Sept 21-27 is Banned Books Week where we celebrate banned books and the freedom to read. This year there is a focus on Banned Comics and Graphic Novels in conjunction with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, on organization that helps fight for the rights of comic book creators, readers and distributors. Here’s a link to their Banned Book Week Handbook:
San Diego Comic Con International (or simply Comic Con, it’s often assumed you’re talking about ‘the’ Comic Con) is happening at the end of this month (July) and that means it’s time for the Eisner Awards! Named for legendary writer/artist Will Eisner, recognizing artists, letterers, writers, and retailers for their contribution to the comics medium and culture.
Here are the nominees, generously lifted from the Comic Con website:
– See more at: http://www.comic-con.org/awards/will-eisner-comic-industry-award-nominees-2014#sthash.eWXnnRf5.dpuf
Now for the second half of the year, more books to look out for in 2014
It Never Happened Again by Sam Alden, Get Over It by Corrine Mucha, Art Schooled by Jamie Coe and Youth is Wasted by Noah Van Sciver.
Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Through the Woods by Emily Carroll, The Motherless Oven by Rob Davis and The Wrenchies by Farel Dalrymple.
Pascin by Joann Sfar and Blacksad: Amarillo by Juanjo Guarnido and Juan Diaz Canales
20 books coming out in 2014 that look promising: http://www.comicsandcola.com/2014/02/20-most-anticipated-graphic-novels-for.html First, two GNs published by Jonathan Cape: (publisher of Bryan Talbot, Daniel Clowes, Charles Burns, Alison Bechdel), Polina by Bastien Vives and Just So Happens by Fumio Obata
Beautiful Darkness by Fabienne Vehlmann (writer of Island of 100,000 Graves with Jason and Last Days of an Immortal with Gwen de Bonneval) and Kerascoët (contributor to the Dungeon books). Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano (creator of the What a Wonderful World manga series) Beautfil Darkness is available here: http://catalog.slcpl.org/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.6&pos=2
Two continuing series books, Locke and Key volume 6: Alpha by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez and Hilda and the Black Hound by Luke Pearson. Locke and Key Volumes 1-5 are available at the library http://catalog.slcpl.org/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.6&type=Keyword&term=locke%20and%20key&by=KW&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=TOM=*&query=&page=0&searchid=1 as well as the first 2 volumes of Hilda.
Weapons of Mass Diplomacy by Christophe Blain (Gus and His Gang, Dungeon) and Abel Lanzac. How To Be Happy by Eleanor Davis, a relative newcomer to the comics scene, she’s been published in Mome and Best American Comics of 2013.
This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki (Skim and Emiko Superstar). Andre the Giant by Box Brown. Stay tuned for the second half of the year…
I suggest taking a look at Incal: The Classic Collection with art by the amazing french artist Moebius if you like what you see above.
These posters are even better than the movie. WANT.
Wolverine.
Really what else needs to be said.
With a new film centered around his famous journey to Japan, we’ve got 5 other recommendations (some classic, some new) if you’d like to read more about this mutant Canuck.
Interested in reading Wolverine’s saga chronologically? Here’s a great article that can get you started on that daunting task.
Collecting Wolverine
5 Wolverine Books You Should Read
BTW these are available at the SLCPL, along with many more, in the graphic novel section under Graphic Novel Wolverine & Graphic Novel X-Men.
With Man of Steel coming out this month, it seemed appropriate to re-visit the graphic novel Superior by the inimitable Mark Millar.
This is a nice send up of Superman, more specifically how superheroes and Superman in particular have shaped American culture and identity. Superior, like Superman represents the idealized American: he stops crime, he saves people, he fixes all of the world’s problems, and he does it without killing people. This is particularly poignant given the 21st Century backdrop–would Americans be satisfied with Al Queda being captured by a superhero and sent to maximum security prisons? While Superman and (presumably) Superior are Americans, they’re adopted Eathlings, they represent the best of humanity (at least from a Western perspective).
This begs the question: what are we to expect from the Christopher Nolan/Zack Snyder Man of Steel? They’re clearly trying to re-invent Superman for a modern audience while trying to stay true to his core principles: Truth, Justice, the American Way.
2013 has been a pretty impressive year for graphic novels thus far. Here’s some of the great books that have come out already and some coming out later in the year. 
The new Sandman story has me pretty excited, a promising science-fiction love story by Jeff Lemire of Sweet Tooth and Essex County fame, and 2 new books from artist Frank Quitely.
We’re going to be getting some of these title later in the year, we do have Relish to check out here: http://slcpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1995578059_relish
For synopses of the above mentioned graphic novels and the full list of the “Most Anticipated Graphic Novels of 2013” go here: Graphic Novel Summer Reading
Lynda Barry on Talk of the Nation
BTW we talked about Lynda Barry way back here.
You find more Lynda Barry here at the SLCPL.
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