Graphic Novel & Manga

Point Blank: the Graphic Novel - Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston. Kanako & Yuzuru, ill.

This graphic novel was adapted from Horowitz' young adult Alex Rider Adventure series book with the same title. In this installment, teen spy Alex Rider is recruited to check into suspicious activities at an exclusive boarding school operated by South African madman Dr. Grief and his hideously unattractive assistant, Mrs. Stellenbosch.

Prior to picking up this book, I was a graphic novel "virgin" with the preconceived idea that I would hate this genre. However, this particular GN seemed pretty well done. There were well-developed characters, a strong plot, and the full-color illustrations supported the story and were easy to follow. I can see the attraction of this genre for its target audience - a quick, fun read that is supported by interesting, creative illustrations. Graphic novels provide an interesting alternative to text-driven novels, particularly in the area of "classic" literature.

Fruits Basket: Volume 1 - Natsuki Takaya

It's probably not a surprise that this was my first foray into manga as well. I chose the first volume of the highly popular Fruits Basket series, which now numbers more than 20 books. This series chronicles the adventures of Tohru Honda, whose parents are dead and whose family won't take her in. She moves in with the wealthy Sohma family, who possess some family secrets.

After checking out Fruits Basket, I've decided that manga is not my "cup of tea." I thought the characters were creepy-looking. Despite the instructions in the book, I had trouble following the order of the dialogue "bubbles." The dialogue itself seemed contrived and unnatural. Perhaps it lost something in the translation, or perhaps I'm just too old to get it! Having stated my opinion, I know there is a significant audience for manga, and public librarians need to honor that audience.

Some fiction titles that might be of interest include the following:

Rapunzel’s Revenge – Shannon and Dean Hale (Bloomsbury, 2008)

I LOVE new takes on classic tales, and this book was terrific! With a Western setting (yup, like wild, wild West), Rapunzel takes on creatures and villains, rights wrongs, and changes the world. The hardcover edition is beautifully illustrated in full-color.

Superman: True Brit – Kim “Howard” Johnson & John Cleese (DC Comics, 2004)

Most everyone knows the story of Clark Kent/Superman. However, this alternate version by Monty Python veteran Cleese and Ottawa, IL native Johnson places Superman in England, where he is being reared by parents who hope to hide his power and keep him out of the limelight. This book with its British sensibility and dry humor will probably be appreciated by more sophisticated readers, but the illustrations will attract anyone.

Here are some nonfiction titles you might want to investigate:

Digital Manga Techniques – Hayden Scott-Baron (Barron’s, 2005)

What’s better than reading manga? How about creating it on a computer? Using Adobe Photoshop as the tool, the reader is given clear, step-by-step directions for creating different manga character types and traits. An added bonus to this book is the background information and definition of terms.

Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography - Sid Jacobson & Ernie Colon (Hill and Wang, 9/14/2010)

Pre-pub information about this book gathered from Amazon.com is intriguing. It looks like it might be a valuable, authoritative addition to the canon of Anne Frank literature in public and school library collections. The authors were responsible for the graphic representation The 9/11 Report (2006).