Coraline by Neil Gaiman

“Coraline discovered the door a little after they moved into the house.”  Thus begins the creepy adventures of a little girl who discovers an alternate world in her own house.  The world beyond the door is similar to her own world.  There is even an identical set of parents…but wait!  Are those big black buttons [...]

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Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi

Forced by her parents to flee Iran in the face of the Iran-Iraq war, Marjane Satrapi picks up her story from Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood  (read my review here) in Vienna where her parents have sent her. Unfortunately, the safety her parents wanted for her in Vienna eludes Satrapi as she is shunted [...]

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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, magenta, and lapis [...]

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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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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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Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

With hopes that it doesn’t reflect poorly on my intelligence, I must admit that I always have loved graphic novels (also known as comic books by certain cretins who don’t understand the art form). Persepolis certainly falls within the description of a graphic novel and is the story of Marjane Satrapi as she grew up [...]

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