Meanwhile, Jason Shiga (Y)
A comic where you can choose what the hero does, which turns out to be far more complicated in this format. I liked that the story involved time travel so that you could end up meeting your past self and that you could use a doomsday machine to control how many multiverses split off from your timeline. I did not like that it was harder to cheat than with the text choice adventures, so I kept having to start over. Three stars.
Bro-Jitsu : the martial art of sibling smackdown, Daniel H. Wilson (Y)
A guide to torturing your siblings in the time honored ways (with all the time-honored standard names, too, which makes it useful as a guide to pop culture for the siblingless: I spotted techniques used in Mystery Science Theater 3000, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, and Strange Brew). I laughed and felt bad for all the torture I put my brother through. Four stars.
Glamourpuss: the enchanting world of kitty wigs by Julie Jackson; photographs by Jill Johnson
The pictures (of kitties in wigs) are more enchanting than the text. Two stars.
100% Pure Fake, Lyn Thomas
I’m actually relieved that this book looks too young for me to take to the junior high school: the fake barf and poop actually look too realistic and are making me queasy. Four stars. (postscript: I did end up taking it to a junior high: they loved it.)
Do-it-yourself brain surgery and other implausibly titled books
I was looking for a high-interest nonfiction book to take to a school, unfortunately there is a visible boob in one of the pictures. It’s the same list of unusual book titles you’ve seen floating around the net, with the addition of covers, which is nice. Three stars.
Joe and Azat, Jesse Lonergan
Like many graphic nonfiction travelogues, this only makes me want to learn more: it’s mostly about the friend that the author made while working with the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan and the line the people there have to walk between freedom and The Rules (of the culture, of the dictator, of family, and of just getting by). Add this one to the stack of graphic nonfiction that I have enjoyed about getting a look inside a closed society by Ted Rall and Guy Delisle. Three stars.
Manga kamishibai: the art of Japanese paper theater, Eric P. Nash
First: I urge you to skip reading the text and captions if you can. Someone else should write a summary of the art and its history. The pictures of the historic cards from the picture-and-storytelling artform are just amazing. Four stars.
T-minus: the race to the moon, Jim Ottaviani ; [illustrated by] Zander Cannon, Kevin Cannon (Y)
This graphic novel really captures the excitement of the science and engineering challenges involved in reaching the moon, on both the US and Soviet sides. The whole thing is a countdown to that magic moment: a human on the moon. I enjoyed recognizing stuff I read about in other, more detailed, accounts in the artwork. Good work, guys! Five stars.
Oishinbo, a la carte. Ramen & gyōza, story by Tetsu Kariya, art by Akira Hanasaki
As the ladies who recommended it to me commented, it sure would be nice if they issued this manga series in order rather than repackaging by cuisine and mixing the main story up. But the food stuff was pretty interesting and I was charmed by the various romances made possible by heroic food battles. Three stars.
Chainsawsuit 3, Kris Straub
So good! One of the few comic collections that I laugh when I read. Four stars.
Yotsuba&!. 6, Kiyohiko Azuma
Yotsuba is getting out into the wider world (she gets her first bike in this volume), including getting in trouble (I was worried she might get hurt). Maybe not as charming as earlier volumes, but still pretty good. Three stars.
Yotsuba&!. 7, Kiyohiko Azuma
Again, maybe not as charming as earlier volumes. I really like the realistic backgrounds (in contrast to the graphic shortcuts used to show emotion, especially in faces) Three stars.
Never Learn Anything from History, Kate Beaton
I’m totally enjoying a jag of webcomics collections– quite enjoyable! Three stars.
From the Ashes: a Speculative Graphic Memoir, Bob Fingerman
You sort of have to put yourself into the mindset of those last few months before the election of Obama, when we were all glued to the news and the conservative punditry seemed especially vile. Then add the apocalypse, zombies, mutants, the whole shebang. Yet it’s a really fun story, with lots of winks at other post apocalyptic films, and a romance angle that really got to me. I liked it a lot. Four stars.