The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers.
Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped
Alan Grant, adaptor
Cam Kennedy, illustrator
Tundra Books
PO Box 1030, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
9780887768439, $14.99 www.tundrabooks.com
Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnaped is a full-color, graphic novel adaptation of the immortal classic adventure written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Set in 1751, when Scotland is suffering in the wake of rebellion against the king, Kidnapped follows the staunchly principled, seventeen-year-old David Balfour, whose parents have recently passed on. Alone and destitute, he seeks is wealthy uncle, unaware that he is about to experience the adventure of his life. Abducted and forced aboard a seedy ship, he unexpectedly befriends master swordsman and fugitive Alan Breck Stewart. Together, the two must fight for their lives, and with Alan's help David can finally make a case for his rightful inheritance. Cam Kennedy's realistic and period-accurate illustrative style brings this dramatic narrative to life. Highly recommended for public library collections and readers age eight to eighty.
Checker Book Publishing Group
2044-A South Alex Road, West Carrollton, OH 45449
www.checkerbpg.com i...@checkerbpg.com
The Checker Book Publishing Group has developed a well earned and appreciated reputation for putting out graphic novels of the finest quality and caliber. While some are 'one-shots', others represent titles in a series. Among their latest releases are the third volume in the "Negation Hounded" (1933160632, $17.95) series, a science fiction thriller featuring the talents of author Tony Bedard, penciler Paul Pelletier, colorist James Rochelle, letterer Troy Peteri, and several other contributors. The result is a volume collecting what were previously released single issues (#13, January 2003 through #18, June 2003) of a successful and popular comic. "Sojourn: The Berzerker's Tale: Volume 6 - Edginton Land" (1933160721, $17.l95) that encompasses five previously published issues (#31, February 2004 through #34, May 2004, as well as the 'Prequel' issue of July 2001). The artwork is museum quality and the storyline simply spellbinding. "Sigal: Planetary Union #6" (1933160675, $17.95) comprises issues 33, March 2003 through issues 38, August 2003 of a dramatically illustrated and action packed science fiction adventure series. Alan Moore is legendary is science fiction and fantasy circles. "Supreme: The Return" (0971024960, $24.95) teams up this gifted writer with a supporting of gifted artists, inkers, colorists and letters to provide readers with an 'old school' superhero series presented with a freshly vigor and an enormous entertainment appeal by anthologizing individual issues of the popular 'Supreme' comic book series. "Alien Legion: Footsloggers" (0975380877, $19.95) brings back under one cover the first six issues of an epic science fiction comic that was the combined (and successful) collaboration of Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, Frank Cirocco, and Terry Austin. All of these highly recommended titles will be of particular interest to science fiction fans and graphic novel enthusiasts. Those not previously acquainted with the Checker Book Publishing Group are encouraged to visit their website at www.checkerbpg.com for a complete list of their available titles -- including the earlier volumes of these particularly cited and recommended series.
Tales Of Tralodren: The Beginning
Chad Corrie & Lee Oaks
Aspirations Media, Inc.
7755 Lakeview Lane, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432
9780977604388, $16.95 www.aspirationsmediainc.com
Written by Chad Corrie, illustrated by Lee Oaks, and featuring cover art by Ed Waysek, "Tales Of Tralodren: The Beginning" is a superbly presented, full-color graphic novel set in the fantasy world setting of Chad Corrie's 'Divine Gambit' trilogy and is the story of events that took place before recorded time. Depicted is a world of magic and mayhem, creation and conflict, tragedy and triumph. Of special note is the choice of a cursive-style font for the text which conjures up an appropriate story-telling atmosphere for a truly engaging saga. "Tales Of Tralodren: The Beginning" is very highly recommended and entertaining reading -- and will lead graphic novel enthusiasts and science fiction fans looking forward to more graphic novel adaptations and original stories set in Chad Corrie's Tralodren universe.
Richard Matheson's I Am Legend
Richard Matheson
IDW Publishing
4411 Morena Boulevard, Suite 106, San Diego, CA 02117
978-193323921-7, $19.99 www.idwpublishing.com
In 1954 Richard Matheson penned a holocaust survivor novel that was unique in the genre. A devastating epidemic breaks out all over the world. The infected transform into vampire like creatures that must sleep during the day and roam the earth. One lone human survivor, Robert Neville, must live a life of stark loneliness during the day, and absolute peril at night. A powerful science fiction epic, "I Am Legend" first came to the movie screen in a 1964 adaptation was titled 'The Last Man On Earth' that starred veteran horror film actor Vincent Price. It's next film version, 'The Omega man' debuted in 1971 and starred Charlton Heston. Now a new remake, and one whose title uses the original Richard Matheson title, "I Am Legend" and stars Will Smith. The graphic novel just released from IDW Publishing is faithful to this latest film featuring an excellent adaptation by Steve Niles, and features superbly black-and-white illustration by Elman Brown. As superbly crafted a graphic novel as it was originally a ground- breaking science fiction novel, "I Am Legend" is confidently recommended to the attention of graphic novel enthusiasts, as well as science fiction fans.
Ral & Grad, volume 1
Tsuneo Takano, author
Takeshi Obata, artist
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781421518909, $7.99 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042
Drawn by the artist of the cult hit manga "Death Note", the debut volume of Ral & Grad (actually written using the "omega" symbol instead of an ampersand - search for it by writer's name Tsuneo Takano if a title search doesn't produce results) is an action-packed, netherworldly Japanese manga in the same gung-ho vein as "Bastard!" and other titles with antiheroes whose main redeeming feature is that they're nowhere near as dastardly as their vile enemies. In a medieval world besieged by "shadows", beings that live in the shadows of flesh- and-blood mortals and who frequently consume them body and soul, Ral and Grad are an anomaly - a human-shadow team who support and work with each other as friends do, rather than existing as host and parasite or worse. The diabolical shadow queen has forsaken the world of shadow to exterminate the human race; Grad the shadow dragon wants to depose the queen and restore the two-dimensional world of shadow, where all shadows who have not contaminated themselves by devouring humans can return; and Ral is a teenage boy who has just discovered the pleasure of squeezing women's breasts! Ral and Grad are a team - Grad provides the raw power, while Ral provides human wisdom and cunning, such as they are. Aided by Ral's female teacher, who (often unsuccessfully) strives to keep his lecherous ways in check, as well as a young girl bonded to a shadow scout, the two set out overthrow the queen once and for all! Ral & Grad is most assuredly for older teens and adults due to violence and rampant boob-squeezing, yet balancing the moments of guilty pleasure is an action-packed, intelligently presented story.
Inside the World of Comic Books
Jeffery Klaehn, editor
Black Rose Books
2250 Military Road, Tonawanda, NY 14225
9781551642963, $24.99 www.blackrosebooks.net
Edited by Culture Studies and Sociology teacher Jeffery Klaehn, Inside the World of Comic Books is a gathering of interviews and essays by learned authors discussing all aspects of the print media form known as "comic books". It should be noted that the primary focus is upon American comics (especially superhero comics) and comic readers, not European comics or Japanese manga. The interviewees consist of comic writers, comic artists, and award-winning editors and publishers, including Victor Lucas, Tommy Tallarico, Joe Quesada, and many others. The essays cover a diversity of topics ranging from the role of comics in reflecting the mood of popular culture, to educational comics in the 1950's, tales of the creation of comics, the origin and evolution of the Batman mythology, fan interaction in comic book letter pages, choices for the greatest comic stories ever told, and more. Enthusiastically recommended reading for superhero comic fans.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalm...@aol.com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
