The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Complete Maus is a must have in the collection of any serious lover of graphic novels. The story of Art Spiegelman recording his father’s memories of being persecuted by the Nazi Regime during World War II is told in stunning detail in this magnificent graphic novel. The black and [...]

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Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Castle Waiting opens with a re-telling of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, but after Beauty rides off with her prince, the inhabitants of her former home are left with no one to rule them. Many move away, but a few stay with the castle that is now a sanctuary for travelers and awaiting a new [...]

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All-Star Superman – Volume 1 by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, with Jamie Grant

Is Superman dying? Well don’t look at the Dragon! I’ll not give it away, but I have nothing but praise for this fabulous graphic novel with artwork that has the 1940’s feel of the original comic, but with enough modernity to appeal to younger fans. Here the artwork is bright with teal, [...]

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Okko: the Cycle of Water by Hub

Another in the “James Library Gets Graphic” series is Okko: the Cycle of Water a delightfully drawn tale well told. When the Inn at Kappa is raided by pirates and the geisha, Little Carp is abducted, her young brother Tikku enlists the aid of the Ronin (masterless Samurai) Master Okko and his companions, Noburo, and [...]

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City of Others by Steve Niles, Bernie Wrightson, José Villarrubia

Blud has a problem. Well, Blud has many unresolved issues; one of which is his lack of empathy toward others, which probably stems from the fact that his parents christened him Stosh Bludowski. Of course, “Blud” is somewhat better than having to bear the moniker Chunx, which is the name of the antagonist is this [...]

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Tales from the Farm – Essex County Vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire

A sweet tale, sweetly told is Tales from the Farm.  Lemire tells Lester’s story almost entirely through the nuanced illustrations of this black and white graphic novel, the dialogue is spare, but every word has meaning.  Lester wears a cape and mask to hide himself from the world when his mother dies and he goes [...]

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Batman: the Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (Author), Lynn Varley (Colorist), Klaus Janson (Illustrator)

Well, Wild Things, the James Library got graphic and the Book Dragon loves graphic [my wicked life . . . hehe] so reviews from the Dragon will be graphic for a while. It was hard to pick favorites, so I’ll start them in alphabetical order with Batman: the Dark Knight Returns.
Batman is my favorite [...]

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The Killer’s Wife by Bill Floyd

This is Floyd’s first book, and unfortunately it shows.  The plot centers on Leigh Wren, mother of a young son and ex-wife of a serial murderer who is sitting on death row.  After moving to Cary, NC to start a new life, Leigh is accosted one day in the grocery store by the father of one [...]

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Belle de Jour by Joseph Kessel

Belle de Jour (Beauty of the Day) was published in French in 1928, but was not released in English until decades later due to its sadomasochistic theme.  Severine is a beautiful young housewife, married to the handsome young surgeon, Pierre, and seemingly living a dream life amongst the wealthy citizens of Paris.  The problem is that [...]

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The Outlander by Gil Adamson

This book grabbed me from the very first page with the description of the protagonist.  “Nineteen years old and already a widow.  Mary Boulton.  Widowed by her own hand.”  What drove Mary, or “the widow” as Adamson refers to her throughout the book, to murder her husband and flee West?  We find out in brief [...]

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