences. While many of Hopper’s most acclaimed works have been embraced by American culture, the artist himself rejected much of the lyricism and romance that his audience imposed on his paintings. This unique overview of Hopper’s life and career offers a fascinating and unflinching portrait of an artist trying to establish himself and define his own style. Using Hopper’s own words as a jumping off point, the book traces his roots as an art student and commercial illustrator; his life-changing time in Europe; his rocky relationship with his wife Jo; and his incredible success later in life. It also shows how, as he became increasingly famous, he grew more taciturn and resolute in his disparagement of American society and the labels thrust on him. Using clean lines and a palette that mimics Hopper’s own, the book’s illustrations reflect the style and substance of the artist’s life—and help create a refreshing reconsideration of a creative genius who never wavered from his vision. Manjit Thapp is an illustrator from the United Kingdom. She graduated with a BA in illustration from Camberwell College of Arts. Her illustrations combine traditional and digital media, and her work has been featured by Instagram, Dazed, Vogue India and Wonderland Magazine. She illustrated The Little Book of Feminist Saints. 128pgs colour hardcover.
Feelings: A Story in Seasons
by Manjit Thapp
Random House
£16.99
A stunning illustrated journey through one young woman’s year of emotions—from the saturated highs of early summer to the grey isolation of late winter. Enter Manjit Thapp’s world, where you’ll find moods that change as quickly as the weather; the different shades of anxiety and hope that each new season brings; and the stages of joy and pain that fuel our growth. From the spark of possibility and jolt of creativity in High Summer, to the need for release from anxiety and pressure during Monsoon, to the desolation and numbness of Winter, Thapp implores us to consider the seasons of our own emotional journeys. Articulating and validating the range of feelings we all experience, this is a book that allows us to feel connected and comforted by the experiences that make us human. 144pgs colour hardcover.
Fleetway Picture Library Classics Presents: Rick Random
by Conrad Frost, Bob Keston & Ron Turner
The Book Palace
£25.00 / $36.99
The publisher says:
Originally published in Super Detective Library issues 79, 101, 111 and 115 in the late 1950’s, these four tales feature Rick Random, “the first detective of the space age.” Set in the 21st century, Random, as the Head of the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation, is called upon to solve mysteries that can take him all over the universe. Along the way he encounters amazing alien races and their fantastic technologies as he seeks truth and justice. These four stories also chart Ron Turner’s development into one of Britain’s greatest science fiction comic artists. His incredible designs and renderings of aliens, spacecraft and equipment can easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his American contemporaries, Wally Wood and Jack Kirby and, on occasion, even surpass them. So, let’s blast off with Rick and Ron to a stunning future. 272pgs B&W paperback.
Friend of the Devil
by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
Image
$24.99
The publisher says:
The next book in the red-hot Reckless series is here. Bestselling crime noir masters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are back with another new original graphic novel featuring troublemaker-for-hire Ethan Reckless. It’s 1985 and things in Ethan’s life are going pretty well… until a missing woman shows up in the background of an old B-movie, and Ethan is drawn into Hollywood’s secret occult underbelly as he hunts for her among the wreckage of the wild days of the ‘70s. Another hit graphic novel from the award-winning creators of Pulp, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, Criminal and Kill Or Be Killed – a must-have for all Brubaker and Phillips fans. 104pgs colour hardcover.
Getting it Together
by Sina Grace, Omar Spahi, Jenny D. Fine & Mx. Struble
Image
$14.99
The publisher says:
Newcomer artist Jenny D. Fine shines alongside Marvel Comics’ and GLAAD Award-nominated Iceman writer Sina Grace and co-creator Omar Spahi in the all-new modern dramedy you didn’t know you needed. Sam and Jack are best friends, and Sam is dating Lauren, Jack’s indie rocker sister and roommate. Tensions skyrocket when Sam and Lauren decide to open up their long-term relationship, sending social shockwaves through their friend group and the entire Bay Area, leaving poor Jack caught in the middle. Life gets pretty messy when you’re in your 20s and your friends are your family. Includes back-up stories and never-before-seen bonus content. 144pgs colour paperback.
Greetings From the Wasteland
by various artists
Inkwell Comics
$25.00
The publisher says:
Greetings From the Wasteland collects the best political cartoons from the worst era. From our descent into the Trump era to our 2020 pandemic, The Nib published thousands of political cartoons and satire on our dystopian hellscape of corruption and catastrophe. Greetings From the Wasteland is 200 pages of the best work from the years that (we hope) future generations will consider society’s low point. Featuring comics on our nightmare president, tech overlords, Internet Nazis, climate change, feckless Democrats, coronavirus and so much more. Read the work author Joyce Carol Oates calls, “Excellent comics for a debased age.” Includes 15 interviews with top cartoonists about their work and life under the harsh wasteland sun. Featuring Pia Guerra, Tom Tomorrow, Jen Sorensen, Ben Passmore, Gemma Correll, Matt Bors, Joey Alison Sayers, Matt Lubchansky, Emily Flake, Chelsea Saunders and more than a dozen other artists. 200pgs colour paperback.
Hana-chan and The Shape of the World
by Ryotaro Ueda
Yen Press
$15.00
The publisher says:
It’s the story of a girl. A girl who lives in the country. A girl encountering fragments, both bitter and sweet, of the world around her. It’s the story of the shape of her world. Elementary school girl Hana-chan puts chocolate barley snacks in a camphor tree hole in the schoolyard as an emergency food for typhoons. At night, in the storm, Hana-chan goes to school in raincoat and boots to eat the snacks. The world’s fun and mystery seen from a child’s point of view is depicted with characters drawn in soft lines and detailed backgrounds that include stains and scratches. A poetic story with short but striking dialogue. 144pgs colour paperback.
Haway Man, Klaus!
by Richard Short
Breakdown Press
£14.99
The publisher says:
Haway Man, Klaus! is a collection of comic strips charting the un-adventures of Klaus, Richard Short’s pensive, anthropomorphic cat. Reinvigorating the classic comic strip, Short salutes Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, Tove Jansson’s Moomins and Japanese cartooning masters, before veering quickly into an original, strange and utterly unique world of screwball comedy and poetic rumination. Short’s wit, at times gentle, at times acerbic, is expressed through his mastery of clear-line cartooning, revealing a tapestry of relatable human emotion through a cast of offbeat characters: Klaus, a feline drifter with a murderous desire, Ivor, his loyal frienemy, Lovely Horse, his unrequited equine love, Dieter the morbid mallard, and many others. Occupying a wholly original space in the current landscape of cartooning,Haway Man, Klaus! breathes new life into the comic strip format. This is the first full-length Klaus collection from the critically acclaimed, cutting-edge London publisher Breakdown Press. Richard Short is a London-based cartoonist and lawyer from Hartlepool in the North East of England. His comics have been published by Breakdown Press, Nobrow and the legendary Italian cartoon magazine Linus, and have been translated into Finnish, French, German, Russian, Spanish and Taiwanese. 232pgs B&W paperback.
I Never Promised You A Rose Garden
by Mannie Murphy
Fantagraphics
$24.99
The publisher says:
In this graphic memoir, what begins as an affectionate reminiscence of the author’s 1990s teenage infatuation with the late actor River Phoenix morphs into a remarkable, sprawling account of the city of Portland and state of Oregon’s dark history of white nationalism. Mannie Murphy is a Portland native who has a genuine affection for River Phoenix, and her heart-racing descriptions of scenes like the infamous campfire kiss in My Own Private Idaho serves as a moral anchor to a deeply amoral history. Murphy details the relationship between white supremacist Tom Metzger, former KKK GrandWizard and founder of the White Aryan Resistance, and the “Rose City” street kids like Ken Death that infiltrated Gus Van Sant’s films - a relationship that culminates in an infamous episode of Geraldo. Told in the style of an illustrated diary, with wet, blue ink washes, this story brilliantly weaves 1990s alternative culture, from Kurt Cobain and William Burroughs to Keanu Reeves and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with two centuries of the Pacific Northwest’s shameful history as a hotbed for white nationalism: from the Whitman massacre in 1847; to the Ku Klux Klan’s role in Portland’s city planning in the early 1900s; to the shameful treatment of African Americans displaced in the 1948 Vanport flood; and through the 2014 armed standoff with Cliven Bundy’s cattle ranch. The other protagonist in this story is Murphy herself, a gender queer kid Portland native trying to process all of this. In Murphy’s personal reflections and heart-racing descriptions, the artist’s story becomes a moral anchor to a deeply amoral regional history and marks the incredible debut of a talented new voice to the graphic medium. 232pgs two-colour hardback.
Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise
by Gary Panter
New York Review Comics
$29.95
The publisher says:
Gary Panter is one of America’s great creative forces: the illustrator for the trailblazing punk magazine Slash, set designer for the legendary TV show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and one of the wildest, most innovative comics artists of all time. Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise is a leap into the uproarious life of Panter’s ever-cheerful punk everyman, Jimbo, and a perfect introduction to Panter’s ever-shifting style. Amid a jumbled cityscape of rundown New York City streets and futuristic Los Angeles freeways, Jimbo crowd-surfs at a riot, makes amends with Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy and rescues his pal Smoggo’s sister from giant cockroaches, all while the world teeters between extravagance and apocalypse. Veering from the crude to the elegant, the wise to the funny, Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise proves Panter is a master of cartooning, and still way ahead of the rest of us. With a Foreword by Ed Ruscha. 104pgs B&W paperback.
Joe Frank: Ascent
by Joe Frank & Jason Novak
Fantagraphics
$25.00
The publisher says:
Joe Frank is one of the greatest radio dramatists who ever worked in the medium. His programmes, which he wrote and voiced ran from 1978 to 2018, attracting a huge following, including Francis Coppola (“I couldn’t believe the originality and sheer brilliance of what I was hearing”) and Charlie Kaufman (“His shows were hypnotic, psychotic, neurotic, sad, terrifying and some of the funniest stuff I have ever heard anywhere.”) Jason Novak, author of Et Tu, Brute, has lovingly adapted six of Frank’s most memorable stories into comics form, an introduction to those who have never heard Frank, and an aesthetic accompaniment to those who have. 232pgs B&W paperback.
Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human
by Erika Moen & Matthew Nolan
Random House Graphic
$17.99 / $23.99
The publisher says:
Is what I’m feeling normal? Is what my body is doing normal? Am I normal? How do I know what are the right choices to make? How do I know how to behave? How do I fix it when I make a mistake? Let’s talk about it. Growing up is complicated. How do you find the answers to all the questions you have about yourself, about your identity, and about your body? Let’s Talk About It provides a comprehensive, thoughtful, well-researched graphic novel guide to everything you need to know. Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education and more, Let’s Talk About It is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form. Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan are both full-time, professional cartoonists and comic book creators. They’ve been married for twelve years and working together for the past eight. They reside in Portland, OR. Together they run a sex education-focused webcomic called Oh Joy Sex Toy, which has won an assortment of accolades over the years and was featured in the Tate Gallery in London, England. 240pgs colour paperback / hardcover.
My Last Summer with Cass
by Mark Crilley
Little Brown
$17.99 / $24.99
The publisher says:
This One Summer meets The Edge of Seventeen in this poignant coming-of-age YA graphic novel about two childhood friends at a crossroads in their lives and art, from the author of Mastering Manga. Megan and Cass have been joined at the brush for as long as they can remember. For years, while spending summers together at a lakeside cabin, they created art together, from sand to scribbles… to anything available. Then Cass moved away to New York. When Megan finally convinces her parents to let her spend a week in the city, too, it seems like Cass has completely changed. She has tattoos, every artist in the city knows her – she even eats chicken feet! At least one thing has stayed the same: they still make their best art together. But when one girl betrays the other’s trust on the eve of what is supposed to be their greatest artistic feat yet, can their friendship survive? Can their art? ‘A good friendship is like a work of art.’ Mark Crilley is the author and illustrator of more than forty books, including several acclaimed graphic novels, for which he has received fourteen Eisner Award nominations. His work has been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly and on CNN Headline News. His popular YouTube videos have been viewed more than 390 million times. He lives in Michigan with his wife, Miki, and children, Matthew and Mio. 256pgs B&W paperback / hardcover.
Orwell
by Pierre Christin & Sébastien Verdier
SelfMadeHero
£14.99 / $22.99
The publisher says:
George Orwell’s most celebrated work, 1984, and the prescient vision it contains of a society governed by Big Brother predates the constant monitoring of people and data we are familiar with today by almost 70 years. But his life was every bit as fascinating and forward-looking as his books. Orwell studied at Eton, joined the police in Burma, fought in the Spanish Civil War, fiercely opposed Stalinism and lived in London’s slums while working as a journalist. With extra illustrations by a team of artists including Annie Goetzinger, Juanjo Guarnido, Enki Bilal, Manu Larcenet, Blutch, and André Juillard, Pierre Christin and Sébastian Verdier’s Orwell offers readers an intimate yet definitive portrait of our greatest political writer. 160pgs colour paperback.
Red Rock Baby Candy
by Shira Spector
Fantagraphics
$29.99
The publisher says:
Shira Spector literally paints a vivid portrait of the most eventful 10 years of her life, encompassing her tenacious struggle to get pregnant, the emotional turmoil of her father’s cancer diagnosis and eventual death, and her recollections of past relationships with her parents and her partner. Set in a kaleidoscope of Montreal and Toronto, Red Rock Baby Candy unfolds as one of the most formally inventive comics in the history of the medium. It begins in subtle, tonal shades of black ink, introduces colour slowly over the next 50 pages until it explodes into a glorious full-colour palette. The irreverent characters begin to bloom and to live life fully, resurrecting the dead in order to map the geography among infertility, sexuality, choice and mortality. The drawing is visceral, symbolic and naturalistic. The visual storytelling eschews traditional comics panels in favour of a series of unique page compositions that convey both a stream of consciousness and the tactile reality of life, both the subjective impressions of the author at each moment of her life and the objective series of events that shape her narrative. It is the most formally revolutionary visual storytelling since Emil Ferris’s My Favorite Thing is Monsters. 216pgs colour hardcover.
Rivers
by David Gaffney & Dan Berry
IDW / Top Shelf Productions
$19.99
The publisher says:
Three ordinary weirdos, one recurring dream. The acclaimed minds behind The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head return with a whimsical and ambitious portrait of human connection in the age of digital fragmentation. You meet the strangest people on the internet. Gideon is a lonely I.T. developer, obsessed by a comic book from childhood called Revenge of the Ghoulors and secretly in love with his co-worker Lisa. Heidi works at home in her pyjamas, makes a lot of soup and wishes she had time for friends. Peter is a 56-year-old divorcee who delivers classic cars, has a built-in toaster and thinks a lot about the past. These three people seem unconnected, yet they share something – they each have the same recurring dream. And when a new web service is introduced that helps people share their dreams, what will happen when the three of them find out about each other? Just what is it that links these three lonely souls? Nimbly weaving together multiple storylines (including extracts from Gideon’s comic book, Revenge of the Ghoulors), David Gaffney and Dan Barry present Rivers, a quirky examination of how events from the past can bind people together forever, and a surprising reunion between people who’ve never met. David Gaffney lives in Manchester. He is the author of the novels Never Never (2008), All the Places I’ve Ever Lived (2017), Out of the Dark (2020), plus the flash fiction and short story collections Sawn-Off Tales (2006), Aromabingo (2007), The Half-Life of Songs (2010) and More Sawn-Off Tales (2013). David’s graphic novel with Dan Berry, The Three Rooms In Valerie’s Head, was published in 2018 with Top Shelf and is currently being adapted for television. Dan Berry is a cartoonist, illustrator and educator. He is the co-creator of the book The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head with author David Gaffney, and was nominated for an Eisner award for the anthology 24 by 7. He has been independently publishing his own comics for a decade. He is the host of the podcast Make It Then Tell Everybody. Between 2008 and 2019 Dan ran a university degree course in comics and graphic novels. He lives in Shropshire with his wife and two very rude children. 176pgs colour paperback.
Seekers of the Aweto Vol.1: The Hunt Is On
by Nie Jun
Graphic Universe
$9.99
The publisher says:
Xinyue, his brother Qiliu, and their mother are seekers, hunting aweto – a rare, plant-like treasure – along the legendary Silk Road. After one outing, Xinyue discovers the offspring of a deity that creates aweto and becomes the little creature’s reluctant caretaker. He soon struggles to keep it safe and keep it a secret. And that’s before he learns that warriors from the deity’s village are on his family’s tail. Nie Jun began drawing at an early age by copying lianhuanhua (Chinese sequential art). He later discovered the cartooning legends of Europe, Japan and elsewhere. He lives in Beijing and teaches drawing to university students. 136pgs colour paperback.
Shadow Life
by Hiromi Goto & Ann Xu
First Second
$24.99
The publisher says:
Poet and novelist Hiromi Goto effortlessly blends wry, observational slice-of-life literary fiction with poetic magical realism in the tender and surprising graphic novel Shadow Life, with haunting art from debut artist Ann Xu. When Kumiko’s well-meaning adult daughters place her in an assisted living home, the seventy-six-year-old widow gives it a try, but it’s not where she wants to be. She goes on the lam and finds a cozy bachelor apartment, keeping the location secret even while communicating online with her eldest daughter. Kumiko revels in the small, daily pleasures. But something has followed her from her former residence - Death’s shadow. Kumiko’s sweet life is shattered when Death’s shadow swoops in to collect her. With her quick mind and sense of humour, Kumiko, with the help of friends new and old, is prepared for the fight of her life. But how long can an old woman thwart fate? Hiromi Goto was born in Chiba-ken, Japan, and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1969. Her first novel, Chorus of Mushrooms, examined the immigration experience and was the 1995 regional winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book and co-winner of the Canada-Japan Book Award. She is also the author of a children’s novel, The Water of Possibility, another adult novel, The Kappa Child, which was the 2001 recipient of the James Tiptree Jr., Award, the short story collection Hopeful Monsters, the Sunburst Award-winning Half World and the acclaimed Darkest Light. 368pgs colour hardcover.
Super Sentai Himitsu Sentai Gorenger
by Shotaro Ishinomori
Seven Seas Entertainment
$24.88
The publisher says:
Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic manga that helped inspire decades of Super Sentai adventures, and later gave rise to the Power Rangers, arrives in English for the first time ever. An evil secret society called the Black Cross Army threatens world peace, and only an elite task force known as the Earth Guard League (EAGLE) can stop them. After the Black Cross Army destroys EAGLE’s headquarters across Japan, only five young recruits survive. Hiding in a secret underground base, they are given enhanced battlesuits that empower them with superhuman abilities, transforming the youths into an unstoppable squad to combat evil. Tied to the first Japanese Super Sentai tokusatsu TV series ever made, this genre-defining work laid the groundwork for decades of such adventures, including the wildly popular Power Rangers franchise in North America. Read Shotaro Ishinomori’s original manga adaptation of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger in this beautiful hardcover collection, which includes an exclusive bonus: a 30-page overview of the franchise’s origins by tokusatsu historian August Ragone. 352pgs B&W hardcover.
The Down River People
by Adam Smith & Matt Fox
Archaia Studios Press
£14.99
The publisher says:
For fans of Stillwater and Essex County comes a new graphic novel reuniting writer Adam Smith and artist Matt Fox, the duo behind the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated Long Walk to Valhalla (Boom Entertainment, 2015), for a riveting story about a man attempting to survive the complicated and dangerous web of his family’s criminal ties with his soul intact. Myers Carpenter is a bootlegger who just inherited his family’s bar The Flatbed and must turn to his estranged mother – who he hasn’t seen since he was a boy – for help. In order to keep his father’s speakeasy afloat, Myers unwittingly gets caught up in his family’s ties to the occult. Unsure of whether or not he even wants to keep the famous speakeasy, Myers is forced to find a new booze supplier when he burns his bridges at his long time source in Mississippi. The only option he can turn to is his estranged mother, now running a fishing Lodge for the wealthy; and a half sister he knew nothing about. As Myers becomes more entangled in the lives of his newfound family, he begins to learn the secrets of the Lodge and a dark cult thriving just under the surface of wealth and opulence. Adam Smith and Matt Fox reunite for a gripping southern gothic thriller about finding your family and the true cost of happiness.
The Fall Vol.1
by Jared Muralt
Image
$16.99
The publisher says:
Readers who found themselves gripped by the apocalyptic adventure of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead and who were moved by the emotion in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road will not want to miss Jared Muralt’s The Fall. After just losing his wife, one father will have to face a world in freefall; shaken to its core by an economic, social, political and health crisis without precedent. Facing seemingly unreal and very unexpected dangers, he will do whatever it takes to protect his loved ones in a country on the brink of collapse. In this internationally acclaimed series, Jared Muralt not only tells the story of one family struggling to survive, but also questions the very reasons that brought mankind to this apocalypse. Mural was born in 1982 in Bern, Switzerland. Though he attended art school for one year in Bern, Muralt is primarily self-taught, and he developed his precision and skill through the careful study of books as diverse as those pertaining to anatomy, art history and comics. Muralt is also co-founder of BlackYard studio, a Swiss illustration and graphic design agency that was honored with Bern’s Advancement Award for Design in 2009. 152pgs colour paperback.
The Incredible Nellie Bly: Journalist, Investigator, Feminist, and Philanthropist
by Luciana Cimino & Sergio Algozzino, translated by Laura Garofalo
Abrams ComicArts
$24.99
The publisher says:
Nellie Bly was a woman who did not allow herself to be defined by the time she lived in, she rewrote the narrative and made her own way. Luciana Cimino’s meticulously researched graphic-novel biography tells Bly’s story through Miriam, a fictionalised female student at the Columbia School of Journalism in 1921. While interviewing the famous journalist, Miriam learns not only about Bly’s more sensational adventures, but also about her focus on self-reliance from an early age. And, of course, Bly’s greatest feat of all, her journey around the world in 72 days. As Miriam learns more of Bly’s story, she realises that the most important stories are not necessarily the ones with the most dramatic headlines, but the ones that, in Nellie’s words, “come from a deep feeling.” Luciana Cimino is a professional journalist. She worked for 10 years at the historical Italian newspaper L’Unità, where she wrote about politics and news about social issues, poverty, immigrants and school policies. Since 2015 she’s been part of the press staff of the journalism festival Festival di giornalismo Internazionale. Sergio Algozzino is an Italian comics creator. He has collaborated with Sergio Bonelli Editore, Soleil Editions, Tunué and Panini Comics, to name just a few of his clients. Laura Garofalo is a professional translator. She has a master’s degree in English translation acquired at Università degli Studi Internazionali of Rome. She has collaborated with various private clients, publishing houses and literary agencies. 144pgs colour hardcover.
The Parakeet
by Espé
Graphic Mundi
$21.95
The publisher says:
An account in graphic novel format, based on the author’s own experiences, of a boy coping with his mother’ suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Bastien is eight years old and his mother is ill. She often has what his father and grandparents call “episodes.” She screams and fights, scratches and spits, and has to be carted away to specialised clinics for frequent treatments. Bastien doesn’t like it when she goes, because when she comes home, she isn’t the same. She has no feelings, no desires and not much interest in him, and he imagines her as a comic-book heroine, like Jean Grey, who may become Dark Phoenix and explode in a superhuman fury at any moment. Bastien is eight years old, and his mother is ill. Based on the author’s own experiences, The Parakeet is the story of a boy whose only refuge from life’s harsh realities lies in his imagination. In his eyes, we can see the confusion and heartache Bastien feels as he watches his mother’s illness progress. We see how mental illness can both tear families apart and reaffirm the bonds of love. First published in French, Le Perroquet won the 2017 Paroles de patients award for an outstanding French literary work that transforms an account of personal illness or struggle into a deeply moving story with a powerful universal message. Graphic novelist Espé was born Sébastien Portret in Mazamet, France. He is a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse, and he collaborated in the publication of several comics series from 1999 to 2012 before publishing his graphic novels L’Île des Justes and Le Perroquet . 160pgs colour hardcover.
The Thud
by Mikael Ross
Fantagraphics
$16.99
The publisher says:
In this YA graphic novel, a boy with developmental disabilities finds his world turned upside down after his mother has a stroke and he realises for the first time he’s on his own. When Noel’s mother has a stroke, his world is turned upside down. Especially when a man comes, who tells Noel that he can’t stay in the only home he’s ever known. He has to move from his apartment and his city to some kind of care facility, in a town he’s never heard of. For the first time, Noel is on his own. Who can he trust? Who can he love? There’s a real village in Germany called Neuerkerode that is operated by people with mental disabilities - the local restaurant, the local bar, the local supermarket. It’s a beautiful, even incredible place ― and it’s where The Thud takes place. In 2016, cartoonist Mikael Ross began visiting Neuerkerode. The author spent two years living 3 or 4 days a week there, researching and getting to know its townsfolk. As Neuerkerode Protestant Foundation Director Rüdiger Becker has stated, ‘Out of this has arisen a powerful piece of literature that depicts, with a rarely seen intensity and authenticity, the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.’ Told from Noel’s perspective with humour and empathy, The Thud offers a rare window into the life of a boy living with developmental disabilities. In doing so, Ross has crafted an enchanting story that helps us understand the often misunderstood. Mikael Ross was born in 1984 in Munich and is a Berlin-based cartoonist and tailor. Ross was the recipient of the very first graphic novel scholarship from Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe. 128pgs colour paperback.
Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book
by nodoka
Viz
$19.99
The publisher says:
Building a wardrobe is expensive and time-consuming…but it doesn’t have to be! Looking good is easier than ever and all it takes is a little bit of care. Buying a few simple items in basic colours that you can mix and match in a variety of ways will take you far. This comic book guide to fashion will show you how to introduce a Japanese flourish into your wardrobe with easy tutorials, suggestions for wardrobe essentials and styling tips on pulling it all together. 248pgs colour hardcover.
Twister
by Roland Burkart
Graphic Mundi
$17.50
The publisher says:
The last thing Piedro remembers is diving into the lake on his day off from work. Now he lies in a hospital bed with a wheelchair at his side. Casting a shadow from the doorway, his caretaker remarks on “how quickly one gets used to this kind of thing,” as she goes on to empty his catheter bag and to help him into his wheelchair. Piedro must now deal with a growing mix of fear and powerlessness that surges within him as he realises that he will be paralysed forever. In time, Piedro’s feelings of hopelessness are offset by the realisation that he can find both love and a degree of independence. With the support of his family and friends, he makes his way through rehab and finally gets back to the business of living. Based on his own experiences, Roland Burkart’s Twister is a realistic and uplifting narrative that will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced or borne witness to a life upended by calamity. Roland Burkart is a freelance illustrator based in Lucerne, Switzerland. A trained artist, he was rendered quadriplegic by an accident at work and has used a wheelchair ever since. Since his accident, he has learned to draw left-handed. 120pgs B&W paperback.
Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science
by Marie Moinard & Christelle Pécout
NBM
$19.99
The publisher says:
Twenty women who made a difference in Science are presented here. From Ada Lovelace (computing) to Marie Curie (Physics and Chemistry), these exceptional women enabled the world to advance in all fields of science including space exploration (Mae Jamison), telecommunications (the actress also genius discoverer Hedy Lamarr) and Biology (Rosalind Franklin). An inspiration going counter to preconceived notions about women and science, presenting a diverse group from around the world. A graduate of Angoulême, France’s prestigious graduate school for imagery, Christelle Pecout is the artist of a number of comics series, as well as of a comics biography of Björk, the Icelandic pop singer. Marie Moinard is an editor, comics writer, and journalist. 86pgs colour hardcover.
