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MONDOcomics Readers’ Advisory #7: Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

Posted by Comics On February - 28 - 2011
Comics, Denise Liu, Featured, Graphic Novel Reviews

Written by Denise Liu

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, Vol.1:
Pterror over Paris & The Eiffel Tower Demon
Jacques Tardi (w+a), Fantagraphics, 2010 English translation.

Originally published as Adele et la Bete, and Le Demon de la Tour (1976, Sud-Orient).

Read if you like: mystery, adventure epics, dinosaurs, French fiction, anti-heroes, comparing the book to the movie, carriages careening off bridges.

It’s said that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I guess we all need to be reminded that ugly people also have worth, feelings, a soul yadda yadda, but the relation just doesn’t stick for me. As an ugly person, I am offended that anyone would even presume that I have a soul. Quit looking for my redeeming qualities!

Sincerely now, the quality of a book’s cover design is absolutely crucial to piquing my interest while I’m browsing for the next read. Is anyone else here a sucker for Chip Kidd’s work? He had nothing to do with this book but, it seems that from the other reviews I’ve read, one look at this cover might tip you off as to whether or not you’ll like the Adele Blanc-Sec stories. It’s an 18th-century French woman with a pistol taking on a charging pterodactyl, for crying out loud — either you’re already appreciating the parody of adventure comics, or you’re going home… or back to the uggies’ corner (totally not judging). Read the rest of this entry »

MONDOcomics’ Reader’s Advisory #2: Dororo

Posted by Comics On September - 8 - 2010
Comics, Denise Liu, Featured, Graphic Novel Reviews

Before Edward Scissorhands and Scott Pilgrim, there was…

Dororo
Osamu Tezuka (w+a).Vertical, 2008. Three meaty volumes.

By Denise Liu

Read if you like: adventure epics, supernatural baddies, feudal Japan, gore, comparing the book to the movie, teen fiction, Eisner Award winners.

If you’ve ever been told to “respect your elders,” chances are that it came from the wrinkly mouth of someone older than thou. Such a statement should actually be followed by a really good reason, maybe “—because I built the emm-effing subway car you’re riding in” or “—because I invented time traveling and you won’t even believe how OLD I am. Would you like to see my Tardis?” In short, respect is given to those who deserve it and not just because you’re too damn stubborn to die.

Enter: Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), dubbed the godfather of manga. It’s probably safe to say that his most recognizable work amongst North America audiences is Astro Boy but in recent years, quite a few English translations have appeared from Vertical including the highly acclaimed Buddha series and Apollo’s Song. These titles are not quite the clean robot fun of Saturday morning cartoons; for Dororo expect a healthy dose of gore, nudity, sexual themes, gender politics and political references. For a manga written in the 1960’s, that’s nothing to sneeze at. Read the rest of this entry »

MONDOcomics’: Reader’s Advisory #1

Posted by Comics On August - 15 - 2010
Comics, Denise Liu, Featured, Graphic Novel Reviews

Losers always win (our hearts)

By Denise Liu

Five graphic novels to remind you about the booger hanging out of your nose

Hello there readers of the MONDOverse! Welcome to the first instalment of Reader’s Advisory. This column is dedicated exclusively making you drop buckets of cash on delicious hard cover beauties (or, just as good, borrow from the public library — you won’t believe the range of books you can get your hands on these days).

This week we’re going to kick things off with a summer reading list of some of my favourite graphic novels. Self-deprecating characters, whether depressingly suburban or fighting an apocalypse tooth and nail; people against the odds are MY people. What odds, you might ask? Oh, y’know, finding that hot guitarist from that underground show the other night while fighting for your very existence amidst a deadly plague. Or trying to reconcile the idea of a private life (and your sex addiction) in a crushing city of millions. What makes these heroes human are their foibles, and we’d like nothing better than to see them get the girl/boy/scholarship in the end because, dammit, Enid should go to art school and grow the eff up like I wanted to. So anyway, if you’re heading off to the shops on Wednesday, you should definitely ask for any of these titles to help keep your habit at bay. You depraved little person, you.

Ball Peen Hammer
Adam Rapp (w), George O’Connor (i). First Second, 2009.

Read if you like: science fiction, teen fiction, survival drama.

Citizens kill, pillage and nurse one another in a city torn to shreds by an unstoppable plague. The only sense of order comes from being enlisted as a Dragger or Sacker – hired help to “dispose” of infected bodies. And you thought your job sucked. What sets this apart from most apocalyptic virus stories I’ve read is that obtaining the cure is hardly the focus. The characters are living their lives as normally as possible, going about daily routines (bleaching one’s spreading sores, foraging for food, going to rock concerts) and taking care of family (as defined by a few trustworthy individuals). Read the rest of this entry »

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MONDO is a non-profit, weekly, Toronto-based, online magazine that focuses on arts, culture, and humour. We’re interested in art of all kinds (music, theatre, visual art, film, comics, and video games) and the pop culture that we inhabit.The copyright on all MONDO magazine content belongs to the author. If you would like to pay them for more content, please do. To contact MONDO please email us at editor@mondomagazine.net

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