graphic novels | Bookshelf Fantasies

I was shocked – SHOCKED, I tell you – to discover that I’ve read 25 graphic novels thus far in 2012.

This astonishing turn of events was driven home to me the other day during family reading time, a new tradition recently instituted in my house solely for the purpose of getting my 9-year-old to read. Whether this will actually be successful remains to be seen. However, I digress. During family reading time, the kiddo and I plop ourselves on the couch with our books for a mandatory half hour or so of side-by-side independent reading. On this particular occasion, my college grad daughter joined us. As we all settled in – daughter with A Storm of Swords, kiddo with Henry Huggins – my son looked over at me, started laughing hysterically, and said, “Mom’s reading a comic book!”

My initial reaction was denial – “What? Me? No way… I’m a serious reader!” But when I stopped to think about it, I realized that I should start holding my head up a bit higher when I tell people about the amazing books that I’m reading. Yes, I read graphic novels. And yes, graphic novels can be great literature too!

I don’t remember being much of a comic book fan as a kid, although I do recall reading the Archie comics (I always wanted to be Betty, and thought Reggie was a big jerk), maybe a bit of Richie Rich here or there. No superheroes at all, I’m quite sure. Even for the comics I remember reading, I have no idea where they came from or how they ended up in my hands. I certainly never bought any myself.

Flash forward to my adult years. I read a few of the more “literary” graphic novels (Maus by Art Spiegelman and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi are two that come to mind), but it wouldn’t have occurred to me to explore any further.

I suppose I can point the finger in two different directions, if I want to “blame” anyone for my newfound interest in graphic novels.

First, there’s Joss Whedon. After falling in love with Joss’s Firefly/Serenity ‘verse, I gobbled up everything I could find that was related, including a Serenity graphic novel entitled Those Left Behind. Once I got hooked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (thanks to massive DVD-watching marathons), I started reading all of the related Buffy titles, such as Tales of the Slayers, Tales of the Vampires, and Fray. When it was announced that Joss would be creating an official season 8 of Buffy in comic book format, my fate was sealed. There was no way that I could not read season 8, and for some reason, reading season 8 has really opened the floodgates for me in terms of my openness toward reading graphic novels.

Second, when my kiddo started 4^th grade last year and was forced to do more independent reading, I was concerned when the book he started with was a graphic novel. His teacher set me straight, and told me that it was more important at this stage to let my son read something he enjoyed, rather than what I thought would be good for him. (Thank you, Mr. Allyn, for the great advice, BTW!). The book that my kiddo picked out was Out From Boneville, the first book in the fantastic Bone series by Jeff Smith. My son was hooked, insisted I read the books too, and I became hooked as well.

So here I am, mid-2012, with close to 25% of my reading this year consisting of graphic novels, and I thought I’d share a few of my favorites:

As mentioned:

The Bone series by Jeff Smith – not just for kids! The tale of the three Bone cousins is a mix of adventure, epic quest, and high fantasy, with plenty of humor as well. This series also features the stupid rat creatures, probably my favorite villains ever.

Stupid Rat Creatures!

Buffy season 8 and 9 – If you watched the TV show, you’ve just got to read these. The whole gang is back, and the story that unfolds in season 8 and 9 is considered “canon”.

Plus a few more:

Fables by Bill Willingham – I’m about halfway through this series, and I can’t stop raving about it (as the people around me can verify, with much eye-rolling). The story may sound simple – fairy tale characters have been exiled from their homelands and have taken refuge in New York – but the plot and character development are complex, engaging, and surprising.

N. by Stephen King – truly one of the most frightening things I’ve ever read. N. isn’t very long, but each page is packed with creepy images and a looming sense of evil. Wow.

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch by Neil Gaiman – I haven’t read the short story from which this was adapted, so I have no point of comparison, but I really liked the way the plot works in graphic novel format. Great illustrations, and the pacing maintains a sense of the mysterious throughout.

The Griff by Christopher Moore – I’ll read anything Christopher Moore chooses to write, and this story of dragons wiping out human life on Earth featured his trademark humor, alongside heaping spoonfuls of chaos and destruction. Good times!

What’s next for me in the world of graphic novels? I’m just finishing up a small handful of Dresden Files graphic novels, and then it’s back to Fables! Volume 11 is calling my name…

What do you think? Do graphic novels “count” as real reading? What are the best graphic novels you’ve read lately? Share your thoughts and recommendations below!

Fables (volumes 1 – 3) by Bill Willingham

I have quickly fallen in love with the Fables graphic novel series. By the end of volume 1, “Legends in Exile”, I was pretty sure it was just a crush. After reading volume 2, “Animal Farm,” I realized my feelings had deepened and that this just might be the start of a serious relationship. And now, three volumes in, after reading “Storybook Love”, I know it’s the real thing. I’m hooked.

Fables, written by Bill Willingham, is a DC Comics series that originally appeared in comic book format, now compiled in trade paperback volumes. So far, 17 volumes are available in print, with volume #18 due for publication in January of 2013.

Fables tell the story of fairy tale and other assorted mythical and magical characters, forced to flee their homelands after the invasion of the Adversary (about whom we know nothing so far, other than the fact that he’s unstoppable and ruthless. If you’ve read further in the series than I have — hush! I don’t want to know.) The survivors have taken refuge in our world — more specifically, Manhattan — where they live a secret life, concealing their magic from the mundys (that’s us, folks).

The mayor of the Manhattan Fable town is Old King Cole, but he’s merely a figurehead. The true authority lies with deputy mayor Snow White (our fearless heroine!), backed up by sheriff and overall enforcer Bigby Wolf (Big B. Wolf — get it?), whose gruff human exterior hides a predator with a core of integrity. Between the two of them, they ride herd on a mish-mash of misfits, including Little Boy Blue, Prince Charming (such a cad!), the Frog Prince (known as Flycatcher due to his unfortunate snacking habits), and Bluebeard (who reminds me of a really buff version of Walter White of Breaking Bad).

Their less human-looking counterparts reside on a hidden farm in upstate New York, concealed from the outside world, but also chafing under their enforced seclusion. A brilliant plot involving an uprising at the Farm is what truly got me involved in this series. Let’s just say that there’s a lot more to Goldilocks and the three bears than you might assume. And don’t get me started on nasty old Shere Khan either.

Fables is not for children. Mature themes abound, as well as plenty of gruesome deaths, sexy bedroom scenes, conspiracies, deceptions, murder and mayhem. The plotting is detailed and fast-paced, with masterful storytelling at every turn. It’s been a real pleasure for me to discover a tale well-told in a format that’s fresh and engaging. For someone who’s relatively new to the world of graphic novels, I’m really having a ball with this series, and I’m finding it seriously difficult to put Fables down in order to pick up a “real” novel.

Onward we go. So long as I have more volumes of Fables close at hand, it would appear that I’m not going to get anything else done.