Graphic Reads

French artist Joann Sfar has matched a fantastic story with amazing artwork to create one of the best graphic novels in recent memory. This gorgeously illustrated book tells the story of a scruffy grey cat and his aging Albanian Rabbi. The book begins with the cat as the main protagonist, and tells the story of how the sly feline, upon eating his master's pet parrot, gains the ability to speak. Told with wit and humor (the cat's first act of speech is to lie to his master about the fate of the bird), The Rabbi's Cat is a masterwork of philosophy distilled into graphic form. The cat insists upon learning the Torah and having a Bar Mitzvah, much to the consternation of the frustrated Rabbi. What follows is a fabulous repartee between cat and Rabbi, in which they discuss, argue about, and question the principles of Judaism -- and a cat's place in its theology.

This is just the first of three stories in this excellent book. While the second two tales don't quite live up to the fantastical nature and witty dialogue of the opening piece, they are nonetheless intelligent, creative, and poignant. The book goes on to chronicle the fortunes of the family as the Rabbi's daughter marries into a wealthy Parisian family. The entire narrative is told from the perspective of the cat, who peppers his observations with opinions about the people he is with and situations he is in.

The book is lavishly illustrated in full color, giving it a magical, warm feel. As a pure work of art it is beautiful. Readers who are not interested in the fortunes of a poor Albanian Rabbi, the thought processes of a cat, or the religious questioning between beast and man should at least pick up this book to appreciate the magnificent work Sfar has done as an artist.

Mom's Cancer tells the story of how three adult children help their mother, known throughout the book as "Mom", deal with her aggressive lung cancer. Written and illustrated by Brian Fies, this book is an excellent example of a graphic novel written by and for adults and dealing with adult topics and frustrations. Originally published by Fies as a web diary, and winner of the Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic, Mom's Cancer has been bound into a compact graphic novel. Included in the text are an Afterword by Mom herself, as well as an epilogue by Fies and sources for more information on cancer.

Fies takes readers through this journey from Mom's diagnosis with cancer through to her treatments and then on to her eventual remission. Alongside "Kid Sis", who lives with and cares for Mom, and "Nurse Sis", who aggressively advocates for Mom in hospitals and clinics, Fies experiences what happens when children suddenly have to take care of their parents. Written in chapters, with threads of dark and sardonic humor throughout, Mom's Cancer lets readers in on the decisions, frustrations, setbacks, and successes of the Fies family. By the end, readers are rooting for Mom and sympathizing with the Fies children who struggle to help Mom understand the seriousness of her condition, even while pushing for treatments and medications that will help her recover. Anyone who has experienced the bewildering array of information on cancer treatments and options will understand the frustration that Fies feels; as he learns more about lung cancer and its treatments, he become more and more confused, yet more determined to attack Mom's situation with the cool detachment of a scientist. Of course, this is not possible, because even as Mom needs her children's help, they still need "Mom" in various ways. Despite the harrowing treatments, the arguments and misunderstandings between the three Fies children over what is best for Mom, and the dilemma of what to tell "Dad", who is divorced from Mom and living in another state, the family manages to celebrate accomplishments big and small together. At the end, Fies reflects on the ways in which writing and illustrating Mom's Cancer surprised him, "when I started, I thought that my story was about death. It turned out to be about hope. That story is just as good. Even better." Readers will agree.

In Chicken with Plums, Marjane Satrapi examines the life of her great-uncle, the renowned Iranian tar player Nasser Ali Khan. Written in her standard straightforward narrative voice and illustrated with her trademark black and white drawings, Satrapi explores the final week of Nasser Ali's passionate and troubled life.

After his wife breaks his beloved tar, Nasser Ali takes to his bed determined to die. He abandons the needs of his wife and four children and retires to his room to brood on his past and mourn his loss. Satrapi chronicles his last days and fleshes out the story with flashbacks to Nasser Ali's youth as well as projections into his family's future without him. As the narrative progresses, the reader comes to sympathize with Nasser Ali and his strange choice to give up on life.

Like so many of Satrapi's work, Chicken with Plums is a short and simple read that on the surface appears to be only the sad chronicle of a musician's last days. However, this graphic novel is also a reflection on the ways in which love and loss, choices and fate, can direct - or destroy - a life.

Lela Lee created Kim, an angry little Asian girl, as a response to the insulting and stereotypical portrayals of Asians in other cartoons. Angry Little Girls is a collection of Lee's weekly comic strip and includes angry girls of a variety of races. The extremely simple, colorful artwork is eye catching and the sarcastic humor entertaining. My personal favorite part is the end pages that include a "What kind of angry are you?" quiz. Recommended for middle school, high school and adult.

~Melissa, YA Librarian

Eating gross food, not understanding what everyone is saying, not being able to find comic books in English... life in Korea is not what Joel expected. Unfortunately, he has signed a contract agreeing to stay and work as an English teacher for at least a year. Things start to look up a little when he meets and falls in love with a Korean woman, Hana. Can Joel overcome his shyness and the cultural divide to let Hana know how he feels? And can he do it before it's time for him to go home?

True to life and relatable characters make up for the predictable story line in these short graphic novels. Recommended for high school or adult fans of graphic novel series.

~Melissa, YA Librarian

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi was my first graphic novel. Before its release, I didn't think I would enjoy the format. I'm not a particularly visual person. After reading a review for Persepolis, though, I decided to give it a shot. I'm very glad I did. To this day, Persepolis and the sequel, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, are, by far, the best graphic novels I've ever read.

Both volumes of Satrapi's graphic memoirs are compelling and timely. The author was nine when Islamic fundamentalists overthrew the Shah in Iran. Orignally, Marjane's parents and neighbors welcomed the change, believing it would bring an end to the Shah's oppression. Soon, however, they discovered that life under the Islamic regime would be even more stiffling. Homes are bombed, Marjane's playmates are killed and parties are forbidden. Determined to ensure that their daughter is educated and fearful that her independent and rebellious nature will get her into serious trouble, Marjane's parents send her abroad.

With simple, but appropriate artwork and an amazing story, Persepolis 1 and 2 are not to be missed.

These graphic novels would be most enjoyed by high school students and adults.

~Melissa, Young Adult Librarian