Archive for the ‘Graphic novels’ Category
The battle for the crown jewel of America's political kingdom has rarely been more compelling than it was in ’08.
The U.S. Presidential race was one of the most engaging dramas of our time, pitting energetic Democrat newcomer Barack Obama versus straight-talking Republican veteran John McCain.
But perhaps even more gripping were the party races that preceded the main event.
With no incumbents running — president George W. Bush had reached his eight-year term limit (and was hovering around a 30 per cent approval rating) and vice-president Dick Cheney had his share of health issues and had no interest in the higher office — the race for the White House was wide open and it seemed like every Tom, Huck and Hillary was ready to throw their hat in the ring.
In 08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail (Three Rivers Press, 160 pages, $19.95), Michael Crowley, senior editor at The New Republic, and Dan Goldman, artist of 2007’s highly acclaimed Shooting War, use the power of the graphic medium to examine an assortment of angles from the campaign trail to the impact of McCain’s years in a Viet Cong prisoner-of-war camp to Hillary Clinton’s (possibly contrived) tearful breakdown just prior to the New Hampshire primaries to Obama’s crowning moment on Nov. 4 in Chicago’s Grant Park.
Using actual quotes from all the public figures portrayed, and vivid likenesses of all the prime players including vice-presidential rivals Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, plus also-rans like John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and a supporting cast of real-life media members and political operatives, Crowley and Goldman craft an insightful and poignant memoir that gives life and energy to this odyssey that a simple history book, no matter how well written, could never accomplish.
(This review first appeared in the Toronto Star)
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Burma Chronicles
Guy Delisle
Drawn & Quarterly
$19.95
208-page hardcover
**** (out of five)
Another year, another long stay in a country where the peoples’ rights are abused and the leaders are corrupt.
Such is life for Canadian ex-pat Guy Delisle.
After working in the animation industry in North Korea and China and keeping a quirky illustrated diary of his surreal experiences in those places that became the books, Pyongyang and Shenzhen, Delisle finally gets to spend some quality time with his family.
But since his wife, Nadège, works with Doctors Without Borders, Delisle, along with their infant son, Louis, get to spend that time together in Burma.
From examinations of the stained red smiles of the betel nut-chewing denizens of Rangoon to futile attempts to see house-imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and long looks at Buddhism, life under military rule, censorship and the rampant use of heroin, Delisle presents a raw, compassionate and yet often humourous and optimistic look at a corner of the world many choose to turn a blind eye to.
(This article was first published in the Toronto Star)
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French Milk
Lucy Knisley
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster
$17.50/$15 (U.S.)
188-page paperback
** ½ (out of five)
The only thing worse than an old person mourning the loss of their youth is a young person mourning the loss of their youth.
Art student Lucy Knisley is about to turn 22 and her mother is closing in on 50, so they decide to take a trip together to Paris for a month of food, fun, culture and bonding.
To commemorate this adventure, Lucy keeps an illustrated journal of their exploits, documenting everything from the layout of their apartment to the details of their many meals and the varied historic and culturally relevant spots they visit.
The only flaw in this plan is that, while the art is nice, neither Lucy, nor her mom, do or say anything of particular interest or insight. They’ve both been to Paris before, so the “oooh, aaah, isn’t that something new” factor isn’t there; too many pages are devoted to what was consumed by the pair (and if you’re that interested in this subject you’d be better off reading Tucker Shaw’s Everything I Ate); and while the book promises to be full of introspection and mother-daughter bonding, it often just comes off as a spoiled art student whining about getting old (at 22!) and how hard life is before she truly knows how true that really is.
(This article was first published in the Toronto Star)
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Water Baby
Ross Campbell
DC/Minx
$11.99/$9.99 US (Paperback)
**** (out of five)
Brody was never your typical girl, even before the shark devoured her left leg.
So now that this tattooed Florida surfer girl is limping around on crutches with her new prosthetic and getting gawked at by people on the beach, she’s bound to get a little more odd.
Complicating things are the sudden reappearance of Brody’s slacker ex-boyfriend, Jake, and some rather nasty recurring nightmares about her Great White nemesis.
With his usual gift for natural dialogue and wonderful facial expressions on full display, writer/artist Ross Campbell (Wet Moon), crafts an engaging tale of personal strength that shows it’s not about the destination as much as it’s about the journey.
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