Short Takes: Graphic Novels for Women's History Month
By Martha Cornog Mar 3, 2011It's not hard to cherchez la femme this year for Women's History Month (March), with comics about and by women all over the place, even as the classic 20th-century strips Cathy, Little Orphan Annie, and Brenda Starr have ended. With plastic, fantastic, and even realistic lives, 21st-century femmes jump out of panels to enlighten and amuse us.
Marvel's third Jane Austen novel, Emma, starts in comic books this month; see below for Sense & Sensibility. As for modern celebrity comikkers, the punk pornette SuicideGirls star in their own miniseries from IDW, also starting this month. In an alt-world, the SGs form an underground Charlie's Angels-type squad taking on a religious techno-cult controlling the Internet. Sounds like good R-rated anticensorship fun.
TEENS & TWEENS | OLDER TEENS & ADULTS | ABOUT COMICS | FORTHCOMING
Deutsch, Barry. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. Amulet Bks. 2010. 144p. ISBN 9780810984226. $15.95. F
Eleven-year-old Mirka wants to fight dragons, but she's a girl, living in an Orthodox Jewish community. Regardless, she stands up to local bullies, fights a talking pig, and outwits a troll to win a dragon-slaying sword. The sword's a McGuffin, though; Mirka's prize weapon, hard-won, relates more to chutzpah and cunning than hardware. This expanded web comic is described as "a delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion."
Campbell, Ross. Shadoweyes. Vol. 1. SLG Publ. 2010. 204p. ISBN 9781593621896. pap. $14.95. F
In a future dystopia, a wannabe teen vigilante morphs into a superhuman creature who rescues a younger girl from a zombie. The plot/character/art combo has earned high marks from reviewers, took a Glyph nomination, and is a YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults selection. Campbell wrote and drew Water Baby (DC/Minx). See one review plus sample art here. Teens and up.
Jacobson, Sid (text) & Ernie Colón (illus.). Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography. Hill & Wang: Farrar. 2010. 160p. maps. bibliog. ISBN 9780809026845. $30. BIOG
The team that brought us the comics version of The 9/11 Report draws on resources available through the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, and covers the lives of Anne's parents and historical background about the Nazis as well as Anne's story. Several other Anne Frank comics exist, but they're briefer and pitched for tweens or younger. See LJ's original review here. An essential purchase for teens and adults.
Leka, Kaisa. I Am Not These Feet. 5th ed. Absolute Truth Pr. (Kaisa's Diary 5.) 2008. 58p. ISBN 9529160232. pap. $15. AUTOBIOG (order from Kaisa Leka, ATP, PL 356, 00151, Helsinki, Finland; kaisa@absolutetruthpress.com; kaisa@kaisaleka.net)
Leka was born with malformed feet, and when incurable and painful arthritis developed in her ankles, she elected to have both feet amputated at age 24. In this simple, surprisingly lighthearted comic book diary, she tells the story of her operation and teaching herself to walk again with prostheses. Drawing most characters with Mickey Mouse ears or bird heads, she shows learning to bind an amputee stump, training with temporary inflatable prostheses, and getting used to her springy new carbon fibre feet. For the first-year anniversary of the operation, she and her boyfriend have a party, and in honor of her feet she makes a cake shaped like a saw. An amazingly unique and honest account, for teens and up. Check out her website.
Telgemeier, Raina. Smile. GRAPHIX. 2010. 224p. ISBN 9780545132053. $21.99. AUTOBIOG
In a minor accident at age 12, Telgemeier lost two front teeth, not minor to remedy. Following came years of dental surgeries and orthodontics involving implants, false teeth, and headgear far beyond the more usual "braces." Treatment complications interacted with the complications of teenagerhood and puberty, which led to social as well as medical turmoil. Yet Telgemeier's early career choice as an animator grew out of this difficult period. With lively color art; an entertaining and helpful read for tweens and teens facing dental complexities of their own.
White, Tracy. How I Made It to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story. Roaring Brook. 2010. 160p. ISBN 9781596434547. $16.99. AUTOBIOG
White's depressions, addictions, and body image issues led her at age 17 to check into a mental hospital to find a way to be happy with her life once more. Simple black-and-white drawings create the effect of an illustrated diary. To sample White's webcomics, check out www.traced.com.
Yang, Belle. Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale. Norton. 2010. 250p. ISBN 9780393068344. $23.95. MEMOIR
Black-and-white brushwork suggesting etchings dramatizes Yang's family history, translated from her father's memories of growing up in China. Feuding left her grandfather's family unprepared for the changes wrought by World War II and Mao's Cultural Revolution. Yang intercuts her ancestors' misfortunes with her own, evading a stalker ex-boyfriend and fighting self-doubt while coming to honor both her progressive father and herself.
Yolen, Jane (text) & Mike Cavallaro (illus.). Foiled. First Second. 2010. 160p. ISBN 9781596432796. pap. $15.99. F
Far more skilled than her classmate fencers, teen loner Aliera Carstairs relies on her special jeweled fencing foil, bought by her mother at a yard sale. Knocked off equilibrium when the cute boy she admires asks her for a date, she waits for him in Grand Central Station where she sees fantasy creatures when she puts on the fencing mask. Suddenly a magical adventure erupts, and her date with Avery Castle unmasks quite unexpected roles for her and Avery. Black and green wash evoke Aliera's color-blindness, with color appearing when she sees the fantasy creatures. Look for Aliera's engaging adventure to continue in Curses, Foiled Again.
Aida, Yu. Gunslinger Girl Omnibus. Vol. 1. Seven Seas. 2011. 576p. ISBN 9781934876923. pap. $15.99. F
This gripping psychological/action drama about a squad of cyber-enhanced tween girl assassins was never hugely popular in the United States, but perhaps the darker superhero plots in recent years have warmed up a potential readership. First published in fits and starts from the now defunct ADV, the English translation has been tweaked and republished by Seven Seas, which is reprinting the ADVs in omnibus editions and then switching to singles to catch up to the 12-volumes-and-counting Japanese originals. With social relevance themes related to morally ambiguous good vs. principled evil, coming-of-age, and the development of emotional attachments, this one is just crying for classroom use, high school and up.
Allan, Von. The Road to God Knows...A Graphic Novel. Von Allan Studio (www.vonallan.com). 2009. 142p. ISBN 9780978123703. pap. $12.95. F
Teenage Marie is a bit overweight and has missed too much school. Her real problem is her schizophrenic mother, especially since her dad-while he loves his daughter-just isn't around much. So it's Marie who has to cope with her mother's mental illness while managing her own life. Fortunately, Marie has best girlfriend Kelly, who abets Marie's obsession with TV wrestling. And when the two girls earn ticket money through odd jobs to watch a live match, we know that Marie sees hope for herself. Allan offers an empathetic glimpse at a realistic teen who doesn't rattle cages to seek help even though we might wish she would. Instead, she just keeps going and draws on the resources she has. Older teens.
Aristophane. The Zabime Sisters. First Second. 2010. 96p. ISBN 9781596436381. pap. $16.99. F
Three teen sisters begin a coming-of-age summer, immersed in the flexible and sometimes unthinkingly cruel interactions of growing up: rivalries, teasing, boys' fights, and petty thievery. What's different: M'Rose, Elle, Celine, and their families live on the lush Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, captured in bold, black-and-white brushwork art. This translation from the French should appeal to fans of the popular Aya. Back matter includes an afterword and a discussion guide. Teens and up.
Austen, Jane & Nancy Butler (text) & Sonny Liew (illus.). Sense & Sensibility. Marvel. 2010. 128p. ISBN 9780785148197. $19.99. F
The unexpectedly impoverished Elinor and Marianne Dashwood could not be more different. Elinor is all calm reason, in love with a sweet yet diffident Edward, Marianne all emotional firestorms, besotted with romantic charmer Willoughby. But greedy relatives confound the affections of both couples. Veteran Austen adaptor Butler (Pride & Prejudice, 2009) handles the scripting neatly, and Liew's charming art evokes period details.
Davis, Vanessa. Make Me a Woman. Drawn & Quarterly. 2010. 176p. ISBN 9781770460218. $29.95. AUTOBIOG
Chutzpah-ha-ha tell-all vignettes in charming watercolor art about being young, single, and Jewish. Get the flavor here.
Dini, Paul (text) & Guillem March (illus.). Gotham City Sirens. Vol. 2: Songs of the Sirens. DC. 2010. 168p. ISBN 9781401229078. $19.99. F
This team-up of Gotham's baddest babes lets Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn loose in a story arc that has been well received for deft plotting, engaging characterizations, and fluid art. Volume 1 appeared last April. Note also Marvel's superheroine team-up Heralds as well as Girl Comics and the retrospective Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades (all 2010).
Dorison, Xavier (text) & Mathieu Lauffray (illus.). Long John Silver. Vol. 1: Lady Vivian Hastings. Cinebook. 2011. 56p. tr. from French by Jerome Saincantin. ISBN 9781849180627. pap. $13.95. F
Long John Silver's in good he-rogue form, of course, and he'll need it to deal with she-rogue Lady Vivian. Twenty years after Treasure Island, the bodacious and conniving babe sashays into the Spy Glass tavern, looking for Silver's help to seize booty from an expedition led by her estranged and hated husband. Hubby's actually found the treasure of Guiana-Capac, and the lady wants a piece of it, no kidding. Picaresque color art renders the lady, pirate, and period setting with juicy appeal. Adult collections.
Evanovich, Janet & Alex Evanovich (text) and Joëlle Jones (illus.). Troublemaker: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel. Bk. 1. ISBN 9781595824882.
Evanovich, Janet & Alex Evanovich (text) & Joëlle Jones (illus.). Troublemaker: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel. Bk. 2. ISBN 9781595825735.
ea. vol: Dark Horse. Nov. 2010. 112p. $17.99. F
Fans of Metro Girl and Motor Mouth can enjoy this shorter romp with mechanic Alexandra Barnaby ("Barney") and NASCAR racer Sam Hooker. This time, the disaster-prone duo scurries off to rescue friend Rosa from a voodoo cult, and we're in for a swamp chase, breaking and entering, a wooden body they need to hide, a sack of snakes, and a ticked-off chicken. Jones's art gets the goofball frenetics just right, even if there's not as much story or hormonal zing as in the novels. Older teens and up.
Fischer, Lucy Rose. I'm New at Being Old. Temuna Pr. 2010. 80p. ISBN 9780615335193. pap. $19.95. MEMOIR
Fischer is a Ph.D. gerontologist who made her sidelined artistic passion into a second career late in life. In this "picture book for women," brief text blocks accompany luminous multimedia illustrations and collages about her journey into age. As she joins the World of Older Women, she wonders at her wrinkled face, increasing memory gaps, and sleeplessness, and she worries about who will care for her if her mind "wanders off forever." Striking and sometimes fanciful imagery distinguish Fischer's musings: she paints aging as a trip to an alien universe, where those already there wear spacesuits, and she glues cascades of colorful yarn to her forehead in a painting suggesting that her mind could be unraveling. Adult collections.
Hollander, Nicole. The Sylvia Chronicles: 30 Years of Graphic Misbehavior from Reagan to Obama. New Pr. 2010. 208p. ISBN 9781595584946. pap. $19.95. HUMOR
Since the mid-1970s, the widely syndicated Sylvia has provided an edgy, feminist-political complement to the domesticity of Lynn Johnston's For Better or for Worse and the personal gal-dramas of Cathy Guisewite's Cathy. With an introduction by Mr. Not-Nice-Either, Jules Feiffer.
Hubert (text) & Kerascoët (illus.). Miss Don't Touch Me. Vol. 1. 2008. ISBN 9781561635443.
Hubert (text) & Kerascoet (illus.). Miss Don't Touch Me. Vol. 2. 2010. 96p. ISBN 9781561635924.
ea. vol: NBM. 96p. pap. $14.99. F
This is a charming, murder mystery farce set in a 1930s Parisian brothel. When Blanche's sister mysteriously disappears, she signs on as a virgin hands-off dominatrix at the brothel to find the killer. Interhooker rivalries and police corruption complicate her investigation, but she does avenge her sister's murder. In Volume 2, Blanche finds herself compelled to stay at the brothel but is pursued by a wealthy young man without sexual demands who proposes marriage. With the young man's motives in question, coworkers and relatives attempt sabotage most energetically. With nudity, mature themes, and tragic overtones. For adult collections.
Nelson, Michael Alan (text) & Declan Shalvey (illus.). 28 Days Later. Vol. 1: London Calling. ISBN 9781608866229. $9.99.
Nelson, Michael Alan (text) & Declan Shalvey (illus.). 28 Days Later. Vol. 2: Bend in the Road. ISBN 9781608866359. $12.99.
ea. vol: BOOM! Studios. 2010. 112p. pap. F
Just the thing for brains hungry for zombies. In this cliff-hanger thriller set after the film of the same name, a team of arrogant journalists tries to get into London to cover a zombie epidemic and recruits a survivor as guide. Signed on with the group against her better judgment, Selena the survivor soon establishes herself as the blademaster most skilled at combat, and the sole team member hard-boiled enough to deal with the on-the-ground horrors. Only three of them are still alive by the end of the second collection, and at least two more volumes are coming.
Potts, Phoebe. Good Eggs: A Memoir. Harper. 2010. 272p. ISBN 9780061711466. $23.99. MEMOIR
Potts and her husband are trying to conceive a baby, but it isn't easy. Doctors, family members, pets, and insurance reps all get involved in their quest for parenthood, which she intercuts story-wise with flashbacks about organizing uncooperative union workers, considering becoming a rabbi, and suffering crippling depression at her parents' home. Although basically a tale of frustration and sadness, Potts's account incorporates plentiful humor and quirky life detail into an enjoyable and deeply human memoir. For adult collections. See LJ's Xpress Review.
Watson, Esther Pearl. Unlovable: The Complete Collection. Vols 1 & 2. Fantagraphics. 2010. 832p. ISBN 9781606993972. $30.99. F
A cringe-worthy classic of high school malaise, reportedly based on a real girl's diary found in a Las Vegas bathroom in 1995. Like a Wimpy Kid older sister but more poignant and painful, this features jagged, unpretty art capturing the diarist's inner chaos. For Lynda Barry fans craving a new read and professionals seeking an unvarnished glimpse of female adolescence. You can check out the art here. Adult collections.
Ashcraft, Brian & Shoko Ueda. Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool. Kodansha International. 2010. 192p. illus. photos. bibliog. index. ISBN 9784770031150. pap. $16.95. POPULAR CULTURE
Japanese schoolgirls star in manga, anime, and other pop culture products. So where did those sailor suits come from, and how have Japanese girly fashions become the icon of cool get-ups? Ashcroft writes the "Japanese Schoolgirl Watch" column for Wired magazine, and he interviewed Japanese gals and culture watchers across the spectrum. With loads of color pics and a long list of sources.
Chute, Hillary L. Graphic Women: Life Narrative and Contemporary Comics. Columbia Univ. 2010. 297p. illus. bibliog. index. (Gender and Culture). ISBN 9780231150637. pap. $26.50. GRAPHIC ARTS
Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Phoebe Gloeckner, Lynda Barry, Marjane Satrapi, and Alison Bechdel: these are five of the most serious and influential women creators of graphic narrative, and all have mined their personal lives to make game-changing comics. Working from an academic feminist framework, Chute teases out the commonalities and uniquenesses among them, while summarizing their importance for the medium and the culture. Some of the illustrations are sexually explicit. For academic and large public libraries.
Ito, Kinko. A Sociology of Japanese Ladies' Comics: Images of the Life, Loves, and Sexual Fantasies of Adult Japanese Women. Edwin Mellen Pr. 2011. 260p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780773414204. $109.95. GRAPHIC ARTS
Seinen manga—Japanese comics for adult men like Lone Wolf and Cub—are well known in the United States. But exemplars of the female equivalent, known as josei manga, are much less common in English. Know this: the stories by and for gals can be just as sexy and violent as those for the guys. Ito is a well-published and respected scholar of the genre. Adult collections.
Banks, L.A. The Vampire Huntress Legends: Dawn and Darkness. St. Martin's. May 2011. 176p. ISBN 9780312581374. $19.99. F
Which is the more hair-raising: caring for newborn twins or facing down a deadly demon? Vampire hunters Damali and Carlos are about to find out. A prequel to the 13-book "Vampire Huntress Legend" series from this Philadelphia resident, a regular guest star at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention. Damali has been dubbed the "Black Buffy," and all 13 books are still in print.
Brosgol, Vera. Anya's Ghost. First Second. Jun. 2011. 224p. ISBN 9781596435520. pap. $19.99. F
The teen years are rough, and Anya's feeling it. Her changing body makes her self-conscious, her family embarrasses her, and she's given up on trying to fit in at school. Oh, and her new BFF is a ghost. But maybe that last is just fine. First Second bills this as "spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere."
Chao, Lloyd, Christine Chi, Long To, & Pat Lee. Pat Lee's Widow Warriors. Dynamite. Mar. 2011. 128p. ISBN 9781606902028. pap. $16.99. F
A group of kick-ass Chinese widows battle human and inhuman enemies to avenge their men, a fiercely patriotic clan of warriors cut down by bloodthirsty invaders. Appropriately murky, moody color art. Collects a four-issue miniseries plus bonus material. See preview art here.
Gulledge, Laura Lee. Page by Paige. Amulet. May 2011. 192p. ISBN 9780810997226. pap. $9.95. F
A transplanted teen looking to let out her inner artist adjusts to living in the Big Apple with her family. Charming black-and-white art with creative excursions into visual metaphor. Sample pages and more description here.
Messick, Dale. Brenda Starr, Reporter: The Collected Daily and Sunday Newspaper Strips. Vol. 1. Hermes Pr. Jul. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9781932563801. $60. F
The Queen is dead, long live the Queen. Reporter for The Flash since Messick began the strip in 1940, Brenda starred in her last strip in January, retiring from the paper to contemplate a possible reconciliation with ex-husband Basil St. John. Now the series reawakens in hardback, with the Sunday strips in color. Brenda Starr, Reporter, with the sparkles in her eyes, combined adventure, fashion, and romance for devoted women readers long before starry-eyed manga heroines swayed America's feminine hearts.
Millar, Mark (text) & Terry Dodson (illus.). Trouble. Marvel. Jun. 2011. 120p. ISBN 9780785150862. $19.99. F
A period piece set in the 1970s about teen pregnancy, originally released as comic books in 2003 but not collected at the time. Marvel was apparently trying to repopularize romance comics, but the series received mixed reviews, including one from Entertainment Weekly calling it "banal" and "hokey." But teen pregnancy is still not often addressed in graphic novels, so perhaps Trouble deserves a second life.
Russell, Rachel Renee. Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star. Aladdin. Jun. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9781442411906. $12.99. F
Truly adorable illustrations grace this popular Wimpy-Kid-for-girls diary of a lower-middle-class tween maneuvering through cliques and drama at her ritzy private school. Poor Nikki is a scholarship student, part of the deal her father, as school exterminator, cut with the school. And his truck sports a giant, disgusting roach on top as advertising! Russell is an attorney but is said to prefer writing tween books to legal briefs. If Dork Diaries keeps up its ascent, maybe she can trade in those little black suits for comfy bunny slippers.
Simone, Gail (text) & Ed Benes & Adriana Mello (illus.). Birds of Prey. Vol. 1: Endrun. DC. May 2011. 160p. ISBN 9781401231316. $22.99. F
Simone wrote a long and memorable run of the Birds from 2003 to 2007, and she's back with some of her favorite characters. Now Hawk and Dove join the party, introducing a man into the all-gal team to rescue Black Canary and Huntress from villainess White Canary.
Venditti, Robert (text) & Mike Huddleston (illus.). The Homeland Directive. Top Shelf. May 2011. 144p. ISBN 9781603090247. pap. $14.95. F
When the head of the National Center for Infectious Diseases is fingered wrongly for murder, she's gotta go rogue to find the real bad guys-who have a megaplot going that affects the entire country. A political/medical thriller for everybody who made it through the 18 volumes of Monster, rooting for the innocent doctor with the law on his tail. Spare, realistic art with striking color wash linked to plot elements. Venditti is known for the well-regarded sci-fi police procedural, The Surrogates.
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