author:
WARREN ELLIS

illustration:
IVAN RODRIGUEZ

Graphic Novel
216 pages
Avatar Press

Warren Ellis’s work can do strange things to genres. In some cases, it serves as rock-solid examples of the form—his long-running Transmetropolitan, for example, in the realm of political science fiction. For others, there’s deconstruction afoot: witness Planetary, which explores and critiques a century of pulp heroics even as it serves as a fine example of the same; or the more recent Aetheric Mechanics, which starts out as a sort of steampunk Sherlock Holmes pastiche and evolves into something much more ominous. In recent years, Ellis has turned his attention to the detective story, with the 2007 novel Crooked Little Vein and the ongoing comics Fell and Desolation Jones. More recently, he’s again taken on ongoing, large-scale science fiction with the online FreakAngels, with artist Paul Duffield, and Doktor Sleepless, with artist Ivan Rodriguez.

purchase via IndieBound

author:
CHRIS ONSTAD

Graphic Novel
104 pages
Dark Horse

Opening with a pitch meeting for bawdy cell-phone accessories and closing with abundant amounts of liquor consumed in a Greek restaurant, the humor on display in Chris Onstad’s The Great Outdoor Fight ranges from surreal to blue to slapstick. Achewood has been running online since 2001, and has already garnered its share of acclaim in that space. Rather than Onstad’s previous, self-released collections, The Great Outdoor Fight expands on the online version both through additions to the storyline and through a wealth of supplemental information.

purchase via IndieBound

author:
OLIVIER KA

Graphic Novel
112 pages
NBM

In this touching story of trust and betrayal, Olivier Ka shares and relives a very painful memory from his past. With the help of illustrations from his friend Alfred, Why I Killed Peter explores childhood memories and the damage that can be done by those that we trust during the most innocent times of our lives.

Told in chapters from various points in Peter Ka’s life, we begin with his recollections as a carefree seven year old, living with his hippie parents and learning about religion and the deadly sins from his god-fearing grandmother. This dichotomy in ideology splits the young boy in two and becomes a recurring theme throughout the novel.

At the age of nine, Olivier is befriends his grandmother’s priest Peter, and their friendship blossoms as Peter takes Olivier under his tutelage, assuming the roles of friend, father figure, and confidant. When Peter does the unthinkable one night at summer camp, the young boy (now twelve) comes face-to-face with pure evil and spends the rest of the novel (and ultimately his life) coming to grips with what has been done to him.

This is not a happy story, and everyone is not okay at the end of the novel. But it does offer honest and sincere proof of the resiliency of the human spirit.

purchase via IndieBound

curator:
JACOB COVEY

Graphic Novel
193 pages (Book One)
207 pages (Book Two)
Fantagraphics

For those of us that never tire of amazing art and fantasy (a pretty great combination for many of us), Fantagraphic’s Beasts! (Volume 1 & 2) sure delivers. Not only are these two books chock full of some of the best drawings, musings, and paintings of “hidden creatures” that we have seen in quite some time, but cryptozoology on a whole has never again been so inspiring.

From the Yeti, Unicorn, and Centaur to the lesser known Golem and Harpy, all of the artists involved were provided with a description of their beast and nothing else. Their depiction of their chosen creature reflects not only the defining characteristics and lore of the selected Beast, but naturally their own artistic flair. The result is as beautiful as it is educational, with each page serving as a reminder of just how we as humans have and continue to create ways to explain the unexplainable.

One does not need to read these books from cover to cover to enjoy their content. Simply pick a page and dive right in. Should you choose to spend more time with Beasts! (I suggest you do) you’ll not be disappointed. Be sure to check out The Golem by Marc Bell, The Triton by Josh Cochran, and Mimi by Alexia Stamatiou.

An amazing job of curating by Jacob Covey.

purchase Book One and Book Two via IndieBound

author:
EMMANUEL GUIBERT

Graphic Novel
336 pages
First Second

Time provides us with the ability to soften wounds, make sense of events that have transpired in our past, and sometimes re-create memories so that they become a bit more manageable, less painful. In the graphic novel Alan’s War, The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope, this may be the case, as the book was based upon Alan’s stories as told to author and illustrator Emmanuel Guibert some decades after WWII came to a close. As a friend and confidant, Guibert was entrusted to bring to fruition the life story of Alan Cope, and he does so in a beautiful and honest manner. Mr. Cope surely would have been proud with the results (unfortunately Alan Cope passed away before the novel was published).

purchase via IndieBound

author:
LILLI CARRE

Graphic Novel
80 pages
Fantagraphics

Fans of Lilli Carre will not be disappointed with her first long-form graphic novel, The Lagoon. This is a dark and rhythmic read with imagery that makes the reader feel damp, cold, and in need of a warm cup of coffee and the embrace of a loved one.

Stylistically illustrated in simple black ink, the novel tells the story of a young girl whose own life (along with those of her loved ones) has been touched by a mysterious monster with a penchant for singing melodies so enchanting, that quite a few have met their demise while experiencing its bliss. The songs of this mysterious swamp dwelling creature serve as not only common conversation amongst the family, but also as the soundtrack to their lives.

purchase via IndieBound