Review: The One Hundred Nights Of Hero – Isabel Greenberg

The One Hundred Nights Of Hero – Isabel Greenberg

In the Empire of Migdal Bavel, Cherry is married to Jerome, a wicked man who makes a diabolical wager with his friend Manfred: if Manfred can seduce Cherry in one hundred nights, he can have his castle—and Cherry. 

But what Jerome doesn't know is that Cherry is in love with her maid Hero. The two women hatch a plan: Hero, a member of the League of Secret Story Tellers, will distract Manfred by regaling him with a mesmerizing tale each night for 100 nights, keeping him at bay. Those tales are beautifully depicted here, touching on themes of love and betrayal and loyalty and madness.

Review: This will be a short review because I only have one thing to say about this graphic novel: Read it.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero is a retelling of The Arabian Nights. It stars Cherry and Hero, two women who live in the fictional Empire of Migdal Bavel. In the Empire, stories belong to men. Women who can read or write are executed for being witches. This graphic novel is about the power of stories. Stories have the ability to inspire, to distract, to bring people together, and to spread the truth. In Migdal Bavel, only men are supposed to have access to those powers.

The novel starts with Cherry’s husband admitting to his friend, Manfred, that he has never slept with Cherry. The two men make a bet. If Manfred can get Cherry to sleep with him, the husband will give Manfred his castle and Cherry.

Cherry hasn’t slept with her husband because Cherry is a lesbian. She’s in love with her maid, Hero. Hero hears the men making the bet and comes up with a plan. Every time Manfred attempts to seduce Cherry, Hero will tell him a story. She’s a member of the League of Secret Story Tellers and knows a lot of stories. If everything goes well, Manfred will be so interested in the tales that he’ll leave Cherry alone and not accuse Hero of witchcraft.

“We shall tell all the stories that are never told. Stories about bad husbands and murderous wives and mad gods and mothers and heroes and darkness and friends and sisters and lovers.” - The One Hundred Nights of Hero

There’s a lot going on in this book. The story of Cherry, Hero, and Manfred serves as a frame for the tales that Hero tells. All of the tales are part of a larger tale, but you don’t know how the parts all fit together until the end. It’s intricate but not confusing. If you like books with unusual structures, check this one out.

Hero’s stories are sometimes magical and sometimes funny. They all feature badass women who are rebelling against the roles they are forced to play by society. Migdal Bavel isn’t a kind place. If the characters want to survive, they have to outsmart everybody around them.

“Lesson: Men are false. And they can get away with it. Also, don't murder your sister, even by accident. Sisters are important.” - The One Hundred Nights of Hero

I like the art style in this book. It’s mostly black and white with a few other colors thrown in. Maybe “whimsical” would be a good way to describe it? Or “primitive.” The drawings are strange and not very detailed. Migdal Bavel seems like a primitive Empire, so maybe it makes sense that their art is simple. I know nothing about art. I just know it worked for me. It makes sense with the type of stories Hero tells.

My only complaint is the font. I have terrible eyesight. It was hard for me to make out some of the tiny, loopy letters.

I’m going to end this review now because this is a book you need to experience. It’s impossible for me to do a good job of describing it to you. Just go read it.

Review: Angel Catbird, Vol. 1 – Margaret Atwood & Johnnie Christmas

Angel Catbird, Vol. 1 – Margaret Atwood & Johnnie Christmas

On a dark night, young genetic engineer Strig Feleedus is accidentally mutated by his own experiment and merges with the DNA of a cat and an owl. What follows is a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired superhero adventure—with a lot of cat puns.

Review: So . . . I’m confused.

I’ve never been a fan of superheroes or comic books. It seems like most kids go through a phase where they’re obsessed with Spiderman or Wonder Woman, but that never happened with me. I’ve always thought superheroes were lame.

Then, my favorite author wrote a superhero comic book. If anyone could make me care about a superhero, it’s Margaret Atwood. I decided to give Volume 1 of Angel Catbird a try.

And, now I’m confused. This book feels like a joke that I didn’t completely understand.

The story follows a genetic engineer, Strig Feleedus, who accidently merges his DNA with the DNA of a cat and an owl. He becomes part of a community of human/animal hybrid creatures, but everything is not peaceful in the hybrid world. The rat-people are trying to destroy the cat-people. It’s up to Angel Catbird (Strig’s superhero persona) to stop them.

I really like the introduction to the comic. Margaret Atwood writes about her childhood and how she became interested in art and comic books. She also talks about what inspired Angel Catbird and how she worked with artists to bring her vision to life. And, I learned a new word! Manqué.

Who knew that my entire life could be summed up perfectly with one word?

Another part of Angel Catbird that I like is the last section. It explains how comic book art is created and shows how the colorist adds layers of color to each picture. It was interesting to see all the “behind the scenes” stuff. I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style, but I enjoyed learning about it, and the cats are cute. There are cat facts at the bottoms of the pages, so I learned a few things about cats, too.

The story itself is a disappointment. I don’t feel like I totally understood it. Is it supposed to be a meta superhero story that pokes fun at real superhero stories? Was the writing intentionally bad? The plot is simplistic and full of tropes. There’s no character development. The dialogue is cringe-worthy. I never felt invested in what was happening. Everything is just very . . . silly. I have a feeling I would have appreciated it more if I was familiar with other superhero stories. It seems like it’s making fun of the genre.

Maybe cat-loving kids would like this book? There are a few sexual innuendos, but they’d probably go over kids’ heads. The plot is simple enough for kids to follow, and there’s a lot of action. It’s not bloody, though. Everything is very PG.

Oh, I thought of something else I like! The sexy love-interest character, Cate Leone, has a similar haircut to me. That’s cool. I guess.

Luckily for you, I never wear my fur bikini out of the house.

Margaret Atwood will probably always be my favorite author, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of this series. 

Review: Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood – Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood – Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country. 

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family.

Review: This review is for the English translation of a French book.

I know nothing about Iran. I don’t even remember learning much about it in school. But, in the past few months, I’ve gotten curious about literature written by people from the Middle East, and that’s what brought me to this book.

“Once again, I arrived at my usual conclusion: one must educate oneself.” – Persepolis

In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi tells the story of her childhood and her family. She came from a family of Marxists who were very critical of the Iranian government. As a result, several of her family members and friends were imprisoned or executed. The book shows Marjane growing from a confused child into a passionate and outspoken teenager. Her parents don’t want to leave Iran, but they worry that Marjane’s opinionated nature could get her killed.

The art style in this graphic memoir is simple and black-and-white. The story follows Marjane from childhood to her teenage years as the Shah is overthrown and Islamic fundamentalism rises. Since Marjane is a child for most of the book, we get to see her confusion about the mixed messages she gets from school, her parents, and the news. Fake news is not a new phenomenon. It’s stressful for people—especially children—to be constantly inundated with conflicting information about their world. Persepolis shows that confusion brilliantly.

“I realized then that I didn't understand anything. I read all the books I could.” – Persepolis

The best part of this memoir is the contrast between Marjane’s home life and the politics of Iran. In most ways, Marjane is a typical kid. She’s interested in clothes, music, movies, parties, and being “cool.” While she’s sneaking off to party with the older girls, her city is being bombed by the Iraqis, and innocent people are being murdered by the government. The constant violence is normal for Marjane, but it’s shocking for the reader. It shows that humans can adapt to almost any environment, even ones that shouldn’t be normal.   

“In life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's because they're stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance . . . Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.” – Persepolis

I wish the book had given more background information about the political situation in Iran during the time that Marjane was growing up. There’s a very short introduction that explains a few things, but I was still slightly confused at the beginning of the story. People who know more than I do about Iranian politics will probably have no problem understanding it, though.

If you’re interested in Iran or in how children live during a war, then this book is a must-read.

Review: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil – Stephen Collins

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil – Stephen Collins

On the buttoned-down island of Here, all is well. By which we mean: orderly, neat, contained and, moreover, beardless. 

Or at least it is until one famous day, when Dave, bald but for a single hair, finds himself assailed by a terrifying, unstoppable . . . monster*! 

Where did it come from? How should the islanders deal with it? And what, most importantly, are they going to do with Dave? 

(*We mean a gigantic beard, basically.)

Review: You know you wanted to read this book as soon as you saw the title. Who wouldn’t want to read about an evil beard?

The main character, Dave, lives on an island called Here, where beards are not tolerated. Everything on Here needs to be neat, orderly, and changeless. Then, one day, Dave grows a giant beard. He doesn’t mean to grow it. It just happens. The beard grows so fast that it starts taking over the island. The residents of Here have to figure out what to do about it.

The art in this graphic novel is done in gray pencil drawings. The drawings aren’t always super-detailed, but they do a great job of capturing the bland sameness of Here. They get the point across.

The plot and characters have the humor and quirkiness you’d expect, but the story is surprisingly deep. Since I’d seen this book described as a “modern-day fable,” I knew the theme would go deeper than evil beards, but I didn’t expect it to resonate with me so much. I had planned on reading a few pages of this book before bed, but I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. It was too weirdly important for me to put down. I needed to finish it.

The story is about xenophobia, distrust of the “other,” and fear of change. The novel starts with Dave, but as the plot progresses, the residents of Here seem to forget that Dave exists. They only see his problematic beard. They don’t take the time to understand that Dave is embarrassed by his beard and just wants to fit in on the island. The islanders have a lot of “What to do about the beard” discussions, but Dave isn’t invited to the conversations. They forget that Dave is a human and not just a problem. Even though the plot of The Gigantic Beard that was Evil is silly, there are a lot of parallels between it and the real world. I guess that’s what makes a good fable, right?

“The job of the skin is to keep things in” – The Gigantic Beard that was Evil

My only criticism of the book is that the layout is choppy. Sometimes, one sentence is chopped up and scattered over a whole page of panels. For me, this layout disrupts the flow of the story because I kept getting distracted by the pictures while hunting for the next part of a sentence. The writing does have a nice, poetic rhythm to it, once you locate all the words and read them together.

If you’re ever in the mood for a bizarre fable about out-of-control facial hair, check this one out.

Review: Through The Woods – Emily Carroll

Through The Woods – Emily Carroll

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss. 

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll. 

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there . . .

Review: This book consists of five spooky short stories that take place in the woods. I’ve never read a graphic short story collection before, and I’m fairly new to sequential art books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

“It came from the woods. Most strange things do.” – Through the Woods

I am completely in love with the art. I’ll have to check out Emily Carroll’s other work because it’s beautiful. Admittedly, I haven’t read many graphic novels, but this is my favorite art style I’ve come across so far. I especially like that the author/illustrator uses slightly different colors for each story. Some of them are bright and bold with big blocks of color. Others are more subtle and realistic.

The stories remind me of campfire tales. They’re odd, but they don’t have a lot of depth or explanation. In most of the stories, the lack of depth and explanation didn’t bother me, but one of the stories is a bit confusing because the ending isn’t explained very well.

My favorite story in the collection is “Our Neighbor’s House.” It’s about three sisters who are left on their own until a mysterious man in a big hat shows up. I like the bold colors, and I wasn’t expecting that ending.

In “A Lady’s Hands are Cold,” a girl is forced into a marriage she doesn’t want. At night, in her new house, she hears strange music and sets out to find where it’s coming from. This story probably has the weirdest love-triangle ever.

I might have missed something about “His Face All Red.” (Possibly because I was reading this book while working, as responsible adults do. In my defense, it’s an entertaining book.) This story is about a man who kills his brother. I thought the story ended suddenly, and I didn’t totally understand the ending.

“My Friend Janna” features two women who are running a psychic scam, but one of them might not be faking her psychic abilities. This story isn’t as gripping as the first two, but I like the colors and the spooky illustrations.

I had no idea where “The Nesting Place” was going when I started it. It’s about a young girl who is staying with her brother and his wife after the death of her mother. The brother’s wife may not be who she seems. The story has a lot of suspense, but the ending was kind of “meh” for me. I think I was expecting something crazier.

I was on the fence about reading this book, but I’m very glad I did. It’s worth reading for the gorgeous art alone. The words are just the creepy icing on top.

Review: Nimona – Noelle Stevenson

Nimona – Noelle Stevenson

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. 

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Review: First, this graphic novel gets bonus points for using sexual innuendos as character names. I have the mental maturity of a twelve-year-old, so that kind of humor is very much appreciated.

Nimona is a bloodthirsty shapeshifting creature with the goal of becoming a supervillain. She teams up with the most evil man in the kingdom, Lord Ballister Blackheart, and they set out to prove that the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics is corrupt. But, when Nimona gets angry, even Lord Blackheart has to admit that his sidekick may be too evil to handle.

Nimona takes well-known fantasy tropes and flips them on their heads. What is “Good” and what is “Evil”? Who decides these things? Can a person be both good and evil at the same time? Can a sidekick be a hero? How does love and friendship fit into all of this?

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “Quirky.” The characters have a lot of personality. Nimona is spunky and overenthusiastic about committing crimes. Lord Blackheart has a tragic backstory (of course) and a deadpan sense of humor. They make a brilliant team.

The humor in this story is pretty juvenile, but I’m an adult, and I laughed. If I had read this book as a kid, it would have become an instant favorite.

Admittedly, I’m pretty new to graphic novels (which is why this review is short), but I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style in this one. It didn’t always convey enough emotion for me. Some of it is great, but I often found myself glancing at the art and focusing on the dialogue only. I wish the characters had more detailed facial expressions.

I also wanted more from the end. I wasn’t ready for it to be over. What happens next? If there is ever a sequel, I will happily read it.

I’d highly recommend this book to reluctant child readers who need a quick, colorful story. This graphic novel is full of humor but also gives the reader something to think about.

Review: Blankets – Craig Thompson

Blankets – Craig Thompson

Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry between two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith.

Review: I didn’t know very much about this book before I started reading. I knew that it was a massive graphic novel (592 pages), and that it was a semi-autobiography about teenagers, love, and religion. What drew me to this book was the art. I know nothing at all about art, so feel free to laugh at me if I can’t coherently explain why I like it. The art in this book is simple and cartoonish, but not so cartoonish that it can’t display realistic emotion. I like that it’s black and white and “sketchy” looking. My favorite pictures are the snowy landscapes and the pictures of Craig and Raina together. Yeah . . . that’s the best I can do at describing art. I’m done now.

The story is kind of heartbreaking. It’s about isolation and trying to figure out what to believe. Craig grows up in a strict religious environment. He is bullied at school and abused at home. When he becomes a teenager, he falls in love with a girl named Raina and starts to question his religious beliefs.

The best part of this graphic novel is its honesty. The author doesn’t hide anything from the reader. I couldn’t stop reading this book because it feels so real and so relatable. I worried about the characters and wanted them to find happiness. I was happy when they were happy. The story is quiet, but it’s powerful.

Some of the best scenes are the ones between Craig and his younger brother. For most of the book, they have an adversarial relationship. They would both be less isolated if they got along. They suffer a lot of the same abuse, but like all siblings, they can’t always relate to each other. 

I really like Craig and Raina’s teenage romance. It’s a little intense, a little scary, a little sappy. Craig is a strict Christian, and there is a lot of tension between what he wants from the relationship and what his religion allows. Some of his religious beliefs are so rigid that they prevent him from enjoying life. He even gives up art at one point, even though he’s passionate about drawing. His struggle to find balance is interesting for someone like me who has never been in his position.

Another awesome element of this book is the blanket motif. Blankets show up over and over throughout the book. Blankets are gifts, playthings, shields, and comfort objects. They are allies in winter and adversaries in summer. There’s even a blanket of snow on the cover. It’s a simple motif, but it adds so much to the story. It ties everything together.

So, obviously, I love this book. If you’re a fan of realistic graphic novels, this is a must-read.