From Starman to Shakespeare: 12 Graphic Novels for Father’s Day
Martha Cornog Jun 1, 2010Recently, I went to a funeral for a neighbor I didn't know very well. Turns out he loved comics, and visitors to his office had to run a gauntlet of Donald and Daffy Duck figures lining the hallway. The most moving moment, though, came when his grown son tearfully described how his dad used to read the Sunday comics with him every week when he was a kid. Now that's quality time! To all you fathers out there: read comics with your kids?for good fun and good memories. Father's Day celebrates its centennial this year, and here are 13 selections commemorating dads in wide variety.
Azuma, Kiyohiko. Yotsuba&! Vol. 7. Yen Pr. 2009. 208p. ISBN 978-0-316-07325-7. pap. $10.99. HUMOR
Life's never boring for the adopted father of five-year-old Yotsuba, whose curiosity and delight in everything around her creates amusing chaos. The title references the chapter titles, which all take the form of "Yotsuba and something." Yotsuba means "four leaves," as in four-leaf clover, and the little girl has green hair tied in four short ponytails. The series is still coming out in Japan and has won several awards. A YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens. (LJ 7/05; LJ 9/15/07)
Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Houghton. 2006. 240p. ISBN 978-618-47794-4. $19.95. AUTOBIOG
Bechdel's intensely literary and poignant memoir of growing up gay with a closeted gay father appeared on best-of-2006 lists from Time and the Village Voice, won numerous awards, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. For older teens and adults. (LJ 7/06)
Erb, Greg & Jason Oremland (text) & Wook-Jin Clark (illus.). The Return of King Doug. Oni. 2009. 184p. ISBN 978-1-934964-15-6. $14.95. F
Fatherhood gives Doug a second chance at a heroism he muffed as a kid. Eight years old, he finds his way into the fantastical kingdom of Valdonia. But when hailed as the Chosen One who will defeat the Dark Witch, he scurries back to real life. Later, as a divorced parent, he must return to Valdonia to rescue his young son'and this time he doesn't run away from courage. Cartoony, black-and-white line art with ample wisecracks and slapstick; suitable for tweens and up.
Fialkov, Joshua Hale (text) & Noel Tuazon & Scott A. Keating (illus.). Elk's Run. Villard: Random. 2007. ISBN 978-0-345-49511-2. pap. $19.95. F
When a hidden isolationist settlement of Vietnam vets attracts a couple of state troopers, the town's tough-ass leader, John, kills them to preserve the group's privacy. But the teens want no part of these developments, and it's John's son who helps the other teens escape and brings help when the underground mine tunnels start burning and threatening everyone's lives. This thriller combines dark and edgy psychodrama with the coming-of-age theme, blurring the usual good vs. evil clich'. There are no bad guys'only good intentions gone terribly over the edge. Older teens and up. (LJ 7/07)
Koike, Kazuo (text) & Goseki Kojima (illus.). Lone Wolf and Cub. Vol. 28: The Lotus Throne. Dark Horse. 2003. 320p. ISBN 978-1-56971-600-7. pap. $9.95. F
Ogami Itto has served honorably as court executioner under the Tokugama Shogunate, but he is disgraced by false accusations, and his wife is murdered. Forced to flee with his young son, he travels a cursed path as an assassin-for-hire while taking bloody revenge on his enemies. At the end, son Daigor' carries out the final vengeance. The 28-volume epic samurai team-up is famous for its excellent writing and stunning visuals, conveying stark beauty and visceral kinetic power. For adult readers. (LJ 1/03)
Robinson, James (text) & Tony Harris (illus.). Starman. Vol. 1: Sins of the Father. DC. 1996. 160p. ISBN 978-1-56389-248-6. pap. $17.95. F So following in Dad's footsteps means being a superhero' Jack Knight accepts the legacy reluctantly but refuses to wear spandex. He does have to grow up, though. A YALSA pick for the 2004 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults and a favorite of many longtime superhero fans. Older teens and up.
Sandell, Laurie. The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir. Little, Brown. 2009. 246p. ISBN 978-0-316-03305-3. $24.95. AUTOBIOG
Laurie's father always seemed to have a much more fantastic life than anybody else's parents. And as she discovers by the time she grows up, his stories are indeed fantasy. What now' She can distance herself from the whole thing. Or she can push for a medical or social work intervention. Or she can investigate his fabrications and expose him to the world. Whatever she does, it won't be easy. A colorful portrait of a mythomanic, dysfunctional parent and the effects on his daughter and her relationships. Older teens and up.
Shakespeare's Famous Fathers
With Hamlet for the son's take on fatherhood, and King Lear for the daughter's, the options have multiplied in comics. The best of the Lears for libraries is probably Candlewick's, with Self-Made Hero/Metro Media another good choice. Among the many Hamlets, I suggest those from Papercutz (LJ 5/15/09), Abrams, and Wiley. Look for the Classical Comics Hamlet soon, currently in production.
Thung, Diana. Captain Long Ears. Slave Labor Graphics. 2010. 168p. ISBN 978-159362-187-2. pap. $12.95. F
After Michael's father dies, Michael dons a bunny suit and as Captain Long Ears head to the local amusement park to find Captain Big Nose'his dearly departed dad. Accompanied by his imaginary gorilla friend, Jam, Michael dubs them both 'Space Ninjas' and then decides to rescue the park's elephant. His surreal adventures get the eight-year-old into plenty of trouble, but the aftermath ultimately helps Michael and his grieving mother come to terms with the father's death. Tweens and up.
Tyler, C. You'll Never Know. Book One: "A Good and Decent Man." Fantagraphics. 2010. 104p. ISBN 978-1-60699-1442. $12.99. BIOG
A newly single parent trying to understand her middle-aged self, Carol Tyler sets out to find the real human being and the real soldier behind her Wordl War II veteran dad's familiar and taciturn persona. Her colorful, historically detailed art re-creates the wartime period expressively, and this first in a trilogy inspires curiosity and empathy for those who serve but don't talk about it'much. Everything is connected, and the past is never just the past. Book 2 is due in October. Older teens and up.
Unita, Yumi. Bunny Drop. Vol. 1. Yen Pr. 2010. 208p. ISBN 978-0-7595-3122-2. pap. $12.99. F
How about playing dad to your own aunt' At the funeral for Daikichi's grandfather, a surprise guest turns up: Grandpop's six-year-old love child by an unknown woman who has disappeared. The embarrassed family hems and haws until a disgusted Daikichi'who admires grandfather's spunk'invites the silent and stoic little girl to come home with him. Alas, this miserable 30-something bachelor can barely relate to either women or kids, and now he's getting an unwelcome crash course in both. But maybe he can locate the missing mother. And just maybe she could be, you know, hot. Up to seven volumes in Japan and still coming out, this charming manga is fine for teens and up.
Forthcoming Plauen, E.O. Father and Son. Drawn & Quarterly. Date TBD. 224p. ISBN 978-1-897299-65-4. $24.95. HUMOR
In most funny-kid comics, the scamp is little Dennis or Nipper. But in this wordless 1930s strip, the doofus dad shares rascal billing with his offspring. Plauen was a German cartoonist who committed suicide at the height of a promising career rather than appear in court for expressing anti-Nazi views. It looks like his willingness to challenge clich' of domestic authority carried over into skepticism about corrupt governments.
