Graphic Novels…
…or comic books if you must, have in the past been subject to a certain stigma in general society, retaining a vestige of the reputation it gained during the 60s and 70s as the social equivalent of modern day violent video games. And while some still find it hard to grasp how a 100 page piece of literature that is 90% pictures can rival the depth and impact of a 1000 page tome that could be used to aid dwarves in driving SUVs the graphic novel is coming into it’s own as more and more appear that demand the recognition that they deserve.
Kazu Kibuishi , known for his management of the Flight Anthology, shows off his exceptional writing and artistic skills in Daisy Kutter: The Last Train. The story revolves around Daisy Kutter, a spunky female train robber gone straight with an intriguing history peppered with vague references to her legendary involvement in a now historic war. By far the most enjoyable quirk of this book is the setting. Not the Old West as one may have guessed from the cover art, but the New West, a steampunk styled frontier populated with eccentric characters and more than a few robots. Daisy, frustrated by the stupefying pace of her new life on the right side of the law, is pulled into orchestrating one last train job. Witty dialog, refreshingly original setting and characters that will leave you begging for another installment… sounds like a serious piece of literature to me.
You can see the first 20 pages of chapter 1 here
Marjane Satrapi, author of PERSEPOLIS, rejects the term “graphic novel”–she thinks that sounds like some sort of porn text. She has no problem with “comics”. I always thought “graphic novel” was a pretentious term for people who don’t want to admit they enjoy lovely art with grade eight level writing…