Review: 'City in the Desert: The Monster Problem' by Moro Rogers

And from the mingled blood of man and the evil one, Iriaze raised a horde of monsters...

And from that time on, the world was full of monsters.

Monster hunter Irro and his assistant Hari have a pretty good life, all things considered; they get to hunt monsters. But they may be the only people in the city of Kevala who are making a decent living.  When a religious sect promising relief from the burden of worry comes to Kevala everything changes. Everyone is smiling and relaxed, but Irro knows there is something sinister afoot and he and Hari are determined to uncover the truth.

Graphic Novel newcomer Moro Rogers has crafted an intriguing story that draws readers into a strangely familiar world peopled with monsters and monster hunters. Irro comes from a long line of monster hunters but has come upon harder times as monster attacks increase and hunters are eliminated. The increase of attacks has isolated Irro's home base of Kevala; they have not had a caravan travel by in almost a year. The isolation is beautifully depicted by Rogers' sepia toned art.

One of The Monster Problem's biggest strengths is the relationship between Irro and Hari. Hari is something other than human - she has a tail and claws, but Irro treats her as a person. Rogers has done a wonderful job of crafting the relationship between these two characters using language as well as image. The humor of their dialogue gives readers a depth of character often lacking in graphic novel text. This playful tone is carried over into the art itself: a bored Irro walks through a character's speech balloon, preventing the reader for seeing all the text and visually illustrating Irro's lack of attention. Hari's facial expressions are spot on with her comments; rue, humor and confusion are beautifully depicted.

But not all is action and humor in the city of Kevala. There are some darker elements at work here: a spreading confusion among residents and lack of response to physical threats that allow the reader to become aware of the threat posed by the Way of Sacred Peace well before Irro and Hari. Hopefully, further development of these threats is something that readers can look forward to in City in the Desert's next installment.

This is a fun, well-crafted and beautifully illustrated graphic novel that I'll be encouraging my teens to try.

Reviewer: Rebecca

Book Source: Local Library

Recommended Ages: 15+

Recommended for Readers of:

Review: The Clockwork Girl by Sean O'Reilly & Kevin Hanna

He had to make me different...

Different is why I can be here

with you. Right now.

In a far away land, two rival scientists try to create the ultimate invention - one by melding different organisms together, the other using pure machinery.  The results are the Clockwork Girl and the Wolfboy who develop a friendship that defies logic.

The Clockwork Girl was originally published as a limited run comic series between 2007 and 2008. All five volumes of the series are combined in a full-color,  hardcover edition that includes an introduction by the creators.  The colors are rich and the lines are clear; each character is given individual detail.  There are some minor inconsistencies between the cover art and the characters within the graphic novel (Tesla's nose is different) but readers are unlikely to be bothered.

The plot of forbidden friendship is not original and the reader will likely be able to see how the story will end. However, this graphic novel is not about the destination but rather the journey to friendship. The weakest area of this graphic novel is the dialogue between characters.  There is almost no character development and dialogue seems to be an afterthought.  Given the richness of the illustration, perhaps the creators would have been better served to make this a story told solely with pictures.  Younger readers will enjoy this graphic novel, but those looking for a deeper story should give it a pass.

Book Source: Local Library
Reviewer: Rebecca

Recommended Ages: 10+
Recommended for Readers of:

8 Oldies But Goodies: Graphic Novels & Manga for Modern Teens

There are few things in this world as frustrating as waiting for the next volume of a current comic or manga to release.  It's like being cut off from finishing a book in the middle of a chapter and often requires a wait of a month or more.  Teens love graphic novels (for obvious reasons) but often have a hard time waiting patiently for the next volume to make it onto library shelves.

Since there's not much more annoying than a whiny teenager, I've created a list of older ("classic") graphic novels that are completely finished (or have at least 10 volumes) to keep your teens happy while they wait.  Enjoy!

Title

	Title: The Arrival Series: n/a Author: Shaun Tan Volumes: 1 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Available at many book and comic retailers Recommended Ages: All Synopsis:  This graphic novel reads like a silent film following the experiences of a traveler who arrives and makes his way in a new, unfamiliar place.  *One of the most poignant and beautiful graphic novels I've read.
	Title: The Grand Quest a.k.a. Fire & Flight Series: ElfQuest Authors: Wendy & Richard Pini Volumes: 18+ Status: Completed (The Final Quest is ongoing as a web comic) Where to Get It: Out of print, but can view series  for free here. Recommended Ages: 16+ for sensuality, adult situations & some nudity Synopsis: After betrayal leaves the Wolfriders stranded in a foreign land, Cutter must ensure the survival of his tribe while they search for a new home.  But this journey leads to an adventure the elves could never have imagined.
	Title: Legends in Exile Series: Fables Author: Bill Willingham Volumes: 18+ Status: Ongoing Where to Get It: Published through Vertigo (an imprint of DC Comics). Available at many book and comic retailers. Recommended Ages: 16+ for sensuality, adult situations & some nudity Synopsis: Characters from folklore have been driven from their homeland and are settled in the community of Fabletown in the busy metropolis of New York City.  Willingham has re-imagined familiar characters and created a multi-layered, dynamic series with a truly epic scope.
	Title: Hikaru no Go, Volume 1 Series: Hikaru no Go Author: Yumi Hotta Volumes: 23 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Can be found in many book and comic retailers. Recommended Ages: 10+ mild language Synopsis: Middle school student Hikaru discovers an ancient Go board in his grandfather's attic, only to find that it is haunted by the spirit of a long-dead Go Master. Now the ghost won't leave Hikaru alone until he learns to play Go!
	Title: Hana Kimi, Volume 1 (a.k.a Hanazakari no Kimitachi e) Series: Hana Kimi Author: Hisaya Nakajo Volumes: 23 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Published in the US by Viz Media. New 3-in-1 editions available. Recommended Ages: 15+ gender-bending, romance, mild sensuality Synopsis: Mizuki Ashiya has such a crush on Japanese track star Izumi Sano that she decides to move to Japan, disguise herself as a boy, and enroll in Sano's all-boys boarding school.  Much gender confusion and hilarity ensues.
	Title: Mars, Volume 1 Series: Mars Author: Fuyumi Soryo Volumes: 15 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Out of Print. Can be found online at sites such as MangaReader or individual sellers on Amazon. Recommended Ages: 16+ sexual abuse, rape, romance, adult situations Synopsis: Bad boy Rey and gentle, artistic Kira are worlds apart in personalities, but may just be perfect for each other. When Rey rescues Kira from the hands of her sleazy art teacher, Kira finds the courage to ask Rey to model for her. However, as their relationship blooms, the jealousy of an upperclassman and dark secrets from Kira's past come back to haunt them.
	Title: Mr. Stuffins Series: n/a Authors: Andrew Cosby & Johanna Stokes Volumes: 1 Status: Completed Where to Get It: Multiple book and comic retailers Recommended Ages: 12+ mild language, spy action, violence Synopsis: An A.I. spy personality ends up loaded into a Teddy-Ruxpin-like stuffed animal who, when powered up, believes he has a mission to complete that is critical to national security. *Make sure to read the tweets at the end!
	Title: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 1 Series: Sailor Moon Authors: Naoko Takeuchi Volumes: 12 (as of this post 8 volumes available) Status: Ongoing Where to Get It: Kodansha Comics is re-releasing the Sailor Moon manga as a 12-volume set in celebration of Sailor Moon's 20th anniversary. Recommended Ages: 12+ Synopsis: Usagi Tsugino and her friends may seem like your average high school students, but they each have a secret identity as supernatural protectors of Earth!

Review: Lost & Found by Shaun Tan



If you have never seen Tan's art
prepare to be amazed.

 Lost & Found consists of three very different short stories told through the unique art of Shaun Tan.  The first story, 'The Red Tree' is a personal story that takes the reader though a dark time in a person's life, but leaves them with the hope of things to come.  'The Lost Thing' combines compassion and civil disobedience in a heartwarming tale of finding yourself through aiding another.  Finally, 'The Rabbits' conveys the horror and despair of felt by native tribes in Australia as their land was taken by European settlers and their world changed forever.

Throughout these stories, Tan captivates the reader with his eclectic use of medium, color and light.  Bright spots of color stand out against a monocromatic, but vastly detailed, backdrop to draw the reader's eye to the important point of the image.  Tan has done another wonderful job of telling a rich story through complex images and sparce words that will have readers thinking about it long after the book is done.
Recommended for Readers Of:
Neil Gaiman, Brian Selznick, David Weisner, Art Spiegelman