Title - The Amazing Spider Man : Election Day
Author - Marc Guggenheim
ISBN - 9780785141310
Production Date - 2009
Plot - The Amazing Spider Man is being framed for a bunch of murders of people around town by leaving his trademark calling card on the victims. Peter's best friend Harry is distracted because he is going to propose to the woman of his dreams, or is it his worst nightmare? Harry's father, the Green Goblin is overseeing all of this action between his son and girlfriend, intent on who is taking his secret formula and what they are doing with it. All of this is set during a Mayoral election for the community. How will Spiderman's being on the loose effect the election? Will his being captured throw the election in one way or another? Are they going to face Spiderman to take off the mask, or will the hero known as Daredevil, in his own mild mannered costume, save Spiderman with some legal maneuvering of his own? While the mayoral race ends up in somewhat of a stalemate, certainly Spiderman comes through and does not have to reveal his secret identity, and be able to help out his friends in prison, all the while dealing with a level of personal guilt about all of it.
Critical Review - True the comic book universe, and the character of Spiderman, Peter Parker in this set of comics, tied together as one graphic novel, deals with a large load of guilt that he has over how his life has impacted that of his friends. Like his uncle dying and the fact that maybe he could have done something about it, this guilt impels Spiderman into action. He feels a sense of responsibility to those around him for becoming what they are. Although he maintains a wise-cracking persona throughout the piece that is a little more than the Spider-man comics I remember reading as a kid and young adult. The feel of the comic itself is slightly darker than the original, with the possible exception of the Web of Spiderman series in which Spiderman dealt with this new suit, which would be called Venom. The drawings are beautiful and filled with lots of shadows, as Spiderman faces the creatures of the night. Whatever the slight alterations of character to the original, the general story is consistent to the past history of Spiderman, which is what anyone who is designing comic books in the Stan Lee created universe is trying to do. And for that they should be proud.
Reader's Annotation - Stop the bad guys. Rescue your friends. Find yourself chased around by those who are jealous or upset by your antics. This is all in a day's work, for you friendly neighborhood Spiderman.
About the Author - Marc Guggenheim's first professional career was with the law, which he practiced in Boston for five years. Although he always had a passion for writing. When one of his scripts drew a considerable amount of interest from producers, he decided that he would pursue his true calling, leaving the law for screenwriting.
After leaving the lawyer profession and coming out for screenwriting he ended up getting a job writing about the one profession with which he had experience, the law. It was ironic that his first professional job screenwriting was to write for TV/s The Practice. He also has landed several other similarly based law TV shows with jobs writing for Law and Order, and CSI Miami.
Eventually he would land a job working for Marvel. With great success writing in the Marvel Universe they decided to expand his repertoire writing for comics as popular as the Flash. In 2007, Marvel announced at comic con in San Diego that he would be doing the rotating duties of writing comics in the Spiderman universe, which is held in high esteem among fans of the Marvel Comic brand. The comics written for the Election Day series were among the first he scribed in the Spiderman universe.
Genre - Comics, Graphic Novels
Curriculum Ties - One could talk about layout and presentation on a page in a journalism class.
Booktalking Ideas - Discuss the costumes that people wear. Is a teacher, librarian, professional athlete wearing something that changes how we view them?
Reading Level- Grade 9+
Challenge Issues - At a school they might challenge academic appropriateness.
Overcoming challenges - Have a set of articles on hand that reviews graphic novels as literature, including some that discuss how graphic novels can help the reading of people who have a hard time reading.
Why I included - Aside from Superman, Spiderman was one of my favorite comics growing up and I wanted to review one.
Showing posts with label Graphic Novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Graphic Novel. Show all posts
Monday, December 6, 2010
Spy vs. Spy Missions of Madness
Title - Spy vs. Spy Missions of Madness
Author - James Prohias
ISBN - 0823050505
Publication Date - August 11, 2009
Plot - It is hard to pinpoint the exact plot of the Spy vs. Spy series without somehow discussing the history of the series. As it was originally developed as a Mad Magazine comic in 1961, and developed by Prohias after he fled Cuba it depicts the crazy adventures of two eerily similar looking spies who were hell bend on destroying one another. The one was dressed in all black attire, while the other spy was dressed in all white. The plot of these adventures is not particularly complex, as it is essentially a series of comics put into one large book. The setting of each strip begins with one of the spies getting an idea about how he is going to defeat the other spy. As he goes about his plot to destroy the other spy, it always seems to turn out that he has miscalculated something and the second spy ends up hurting or destroying the first. But of course the pair keep at it, and before long the shoe is on the other foot. And the second spy finds an idea of how to destroy the first, creating a kind of comic misadventure drawn from the two characters.
Book Review - It might be slightly unfair to call this a book as it is pieced together comic sketches, but I think there is a theme to all of these comics. Especially as these comics were developed in the 1960s, during the heart of the cold war, there was a commentary being made about the nature of the spies that were fighting each other. Yes one wore black and one wore white, but that was where the differences ended. It was not written like a typical movie script where the villain of the story wore black and the good guy wore white. Each of the spies seems to be involved in some maniacal plot to destroy the other spy. And there is seemingly no back story or reason for the destruction. Through it all we get a sense that both parties should not be fighting at all. Because if they took a look at their similarities, their differences may ultimately be meaningless. This comic set will certainly tickle your funny bone, but the underlying premise causes one to think, especially in world where people are afraid of their own shadow, and that terrorists might be lurking around every corner.
About the Author - Antonio Prohias was a product of the revolution of Cuba. In late 1950s and early 1960s if one was not a supporter of the government of Cuba, Castro's regime, then he or she would be labeled as a spy. Prohias, therefore, considered himself a spy.
After fleeing to America in 1960, as Cuba's world was being crushed, and Castro was removing any dissenters from their midst, Prohias tried to find work doing what he loved. He had written cartoons back in Cuba but feared that they would not translate as well in America. Getting a job at what he could do, with little command of the English language, found him working for a clothing factory in Queens.
The nights found him working hard to try to develop a comic that he would be proud of. The idea came to him of Spy vs. Spy when he started thinking about himself and how he was considered a spy in Cuba. If he could translate that in such a way that was engaging, and required no talking he would be set. MAD magazine loved it and decided to begin publishing in 1961. Covertly, Prohias would sign the first panel of every cartoon in Morse Code that spelled out by prohias. He had truly become a Cuban born, American spy.
Author - James Prohias
ISBN - 0823050505
Publication Date - August 11, 2009
Plot - It is hard to pinpoint the exact plot of the Spy vs. Spy series without somehow discussing the history of the series. As it was originally developed as a Mad Magazine comic in 1961, and developed by Prohias after he fled Cuba it depicts the crazy adventures of two eerily similar looking spies who were hell bend on destroying one another. The one was dressed in all black attire, while the other spy was dressed in all white. The plot of these adventures is not particularly complex, as it is essentially a series of comics put into one large book. The setting of each strip begins with one of the spies getting an idea about how he is going to defeat the other spy. As he goes about his plot to destroy the other spy, it always seems to turn out that he has miscalculated something and the second spy ends up hurting or destroying the first. But of course the pair keep at it, and before long the shoe is on the other foot. And the second spy finds an idea of how to destroy the first, creating a kind of comic misadventure drawn from the two characters.
Book Review - It might be slightly unfair to call this a book as it is pieced together comic sketches, but I think there is a theme to all of these comics. Especially as these comics were developed in the 1960s, during the heart of the cold war, there was a commentary being made about the nature of the spies that were fighting each other. Yes one wore black and one wore white, but that was where the differences ended. It was not written like a typical movie script where the villain of the story wore black and the good guy wore white. Each of the spies seems to be involved in some maniacal plot to destroy the other spy. And there is seemingly no back story or reason for the destruction. Through it all we get a sense that both parties should not be fighting at all. Because if they took a look at their similarities, their differences may ultimately be meaningless. This comic set will certainly tickle your funny bone, but the underlying premise causes one to think, especially in world where people are afraid of their own shadow, and that terrorists might be lurking around every corner.
About the Author - Antonio Prohias was a product of the revolution of Cuba. In late 1950s and early 1960s if one was not a supporter of the government of Cuba, Castro's regime, then he or she would be labeled as a spy. Prohias, therefore, considered himself a spy.
After fleeing to America in 1960, as Cuba's world was being crushed, and Castro was removing any dissenters from their midst, Prohias tried to find work doing what he loved. He had written cartoons back in Cuba but feared that they would not translate as well in America. Getting a job at what he could do, with little command of the English language, found him working for a clothing factory in Queens.
The nights found him working hard to try to develop a comic that he would be proud of. The idea came to him of Spy vs. Spy when he started thinking about himself and how he was considered a spy in Cuba. If he could translate that in such a way that was engaging, and required no talking he would be set. MAD magazine loved it and decided to begin publishing in 1961. Covertly, Prohias would sign the first panel of every cartoon in Morse Code that spelled out by prohias. He had truly become a Cuban born, American spy.
Genre- Comics, Graphic novels
Curriculum Ties - A study of cold war literature, and how our writing was impacted by our view of the world - History/Literature
Booktalking Ideas - Have an open discussion of the Cold War and how we viewed the Russians and other communists and comparing and contrasting that with how we view the terrorists today.
Reading Level/Interest Age - Grade 9+
Challenge Issues - This may encourage violence between people as its characters are constantly trying to destroy each other.
Overcoming Challenge - Compare and contrast Spy vs. Spy with other comics. Show how much violence, even if it is cartoonish, occurs in much of the other comics or cartoons we allow our children to watch and see.
Why Included - I loved the recent showings of the Spy vs. Spy series as movie shorts. I also found this book in the graphic novel section for older teens at my library.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Bone : Out From Boneville
Title - Bone : Out From Boneville
Author - Jeff Smith
ISBN - 9780439706230
Publication Date - 2005
Plot - The Bone Cousins, Fone, Phoney and Smiley, set off on their adventure, being kicked out of their hometown for some scheming plot that Phoney had developed. While out in the desert they are trying to find their way back to Boneville. They find themselves beyond the end of their maps, when Smiley produces another, less professionally produced map. After locusts split them up, the reader follows Fone Bone, the most normal and kindness of the Bone people. His adventures lead him past dragons, away from Rat People, finding a bug named Ted, and eventually to Thorn and Granny. By the time all of them are finally reunited, Fone is staying with Granny and Thorn, hoping to make his way back to where they came from. We find that Phoney Bone has got himself in some dark plot that we cannot fully understand as of yet. And Smiley Bone is the comic relief for the two. Also, Thorn has come connection to the map that Smiley found in the desert, that we do not know yet, but will figure significantly to the rest of the series.
Critical Review - As these were actually comics published and then put together in graphic Novel form, one may wonder how the comics were split up from week to week. What Jeff Smith has created in these comics are really engaging and fun drawings and fully realized characters as complex and interesting as any novel. Being that this is the first in a series of Graphic Novelizations, the biggest job of the author is to introduce the characters, and to develop the conflicts that will occur for the rest of the series, while maintaining an air of mystery throughout the rest of the series. Jeff Smith has figured excellently in this as you realize Fone is the kind Bone, who falls for Thorn. Grandma is quite a character, with a past that somehow has a connection to everything going on. As phony a character as Phoney Bone may be, he still has feelings about his cousins and what happens to them. And this dragon who has hung out behind the scenes is out to stop whatever evil maybe in the world, which is represented by these rat people and some Grim Reaper type of individual. This is well worth the read.
Readers Annotation - Follow the Bone cousins and their amazing adventures, through the desert, past the rat people, evading fire breathing dragon's and those who are mad at Phoney Bone. Laugh a little along the way as the story is certainly able to tickle your funny bone.
--Information about the Author--
As early as the age of ten, Jeff Smith was developing his characters for the Bone's in what would be his greatest graphic novel works. He says that early development of his love for comics was developed by Charles Shultz and his famous Peanut comics, but other comics that inspired him include the Pogo series of comics.
The Bone series was originally published as a set of comics from 1991 to 2004. Aside from Bone, Smith has worked with many different comic Characters including Captain Marvel, put out by DC Comics. Overall Smith finds himself well connected and well-suited for the comic/graphic novel genre he has chosen.
Curriculum Ties - Explore the nature of Graphic Novels as a literary format/genre. - Literature
Talk about Comics as graphic Art. - Art
How has the Comic transformed itself into a Novel. - Literature
Reading Level - Grade 9+
Book Talking Ideas - Talk about the use of the Serial in literature. How effective is the use of serialization in literature?
Challenge Issues - N/A
Why Included - I included this because I was interested in these characters and had seen this set of Graphic Novels at my work.
Author - Jeff Smith
ISBN - 9780439706230
Publication Date - 2005
Plot - The Bone Cousins, Fone, Phoney and Smiley, set off on their adventure, being kicked out of their hometown for some scheming plot that Phoney had developed. While out in the desert they are trying to find their way back to Boneville. They find themselves beyond the end of their maps, when Smiley produces another, less professionally produced map. After locusts split them up, the reader follows Fone Bone, the most normal and kindness of the Bone people. His adventures lead him past dragons, away from Rat People, finding a bug named Ted, and eventually to Thorn and Granny. By the time all of them are finally reunited, Fone is staying with Granny and Thorn, hoping to make his way back to where they came from. We find that Phoney Bone has got himself in some dark plot that we cannot fully understand as of yet. And Smiley Bone is the comic relief for the two. Also, Thorn has come connection to the map that Smiley found in the desert, that we do not know yet, but will figure significantly to the rest of the series.
Critical Review - As these were actually comics published and then put together in graphic Novel form, one may wonder how the comics were split up from week to week. What Jeff Smith has created in these comics are really engaging and fun drawings and fully realized characters as complex and interesting as any novel. Being that this is the first in a series of Graphic Novelizations, the biggest job of the author is to introduce the characters, and to develop the conflicts that will occur for the rest of the series, while maintaining an air of mystery throughout the rest of the series. Jeff Smith has figured excellently in this as you realize Fone is the kind Bone, who falls for Thorn. Grandma is quite a character, with a past that somehow has a connection to everything going on. As phony a character as Phoney Bone may be, he still has feelings about his cousins and what happens to them. And this dragon who has hung out behind the scenes is out to stop whatever evil maybe in the world, which is represented by these rat people and some Grim Reaper type of individual. This is well worth the read.
Readers Annotation - Follow the Bone cousins and their amazing adventures, through the desert, past the rat people, evading fire breathing dragon's and those who are mad at Phoney Bone. Laugh a little along the way as the story is certainly able to tickle your funny bone.
--Information about the Author--
As early as the age of ten, Jeff Smith was developing his characters for the Bone's in what would be his greatest graphic novel works. He says that early development of his love for comics was developed by Charles Shultz and his famous Peanut comics, but other comics that inspired him include the Pogo series of comics.
The Bone series was originally published as a set of comics from 1991 to 2004. Aside from Bone, Smith has worked with many different comic Characters including Captain Marvel, put out by DC Comics. Overall Smith finds himself well connected and well-suited for the comic/graphic novel genre he has chosen.
Curriculum Ties - Explore the nature of Graphic Novels as a literary format/genre. - Literature
Talk about Comics as graphic Art. - Art
How has the Comic transformed itself into a Novel. - Literature
Reading Level - Grade 9+
Book Talking Ideas - Talk about the use of the Serial in literature. How effective is the use of serialization in literature?
Challenge Issues - N/A
Why Included - I included this because I was interested in these characters and had seen this set of Graphic Novels at my work.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Bone - The Great Cow Race
Title : Bone : The Great Cow Race
Author : Jeff Smith
ISBN : 9780439706391
Plot - Fone, Phoney, and Smiley Bone are three Bone Characters caught up in a plot that would seem to be beyond themselves. As this is one in a series of Graphic Novels by Jeff Smith, it covers these three characters as they have been taken in after being thrown out of their village, by Grandma, Thorn and others. Fone is in love with Thorn, a young female villager, who seems to have a past of her own that comes up in dreams. She has dreams of Dragons and maps and other such goings on. They seemed to have increased since the Bones have come into the village. This particular book deals with a Spring festival where Fone Bone decides he is going to confess his love for Thorn in a letter, and Smiley and Phoney Bone are set up in a plot to be able to take money from the villagers by setting up another character to beat the Grandmother character in a race. They convince the villagers to bet against Grandmother because she was old.
Eventually the plots come crashing down together as a group of rat beings attack Fone bone and end up in the middle of this Cow race. The "Phoney plot" becomes revealed and Grandmother has to rescue the more miscreant Bones. The plot running through the story is about the history of Thorn and possibly how the Bones might be connected. Grandma knows more than she is letting on to Thorn and believe somehow the Bones may be connected in some way as well.
--Review--
Graphic Novels kind of have a dual way of reviewing them. Part of the story is told through the dialogue of the characters, but a great deal of the story is told through the visuals that are created on the page. The novel is told with bright vivid colors that are modified slightly when dreams are being told. Dreams and back story seem to have a more artistic feel to them with more detail to the drawings. They do a good job of mixing what is going on in the current story with what the larger plot is, allowing for enjoyment of the individual novel and hooking a person effectively into the larger plot. The interplay with the Bones is comedic and well done.
Reader's Annotation - If you want someone to tickle your phony bone... or even your Phoney Bone, join the Bone's as they travel across the planes seeking to escape from evil rat creatures, and looking for dragons. Join them as Grandma and Thorn go on a Cow Adventure with the Bones.
Information about the Author - As early as the age of ten, Jeff Smith was developing his characters for the Bone's in what would be his greatest graphic novel works. He says that early development of his love for comics was developed by Charles Schultz and his famous Peanut comics, but other comics that inspired him include the Pogo series of comics.
The Bone series was originally published as a set of comics from 1991 to 2004. Aside from Bone, Smith has worked with many different comic Characters including Captain Marvel, put out by DC Comics. Overall Smith finds himself well connected and well-suited for the comic/graphic novel genre he has chosen.
Curriculum Ties - Discuss Graphic Novels as a literary format/genre. Literature
Comics as graphic Art.
How the Comic transformed itself into a Novel - Literature
Reading Level - Grade 9+
Book Talking Ideas - Discuss the use of the serial in literature - How effective is the use of serialization in literature? Have people discuss what secrets are being kept by the characters. Have them try to guess what secrets they may be holding before reading the next book.
Challenge Issues - N/A
Why Included - I included this because I was interested in these characters and had seen this set of Graphic Novels at my work.
Author : Jeff Smith
ISBN : 9780439706391
Plot - Fone, Phoney, and Smiley Bone are three Bone Characters caught up in a plot that would seem to be beyond themselves. As this is one in a series of Graphic Novels by Jeff Smith, it covers these three characters as they have been taken in after being thrown out of their village, by Grandma, Thorn and others. Fone is in love with Thorn, a young female villager, who seems to have a past of her own that comes up in dreams. She has dreams of Dragons and maps and other such goings on. They seemed to have increased since the Bones have come into the village. This particular book deals with a Spring festival where Fone Bone decides he is going to confess his love for Thorn in a letter, and Smiley and Phoney Bone are set up in a plot to be able to take money from the villagers by setting up another character to beat the Grandmother character in a race. They convince the villagers to bet against Grandmother because she was old.
Eventually the plots come crashing down together as a group of rat beings attack Fone bone and end up in the middle of this Cow race. The "Phoney plot" becomes revealed and Grandmother has to rescue the more miscreant Bones. The plot running through the story is about the history of Thorn and possibly how the Bones might be connected. Grandma knows more than she is letting on to Thorn and believe somehow the Bones may be connected in some way as well.
--Review--
Graphic Novels kind of have a dual way of reviewing them. Part of the story is told through the dialogue of the characters, but a great deal of the story is told through the visuals that are created on the page. The novel is told with bright vivid colors that are modified slightly when dreams are being told. Dreams and back story seem to have a more artistic feel to them with more detail to the drawings. They do a good job of mixing what is going on in the current story with what the larger plot is, allowing for enjoyment of the individual novel and hooking a person effectively into the larger plot. The interplay with the Bones is comedic and well done.
Reader's Annotation - If you want someone to tickle your phony bone... or even your Phoney Bone, join the Bone's as they travel across the planes seeking to escape from evil rat creatures, and looking for dragons. Join them as Grandma and Thorn go on a Cow Adventure with the Bones.
Information about the Author - As early as the age of ten, Jeff Smith was developing his characters for the Bone's in what would be his greatest graphic novel works. He says that early development of his love for comics was developed by Charles Schultz and his famous Peanut comics, but other comics that inspired him include the Pogo series of comics.
The Bone series was originally published as a set of comics from 1991 to 2004. Aside from Bone, Smith has worked with many different comic Characters including Captain Marvel, put out by DC Comics. Overall Smith finds himself well connected and well-suited for the comic/graphic novel genre he has chosen.
Curriculum Ties - Discuss Graphic Novels as a literary format/genre. Literature
Comics as graphic Art.
How the Comic transformed itself into a Novel - Literature
Reading Level - Grade 9+
Book Talking Ideas - Discuss the use of the serial in literature - How effective is the use of serialization in literature? Have people discuss what secrets are being kept by the characters. Have them try to guess what secrets they may be holding before reading the next book.
Challenge Issues - N/A
Why Included - I included this because I was interested in these characters and had seen this set of Graphic Novels at my work.
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