Midwest Book Review

Stargazer
Von Allan
Von Allan Studio
PO Box 20520
390 Rideeau Street
Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 1A3
9780978123741, $14.95, www.vonallan.com

Dedicated to finding the answers, Elora may risk her own well being. "Stargazer" is the second volume of graphic novels from Von Allan, following Elora and her two best friends Sophie and Marni as they journey to a tower, making friends with robots and other creatures who at first don't seem so friendly. Through friendship and their own creativity, they will have to see themselves back home for adventure and much more. A fine pick for younger readers who often have daydreams of their own, "Stargazer" is an excellent and much recommended pick, not to be overlooked.

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Midwest Book Review

Salvatore Volume 2: An Eventful Crossing
Nicolas De Crecy
NBM Publishing
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1308
New York, NY 10005-2742
9781561636136 $14.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Salvatore Volume 2: An Eventful Crossing continues the masterfully translated, English-language adaptation of a French comic saga that uses anthropomorphic characters and muted color artwork to spin the saga of a canine mechanic in search of his beloved companion. His chosen vehicle is a bizarre device, piloted with the aid of a tiny human who may as well be his pet. But one distraction after another besets him on his journey, not the least being a cute hitchhiker! Meanwhile, Madame Amadine continues the search for her lost piglet Frank, encountering an arrogant detective, while the rest of her offspring seek to make a not-so-honest living through a phony "organic" cafe and market. The absurdities mount in this wry, whimsical tale, distinctly reminiscent of the classic novella "The Wind in the Willows". Highly recommended. (Volume 2 of the English translation actually collects volumes 3 and 4 of the original French version).

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Midwest Book Review

African-American Classics
Tom Pomplun and Lance Tooks, editors
Eureka Productions
8778 Oak Grove Road
Mount Horeb, WI 53572
9780982563045 $17.95 www.graphicclassics.com

Volume 22 of the "Graphic Classics" series, African-American Classics is a graphic novel anthology adapting almost two dozen great literary short stories and poems by some of America's earliest black writers, including W.E.B. DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and many more. The stories selected do not shy away from troubling, complex, or life-threatening matters, but are overall suitable for readers ages 12 to adult. Each story is vividly adapted in full color by a different artist with a unique style complementing the work. The result is a solid, reader-friendly introduction to African-American literary heritage, worthy of the highest recommendation especially for public and school library collections.

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Midwest Book Review

Dawn Of The Bunny Suicides
Andy Riley
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452104980, $12.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Dawn of the Bunny Suicides is a fine pick for any humor collection and particularly for those seeing prior enthusiasm for the other 'bunny suicide' cartoons. Black and white, dark humor drawings illustrate all the various unusual ways the cartoon bunny can meet its demise, offering a hilarious presentation for any cartoon, comics or humor holding.

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Midwest Book Review: MetaMaus
Art Spiegelman
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375423949, $35.00, www.pantheonbooks.com

METAMAUS: A LOOK INSIDE A MODERN CLASSIC, MAUS provides a rich masterpiece reviewing the classic that altered and emphasized the connections between literature, comics and the Holocaust. Any familiar with Maus must have Metamaus: it considers the origins and meaning behind Maus, offers new analysis and color comics, and includes a bonus DVD providing a digitalized reference copy of The Complete Maus linked to audio interviews with his survivor father, historical documents and Spiegelman's private sketches and notebooks. A 'must' examination of the modern phenomenon that is Maus!

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Midwest Book Review: Marvel Comics In The 1970s
Pierre Comtois
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
1605490342, $27.95, www.twomorrows.com

Any comics history holding must acquire Marvel Comics in the 1970s, a foundation title providing an issue by issue field guide to Marvel's various comic productions in the 1970s. Here is a sequel to Comtois' history covering the 1960s, offering an ongoing consideration of the company's evolution, artists, and major achievements during which Stan Lee moved from writing to publishing, Jack Kirby moved over to DC, and Roy Thomas fostered in a new era of Marvel artists and writers. Interviews and black and white comic page reproductions make this a winner for any serious comic history holding!

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Midwest Book Review: The Stan Lee Universe
Danny Fingeroth & Roy Thomas, editors
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490298, $26.95, www.twomorrows.com

Anyone who's ever touched a comic book knows the name Stan Lee. "The Stan Lee Universe" is a devoted biography surrounding Stan Lee, who five decades ago began to change the way people viewed comics and became the force that made Marvel into the goliath it is today. With many interviews by and about Stan Lee, any fan of Stan Lee and the man's work would do well in choosing "The Stan Lee Universe", packed cover to cover with black and white and color photography all throughout.

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Midwest Book Review

Problem Identified And You're Probably Not Part of the Solution
Scott Adams
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
0740785346, $16.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Problem Identified And You're Probably Not Part of the Solution offers a new Dilbert cartoon strip collection providing yet another hilarious set of strips thematically linked under one cover. Black and white and some color panels illustrate ironies and inconsistencies between employers and employees and make this a top pick for any general lending library.

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