Welcome to another post centered on the graphic novel. In preparation for a fall class, I've been spending a lot of time with these types of books... and learning that there's always more to learn (and more to read!) along the way!
While I've been searching for new titles, I started talking to the folks
who run the comic book shops in my area. They confirmed that my tastes aren’t
popular (big surprise) but recommended Rat Queens as the ultimate girl
comic.
– side tangent: I
have always enjoyed books, films, etc. that are geared toward guys, and it has
always annoyed me that my interests raise eyebrows and that “guy things” seem
to be so much more interesting than the fare produced for female audiences. I
think women are underestimated as consumers –
My husband ended up
liking Rat Queens more than I do - but I do appreciate its humor,
diversity, and tongue-in-cheek fantasy references.
I can’t help imagining the Rats as a
sort of grown up version of the female rebels in the Whispering Woods.
Book two
did a better job of character development, so I’ll still be following the
adventures of these fierce ladies!
Plenty
of people have already sung Saga’s praises, so I’ll just be swelling the
chorus here. I was truly impressed by the premise – a war that has been
outsourced! I also enjoyed the book’s commitment to diversity – interracial,
interspecies! – (too often this is a surface concern rather than any true
attempt at representation) and the decision to have such an original narrator.
I confess, I wasn’t quite certain who was speaking for a few panels! Book 2 was
even better than book one; the author and illustrator are very good at
targeting emotions, even when a character has only been around a short time.
I
selected this text as a possible reader for my upcoming graphic novels class.
It definitely provided some interesting lecture material, but several of the
sections aren’t pertinent (noir graphic novels, the adult graphic novel) so I
won’t be having students make this purchase.
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