MBR: The Graphic Novel Shelf

[Midwest Book Review]

The Graphic Novel Shelf

Giants Beware!
Jorge Aguirre, author
Rafael Rosado, artist
First Second Books
175 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
9781596435827 $14.99 www.firstsecondbooks.com

Giants Beware! is a colorful fantasy graphic novel that will appeal to
readers of all ages. Set in a remote town protected from surrounding
monsters, Giants Beware! follows young Claudette, a fiery redheaded
tomboy eager to prove herself against the alleged menace of giants,
her shy younger brother who longs to achieve greatness in the arts of
swordmaking and pastry cuisine, and her loyal would-be princess
friend. When Claudette learns that a giant could return to menace her
hometown, she goads her friends into making a pre-emptive strike - and
causes an uproar when her father and the village learn that the
children have ventured into danger! Claudette and her friends must
survive confrontations with a cannibalistic apple hag, a capricious
river king, and ultimately a towering giant - but will the townspeople
who set out to rescue Claudette's group also survive? The cartoon-
style art lends a cheerful, upbeat atmosphere to this engaging story
where good and evil aren't always as sharply defined as one might
think, and monsters just might be in the eye of the beholder. Highly
recommended.

The Action Bible: New Testament
Sergio Cariello
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9780781406086 $16.99 www.davidccook.com

The Action Bible: New Testament is a faithful, full-color graphic
novel adaptation of the Christian Bible's New Testament - including
the birth and life of Jesus Christ, Christ's death and resurrection,
and his followers' tireless efforts to spread His teachings and share
the Gospel after His ascension. Sergio Cariello brings the New
Testament in life with a striking, realistic art style that vividly
captures human emotions. The text adapts the stories of the New
Testament into modern English, but does not stray from their core
meaning. For example, one dialogue balloon relates Peter's response to
the question of whether followers of Christ should be compelled to
obey Jewish laws. "Brothers, God chose me to take the good news to
people who aren't Jews. He gave them the same holy spirit he gave us.
Why do you want to make it hard for them to believe? We are saved by
the grace of God. The gentiles are saved the same way." The Action
Bible: New Testament is never excessively graphic or gory, but neither
does it sugar-coat the darker moments in Christ's story. The comic
format makes The Action Bible: New Testament an utterly enthralling
and compelling new way to experience Scripture. Regardless of whether
the reader is young or old, a believer in Christ or a nonbeliever
curious about His story, The Action Bible: New Testament is an
extraordinarily immersive, educational, and captivating account that
deserves to be read cover to cover. Highly recommended.

Rohan at the Louvre
Hirohiko Araki
Comics Lit/Musee du Louvre Editions
NBM Publishing
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308
New York, NY 10005-2742
9781561636150 $19.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Rohan at the Louvre is a manga (Japanese graphic novel) presented as a
full-sized hardcover book, printed on glossy paper. The art is
deliberately "unflipped" (in its original format, read right-to-left)
and colored in a stylized tonal palette that effectively brings its
darker elements to the fore. A tale of suspense that gradually builds
up to supernatural horror, Rohan at the Louvre follows a young comic
artist with a unique talent - the ability to read people's souls as if
they were pages of manga. He is conscientious about respecting other
people's privacy, and his extraordinary ability is largely a
background element to the unfolding story about a mysterious painting
by an executed artist. Created to be the darkest shade of black
imaginable, this evil masterpiece is held deep within the recesses of
the Louvre museum. Years after learning about the painting under
questionable (at best) circumstances, Rohan dares to go to the Louvre
and investigate - only to find that the concentrated hatred buried
beneath the impenetrable canvas craves blood sacrifice! Rohan at the
Louvre is not a ghost story for the faint of heart, and should
definitely not be read before bedtime, not if one plans to sleep with
the lights out. Highly recommended for fans of horror comics!

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Midwest Book Review