| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Graphic Novels

Page history last edited by vanhookc@... 10 years, 2 months ago

 

RETURN TO MAIN PAGE

 

 

Meredith Moore

 

Maus Book Review

            Maus, by Art Spiegelman, is a graphic novel that teaches a lesson about hope and survival. In the novel, the main characters are trying to hide and avoid going to the concentration camps during the Holocaust.

            Maus is based on a character, Vladek, who is telling his son, Artie, about how his wife, Mala, and he had to hide from the Nazis. The story is told by Artie, who wrote the book about his father’s life. The tone in the book is suspenseful when Vladek and Mala are hiding and trying to escape from the Nazis. The tone changes when the story is in present day; the tone is both stressful and dull. The setting changes many times, because Mala and Vladek have to move from place to place. Vladek and Mala’s goal is to not get captured and taken away by the German Nazis.

            I am a seventeen year old junior at SoutheastPolkHigh School, and I read Maus as my book of choice for one of my English classes. Before reading Maus, I read Maus II. Maus II was very thrilling and I loved it. I expected Maus to be about the same, if not better, however, that is not the case. Maus is an ok book; it has its points were it is exciting, but it was pretty boring.

            Maus has a very believable story behind it; however the illustrations are of mice, which make it unrealistic. There are points in the novel that are very dull and boring, but some parts are suspenseful, which makes it a page turner as well. The writing style is descriptive, fast-paced, and slow-paced. The illustrations are all in black and white and the characters are drawn as mice, not humans.

            To improve Maus, I would have added in more suspense to make it not so dull and more interesting. To make the story more realistic, I would change the illustrations. Instead of having the characters be mice, I would make them be people.

            Maus makes the reader question what he/she would do to try to hide from the Nazis. The reader realizes to no take curtain things for granted, such as a home or bed, because one day you could be left with nothing.

            A person should read this novel if he/she enjoys learning about a historical event that is written as a graphic novel. Maus is written for all ages to enjoy. On a five-star rating, I would give Maus a three, because it is dull and boring at times, and the illustrations are confusing to understand which character is which.

 

 

 

Watchmen.

 

                Watchmen is a graphic novel about superheroes that fight crime around the nation. At the beginning of the book, the "Comedian" is killed by an assasin. The story continues on about all of the different crime fighters and how they became what they are today. I did not really like this book only because i'm not much of a superhero type of person. I don't like reading about things that couldn't actually happen in real life. If you like fantasy and and things like Batman or Spiderman i think you'll enjoy this book. It has plenty of colorful pictures and a great set of characters but, it just was not the book for me.

                                                                                -Jordan Period 3


 

 Tanner (Iowa)--The Watchmen by Alan Moore. This comic is a great super hero book. If you are in to super heros, this is the book for you. There are a lot of super heros in this book and it gets hard to keep track of all of them. 

 

 


 

 

Sarah (Iowa)--The Queen's Knight by Kim Kang Won. This is a must for every graphic novel fan! Ever wanted to go on vacation and meet a prince from a far-away land that only you can visit? If you have, then get this book as soon as you can!


 

 

Sarah (Iowa)--Fruits Basket by Natsuki Tayaka. What a cute story! If you want a guy who will turn into a pet when you hug him, check out this book for places to find one. Happy hunting!

 

SarahB (Iowa)--Fruits Basket by Natsuki Tayaka. I think everyone should try to read at least one graphic novel or manga in their life time, and this is a good book to try. It's wonderful for someone who wants get a little bit of everything; it's cute, yet dark, and happy, and the art is wonderful.

 


 

Sarah J. (Iowa)--Tarot Cafe by Jim Sang-Sun. Beware: once you open this book, be prepared to want to read more and more until the series ends. This book is dark, mysterious, and, suprisingly, extremely happy and full of passion. True love prevails over all time, and dragons really do exist! Read here, for your future.


 

 

Mindy R (Iowa)--Swan by Ariyoshi Kyoko. This book actually surprised me. Due to the theme of ballet, i was thinking it would be one of those frilly frou frou things. Turns out, its not. It's actually interesting finding out the troubles a young ballerina goes through. Through in a couple of love triangles, and BOOM! You have a great story.

 


 

Sarah J. (Iowa)--Cantarella by You Higjuri. This book was interesting. In the land of the old Italy, the magical world of sorcery, chivalry, and deadly poisons comes to life, in a highly detailed manner. Angels and demons battle for control of the land, and one man is in control of it all. What will he choose? Read to find out.

 


 

Dylan M. (Iowa)--Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller. This book was the 1st graphic novel i had read and I was suprizingly pleased with the book, it had all the old batman characters. It kept me wanting to read. I'm not gonna lie I was a little disapionted with the ending. It all seemed to just come to a hault with some kind of solution.

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Murrow (Iowa)--V for Vendatta by Alan Moore. This unique graphic novel is a highly intellegent, thrilling read. Once I picked it up within minutes I found myself Unable to put it down. I was lost in the mind of the genius who was 'V'. Its wide vocabulary may be hard to understand at times and it takes a while for everything to settle in place and come together. The ending made room for a possible sequal. Those who have any intest in government or the corruption of government should read this book. This graphic novel shows how one person can face a giant and change the world. I would give the book a 4 1/2 out of 5.

 

 

Another fast-paced brilliant read was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The puzzles found throughout the book kept my brain spinning in an attempt to solve them. The realistic qualities of the book make it seem almost real. You find yourself traveling around London and France to help Robert Langdon and Sophie on their quest to find the Holy Grail and fulfill the wishes of a deceased relative. I recomend it to anyone who loves puzzles and a fast paced adventure. I give the book a 5 out of 5.

 

 


MAUS - is more of a memoir than anything else in reading. This is a story inside a story, it acts as a documentary that classifies Vladek Spiegelman the father of Art Spiegelman. His father Vladek was a survivor from the holocauhst who eventually moved to the U.S after the stress and depression he suffered from the harsh memories of being a Polish Jew during the Holocaust. This here is a moving story that brings passion and exitement to young readers. Some knowledge on the holocaust history would be very helpful in this story. If you are into graphic novels that share a special meaning this might influence your life in one way or another. In my honest opinion i would highly reccommend this book to young readers all over the u.s, it brightens up emotions seeing the courage and strength that the family goes through in order to live a decent life. Flipping back from present day stories to cruel and unusual punishment others suffered.

- Ricky.

 

Ryan Sherzan

Pop. Fiction

Mrs. Dietzel

4/23/09

V for Vendetta

 

            This graphic novel, V for Vendetta, is a story about a made up realistic world of Britain having a totalitarianism government where one man, codename V, tries to overturn the government. Alan Moore and David Lloyd start the book with in the midst of one of Vs attempt to ruin the government control. Just from the beginning the reader can tell the book is filled with action. V for vendetta doesn’t necessarily have a theme although it strongly stands for doing what you believe in.

            V for Vendetta is basically a book of a man that goes by codename V against the entire British government. He takes in one girl, Evey, whom he saves from the government after being threatened to be killed after attempting prostitution. She joins V because she no longer had anything to live for. No family, no friends and a horrible government in which she could not obtain a real job. V gives her shelter back at the Shadow Gallery, a place where they are safe from the totalitarianism government. While taking her in he teaches her all that he knows and about his beliefs and the situation their country is in. Everything anyone does or says is monitored, there are no secrets. London is administered by what is believed to be a computer called Faith. Once V destroys Faith the country goes crazy and secrets are revealed.

            V for Vendetta is a very intellectual novel, recommended to those who have some knowledge of the situations in London.  To read and understand this story to its fullest takes some well knowing and ability to learn quickly. I was not expecting the V for Vendetta to be as sophisticated as it was, it took some commitment and time to complete the book. It is very possible for younger students to read this book as long as they enjoy reading.

            V for Vendetta is a very suspenseful, dramatic story. Is hard to find a place to stop at when reading, and sometimes it takes some re-reading to understand things. Alan Moore and David Lloyd use a very descriptive and broad range of vocabulary. The Characters in the book are not realistic for the most part, but in an event of an alternate life could be very possible.

            The entire novel is based on an un-realistic story, or an alternate future to what could have become of Britain. I think the authors did a very good job of writing about the things they did. Personally I would’ve used things that were easier to understanding, but those were the things that best made the book.

            Standing up for what you believe in, or revenge would be a good theme for this book. It is all about V getting back at those who tortured him in camp for no apparent reason. He also does things on his own, avoiding the established government and not abiding by its rules.

            V for Vendetta is a very well written book, and uses a broad range of vocabulary in some cases where it takes some knowledge to understand. I would recommend this book to someone at a college level of reading and one that enjoys reading and commits to their books.

 

 

Angelica Ippolito

4-17-09

P4 Pop Fiction 

 

V for Vendetta Book Review

 

                V for Vendetta, written by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, is kind of a mixture of genres. I couldn’t decide if it was a graphic novel of historical fiction, or if it was just a mystery of some sort. It seems that it is both, because the authors gave a menacing and wondering air to the scenes, and you never knew what Codename V was going to do next. However, the book gave a pretty good description of how different people were treated in other countries, and some countries’ governments still treat their people like that. I think the point that Moore and Lloyd were trying to get across, is that you should stand up for what you believe in; you shouldn’t just let people tell you what to do, just because you’ve given them the ability to.

                Codename V finds a girl on the streets, Evey Hammond. She has come from a bad place, and she is a very troubled girl. She doesn’t have much respect for herself, but eventually, V teaches her respect and she gains confidence in herself. There are a lot of men in the government, some who treat their wives badly, and some that are wonderful husbands. There is a lot of corrupt people working for the London force. V for Vendetta is told in a third person omniscient. The authors change the narrators often, and they say what most of the people are thinking, as other things are happening in the book in the meantime. The tone of the book only changes a little bit – in the beginning, it is menacing, and V is pretty spooky the whole way through. The only way that the tone changed is that instead of evil and destruction in the beginning, the ending is hopeful and looks toward the future, for better lives in London, the main setting of the book. The other main setting is in the Shadow Gallery, V’s home, or lair. His goal is to right the world – he thinks that since the dawn of mankind, we have become greedy, money-hungry followers of anyone who wants to call themselves “king”. He thinks he is a messenger from the Devil, and that he is “doing the Devil’s work”.

                I think that this could possibly happen someday. I have a very vivid imagination, so I think a lot of things are possible. If there was a government as weak as the one in this story, which I’m sure there is right now, then it could possibly be taken over by one man, like V. I would probably actually follow V, because his ideas sound so much better than any of London’s government’s plans for their citizens. Freedom and self-worth is much more satisfying than being bossed around for life. That’s what the citizens did in V for Vendetta. They rioted because they didn’t want the London government to rule like that anymore. My expectations for this book weren’t very high, just because I don’t really enjoy graphic novels, but it was probably one of the best choices of reads I could have made. I usually enjoy novels, because I like to use my imagination. Graphic novels are not open to any imaginations; it’s just laid out for you right there – you don’t really have a choice of what to think. However, my expectations were exceeded – I actually enjoyed a graphic novel more than I thought I would.

                Moore and Lloyd did an amazing job characterizing V! He was definitely my favorite character in this book, because he had such a stunning personality, and he was very impervious to the laws of the government. He was out to change the world, and in a way, he did. He started a domino effect, like in one of the scenes in the book (he is playing dominoes, acting like it was the people of London, with the rules falling down and the government gradually falling). I also think that the authors created a perfect image of Evey. In the beginning, she has no self-esteem, and is trying out prostitution for some extra cash. Then V takes her in, and she ends up being a very dynamic character in the novel. I found V for Vendetta both realistic and unrealistic – there aren’t many governments (that I know of) that just let one man bring them down. However, the characters in the book were mostly gross and they were very sleazy. They do what they want and no one can tell them differently. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. I didn’t enjoy reading the parts when the men were drunk, because it was very hard to read. They slurred their words, and it just got boring after a while reading all the useless scenes the authors added. I think this was very slow-paced. Most of the words were “tier one” words; they were mostly easy. However, V had some weird vocabulary. He was a very intense, educated guy.

                You should always stand up for what you believe in. I mostly do; I never let people walk all over me, like the people in London were allowing their government to do to them. I think every country should just get along (of course, so does everyone else; I just don’t understand why people have to all be completely controlled like that). V basically throws in everyone in London’s faces that you can’t just go on acting like the past never happened – it did, and the mistakes you’ve made, you have to face eventually.

                I don’t think that imaginative readers should pick up V for Vendetta. It closes off your mind, and you have to just look at pictures and decipher them. I did not think this book was very interesting, style-wise. I probably wouldn’t read this book again. It turned me off from the movie, also, surprisingly. And I even love movies! But I wouldn’t watch this. I think that reading the book first, ruins the entire movie. Also, if you are going to read this book, have a good vocabulary or else you will not know what in the world V is ever talking about!

 

 

Book Review                                                   Cody Lee

 

The Graphic novel called Maus II by Art Spiegelman is a book about how his dad Vladek made it through Auschwitz surviving. It’s a story about bravery and courage.

 

Art and his dad don’t have a very good relationship. Art cant stand his dad for very long. He has no patients.   The story is told by Vladek and his time spent in a concentration camp. The book jumps from when he was in Auschwitz to when he is older telling Art his story. The setting is mostly in Auschwitz in the past then its also present day in New York. The major conflict in the story is how Vladek lived and also kept track of were his girlfriend Anja was, or if she died.

 

I liked the book. It was different from regular books. It’s a graphic novel, so its like a comic book. it kept me thinking what would happen to Vladek. If I didn’t know it was a true story I would never believed it was real. Vladek was a very lucky man. He had great skills that helped him survive. This book looked interesting to me because I like to read things about the war and try to learn more on what the Nazis were thinking. The book was very suspenseful. It was very realistic. All the things that the Nazis did to the Jews. How they made them work and march till death. This book had pictures in each panel. It gave me great imagery. I had my own thoughts and pictures in my head. It was somewhat difficult to read because they mixed it up with different languages that I don’t know. But it made the book more realistic.

 

The book did get a little slow at times but not for very long. He could have improved there a little bit. Tit just ended. It didn’t really lead up to it. That was kind of disappointing. It would have been interesting if the story was told by Vladek. What he thought of Art instead of what Art thought of his dad. The part that I wish it would have told was right at the end. Did Vladek die right then and there?

 

I asked to myself, if Anja died, would Vladek still have that urge to live. Would he have something to look forward to when he got free.

 

If you get confused really easy, then this book may not be for you. It changes time and you have to figure out when. It’s a good book for school. There is a little profanity but nothing out of line. I would give this book a 4 star.

 

 

             

Courtney Buck- Maus II

 

Maus 2 Book Review

            Art Spigelman’s Maus II is a graphic novel exploring the role of a survivor of the Holocaust. Throughout the novel the reader realizes survivors aren’t always perfect people like the society expects them to be.

            In this graphic novel the main characters are a father, Valdek, and his son Artie. The reader sees their struggle with their relationship. Artie is the narrator who is trying to write a novel about his dad’s stay in Auschwitz. The only way he thinks he can write it is if he understands it, which is hard for him to do because that includes spending time with his dad. His dad, Vladek, drives him crazy because he is always so paranoid. Vladek refuses to waste anything, whether that is food, matches, or money. For example, at one point in the book Artie uses a match to light a cigarette and Vladek yells at him for wasting one on breakfast earlier to light a stove and now another for the cigarette. The tone of this novel is pretty intense. They are always yelling at each other until Artie’s wife Francoise steps in and ends the argument. The setting is at Vladek’s bungalow. Artie and Francoise end up there taking care of Vladek after a phone call informing Artie that Vladek’s wife had left him and that Vladek was ill.

            Overall I liked this graphic novel. I had never read a graphic novel before I had the assignment to do so. I chose this novel because I have always liked to learn anything I could about the Holocaust. I don’t think I would enjoy any other graphic novel, but this one is okay in my opinion.

            The characterization in this novel is fairly decent. We get a fair feel at who Artie has grown up to be and who Vladek is. We know Vladek is paranoid and we know Artie is somewhat depressed because he can’t get a feel on how to write his novel. It is a very believable novel. Auschwitz really happened and there really were survivors. Most of those survivors probably did have children who live to tell their story. This novel is neither a page turner nor a dull book. It is a good enough book the reader will want to finish, but it isn’t to the point where they will not be able to put it down.

            The art in this graphic novel is very good. It went very well with the words also. I like the word choice very much. Art Spigelman doesn’t censor out the words with meaning. For example, the awful words the Nazi’s called the Jews. Along with not censoring out the words the pictures are very graphic, there are pictures of scrawny Jews, dead Jews, and so on.

            The only thing I would change about the novel is I would go back and touch on how Art’s mom killed herself. Without reading the first Maus the reader has no idea what even happened to his mom after Auschwitz until close to the end of the graphic novel.

            The theme of this novel is survivors aren’t always perfect people. I would agree with that because after all they’ve been through they are just happy to be alive. They don’t have to meet up to anyone’s standards now.

            If you are a mature reader and like learning facts on the Holocaust I highly suggest this novel.

 

 

 

Catherine Mercer

Kristin Dietzel

Pop. Fiction

4/23/2009

Maus II Review

 

            Art Spiegelman’s Maus II is a graphic novel about his father’s experience in the Holocaust. He tells about what happened while his father, Vladek was there and how he survived.

            The novel is serious while Vladek tells his son, Art about his experience in Auschwitz. It starts off with Art and his wife coming to help his father who is left on his own. Vladek is also very old and sick. It comes across as a great father son relationship when Art drops everything to help Vladek. But as the story goes on the relationship is a little rocky and it is very easy to notice. The Holocaust has changed Vladek’s attitude and made him a little hard for Art to deal with. He does not waste a thing, is bossy, and is never wrong. Art may not like the way his father acts but he deals with it. They can argue a lot in this novel. This novel then goes back in time and explains what happened in Auschwitz.

            I liked this book. I like to read about the Holocaust and learn. That is why I chose this of all the graphic novels. I did not expect much but to learn someone’s story. I got what I expected. The book was easy to follow and interesting. Reading about the Holocaust is good but reading from the view of a survivor is better.

            The characters are drawn as mice, which at first was weird. It did seem realistic and the story did seem real too. The only suspense is trying to find out what happened to Anja, who was Vladek’s wife at the time of this horrible event. It is also interesting that Vladek has an accent while Art does not. It can be hard to follow at times though and takes a while to get used to.

            If I could change the book I would have a touch on why Anja killed herself. I chose to read the second book before the first and did not know that her story was told in the first. Also, I would not have had Vladek burn Anja’s diaries because it would be great to have them in this novel.

            Overall, this book was good. I have never read a graphic novel before    but I could get used to it. Art is so set on knowing what happened with his father. He wants to know the life his father had. I love how cares to understand even though he gets very annoyed with Vladek. I would recommend this for high school students but not anyone older. In my opinion adults would need a little more of a novel.

 

Kyle McNamara

 

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

 

          Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, written by Frank Miller is a heroic heart-pounding graphic novel that shows the life of Batman and the citizens of Gotham City. This story shows the struggles of the hero Batman and how the city reacts to his actions. The theme of this book is how even superheroes still have problems dealing with society and people.

            Batman, Robin, Superman, and the police commissioner Gordon are all trying to keep Gotham city safe. The Mutant Gang, Joker, and Harvey Dent are the villains of this book who try to take out the superheroes. This story is told by the characters themselves. The setting in this story does not change, it takes place in Gotham City. The tone however does change, at the beginning the city is behind batman and needs him, but once he is back the city changes their point of view on him.

            Before I read this book I thought it would be long and continuous. The book exceeded my expectations. It kept me interested throughout the whole book because of the non-stop fighting and action. I am sixteen and I feel that this is a good book for people my age due to the fighting scenes.

            I feel that all the characters in this book were portrayed perfectly. The book was an intense read and a definite page turner. The writing style in this was fast paced. The book was mostly believable other than a few little things. One thing I really liked was the word choice in this book with all of the action words and fighting words.

            This book was mostly perfect the way it was put together. One thing I would have done was create an alternate ending to this book, I feel like it could have ended better than it did. It cannot be written from a different point of view because all of the characters contributed there point of view.

                        The theme of this book is how the superheroes deal with society and people. If you were in a city full of despair and crimes, would you like to have a superhero to take care of these problems? The citizens in this book had split views on there superheroes.

            I think that this book is suitable for anyone that loves reading action packed graphic novels or any children who enjoy superheroes. I think that this is an appropriate book for high school students. I would give this book a 4.5 star rating. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was a great book.

 

 

 

Maus II Book Review

 

The book Maus II by Art Spiegelman is a graphic novel that shows the stages of a man’s life through the Holocaust. The theme of this book is to show that people that have a lot of power can do bad things with their power. The author of this book, Art Spiegelman, also happens to be the main character but he does not go by Art in the book, he goes by Artie. Artie is living with his wife in New York and gets a phone call from his father and wants him to come down to Florida to help him because his new wife left him and he was not in the greatest condition concerning his health. When visiting his father he starts to learn about the Holocaust and begins writing a book about it.

I am seventeen years old and am reading this book for my popular fiction class.  Before reading this book I thought it was going to be a quick, easy read. The book met those expectations but I still did not like the book. I did not like the book because I sometimes had a little trouble following which box I was supposed to read next. I would much rather just read a traditional book that has just words to read. This book was very realistic because it is based on an event that actually happened. I really do not consider this book to be a page turner because it is not full of action but if the reader likes history then pop open this book to find out some new things about the Holocaust.

In order to make this book better I would have made it a lot clearer as to which box the author wants the reader to read next because I found myself reading over a lot of times throughout the book. The only unrealistic part to me was how hard the kid was on his father. I think he is a little hard on him because my dad has a good relationship with his dad and my dad and I have a good relationship too so I think it is just different. It might not be unrealistic just a lot more different to me.

This book makes the reader wonder why anybody with so much power, such as Adolf Hitler, could torture so many people when he already has a good life. The reader realizes how poorly the Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust.

 I would recommend this book to people that are creative and does not like things that are straight forward, but rather a little challenge or just something different.

 

 

Nick

 

 

Devin Gerhart

4/23/09

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

 

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, author Frank Miller, and the genre is graphic novels This book is in my opinion a very good graphic novel it kept me tuned in and it was a page turner for me most of the time.

            Some of the main characters in this book are Robin, Batman, Alfred, Superman, and the police commissioner who retires. Robin is a little girl that helps Batman out and is always doing what Batman says. Batman is really Bruce Wayne, and is a crime fighter that does what he can do to help out Gotham City. Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s butler and is in charge of keeping the bat cave and Bruce’s house clean. The point of view this book is written in is first person limited, with Batman as the narrator. Superman is a super hero that helps out America and in that he is not publicly idolized because he is a little secret that the United States keeps quiet. The setting in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is Mostly Gotham City.

            I thought that Batman was a very good book their was a lot of action that takes place in this novel. I am 16 and a sophomore in high school and those are my feelings on Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. One of the main reasons I like this was because there is so many fights and complications that happens to Batman. I liked it when Superman and Batman fought.

I thought his righting style was unique in how he made it so you could read Batman’s thoughts and how you could read what was going on because of the Television. I thought the book had its dull moments but their was so much fighting that I liked all the fights where page turners in my opinion. During the fights this book was fast paged but when it was the television scenes it was slow passed.

I thought the theme of this book was never back down, because when batman was even getting old he still did not back down to superman who is invulnerable to everything except kryptonite. Also when their were many police officers trying to shoot him he just kept on going.

I would give this book a five star because of all the action. It made me want to read as fast as I could so I don’t miss out on anything. I loved how the fight with superman and Batman went down.

 

 

 

 

 

Allison Barloon

Period 4

4/23/09

 

 

Maus II Review

 

            The graphic novel, Maus II, by Mark Speigelman, is an easy yet historical and invigorating story. In this novel, the prevalent theme is that you should never judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

            The story is set in Upper New York in the Catskill Mountains. The tone of the story is somewhat mysterious and solemn. At the beginning of the novel, Vladek, the main character, Artie’s, father, has a heart attack and Artie is notified of it. When Vladek returns from the hospital, Artie and Francoise, his wife, are there to help him out for the weekend. But as we discover early on, Artie is also there for another reason: to get information for his novel about the Holocaust. As the story continues, we find Artie learning more and more about why his father acts the way he does. We also learn that the death of Vladek’s wife has a big impact on they way he acts as well.

            I was assigned to read this book for my Popular Fiction class. I wasn’t too excited to read a graphic novel for a class, or even at all. I didn’t like that it seemed like a comic book and I would have to read and decipher pictures as well as read words. But as I was reading, it was easier than I thought and was a very quick read. Overall this book was well written and illustrated and it conveyed an account of the Holocaust that seemed very accurate and interesting. I liked this book because the characters seemed so real and the author made it seem like it could have been my next door neighbor or someone who lives down the street.

            The writing style of the novel was very easy to follow and comprehend. The way the author wrote the dialogue of Vladek was very interesting; he could have made it so that he spoke perfect English, but instead, he wrote it so Vladek spoke in broken and flawed English. The storyline made this book a fast paced story because you always wanted to know what was going to happen to Vladek or Anja next. It also helped that when new characters were introduced, they were “dealt” with or had an ending to their place in the story. The main characters of Vladek and Artie are very believable, in that the relationship they share is somewhat troublesome and has many conflicts, such as many father-son relationships do now-a-days. When driving to see his father, Artie is talking to Francoise. “‘Till I have to spend time with him-then he drives me crazy!’… ‘I mean I can’t even make any sense out of my relationship with my father, how am I supposed to make any sense out of Auschwitz…of the Holocaust?’” (14)

            The pictures in the story were helpful to understanding what exactly was going on in the story in the past of Vladek in the concentration camps. The way he described things were assisted by the pictures and showing who was talking. The thing that I can’t understand though, is why are they all wearing mice masks?

            There were some questions that were raised as this novel unraveled: What REALLY happened in the concentration camps? Who was to be held responsible? What damage, besides physical, was done to the prisoners and survivors of the Holocaust? How much can we learn from the survivors if we would just take the time to sit and listen?

            I think anyone who is interested in reading graphic novels or has a passion for history should read this book. I think that this would also be an appropriate choice for high school history teachers looking to teach about the Holocaust. This book has all the elements of a good read: plot, characters, and compassion.

 

 

 

 

Watchman Review

By

Alan Moore

& Dave Gibbons

 

Watchman, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, was written to say that there are some good people in the world doing good things and we should appreciate what they’re doing.

The characters are a group of masked heroes and heroines. The relation of the characters to each other is that they are family and friends. The tone of this graphic novel changes a lot from a vile tone to a love tone to a tragic tone. The Setting of this story is mostly New York City but towards the end the story goes to Antarctica. The greatest problem in the story that the heroes and the citizens face is to prevent World War III or Nuclear Warfare.

My overall feeling about this graphic novel is pretty good but in some parts it kind of dragged on mostly the end and a little in the middle. The reason I read this graphic novel was for my popular fiction class, and before this unit, I would not have read a graphic novel but after ward I real enjoyed it.

Reading a graphic novel is a little difficult because readers have to read the right panels and if they don’t, they’ll get all mixed up and confounded. This is an unrealistic graphic novel from what goes on in it by some experiment going wrong and someone getting super human powers.

I would have changed the ending a little because one of my favorite characters dies. I would have changed that, but with it still in the story, it adds on to it making it better. And, if the reader has seen the movie he or she will see that the story and the movie are mostly the same with a few different parts.

This graphic novel made me think about the difficulties we are in now with more and more countries getting their hands on nuclear weapons. Soon the world could be a nuclear waste land, and we probably won’t be able to do much about it unless we try harder to negotiate peace.

This book has a little gore and some nudity, so I would advise the younger group not to read this book, but as high school students, I think there is no problem with it. I would give this book a four and a half star rating because of the art in this book all the images drawn and colored perfectly, but at the end it kind of lost my attention just like the movie because I was sitting there for three hours.

-Craig Brown

 

 

 

Batman Review

By: Devin Buck

 

            The graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns wrote by Frank Miller is a book of revenge and justice. The purpose of it was to show that even old that you still show how corrupt the world can become.

            The Characters in the book are Superman, Joker, Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Robin, Alfred, and Two Face. The story was mostly made in way that was mostly in Batman’s point of view. The overall tone of the story was dark and mysterious because that is they way in which batman acts. The main problem in the book was that two conflicting futures are in the way of Superman and Batman. Batman believes to be heroes that you need to be criminals. Then superman’s view that the heroes that are left now are only to serve humanity crazy needs no matter the cost.

            My thoughts on the book was interesting because of the overall color scheme was weird. Some of the important things that happened were the lightly colored spaces and left a lot of white space. It was an okay book because of all the events in which it took place like the epic battle of Superman v. Batman. Then of all the things that happened people died and then some of the superheroes died or left to other places to become hidden from mankind. This choice left the world in the hands of modern day criminals such as Lex Luthor.

Frank Millers writing style is basic for the common reader to read. It usually has words that are easy to read and to make sense of. The harder words come from batman because he is like a genius. Even though the book itself is unreal and makes believe he delivers a book that almost drags you into it. It also has a fluent way to put things together and make the pictures and story flow. His writing is only effective way to keep the reader reading with the color and word as well as the action.

The ending to the book was very good to leading into the second one. The way The Dark Night Returns ends is a good ending which made me wonder what was going to happen in the next book. The Suspense and the ingenuity of the batman were incredible. If any superhero were to ever fight superman it is batman because of his brilliance from being old. The book itself was always drawing in the way that after batman left that everything began to fall apart in Gothum which I think was a reason for becoming the Dark Knight again. It was also amazing that even though Batman was old he was still able to fight and win.

I recommend this book to any Batman fan, also to the people who are just plain DC fans. Even if you are not a fan like me you find that you are drawn to the book because of the color and how the characters are now. I mean if you think about it Joker released for good behavior and getting back to his old tricks when Batman reemerges. The rating of the book is about for me a 4-4.5 because it was good. Anyone who reads this book will have a blast of learning what happens when evil corrupts the world.

 

 

 

Lindsey Wheeler

Maus

 

     Graphic Novel Maus: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman is about a father’s story of surviving Nazi domination in Germany. The purpose of this action, romance graphic novel is to teach us about bravery and courage. That acts of kindness and true genuineness make times of despair easier to take.

      This story is told through one of the main characters, Vladek, who is speaking to his son, Artie, about the experiences and battles he faced during war time. Maus takes place in Vladek’s apartment in New York City where Artie’s father gives him flash back images that he portrays.

     Before reading Maus, I attempted to read the graphic novel Batman. After getting halfway through Batman and being completely confused and lost, I chose to read Maus instead. In comparing these two novels, I must say Maus is a far better read. I enjoyed reading this type of graphic novel more because it was an easier read; it had a smooth flow to it. I could tell what was happening in the pictures, as well as, knowing what text came next. I could better understand what was happening and what the books theme was.

     Art Spiegelman did a good job of telling the story in a unique way; it was neat to read a story in the form of it being interview-like. He translated the idea of a historic event into a comic form nicely. He used believable characters that even had the Polish accent. The characters, Vladek and his wife Anna, had such genuine and kind personalities throughout the novel that grabs the reader’s attention. Although the book was an easy read with a unique form, I did not like the idea of it being told using animal characters. It reminded me of the times I had frustrations reading Animal Farm.

     Maus exceeded my expectations for a graphic novel read. Maus is a read that shows what someone who experienced the Holocaust, remembers it as, which makes this book heart wrenching and, in a way, tremendous. I recommend this book to anyone high school age and older. Especially for someone interested in a historic and true piece of literature.

 

 

 

Chloe Kruse

Iowa

 

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Review

Persepolis, is a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi that tells a tale of history in a different way. Through a child’s eyes that is living through war day-to-day, the reader is able to relive time during the Islamic Revolution.

            Little Marji, the main character and narrator, explains to us how and when the revolution started with pictures and thoughts from her own childlike memory. She accounts the things her parents told her and the things she witnessed as the war was thriving. Throughout each scene, Marji plugs in fragments of historical facts. The reader is able to learn of the truths of the war by reading through the lines, while Marji explains things from her point of view which keeps it very interesting.

            In 18 years, this was my first time ever picking up a graphic novel on purpose. I started with a head full of pessimism after one graphic novel failure previous to Persepolis, but a few pages of reading, I realized this was the way graphic novels were supposed be. I began loving the pictures in the book, which I hadn’t seen in a book I’ve read since elementary school. This may have been the help in why I read this 152 page book in two days.

            The characters in this book are especially well-placed in my opinion. Each is believable, primarily the parents of Marji in this book. Every parent wishes they could easily close their child’s eyes in a time such as war to prevent them from being traumatized. Because that is impossible, Marji’s parents are shown throughout the book manipulating the truth to make the things she sees and knows more manageable and decent to a young child like her.

            The black and white pictures are a big help in understanding what is happening in each scene. Differentiating the characters is easy and easy to follow what each is saying or thinking. Titles of chapters make the book flow smoothly and not lose the reader’s interest by starting somewhere new without notice.

For the first time out of many pieces of reading materials that I have lately read, I would not change this book in any way. Although the ending wasn’t satisfactory, the book did as it was intended to do, educate, and by it doing just that I was very satisfied. The ending is a nice cliff-hanger and I’m pleased to know there is a sequel to Persepolis being made as I write this review.

I would give this graphic novel 5 out of 5 stars, because of an overall good read. It maintained my interest very well and like many people who go into reading this book knowing nothing about Iran and its history just the same as I, I now know much more by reading this short book.


Roger Hillabolt

 

American Born Chinese book review

 

     The graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is  is a story told in three separate stories that eventually join together into one.  It is about a young boy that is going through some rough times being a Chinese boy that is born in American and he wants to transform, like one of his toys.  Throughout the novel there is a classic legend of the Monkey King of in which he wants to be ruler of all others. The author tries to show in a way that everyone goes through rough times and that we have to be ours self’s.  The main characters of this graphic novel are Monkey King of Flowerfruit Mountain, where the flowers bloomed year-round and fruits hung heavy with nectar, Jin Wang/Danny Chinese boy, We-Chen, Jin Wang new friend in school. The story talks place in a school. The main goal of Jin’s is to fit in and make friend.

    I am 17 and in popular fiction class we were asked to read a graphic novel for class. As I was trying to decide what read I had came upon this book, just after reading the first few pages I knew that this was the book that I had wanted to read. It instantly catches your attention and makes you want to keep reading until it done.

    Is I was reading this story some of that characters seemed realistic and some did not the characters that weren’t realistic were the monkeys and the havens because monkeys don’t talk and there isn’t any mystical Gods or Demons.  At times the book was dull but kept flowing at a fast pace.        

    Something that had me stumped about after reading this book was, what was the authors full reasoning for righting  this book, perhaps it was it to bring to attention that kids go throw rough time s in school all the time and we should maybe become there friend or get to know them before we judge them based on what they look like or how their family acts.

    I would recommend this book to anyone that has a hard time reading regular books, graphic novels are great books to read. They involve completion of pictures and reading. I would give this book a four out of five.

 

 

 

Beth Denning-Iowa

V for Vendetta Review

            V for Vendetta is a graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, but by no means is it traditional. The story is very serious, with a different kind of superhero. It is set in future England, with an all-knowing fascist government. The authors did a great job of conveying the themes that people should never sacrifice their freedom for fake happiness.

            Our unconventional hero, a mysterious radical named V, stops at nothing to show the people of England that the totalitarian government they’re allowing to take over is hurting them more than helping them. He meets Evie Hammond, a girl who has lost her parents due to the government’s harsh rule, and through her we discover just who V is and why he has such a vendetta against the government. The tone is anything but light with V killing many people and blowing up several prominent buildings in England to get his revenge against the people who did him wrong in the past and to restore justice.

            I wasn’t to keen on the idea of reading a graphic novel, because I read many traditional novels and I like knowing what’s going on without having to figure it out for myself. With this graphic novel, I had to read the pages, then go back over to take a couple more looks at the pictures. Some of the illustrations were confusing, but after some evaluation and reading forward I understood. Another thing I didn’t really enjoy was the way V spoke in riddles. Even Evey got frustrated several times when trying to communicate with V and all she got was more puzzles to solve. Although all my questions were answered in the end, I was confused as to exactly what V was doing and what his motives were for a large portion of the novel.

            I sincerely believe that what happened in this book could happen now. The reader finds that people of certain races and sexual orientations were put into camps much like there were in the Holocaust, and the government is in every aspect of their peoples’ life. Much of what was going on in this book has happened or has been attempted before, and I think the book sends a strong message of warning for us not to let it happen again. The art isn’t traditional, either. The reader can’t see the character’s thoughts through bubbles, and only knows what people say, also there isn’t lines above people’s heads to signify frustration or worry. The reader really has to rely on facial expressions, which can be hard on the darker printed pages.

There was only one part of the book that left me unsatisfied. Throughout the novel, V wears a mask and we never get to see his face. I assumed we would see it in the end, but I never got the opportunity. Also, we don’t know what the result of the experiment was that V suffered through in the concentration camp and how exactly it affected V and why it didn’t hurt him like it did the others that were in the same experiment. I think that would have explained a lot that went unanswered by the novel.

This novel forces the reader to realize how easily a group of people could be taken over by a leader or government and they wouldn’t even realize what happened or that they would be better off without that leader. It also makes the reader wonder what their own government could be planning or doing that is meant to negatively affect the people so that it can positively affect their own selfish desires. People may think ignorance is bliss without even realizing their freedoms are taken away, and this book conveys that well.

Young readers should tread with caution when reading this. It has some mature themes, but I think students in high school and above should be able to handle that. Also, if a reader gets frustrated when they are confused as to what is going on easily, this isn’t the book for them. All in all, I thought the confusion was worth it. I enjoyed the satisfaction I got at the end when it was all explained, and I think this book has a message that should reach everyone so that history does not repeat itself.

 

 

Jamie Bortell

Popular Fiction

4/23/09

 

Persepolis

 

 

 

Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, is a graphic novel based on the life of a preteen amidst the religious movements in Iran in the 1980s. The story recounts the protests, beatings, and deaths witnessed by the young people and the effects they had on them. Satrapi tells, in Persepolis, that freedom is deserved and worth fighting for.

The story is told in first person, mainly from the perspective of Marjane, or Marji. The book starts when she is ten years old with the desire to be a prophet and continues until she is fourteen and a rebel in her religious school. Marji’s parents are active protestors against the religious extremists in Iran and have many connections to people imprisoned and killed for their nonconformity. As Marji grows older and experiences loss and persecution, her speech and mannerisms become more blunt and rebellious.

My purpose for reading Persepolis was for a high school reading class. It was my first experience with a graphic novel, and I had mixed feelings about. While the story was interesting and easy to follow, I didn’t enjoy reading an illustrated story. I feel the pictures get in the way of the story, so I would prefer a traditional novel over a graphic novel.

Marji’s character seemed very mature for being just a young teenager; however, knowing she is living in a state of war makes her character more believable. The story seemed to jump around a lot including more historical facts than personal stories. While the pictures provide much of the story, the lack of descriptive and powerful words made Persepolis slow moving and slightly dull.

The story ends in a ridiculous cliff hanger without any sort of conclusion. The author is practically begging readers to read the sequel. With my dislike of graphic novels, I will not be reading the sequel so I will be left wondering what happens next. If I could change the ending, I would suggest explaining the last frame instead of leaving it open to interpretation.

Persepolis makes the reader consider what they would do living in a country where oppression is present and acting on free will is a punishable crime. Marji gives insight into the practices forced on women in Iran and the consequences of acting on your own impulses.

Marjane Satrapi wrote a wonderful story in a genre I don’t personally enjoy, but I would recommend Persepolis to anyone who enjoys reading graphic novels that aren’t about superheroes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sara S.

Popular Fiction

 

Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel explaining the events of a young Iranian girl who grew up during the Islamic revolution. The reader gets to see through simple drawings Marji’s firsthand experiences. The author wrote this book to show to people that a country shouldn’t be judged for the wrongdoings of a handful of people.

            Marji begins telling the story from her point of view. She is a young girl who doesn’t quite understand the extreme situations happening around her. She grows up with her mother and father in Iran where she spends the beginning years of her life. The tone of this story is an assortment of feelings. It starts out angry and many incidents are scary for Marji. While some take the revolution seriously others are ridiculing. Throughout the book many incidents also make the tone very solemn for the family but there are also times where people are jubilant and cheerful when things go the way they want them to go. Because of all the killings going on Marji’s parents want nothing but to keep her safe and have her grow up as a young woman with morals. Marji on the other hand feels the need to rebel against the rules her parents have set. She wants to be apart of the demonstrations and she wants to help end the revolution. Marji feels like she has a lot of qualities that could help.

            This candid and reflective novel was difficult to read as a fifteen-year-old popular fiction student. At first I didn’t understand what exactly was going on in the country of Iran. Even after I had finished the book I found myself thinking back and questioning what I had just read. Overall I liked this book because it was interesting to see how she grew up under such a strict government. I got to see things from different cultures that you wouldn’t find normally. Before reading this novel I have to admit I was skeptical. I thought it would just be another plain old comic book, but it really was nothing like the old Garfield comics I read as a kid. This was real. It was shocking to see what this girl saw as a child, things I will probably never see in my lifetime.

            The overall writing style of this novel was very straight-forward. The reader never felt like they were being confounded. The drawings in this story were not very descriptive, they were simple, but I believe it helped tell the story better because the reader was never too distracted by the illustrations to forget about the scenes unraveling around them.

            I believe this book should be read by people with a good maturity and the ability to understand the history of a different country. It is hard as a reader to pick up and understand everything going on in this book. This novel shows how war can tear families apart but also brings them together. Marji and her family stay close together at the beginning of the novel. They need each other to rely on, to make it through the rough times. Some families make it through the trials and tribulations while others flee and fend for themselves. “I found myself with the newborn baby we had been celebrating in my arms.”(Satrapi107) This shows how the mother of a newborn infant instantly gave up her child because she got scared. Many people who have never been in this serious of a situation often wonder how they would react. Would the reader stay with their family, or would the reader decide it is all for themselves?

 

 

 

 

Maus II

Lena Giron

 

 

Maus II, a graphic novel, written by Art Spiegelman is a novel about the Holocaust and how the main character, Art Spiegelman, listens to his father talk about all the bad things that happened to him when the Germans were in power. The main purpose of the book is to understand that even though people idolize those who were tortured because they feel bad they really don’t need to because they were also normal people who were just picked at the wrong time.

 

Set up in Florida, the narrator, Art Spiegelman tries to write a book about the Holocaust and what happened to the Jews at that time. Meanwhile his father, Vladek, had been left by his girlfriend and needs assistance so he calls Art. Art and his father collide with each other while he’s visiting but get closer when Vladek talks about his experiences in different concentration camps and different people he encountered. A word describing Maus II is hopeful. Throughout the book the reader builds up their hope for betterment in the concentration camps and the people who suffered for so long in them. A conflict in the novel is Art not being able to write his book not because he doesn’t know anything but the fact that he feels terrible and ashamed that his father went through those events and he hasn’t experienced something so bad.

 

As a high school reader having to read Maus II for a fiction class I was overall satisfied with the book. The reason for that is because I learned about what people really went through and how difficult it was for them. The pictures also in the novel were well illustrated and helped get a visualization of the events. When reading this I felt hope for the characters and disgusted by the fact that someone could act as evil as the Germans did.

 

            Most of the characters in Maus II seem realistic throughout the novel. Art and his father Vladek argue a lot and Art can’t stand to be around his father and that happens all the time in real life. This book is catchy and it’s hard to put the book down after starting to read it. It’s more of a fast paced book because the illustrations make it go faster. The book has powerful illustrations. It’s in black and white and the characters are drawn out as animals. For each race there is a different animal. The Jews are mice and the Germans are pigs.

 

            Maus II brings the understanding of what people went through and that people shouldn’t feel sorry for the victims because they’re normal people but just got into the wrong situation. A question readers might have is how could humans torture others like that and make them think about what good of a life they have.

 

            People of any age can read this book to gain knowledge or just to get into a life of a holocaust survivor. I think it’s a good graphic novel for teens to think about how good their lives are. I would give this a four star rating.

 

 

 

Catherine Mercer

Kristin Dietzel

Pop. Fiction

4/29/2009

Maus 1 Review

 

            Art Spiegelman’s Maus 1 is the story before Auschwitz. Vladek is Art’s father who went through the Holocaust.

            I read the second Maus before this one. Maus 1 introduces Vladek and Art, who is Vladek’s son. The story starts off at Vladek’s home. Art just starts writing down his father’s story about his life before the Holocaust starts and how he was a soldier in the start of the war. Also, throughout this story Art is put in the middle of his father and step mom, Mala’s, arguments. This has a serious tone.

            My feelings about this book are good. It is very interesting to hear about Vladek’s life before the Holocaust. I like knowing who he was before his experience. It shows his change he went through when the Holocaust took place. He is emotional and thinks that everyone is bothered by him. He also will not waste a penny and does not care how ridiculous it is to save or take back half used groceries. I got what I expected with this novel, which was to know the character’s background before the Holocaust.

            Everything in Maus 1 seemed realistic. The novel is fast paced and as easy to follow as the other. Vladek does have the accent, but it is easy to get used to. There is suspense. I did want to keep reading when Vladek and Anja were hiding. I wanted to know what the outcome would be.

            I would not change the book except to understand why Anja killed herself. The ending does fit the novel well. This graphic novel is fit for high school age students, in my opinion. But it is not for adults. I think that readers really do need to like graphic novels to get into Maus.

 

Shelby Antelman

Pop Fiction-4

Book Review for Persepolis

The graphic novel Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, is a novel about the Islamic Revolution and how it changed the childhood of many children. The theme of this novel was mostly how appearances may be deceiving with many civilians wanting to overthrow the king and later realizing what they had before was much better than what they ended up with.

            Marjane Satrapi, also the main character in the novel, is a child whose parents are active believers in overthrowing the king. Her parents go to many demonstrations to try to overthrow the king of Iran, which Marjane continually wants to attend. The novel is told by Marjane who gives a very different look into the lives of Islamic children and how they had to cope with all these changes occurring so rapidly. The political tone of this novel is very engaging with Marjane’s family being against the war and her country becoming something completely different than what it was. Marjane begins to act out in school by saying she wants to become a prophet of God.

            For being the first graphic novel I have ever read it exceeded my expectations. When I first was told I would be reading a graphic novel I wasn’t exactly thrilled because I enjoy the way a regular novel is set up.  By the middle of the graphic novel though, I started to really enjoy looking at the comics and became very fascinated with the way of writing.

            I think the way the author wrote the novel is completely believable because of the real events that happened and how the novel is set up around Marjane’s whole life. This novel was mostly a page turner for me, because I wanted to see what Marjane would pull out of her sleeve next. With her practical jokes and crazy ideas this novel kept me completely interested in what would happen next. The author’s way of writing was very effective but in parts were a little dull for my taste.

            Persepolis makes the reader question who in their life appear to be something they truly are not. It makes the reader realize that even when the times get tough, to stick through it however you can and to believe in yourself. This novel also states to always stand up for what you believe in because it makes you who you are.

            I think that a person who likes to read interesting novels and is up for something new should give this novel a chance. If you like history this gives you a bit of a background of the war in Iran which is pretty intriguing. 

 

Shelby Antelman

Popular Fiction-4

Persepolis 2 Book Review

 

            The graphic novel Persepolis 2, written by Marjane Satrapi, is about how sometimes you need to go down the dark road before you can figure out who you really are.

            Marjane Satrapi, the main character, just moved to Austria away from Iran to get away from the horrors of war. She doesn’t fit in with the groups around her and gets involved with a different group of friends than the ones in Iran. Marjane then starts to change her style and her look just to fit in with her friends. Throughout the novel, Marjane changes from an independent girl to a dependent woman. She is constantly changing and trying to find the perfect fit for her life.

            I thought this novel was extremely good. It shows how people change when they’re younger to try and figure out who they want to be and who they are. This novel also gave me another perspective on how people live their life differently than me. The graphics drawn also went perfectly with the way she wrote it.

            I feel the author did an amazing job on the realization of the novel. She described the events perfectly with much believability in her writing. She also did a good job on making the reader wonder what was on the next page with her writing style. This novels writing style changed rapidly, with in parts being fast-paced with others being slow-paced.

            This novel is based on real life events which makes the reader question how far they would go to fit in with a group of people. She constantly changed her style to fit in with different people. It also makes the reader see how some people have trouble figuring out who they are and who they want to be.

            I feel this novel is for a mature group of people. With all of the different things that go on, you have to be open minded and want to see how someone else chooses to live their life. It is also for a reader who likes real life events and good descriptive writing. Overall I thought this book was very good and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes graphic novels.

 

 

Watchmen

By: Devin Gerhart

 

            Watchmen is a book written by, Alan Moore, that in my opinion is a book about never giving up, and don’t back down.

            The main character in Watchmen is Rorschach. He is a masked hero who is trying to save the world from World War 3. The police think he is a bad guy though and try to catch him on several different occasions. There are 3 other characters who are in the book a lot. Dan, Laurie, and Jon where also trying to be heroes but was difficult because the masked heroes where disbanded in the 1970’s because of the act. Veidt is a masked hero that is trying to do something all on his own. Watchmen is said in mainly Rorschach point of view.

            I loved the book it really wrapped me in. It was a page turner but the only parts I didn’t like the short parts after the chapters, because the words where small and the part was boring. Other than that it was a great book.

            It was a good fiction book but there is know way that this could have happened in the real world. First off there is no such thing as teleporting from one place to another and even if there were it would be top secret and the real world wouldn’t even know about it. I liked that part of it though it showed that not everything has to be politically correct. It was a suspenseful page turner and I wanted a lot of the parts to happen sooner because it took a while to get to those parts.

            It made me think what if their really was a World War 3 what would happen with society and would it be the end of the world that we know it. This book also depicted what costume heroes would be like if we really had them. In my opinion it would be bad because they would be above the law and not arrested for a crime a normal person would commit.

            I would give this book a 5 star rating. It was really good to read and it kept me in it. If this book was longer and showed more it would have been better and showed what happened after they found out the plot. I am a sophomore at Southeast Polk High school and this is what I thought of Watchmen.

 

 


Roger Hillabolt

 

 

Fairytail 1&2 Review     

 

    Books one and two in the series of the Fairytail graphic novels by Hiro Mashima, there is Fairytail wizards, which are good wizards and then there are dark guild wizards, which are bad wizards.  The Fairytail wizards don’t follow any rules but they always stay true and good.  On the other hand there are the dark wizards, they also don’t have any rule that they follow and they just do whatever they want and cause trouble so they can gain power over all others.

    Natsu is the main character and he is a Fairytail wizard, he has the power of fire, he even eats fire which makes him even stronger, he has I pet/sidekick named Happy that can fly.  Lucy is a girl the wants to become a Fairytail wizard and she is able to do key magic.  Her and Natsu form a team to complete jobs.  The story is told throw the prospective of the narrator.  The setting takes place in a town where magic is not a secret.  The goal for Natsu and Lucy is to do jobs to make money and then the dark wizards cause trouble it the people time the town and so they go to and try to stop them.

     I am a 17 year student in popular fiction class and I read these two graphic novels.  As a class we where exposed to several different types of reading materials and one was graphic novels.  As a reader I personally enjoyed reading them.  By using graphics in a book it helped create the imagery that was needed to understand the novel.  When reading these books my expectations were set pretty low because I have no clue what it was about. My expectations were surpassed. As a reader I enjoyed these two book very much and may read more of them.  The one thing that I enjoyed the most was the plot line, by having good and evil wizards that have sweet powers. 

     The character in this are not believable, but no believable does not mean that it doesn’t make a good book.  Natsu creates a huge suspense that when reading had no clue that it was coming.  At no point did I think the book was dull, at every point it made me want to keep reading on just to see what would happen next.  These book are fast-paced book and are very enjoyable to read.  By having pictures as a reader would read it helps create a better image and understanding of what is happening throughout the story.

    I recommend these types of books to anyone that has a hard time reading a book or that just doesn’t enjoy reading. These novel are appropriate for any high school students and would give these novels 5 stars out of 5.

 


 

 

                                                                                                                             Bleach 1 review by najeeskinner

Did you like dragon ball z then you'll like reading bleach #1. its about a 16 year old teen who can somehow see ghosts. One night he meets a Shinigami who gives him powers so that he can save his family. Now he must train and become a legit Shinigami to protect his friends and family from future enemies. I'd recommend this to anime lovers and of course fans dragon ball. There is only one bad thing and that is reading from a random place will cause alot of confusion to people new to it so its better to start from the beginning.

Comments (2)

Anonymous said

at 9:49 pm on Oct 20, 2008

Basically, my favorite manga is 'Gakuen Alice' or 'Alice Academy'. It's cute but dark and trhilling at the same time. The story centers on two young girls living in the country, Mikan and Hotaru. They are the best of friends until one day, Hotaru is enrolled in a supposed, 'genius' school in Tokyo. It turns out to be a school for 'Alices' or people with special powers. Awhile later, after having not received any contact from her, Mikan runs away to Tokyo to find her. After arriving, she is almost kidnapped into the slave trade. Luckily, one of the teachers saves her and discovers she herself has an alice. She is enrolled into the school, but what hardships await her in this crazy place?

This is a must read for all manga lovers!

Anonymous said

at 11:44 am on Sep 29, 2006

I think that everyone on earth should, at one time or another, read at least one manga. Give it a try, you never know what you could be missing!

You don't have permission to comment on this page.