Ms. Tree Volume 2: Skeleton in the Closet

Volume 2 of the Ms. Tree graphic novel saga was published in October 2020.  It collects Ms. Tree Quarterly releases 2, 4, 6, and 10. These issues were originally released by DC Comics and have been republished under Titan Comic’s Hard Case Crime imprint.

Our protagonist Ms. Michael Tree is a 6 foot tall, gun toting female private investigator. She solves crimes of passion, murder and intrigue. Ms. Tree doesn't think any case is too small, or too violent. All she cares about is getting the job done. Along the way she fights to get revenge for her murdered husband.

Skeleton in the Closet was set and written in the 80's. It's definitely for mature audiences as the story deals with cases of Satanic worship, homophobia, date rape, and missing POW's from Vietnam. It was quite innovative at the time it was originally written, being one of the first comics to not only deal with homophobia but have a supporting character come out in the book. The storyline also takes a hard look at date rape decades before the MeToo movement began. 

This was a fascinating look back in time. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Ms. Tree Volume 1: One Mean Mother

I recently discovered this book from Comixology Unlimited. It is the first collection of five classic Ms. Tree comics. Collection #1 collects issues #1, 4, 7, 8, and 9 of the “Ms. Tree Quarterly,” the follow-up series by DC Comics to the fifty-issue series by smaller publishers. The Ms. Tree comics began 37 years ago and over the years has been optioned to several TV stations.

Ms. Michael Tree is a 6 foot tall,  gun toting female private investigator. She solves crimes of passion, murder and intrigue in these  satisfying stories. Ms. Tree doesn't think any case is too small, or too violent. All she cares about is getting the job done. Along the way she fights to get revenge for her murdered husband.

One Mean Mother begins with Ms. Tree being hired to find out who killed her arch nemesis at Muerta Investigations, Dominique Muerta. She was hired by the deceased's daughter who just happens to be dating her stepson, Michael Tree, Jr. Ms. Tree begins her investigation by taking over the security of the Muerta company and tightens up security at the building in which it is located. Then we backtrack in time to when Ms. Tree met her husband while they were both in college. The book continues to move back and forth in time, but telling a complete story.

If you like hard boiled mysteries and/or are looking for a strong female character in your comics then you want to get this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Great British Bump Off: Kill or be Quilt #1

Following the success of the Great British Bump Off baking murder mystery series, John Allison brings us a companion series. The Kill or Be Quilt series will have five releases and takes place in a fabric shop that we quilters refer to as a quilt shop. The next release will be published later today.

The publisher's summary:

When wildcat arson hits her new employer right where she lives, Shauna Wickle is drawn into the brutal and vindictive world of quilting, as sisterhood and community needlecraft deteriorate into internecine strife. With the promise of an end to all her financial worries, Shauna must cross enemy lines and infiltrate a cadre of “monsters in human skin”. But they seem…so nice

This is a light hearted cozy mystery in graphic novel format.  Shauna Wickle is the main character. She is a bright, kind, peppy girl who embarks on a relaxing vacation, sailing down English canals in a boat she borrowed from her uncle. However, Shauna is not an experienced sailor and soon finds that the boat has run aground and needs to be fixed before Shauna can continue her vacation. She is lucky to land in Barton-on-Wendle, and gets a job working at a fabric shop in order to earn money for repairs. At the shop she learns what a fat quarter is and is delighted to see bobbins of thread organized by color. Because of her bubbly personality, the shop owner believes Shauna will scare off their customers. We have to wait for the next release to find out how she fits in with the employees.

Way, way over 5 out of 5 stars.

The Dark

The Dark is a political thriller in comic book format. The plot concerns a worldwide cyberwar the U. S. has with Russia. 

The publisher's summary:

A short time after this international internet shutdown event known as "The Dark", we follow Carver, a former special forces super-soldier who after losing his eyes during this event, gets caught up on a mission hunting down Camille, a NSA analyst who has stolen dangerous information. With a potential war with China on the horizon, Carver and Camille are thrown together to get the world back on track while a shadowy force that is manipulating events is hot on their heels.

I loved this futuristic story. The plot is based on the use of the Stuxnet computer virus that Israel and the U. S. used against Iran several years ago. However, in this novel Russia has used it against the entire world. No more Internet use or electricity. Bioluminescence is used by the characters to tackle the dark. I am assuming the loss of the Net puts everyone in the Dark. Politics also plays a major part in the story. The U.S. is gearing up for war with China and has bombers on the way there. Texas has split from the U.S. Then we see a soldier with a service animal who's eyes glow. The soldier is hunting a transgender woman who just wants to become physically who she truly is. 

You can always tell when the illustrator is a man. The male characters are completely covered with body armor but the female character is always in a bikini. Sometimes she's just wearing underwear. It's unclear why female soldiers don't need to wear body armor. Kristian Donaldson is the artist. The colorist Lee Roughridge used a pallette of blues, teals and purples which I loved. The style of the art has a futuristic feel and I wondered whether it was drawn from a computer. That said, the art matched this futuristic story.

The Dark is light reading despite the political story. U am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Bad Mother

Bad Mother is a 2021 comic series featuring April Walters and her teenaged daughter Taylor. The story opens with April grocery shopping when armed robbers appear. All the staff and shoppers are on the floor hoping not to get shot when the police arrive. A shootout ensues in favor of the cops. When April gets home she realizes that Taylor is not home. She reviews her text messages from Taylor and sees Taylor's response to leave her alone. The next morning Taylor is still not home so April tries to make a missing persons report at the police station. She is told to wait 48 hours but instead April embarks on a harrowing mission to find her. April's journey that takes her through the underworld of her suburban community and sets her on a collision course with a massive crime syndicate and its lethal matriarch. Tested to her limits and beyond, April discovers that hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.

I loved this story! I read it in one sitting because it was so intriguing. April is not your ordinary soccer mom. She will go to any extreme to keep her kids safe. She also is one hell of a fighter who gets in rumbles with crime figures but manages to come out on top. The pacing was fast and with the colorful comic book panels this book is fantastic. The plot was very well thought out with plenty of twists and turns and the characters were realistic. This book is a winner.

5 out of 5 stars.

Dumb

Dumb is the true account of cartoonist Georgia Webber's experience with a temporary but lengthy loss of her voice. This is an unusual disability, one I have never heard of before. Certainly there are those who have been born with speech impediments but an experience like Webber's is new to me.

The publisher's summary:

This graphic memoir is about how the author copes with her loss of voice due to a severe injury. Part memoir, part medical cautionary tale, Dumb tells the story of how an urban twentysomething copes with the everyday challenges that come with voicelessness. Webber adroitly uses the comics medium to convey the practical hurdles she faced as well as the fear and dread that accompanied her increasingly lonely journey to regain her life. Her raw cartooning style, occasionally devolving into chaotic scribbles, splotches of ink, and overlapping montages, perfectly captures her frustration and anxiety. But her ordeal ultimately becomes a hopeful story. Throughout, she learns to lean on the support of her close friends, finds self-expression in creating comics, and comes to understand and appreciate how deeply her voice and identity are intertwined.

Georgia has a difficult time getting her point across to her friends in everyday life. Alot of the drawings have no dialogue but you can see what is happening as she tries to communicate with others. She decides not to go to loud places and mainly uses writing to converse with friends. Georgia still meets friends at bars but gets stressed because it takes alot of effort to communicate. It is tiring. Friends begin to view her as someone who needs to be helped constantly. Many of them, though, find her silence attractive. I love that she began wearing red lipstick to make it easier for people to read her lips. 

The memoir reads fast. It's 178 pages are filled with drawings that are actually scribbles in black and red that are not always legible. However, they match the storyline concerning  communication problems.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this graphic memoir and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Budding Crisis #1

Budding Crisis is a Comixology Original comic that was released last month. It is the first installment of a 5 part historical fantasy series about power, privilege, magic and thieves.

In the fictional Bay of Cygnus, magic seeds from the Onamanthe plant have the ability to grant the user any wish they want. When the ship known as The Eclipse gets robbed in the Bay of Cygnus, the Dureni people have to find them before it’s too late. There won’t be another chance for them to find more seeds as they’ve become extinct and each nation was only allotted three seeds. However, in the process of searching for these seeds and the thieves who stole them, they uncover a conspiracy against one of the strongest armies in the world. A shipmate on the Eclipse loses a small box containing the magical seeds. The ship is docked at a foreign port where they have little to no authority. Of course, they are going to try and get the box back. 

I loved this story. It was easy to understand the plot but with many characters, all shady, I was not able to determine who the protagonists were going to be. Maybe the 2nd installment of the series will make this plain. The artwork is done in bright colors which always helps me love the story. I am drawn to these colors and it's what helps me decide whether I want to purchase a comic.

All in all, Budding Crisis was a fun read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart is a coming of age graphic novel. The story concerns the children of a town called Alexandria. Their parents are on a  mysterious, four-year religious pilgrimage so the kids are on their own. 

There are alot of characters. We have Ben Schiller, Otto, Empathy, Josh, Tommy, Lola, Tony, Erica, and Jessie. However, the main characters are Ben, Otto and Empathy. They speak with rude, crude and lewd words and cannot get their minds off of sex. I didn't like any of them. The characters are consumed with their love lives and going to parties. Ben (a girl) takes care of her younger sister who is hiding a dark secret. Ben ardently believes that her parents will someday return. Ben also has problems with her best friend because they are maturing at different levels. The characters are undisciplined but show up at school every day. I found that unusual because I would have been cutting class.

The artwork consisted of black and white line drawings that were crudely drawn. It matched the crude behavior of the characters. However, I didn't care for the artwork. The story itself was all over the place. There wasn't a story per se but rather snapshots of events the characters attended.

Sacred Heart has received many positive reviews but I didn't care for it. It's just not my kind of comic. No rating.

War on Gaza

Renowned cartoonist Joe Sacco recently published his latest book War on Gaza. Sacco is famous for his reporting on life in Gaza. He is well renowned for creating the reportage comic sub-genre. However, this book is less about war on Gaza or war in Gaza but more about "I hate the USA." Only two pages out of the book’s 37 pages is directed against Israel. Three explain why he wrote the book. The remainder express Sacco's hatred of the U.S. and it's leaders.

He mocks our politicians for creating a "kinder, gentler genocide" and drew a line drawing of Biden in a diaper with a dialogue box "patent is pending." Also, we see another drawing of Biden with a scarlet "G" on his forehead which I thought was cute. I like the scarlet letter analogy. In addition, he uses sarcasm to rewrite Biblical passages such as "O, Israel, let a monument be raised atop the flattened cities of Amalek so that future generations will never forget the Miracle of Joe Biden's Hallucination." Of course, the November 2024 presidential election choices are what a "rotting republic deserves."

Sacco describes himself as "our hero cartoonist" out for a stroll. He claims he was walking to a postal box to mail a check to the IRS but that the government stole the check from the box. He might be paranoid but I am inclined to believe that this actually happened. 

This comic is dripping in anger and hate with a ton of sarcasm on every page. I give the author credit for his cleverness but the anti-American attitude was too much for my taste.

Sliced

My second comic of the year is a pizza story. It's appropriate because there is no food I love better than a greasy pizza. Sliced is a Comixology Original 130 page graphic novel that was published in November 2024. The story is about two rival pizzaiolos who are forced to give up their generational rivalry and collaborate against a new high-tech competitor. 

Silvio Zampini and Pietro Pizzuti own restaurants on the same street and both are failing. Both have refused to sell their pizzerias to the Cannoli Mafia crime family. They want to find a way to continue their family pizzerias. When the Cannoli family opens a new pizzeria, Wonder Pizza, across the street they are outpriced by them. Wonder Pizza is selling a slice of pie at a price seemingly more expensive than the ingredients. The ingredients are created from technology and contain a specific ingredient that makes every customer addicted to it. Silvio and Pietro combine their pizzerias into one restaurant in order to fight the Cannolis. 

This is a traditional mafia family story with typical New York City characters. Silvio and Pietro grew up together as friends but a rivalry began when they came of age. At that time both began working in their respective family restaurants. As I read the dialogue I could hear that NYC accent. Don Tommaso heads the Cannoli Mafia family. His character is so realistic that he could have been in the Godfather movie. His goons are likewise realistic. 

The writing has appropriate pacing and dialogue. There isn't much narrative, if any at all. The plot, while not original, is complex with plenty of twists and turns. I must say, though, that the idea of a technology created pizza is creative. I liked the color palette of the artwork which contained alot of different colors. 

4 out of 5 stars.

Two Tribes

After a late night yesterday I wanted easy reading this morning. I found this full length graphic novel by Emily Cohen. The story is based upon her own life and dissects her two ethnic nationalities:  Native American and Jewish.

The publisher's summary:  

In her poignant debut graphic novel inspired by her own life, Emily Bowen Cohen embraces the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes.

Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish identity plays in their home. Feeling out of place at home and at her Jewish day school, Mia finds herself thinking more and more about her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him in her life.

Soon, Mia makes a plan to use the gifts from her bat mitzvah to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.

I enjoyed reading about the Jewish and Muskogee customs. It was fascinating to see how the author wrote into the story Mia's punishment for running away by having to spend time with a rabbi. The rabbi used a study of the Bible story of Jonah to teach Mia a lesson. Jonah ran away from God after refusing to preach gloom and doom and ended up inside a whale. There was also an element of mystery in the story. While Mia was making strides in making her dream come true, I knew that her deception was going to catch up with her soon. Each chapter ending provided enough action to make me think that Mia was finally about to get caught. When she did get caught, Mia admitted her deception. She owned it. You don't see that every day. 

While this book was written for kids aged 8 to 12, there are lessons for adults as well. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. This is an educational  story for everyone.

Wrap-Up of the 2024 Graphic Novel and Manga Challenge

The Graphic Novel/ Manga Challenge is another favorite challenge of mine. When I signed up I could not pick a level of participation, wavering between reading 24 or 52 books.  In the end I read 28 novels. Many of them could be my favorite for the year, maybe even 10. The depth of writing was sky-high.  

The challenge host opened a Facebook group several years ago so that participants can post links to reviews. There isn't an annual sign up for the challenge anymore. We just continue to post our reviews every year in the group site. Please let me know if you are interested in joining the challenge and I will connect you with the group. 

The following are links to my reviews for 2024.

Open Borders by Matt Caplan

Seoul Before Sunrise by Samir Dahmani

Enlighten Me by Minh Le

We Are Not Strangers by Josh Tuining

Cool Japan Guide by Abby Denson 

A History of Modern Manga by Insight Editions 

Where the Body Was by Ed Brubaker

We Hereby Refuse by Frank Abe

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

Animal Pound by Tom King

Displacement by Kiki Hughes

The Way of the House Husband by Koysuki Oona

A History of Japan in Manga by Shunichiro Kanaya

Uniquely Japan by Abby Denson

Cool Tokyo Guide by Abby Denson

Ruined by Sarah Vaughn

Ash's Cabin by Jen Wang

Tender by Beth Hetland

Okinawa by Susuma

Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruq

Art Club by Rashad Doucet

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

Green Lantern Alliance by Minh Le

She's Running on Fumes by Dennis Hopeless

The Black Ghost by Alex Segura

The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu

Neptune by Michael Conrad 

Redbone by Christian Staebley

Favorite Book:  Animal Pound 

Second Favorite Book:  Tender

Least Favorite Book:  Okinawa 

Redbone

Redbone is a full length graphic novel that was created with cooperation from the Vegas family, authors Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni. Pat and Lolly Vazquez started the Redbone rock n' roll group after playing their music for years on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles and on the radio. In their beginning, politics made them change their surname to Vegas. It was the only way to get gigs. The book is part biography and part research journalism and tells a the story not only of the group but also about the history of Native Americans.

The publisher's summary:

Experience the riveting, powerful story of the Native American civil rights movement and the resulting struggle for identity told through the high-flying career of West Coast rock 'n' roll pioneers Redbone.

You've heard the hit song "Come and Get Your Love" in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, but the story of the band behind it is one of cultural, political, and social importance.

Brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas were talented Native American rock musicians that took the 1960s Sunset Strip by storm. They influenced The Doors and jammed with Jimmy Hendrix before he was "Jimi," and the idea of a band made up of all Native Americans soon followed. Determined to control their creative vision and maintain their cultural identity, they eventually signed a deal with Epic Records in 1969. But as the American Indian Movement gained momentum the band took a stand, choosing pride in their ancestry over continued commercial reward.

Redbone was officially formed in 1967. Their first album was a double album. They went on a national tour as well as playing concerts in Europe. When the song "We Were Wounded at Wounded Knee" was recorded it was banned in the U. S. While it was popular in Europe the American powers that be thought it would encourage civil disobedience and there already was alot of unrest over the Vietnam War. At their last concert in 1974 they were told that if they sang the song, the concert promoter would pull the tour. Well, they sang it and the promoter, true to his word, ended the tour. This was also the end of the group's career. 

At least half of the book tells the history of Native Americans, especially the past 100 years. The authors delve into the U.S.'s attempts to assimilate them by sending Indian children to western schools. Many of these schools were boarding schools so the kids were separated from their families and culture. English only was required at the schools. If a student spoke their Native language they were severely punished. This assimilation attempt was news to me. I have never heard about it before and, yes, I was shocked.

The book ends with an interview of Pat Vegas by the authors. A bibliography and discography follow. 

The Infinity Particle

In this gorgeous graphic novel by Wendy Xu, a young inventor falls for a lifelike AI robot and confronts questions of freedom and autonomy.

The publisher's summary:

Clementine Chang moves from Earth to Mars for a new start and is lucky enough to land her dream job with Dr. Marcella Lin, an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. On her first day of work, Clem meets Dr. Lin’s assistant, a humanoid AI named Kye. Clem is no stranger to robots—she built herself a cute moth-shaped companion named SENA. Still, there’s something about Kye that feels almost too human.

When Clem and Kye begin to collaborate, their chemistry sets off sparks. The only downside? Dr. Lin is enraged by Kye’s growing independence and won’t allow him more freedom. Plus, their relationship throws into question everything Clem thought she knew about AI. After all, if Kye is sentient enough to have feelings, shouldn’t he be able to control his own actions? Where is the line between AI and human? As her past and Kye’s future weigh down on her, Clem becomes determined to help him break free—even if it means risking everything she came to Mars for.

The plot premise is timely. We are just beginning to discuss the challenges AI poses as well as how it can be used to improve life on Earth. In this story, the author had secondary characters that were Asian, Muslim, disabled, African and white. She covered most of the protected classes! There was only one male character and he is the AI created robot that Clem fell in love with. All the inventors were women.

Clem had disagreements with Kye's creator Marcella concerning whether robots are their own people who should be treated with respect and allowed to have their own thoughts and interests. Marcella I was not happy about the romance between Clem and Kye. I  loved that one strip showed a character walking down a staircase and another person in a wheelchair using an adjacent ramp. None of the characters suffered any discrimination on Mars but they did talk about the challenges of life on Earth.

The art in this book is breathtaking and really pops in its minimal blue color palette. The pace was nice and fast but I expected that the plot would be more sci-fi with discussion on creating AI creatures. However, it was predominantly a romance story. That part was a disappointment to me. 

The novel was entertaining and a relaxing read. I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

Neptune

Neptune is a graphic novel with a theme of revenge and redemption. It was published in September 2024. The main character is Corey Harrison who has just been released from prison after serving 17 years for a violent crime. Now, Corey is seeking the truth surrounding the recent and mysterious death of his brother, only to discover a vast darkness surrounding his legacy. Corey's friends tell him there are job openings at Neptune and that he should apply. He is hired to work as a supervisor in a chicken factory, the same position that his brother held. On his first day Corey sees alot of young people working under him who work long hours and don't get paid much. They are human trafficking victims. His boss tells him that using traffickees was his brother’s idea. It made the business a success. 

There was a tremendous amount of foul language so I wouldn't recommend the book for children. The characters came from a rough part of town and their dialogue reflected this. It was depressing to read how people live like this. I know that there are lots of folks who have no choice but to live this lifestyle and I am not criticizing them. I just didn't like reading about it. That said, the author presented a realistic portrait about ex-offenders and their difficulty with obtaining employment and adjusting to life outside prison.

3 out of 5 stars.

Green Lantern Alliance

Last year I read Minh Le's Green Lantern Legend and loved it. As I was looking for a new comic to read this month, I found his Green Lantern Alliance. I knew I had to read it. This story did not disappoint. It was an exciting read and the illustrations were colorful and happy. It made me feel like a kid again. The book was published in October 2022 and is written for the 9 - 12 year old age range.

The publisher's summary:

Tai Pham struggles with balancing school, his work in the family business, his friendships, and his new Green Lantern responsibilities. But Kid Flash arrives on the scene to become the super-hero partner Tai just might need. It’s only been a few months since Green Lantern Tai Pham inherited his ring from his ba and defeated his nemesis, Xander Griffin. But Tai knows their last battle was only the beginning-and even though no one believes him, Tai is determined to prove that Xander is up to his old tricks again. When a string of fires start popping up around Coast City, Tai finds himself stretched thin as he struggles to keep up with school, training, working at the store, and following Xander’s trail. That is, until a new hero, known as Kid Flash, shows up on the scene with an offer to help. Can the heroes find the arsonist before it’s too late?

This volume doesn't focus as much on Tai's Vietnamese heritage as in Green Lantern Legacy. It focuses more on his relationships to his mentor, friends and new ally Kid Flash. I loved reading about Tai's Vietnamese heritage in Legacy and was hoping it would be a big feature of this comic. This disappointed me and I liked Legacy more than Alliance.

Alliance continues the story from before but with more superhero scenes. Concerning characters, the protagonist is Tai Pham. However, he is the least interesting character in the book. We don't read much of anything about his life, personality or ethnic roots. Every time his grandmother Kim Tran is shown with the green ring, I wished that the book included her more.

The art is drawn in bright greens and yellows. I love these colors and they impact my enjoyment of the book big time. I am expecting a 3rd entry in the Green Lantern series. The last page says that the next adventure will be to planet earth. 

3 out of 5 stars.

She's Running on Fumes

She's Running on Fumes is a 2024 Comixology Original comic book. The book I read contained all 6 releases of the comic. The story takes place in Deepwater, Missouri in 1984. Note that this is a book for adults only as there is a ton of foul language, violence and dialogue about sex.

The publisher's summary is short:

When I was 3-years-old, my mother started a chop shop with a junkyarder named Corn Dog. My criminal father’s brain was damaged in a wreck that almost killed him. With hospital bills piling, us kids to feed and fifty-thousand dollars of biker cocaine gone missing, grand theft auto was Mom’s best shot at survival.

While the comic has an extensive plot that is well-written, I did not like how the characters spoke to each other. They were rude and crude with each other which created a stressful atmosphere. While I am aware that there is a segment of society that behaves this way, I wouldn't want to socialize with this group. That said, the author wrote a realistic portrait of this particular fringe group of hoodlums. The narrator was the son of Jody and Jeanne. Jody is the character whose brain was damaged in a car wreck. I feel that Jeanne should have left Jody long before she ended up with two rowdy kids. She is stuck accepting lousy, small paying jobs for the foreseeable future. I would have never put myself in this situation. 

The story was inspired by the author’s family history. Dennis Hopeless stated in an online interview with IGN:

“When I was 3-years-old my mother started a chop shop with a half-wit junkyarder named Corn Dog,” said Hopeless in a statement. “Dad was the criminal. Mom had never broken a law in her life, but with him brain-damaged, fifty-thousand dollars of cocaine gone missing and hospital bills piling up, grand theft auto was our only hope.”

Hopeless continued, “She’s Running on Fumes is based on the true story of how my mom lied, cheated and stole her way through dad’s tire fire and the freedom she found out the other side. The story is based on family stories and my father’s near-fatal accident from when I was a toddler. As I grew older, details were added that made it clear my father was a criminal and many of the events of my childhood were driven by his criminal dealings. The seeds of the idea came from asking my mother about these old stories as an adult and getting the real dirt.”

The illustrations were drawn by Tyler Jenkins with watercolor art painted by Hilary Jenkins. The letters were written by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.  The drawings looked sketchy to me but I believe that they matched the type of story that was told. 

4 out of 5 stars.

The Fox Maidens

Robin Ha, author of Almost American Girl, is one of my favorite graphic novelists. Her 2024 graphic novel, The Fox Maidens, is based on a famous character from Korean mythology, Gumiho. The story takes place 400 years ago in Korea during the reign of the Joseon Dynasty and it was a fun read.

The publisher's summary:

Kai Song dreams of being a warrior. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her beloved father, the commander of the Royal Legion. But while her father believes in Kai and trains her in martial arts, their society isn’t ready for a girl warrior.

Still, Kai is determined. But she is plagued by rumors that she is the granddaughter of Gumiho, the infamous nine-tailed fox demon who was killed by her father years before.

Everything comes crashing down the day Kai learns the deadly secret about her mother’s past. Now she must come to terms with the truth about her identity and take her destiny into her own hands. As Kai desperately searches for a way to escape her fate, she comes to find compassion, and even love, in the most unexpected places.

Set in sixteenth-century Korea and richly infused with Korean folklore, The Fox Maidens is a timeless and powerful story about fighting for your place in the world, even when it seems impossible.

First of all, I cannot be more excited about a comic's illustration than with The Fox Maidens. The color palette is gorgeous. Most of the comic book strips are drawn and colored with cool tones of every color but with a splash of bright colors such as red. It's very appealing.

Concerning the writing, it is fast paced with compelling characters and an action packed plot. Kai is the main character. She is presented as a feminist by her desire to fight alongside the men in her village. She is fearful of marrying and having children and hopes that her parents won't force her into marriage. At the end of the story we see her love for another female character. Kai's mother, Meorhu, is a physically fragile woman with a surprising past as a fox maiden. She hopes that her daughter will be able to escape the same fate. Then there is Gumiho. Gumiho is the deadly fox spirit who destroys the lives of all the others with her magic. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story but must say that the first half was more exciting. During this part of the story we read about Kai as a human being. Her life in the village depicted the type of life a girl in Joseon Korea would live. In the second half she becomes a fox and here we really see the fantasy aspect of the story. The author’s note at the end explains her inspiration for writing this graphic novel. I found it as fascinating as the story itself.

4 out of 5 stars.

Art Club

Art Club Dare to Create was published on February 6, 2024. The story was inspired by the author’s own childhood and paints a picture of an aspiring young artist on a mission to prove that the arts are worth fighting for. The book was written with 8 - 12 year olds in mind and it is a graphic novel.

The publisher's summary:

Dale Donavan has heard the same lecture over and over again: Art will get you nowhere in life. A kid with a creative streak, Dale wants nothing more than to doodle, play video games, and create comics forever—maybe even as a full-time job one day. But between his grandfather pushing him to focus on his studies and a school with zero interest in funding arts programs, Dale feels like his future has already been decided for him. 

That is, until he comes up with the perfect plan: What if he starts an after-school art club, gathers a team of creative students like himself, and proves all the naysayers—his stubborn vice principal in particular—wrong? This might just work, but if the club isn’t financially successful by the end of the semester, the school with shut them down. This may be Dale’s only chance to show the adults in his life that a career as an artist is not just a dream but a possibility! 

The club doesn't get going until the halfway point in the story. The first half sets up the reason it was created as well as all of the obstacles that were put in the kids' way. The main obstacle is Mr. Ruffins, the school vice principal. He tasked the students with researching and writing a paper on a well paying career they are interested in. He hopes students will pursue math or science. Dale only likes reading comics so he takes a risk in writing his paper on the cartoonist field. This backfires on Dale but he convinces another teacher to sponsor an art club to show Ruffins that it can be profitable. If the club fails, Dale will flunk his class. 

The book teaches that there are many choices a student has to make before pursuing an art career. Dale is interested in becoming a comic book creator who does his own illustrations. Other students in the club like creating video games, drawing and fundraising. Their sponsor, Miss Jen'ae, begins with teaching the club members about different types of art and even takes them on field trips to art shows and comic conventions. Dale ultimately hopes that his school will resume teaching art classes.

Of course, there is a happy ending. Art Club is a fun read and is an ideal reading choice for a youngster interested in art. 5 out of 5 stars.

Saving Sunshine

Saving Sunshine is a graphic novel about Muslim American siblings who must learn how to stop fighting and support each other in a world that is often unkind to them. They are always being teased for having a funny sounding name or wearing a hijab. It was published in 2023 and won several awards including a Kirkus Best Book of the year and the New York Public Library Best Book for Kids for the year.

Zara and Zeeshan Aziz are twins who really can't stand each other. During a family trip to Florida where their mother received an award for best pediatrician of the year, their bickering, shoving, and insults reached new heights of chaos. As punishment, their parents sentenced them to the worst possible fate: confiscation of their cell phones and each other’s company! They are instructed to always stay together while their parents attend a medical conference. They are depressed beyond belief. Zeeshan loves to watch NASA videos on his phone while Zara takes photos of animals for her animal rescue group. However, when the twins find an ailing turtle whom Zara named Sunshine, it presents a rare opportunity for teamwork if, of course, the two can put their differences aside.

The book was written for kids aged 8 - 12. It's a sweet story with gorgeous watercolor drawings in muted tones. The Aziz family has to deal with alot of Islamophobia. The parents were born in Pakistan but emigrated to the U. S. as adults. The twins were born in New York but their classmates didn't accept them as true Americans. Mrs. Aziz wears a hijab and always encounters alot of stares and rude comments.

There were many facts about animals and outer space interspersed throughout the story which I enjoyed. It's always nice to learn something from a book. The book is a fast read and I recommend it for adults as well as kids of any age.

5 out of 5 stars.