Great Graphic Novels (#GGN2020) Nominees Round Up, June 6 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Great Graphic Novels nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Maneaters, vol. 2 by Chelsea Cain
Image Comics
Publication Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-1534313095

Man-Eaters Volume 2 starts where Volume 1 leaves off. In Volume 1, we discover that Maude started to dabble in drinking Estro-pop (the drink made for boys and men that does not contain estrogen). In volume 2 we realize that Maude has been avoiding tap water and has encouraged a group of her friends to join her in abstaining from estrogen infused beverages. Then, one of the girls in Maude’s class has gone missing and everyone expects the worst.Has she become the new panther in town attacking local citizens? Meanwhile her detective father and the S.C.A.T. squad led by her mother are looking for panthers to hunt in the area.

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#GGN2019 Nominees Round Up, May 31 Edition

Sweet Blue Flowers, vols. 1-3 by Takako Shimura
VIZ Media
Publication Dates & ISBNs:
Vol. 1 – September 9, 2017 – 978-1421592985
Vol. 2 – December 19, 2017 – 978-1421592992
Vol. 3 – March 20, 2018 – 978-1421593005

Estranged childhood best friends, Akira and Fumi run into each other on their first day of high school, and at first, it seems just like old times with Akira helping the timid Fumi face her social anxieties. Yet, high school is more complicated than elementary school, and relationships prove to be confusing for both of them. When Fumi begins dating the most popular girl at her school, Akira struggles with what it means for two girls to like each other “in that way” and how she can continue to support her friend.

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#GGN2019 Nominees Round Up, May 12 Edition

Silver Spoon, vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa
Yen Press
Publication Date: February 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0316416191

Yuugo Hachiken has always been great at academics. It surprises everyone when he decides to enroll in Ooezo Agricultural High School instead of a regular high school. Yuugo’s plan is to coast through high school, since an agricultural school must be easier than a regular academic school, right? Wrong! Instead of doing math problems, and reciting poetry, Yuugo’s waking up at 5AM to do chores, raise animals, and learn to ride a horse. All the other students have been doing farm work their entire lives, and Yuugo is playing catch up. Can this city boy adapt to farm life, and survive high school?

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Women in Comics: Manga

For March, rather than focusing on a specific genre, I thought I would take a look at a wide range of manga created by women. Though I think many readers assume that most of the top manga creators are men, in fact there are a number of famous and important works created by women. Here are just a few examples.

Fullmetal AlchemistFullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa – Featuring two main characters, one with a prosthetic arm and leg and the other a disembodied soul in a metal body, Fullmetal Alchemist is a fun series set in a world where alchemy offers practitioners the ability to transform the world around them, but not without a price. The story offers a perfect combination of a steampunk setting, compelling characters, humor, and adventure. Told over the course of 10 volumes, the story is one that has gone on to spawn two anime series, video games, and a series of Japanese novels. This is a great manga for serious manga fans and new readers alike. Continue reading Women in Comics: Manga

What Would They Read?: Supernatural

There are certain fandoms I’ve been apprehensive to take on due to their immense fanbases.  I definitely breathed a sigh of relief when I coSupernatural_-_Season_9mpleted the blog posts for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly and realized that they turned out to be successful.  I’m still debating when I’m going to dive in and take on Doctor Who.  It’s probably my most frightening concept to date, but I promise it will happen.  I just need a little more psyching up and then I will do it.  Today, however, I will attempt to impart my recommendations for one of my favorite shows of all time: Supernatural.

The basic plot of Supernatural is a something that has been recently retold in a variety of YA books.  It’s a basic story about two guys (in this case, brothers Dean and Sam Winchester) who travel around and take on a plethora of supernatural and paranormal creatures while dealing with their own personal demons which range from recovering from a trip to purgatory to actually being the human embodiment of Lucifer.

anna dressed in blood There are three books in particular that resonate as perfect readalikes for the series.  First, Sarah Rees Brennan has a series that begins with The Demon’s Lexicon(Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten, 2010).  In this book, two brothers, Alan and Nick, hunt demons avenging their dead father and taking care of their crazy mother.  There are definitely similarities between Alan and Nick and Dean and Sam are very evident.  Perhaps the Winchesters can take a break and read a bit about another duo who fight the evils lurking in the dark.

A second selection to seek out is Anna Dressed in Blood and its companion, Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake.  The main character is a  boy named Cas, who coincidentally shares his name with the Winchester’s angelic friend.  Cas travels around with his witch mother and a cat that can sense ghosts.  Dean and Sam will find comradery with Cas as he sets off to avenge his father’s death while wielding an athame with the the power to destroy ghosts.  Like Sam Dean, Cas is challenged to overlook his predispositions to kill ghosts and determine whether or not this particular case involving the spirit called Anna Dressed in Blood is not quite like the others.

Finally, I would definitely hand over Kami Garcia’s new series called “The Legion.”  Garcia’s series begins with Unbreakable.  The story begins with a female protagonist named Kennedy who finds her mother murdered by something supernatural.  She only survives due to twin brothers named Lukas and Jared who whisk her away from danger only to inform her that there will definitely be more danger down the road.  In turns out that Kennedy, the twins, and two others are the descendants of members of a group called The Legion that fight against ancient evil spirits.  Secret societies full of knowledge regarding the killing of all things evil?  Sounds a bit like the Winchester’s new discovery, the Men of Letters, only with a lot less resources.  Now that I covered a few titles that Sam and Dean can share and read together, here are a few titles specifically chosen for each of their personal tastes. Continue reading What Would They Read?: Supernatural