Age of Apocalypse: The Complete Epic

Posted on September 21, 2009 by No Shadow

No longer is Professor X the leader of the X-men. No longer is Magneto a villain. No longer do the X-men live in the golden age of man, but struggle and fight for a better day in the Age of Apocalypse. Everything you think you know about the X-men you can forget. In this classic, four part miniseries, the X-men struggle to find their purpose in a dangerous and unforgiving age of Apocalypse. Guided by their leader, Magneto, the X-Men find hope that there is a better tomorrow and world without the rule of Apocalypse. This first part has all the makings of a genuine classic graphic novel; new people, exciting stories, and devastating consequences. Looking for a page turner, this is it. Want something that you absolutely cannot put down, this is it. I highly recommend this book for all ages; the number one graphic novel that I have read thus far, at your finger tips.

Graphic Novels

Posted on September 14, 2009 by No Shadow

What is a graphic novel? A “graphic novel” is a longer version of a comic book story that offers a more complex storyline, comparable to a novel. According to the ComicBookPedia website, the term “graphic novel” was first coined by Richard Kyle in 1964, mainly as an attempt to distinguish the newly translated works from Europe which were then being published from what Kyle perceived as the more juvenile subject matter that was so common in the United States.
According to the Internet Wikipedia, a “graphic novel” is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using the comics form. The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres. Graphic novels using the same materials and method as print books are typically bound in a longer, more durable format then comic magazines.
Don’t know where to or how to start? Try any of the titles found on the American Library Association’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

Here are a few titles to get you started:

Maximum Ride 1 by NaRae Lee TEEN 741.5 LEE v.1

Life Sucks by Jessica Abe TEEN 741.5 ABE

Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventure in Japan by Aimee Major Steinberger 741.5 STE

Skim by Mariko Tamaki TEEN 741.5 TAM

Laika by Nick Abadzis 741.5 ABA

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis jB Sis, Peter Sis

Transformers. Revenge of the Fallen by Chris Mowry Teen 741.5 MOW

THE BONE SERIES:

Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith TEEN 741.5 BONE SMI V.3

The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith TEEN 741.5 BONE SMI v. 2

DRAGON BALL

Dragon Ball Vol. 6 by Akira Toriyama TEEN 741.5 TOR v. 6

Dragon Ball Z Vol. 6 by Akira Toriyama TEEN 741.5 TOR v.6

BUFFY!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Pale Reflections by Andi Watson TEEN 741.5 Buffy W3374p

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Crash Test Demons by Andi Watson TEEN 741.5 Buffy W3374c

GRAPHIC CLASSICS

Ambrose Bierce by Ambrose Bierce TEEN 741.5 BIE

H. P. Lovecraft H. P. Lovecraft by H. P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft TEEN 741.5 L8978h

H. G. Wells by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells TEEN 741.5 W4543h

Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe TEEN 741.5 P743e

Arthur Conan Doyle by Arthur Conan Doyle Sir TEEN 741.5 D7541a

Graphic Novels! It’s Not Just for Superheroes!

Posted on August 17, 2009 by No Shadow

Tired of the same old superhero comics? Hero flies in and saves the world. Yeah, we get it. Here’s a list of graphic novels that go beyond tights and capes.

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci (TEEN 741.5 CAS): When Jane moves to the suburbs, she thinks her life is over, but she meets three friends who form a club called P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods). Can art really save a group of misfits from high school? Check out the official site here.

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley (TEEN 741.5 OMA v.1): Scott Pilgrim’s life is fantastic. He’s 23 years old, in a rock band, between jobs, and dating a cute high school girl. Everything’s awesome until a seriously mind blowing delivery girl named Ramona Flowers enters his life. Check out the official site here.

Electric Girl, Volume 1 by Michael Brennan (TEEN 741.5 B8384v01 2003): Virginia is your typical teenage girl with typical teenage problems. She’s a college student with an adoring dog named Blammo, and an imaginary gremlin named Oogleeoog. Oh, and she also has the ability to store and discharge electricity at whim. Check out the official site here.

Runaways Vol. 1, Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughan (TEEN 741.5 VAU v.1): A group of teens discover their parents are part on an evil crime group called The Pride. The teens steal weapons and resources from them and learn that they have also inherited their parents’ powers. Do they fight for good or evil? Read more about it here.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (TEEN 741.5 YAN): Weaves together three interrelated tales about the problems of young Chinese Americans trying to participate in popular culture.

Confessions of a Blabbermouth by Mike Carey (TEEN 741.5 CAR): Tasha Flanigan loves to talk, especially on her blog, and when her mom brings home a creepy boyfriend and his daughter, Tasha can’t help but talk about them. Check out the official site here.