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Reading Rescue, August 2007: When You Were a Child
By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
 When
you were a child, did you have a favorite superhero? Did you or better
yet, do you wonder if we inhabit the one and only universe? If you do
think about superheroes and other worlds, then graphic novels and comics
may be a good choice for a relaxing read. In Brandon McKinney's
Planet of the Capes (YA MCKINNEY), you will encounter a strange
visitor from another planet. He is a dark and brooding super patriot.
Along with an inter-dimensional princess, this monster of destruction
crosses over from his world to ours. Each of the main characters of this
book is a representation of a familiar superhero. Everyone at some time
or another feels the need for a superhero! If you love superheroes, this
is the book for you.
Max Collins and others wrote the trilogy On the Road
to Perdition (YA COLLINS), and they became the basis for the movie,
Road to Perdition (DVD ROAD). In the last book of the series
Detour, hit man Michael O'Sullivan, "the Angel of Death," puts the
squeeze on the Capone gang by robbing banks across the Midwest. These
are banks in which the gang has stashed their loot! The robberies are
designed to force the Capone Gang into turning over mad-dog killer
Conner Looney. Looney had brutally murdered O'Sullivan's wife and
younger son. He is still after O'Sullivan and his older son. This is a
fast-paced action read that will have you swiftly turning pages.
What is the cost of a guilty conscience? William will
soon find out in a powerful way. Max Estes, Hello, Again (741.5
EST), is the story of William who finds his past may not be buried as
deep as he had hoped. One day his conscience crawls out of a hole in the
ground in the form of a fisherman. Years before, he and his friends
untied a boat with a drunken fisherman aboard. The fisherman was never
heard of again -- until…. Will you find that William is not as bad as
you think at the end of the story? Will you sympathize with him? Try
this book, and make up your own mind.
Come and stare at Serenity Rose! In a book published by
SLG Publishing and developed by Aaron A (Alexovich), Serenity Rose:
Working Through the Negativity (YA 741.5 SER), Serenity Rose is a
local witch who spends her day dodging goblins, Goths, and most
recently, vampires. She lives in the spookiest town in America,
Crestfallen. Serenity does have her friends and her art and tries to
live a quiet life. This is not in the cards! Just the mere fact that she
is a witch makes her dreams of anonymity out of the question. She tries
to avoid becoming a tourist attraction, but when vampires start turning
up and rock star witch Rivet Hed's creepy manager wants something from
her, she knows life will never be quiet! What happens? Read this story
if you dare!!
Wonder Woman V.2 : Challenge of the Gods by
George Perez (YA 741.5 PER) is a book about a strong, powerful woman.
Wonder Woman was created in 1940 by Dr. William Moulton Marston. He also
invented the lie detector. Meant to inspire women, this powerful
superhero was like nothing ever seen before. Based on Greek mythology,
George Perez took on the task of re-defining Wonder Woman. He granted
her super human powers, and her mission was to protect the innocent. In
this particular book, Wonder Woman must stop the mad war god Ares and
his sons from starting a nuclear holocaust that threatens to destroy all
of earth. Not an easy task but Wonder Woman is up to the challenge. You
will enjoy this book.
A gritty, urban action drama, Smuggler, by Shohei
Manabe (741.5 MAN) sets the stage between two warring organized crime
families. The characters, who seem to have all reached the pit of
despair, continue on doing their thing. They keep on killing, smuggling,
abusing drugs, or whatever because it is all they know. The art in this
book is very rough and has a gritty feel, but it enhances the story. You
never know if a scene will end in silence or a blood bath. If you are
into Manga, this is your book.
Another Manga-style adventure is Biker Girl by
Misako Rocks (YA 741.5 ROC). Aki is spending a quiet Sunday at home when
she stumbles upon an old bike owned by her cousin Toru. Before her eyes,
the bike comes alive, and she finds herself dressed in full retro '60s
biker-girl gear. It seems she is destined to become a bike hero like
many before her, including Toru, who was killed by an evil gang. She
must use all her powers to defeat that gang, but little does she know
that she may also be destroying her family at the same time. The story
moves quickly, and the art is more cartoon-like than traditional Manga.
It is a fast paced enjoyable read.
Chromartie High School by Eiji Nonaka is about
16-year-old Takashi. He is a very bright young man and could go to any
school he cared to go to, yet he chooses Chromartie, the roughest,
toughest school in all of Tokyo. His reason is simple. His best friend
wants to go there. The only problem is that his friend is not the
brightest bulb and can't get in to the school. Takashi is stuck. Being a
bright young man, he decides to use a book to change his image so that
he can blend in with his fellow students. Takashi bleaches his hair,
shaves his eyebrows, and practices a menacing glare. It is only when he
finishes the book that he finds he should have changed his image before
starting the new school! Now what? This story is witty and very
entertaining.
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale team to bring us Catwoman:
When In Rome (741.5 LOE). This book is an adult-oriented crime
story. The story revolves around Catwoman going to Italy. She is going
to settle the score with the Falcone crime family and to try to find the
identity of her mother. A page-turning adventure, this book will please
anyone interested in the plight of Catwoman.
Finally, if you are in the mood for a little fun
reading, please try John Stanley's Little Lulu (741.5 STA) with
art by Irving Tripp. These cartoons were originally written and drawn by
cartoonist Marge for the Saturday Evening Post. They are gems of
a timeless nature. Each story of Lulu is told from the child's
perspective. You can see images of clubhouses, old time soda shops, and
almost any fantasy a child might dream. Lulu comics are for all ages.
Without any doubt, they will make you smile and make your day more
enjoyable.
We hope you will enjoy these fantastic graphic novels
and comics. The library has many of these books including many Garfield
comics. I have to confess that I never really read this type of material
before. I did look at some comics, but I didn't take the time to really
take a good look at them. I will guarantee if you try these books just
once, you will come back for more.
As always, if you have comments or questions, please
e-mail mfulmer@pennlib.org
or call 724-744-4414. Please watch our website -- www.pennlib.org for
some great upcoming events including a resume workshop on August 21st at
6:30 pm and the new fall schedule for story time.
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