Recommendations from My Precarious Piles of Printed Pictures and Prose

I moved in the middle of this pandemic, and have nearly twenty open boxes and unsorted piles of comics and graphic novels sitting around. Revisiting the books I already own (whether I’ve gotten around to reading them all, or not) while unpacking has been incredibly fun, and is the basis of the following comics recommendations.

ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean

From the creator of the visceral and absurd Head Lopper, ApocalyptiGirl is similarly distinct in its art presentation and story pacing. The story follows Aria and her cat, Jelly Beans, as they search through a seemingly abandoned city for a mysterious artifact. Unsurprisingly, this plan is interrupted by unsavory locals and others with designs on the artifact. This story really excels in it’s mix of frenetic action and ponderous moments, letting us ruminate over the many mysteries of the world, then pulling us back into the narrative without ever fully revealing what’s going on.

DIE vol. 1 Fantasy Heartbreaker by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles

DIE is a wonderfully bleak combo of moody aesthetics and a fantasy storytelling melange. Described by writer Kieron Gillen as “Goth Jumanji”, DIE follows a group of now middle-aged “friends” who are once again pulled into the dangerous role playing game that they’d previously survived as teens. If you’re looking for a mix of Jumanji, the Bronte siblings, table-top role playing games, or Timeline, you should read this comic.

Award Winning Comics for Your Bucket List

A Bucket List is a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. This can take many forms, but for many lovers of the written word this comes more often in must read books. Here are award winning comics that are a must read for any one wanting a taste of the best!

The Sandman – Neil Gaiman

One of the first few graphic novels to ever be on the New York Times Best Seller list, Neil Gaiman (Yes, that Neil Gaiman of American Gods and Good Omens) penned this epic dark fantasy with an intriguing blend of history and mythology, all through the eyes of the Master of Dreams gazing into the human world. And much like recalling a dream or a nightmare, a few mere sentences cannot describe the scope of wonder and horror this comic has in store. (Did I happen to mention Neil Gaiman wrote this?)

Hoopla Comics: Tips and Recommendations

Many people are now familiar with Hoopla for music and videos, but it is also an excellent place to download comic books and graphic novels!

The Seattle Public Library doesn’t carry individual issues of comics, but you can find many of them in Hoopla. If there is a hot new title you want to keep up with, Hoopla can be great for that. However, checking out one issue at a time will eat up your 15 monthly checkouts really quick!

To get the most of your 15 monthly checkouts, here a few tips:

• Don’t check all 15 out at once…there is a good chance you won’t get through them all, and we have a daily system limit, so share the wealth!
• Look for comics that are Volumes, not Issues. Volumes collect multiple issues, so you will get more bang for your proverbial buck.
• Right now, during the pandemic, Hoopla is offering Bonus Borrows, great titles that don’t count towards your 15 item limit

Don’t know where to start? Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life  by Ellen Forney
Ellen Forney is something of a local legend in Seattle comic circles. You may recognize her work from The Stranger, where she had a long running strip called “I Was Seven in ’75”, has done many covers, and for a while illustrated the personal ads! Rock Steady is a great book for anyone dealing with mental illness or just trying to hold it together during these challenging times.

The Women of DC

Tired of the Joker and Batman? Let’s take a look at the women of DC comics from the library and our digital comics collection in Hoopla!

Harleen by Stephan Spkecj focuses on Dr. Harleen Quinzel before she became Harley Quinn. A true origin story it shows us how she was manipulated by the Joker in Arkahm Asylum while working there. Though it does have the Joker throughout the story, ultimately the story is about her and really sets it apart from every other version of the Joker and Harley Quinn I have seen. Best part is it doesn’t require any previous knowledge to enjoy. Do be aware this is part of DC’s more adult label: DC Black.

Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey is not required reading to enjoy the movie of a similar title but is a great way to jump into Birds of Prey the ultimate DC superhero team (okay maybe not, but its DC’s biggest women only team, which, lets be frank, is hard to come by). Follow these awesome women as they fight evil, perhaps not necessarily as superheroes, but not super villains either.

“From the Archives of ZAPP” on Display Now at Central Library

An exhibition showcasing highlights for the ZAPP (Zine Archive and Publishing Project) zine collections is now on view in the Level 8 Gallery at Central Library. “From the Archives of ZAPP” runs through August 31, 2019 and showcases a small fraction of the cultural treasures found in the ZAPP zine collection, focusing on locally made zines and self-published comics, riot grrrl zines, zines representing voices from traditionally marginalized communities, and zines featuring unique and creative design elements.