Hi Jenny --
It sure seems like you're getting the worst of both traditions: you're missing out on exciting technology and on delicious Amish cuisine, which unfortunately is hard to duplicate minus chametz and, of course, pork.
I'm glad you mentioned Epileptic, because I wanted to discuss it with you. When I read it, a few months ago, I had several very profound comments to make and, of course, they are now lost. However, I remember thinking that there was a major thematic crossover between it and your book, Devil in the Details. In both books, a child's illness has surprising consequences for his or her family. I think you and David B. use some of the same tools to tell your stories, too. Now it turns out that your family was eating the same food David B.'s was, so there's that as well.
I've been really fortunate in finding graphic novels at my local libraries. I think that in general, in the last few years, even as budgets have been slashed, public libraries have been building graphic novel collections, some of which would put most geeks' to shame. Are these libraries tapping into special funding? Are the comic book companies helping? I should know, but don't. In any case, I now have access to four different public library systems. Consequently, I've read a lot of pretty books:
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi. I think you read this a long time ago and recommended it to me. I'm in the minority, from what I can tell, in thinking that Satrapi's work has gotten stronger and stronger. Persepolis is great, but Persepolis 2 is even better -- I think the story gets richer and more unique as it goes -- and Embroideries is wonderful. I don't know what Satrapi has published in France in recent years and I don't know if there are plans to translate more of her work into English. I hope so.
The Hollow Grounds by Luc and François
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore. This is an ongoing series inspired by Dawn of the Dead. I've read the first six issues, in which a small group of people gather together in the outskirts of Atlanta, following a massive zombie attack that seems to have pretty much wiped out the country. Kirkman is a good writer -- I enjoy what I've read of another series of his titled Invincible -- and he and Moore seem well-matched. This collection is solid but didn't really grab me.
Criminal Macabre by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith. This is an ultra-violent, hard-boiled detective novel set in a Los Angeles overrun by the undead (insert Hunter Tylo joke here). Niles is a deft, funny writer. Templesmith's art is beautiful and expressive, a mixture of simple sketches and blurry, expressionistic paintings. I'm almost afraid to make this comment, though -- I wish I could understand more of what the heck is going on on the page. I had the same problem with the pair's earlier collaboration, 30 Days of Night. It looks really cool and I appreciate what Templesmith's doing, but in each case, I find the story a little hard to follow, because I can't always completely read the illustrations.
Runaways, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa. Vaughan is insanely popular right now, in terms of the tiny niche that is comics. His popularity is totally deserved. Y: The Last Man, the series he's been doing for Vertigo, is so good it's easy to underestimate: generally I don't notice until I finish an issue and desperately want to know what happens next, just how effective Vaughan's storytelling is. His work on Ultimate X-Men is outstanding. He did a nice job of picking up from Mark Millar, another great writer. Runaways is the best possible introduction to Vaughan, though. This collection, which includes the series' entire first, limited run, is the most self-contained of any of Vaughan's work currently available in graphic novel format. The story, in which six young adults rebel against their supervillain parents, starts off pretty well and then really takes off, a few issues in.
Global Frequency by Warren Ellis and various illustrators. This is one of the best things I've read lately. I'm not sure why it ran for just 12 issues. The entire run is available in two graphic novels. You should be able to find at least one, maybe both, at your library, because Warren Ellis is one of the few comics authors everyone seems to have heard of. The art, especially, in the second collection, is fantastic. Global Frequency is probably most famous as the source for a pilot, starring Michelle Forbes, that the WB passed on a few years back, much to the ire of online fans. I haven't seen the pilot, but it's allegedly widely-available for download.
Love,
-- Pete
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