Graphic Novel Fave - Castle Waiting

Alright, wow - has it been weeks guys? I feel guilty. So, we're starting a new weekly feature here on Girls Love Graphic Novels covering past favorites. On Monday, we'll have a Graphic Novel Fave and on Tuesday we'll have a Manga Fave. These are books we've read in the past that we love and want to share with you.

Today Kristen (me) is sharing a personal favorite graphic novel!

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Goodreads Description:

The multiple Harvey and Eisner award-winning fantasy is now collected in one volume!

The 450-page Castle Waiting graphic novel tells the story of an isolated, abandoned castle, and the eccentric inhabitants who bring it back to life. A fable for modern times, Castle Waiting is a fairy tale that's not about rescuing the princess, saving the kingdom, or fighting the ultimate war between Good and Evil—but about being a hero in your own home.

For the first time, Fantagraphics' Castle Waiting collects the entire story into one mammoth volume—and includes the concluding chapter written and drawn especially for this volume.

Wittily reinterpreting the Grimm Brothers classic tale "Briar Rose" (Sleeping Beauty) as a story of love, enchantment, and sibling rivalry, the opening chapter "The Curse Of Brambly Hedge" sets the stage for the story.

In the second chapter, "The Lucky Road," Lady Jain's fairy-tale life turns out not-so-happily ever after, as she leaves to search for Castle Waiting, a wondrous, mythical refuge where "all are welcome." Jain soon finds the castle is very much a home as well as a refuge, and learns to fit in with its eccentric inhabitants as she discovers how she can help them bring the lonesome, dilapidated place back to life.

The third chapter, "Solicitine," tells the story of Peaceful Warren, a young woman destined and determined to live an unconventional life. From the barroom to the circus to the convent and beyond, this chapter is a tale of an extraordinary adventure, an extraordinary friendship, and of making a place for oneself in the world.

An artist with 20 years' experience in comics and children's books, Linda Medley lavishly illustrates Castle Waiting in a classic visual style reminiscent of Arthur Rackham and William Heath Robinson. Blending elements from a variety of sources—fairy tales, folklore, nursery rhymes—Medley tells the story of the everyday lives of fantastic characters with humor, intelligence, and insight into human nature. Castle Waiting can be read on multiple levels and can be enjoyed by children and literate adults.



And one of my favorite panels...


So, why is this book so great? It's fairy tales that's a bit more grown-up. It's also compiled into a 450 page book which is just fantastic for those that just want to read and read and read. I just love the stories in this graphic novel and the artwork. Totally brilliant and one you guys need to pick up!

I'm really excited, because this winter....


Gah!! It's comes out two days after my birthday! I rarely pre-order books, but I think I will have to for this one!

Manga Review: Black Bird, Vol. 1

Author: Kanoko Sakurakoji

Released: August 4th 2009

Publisher: VIZ Media

# of Pages: 194 

Summary: (from Goodreads)

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. All that changes one day when Misao is attacked by a demon. Her childhood friend Kyo suddenly returns to save her and tend to her cuts--with his tongue! It turns out Misao is the bride of prophecy, whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her. But most demons want to keep her power for themselves--by eating her! Now Misao is just trying to stay alive...and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.

Plot: Although I feel like I have read something similar to this before, Black Bird definitely kept my attention. I absolutely loved that Sakurakoji mixes bits of violence, romance, and Japanese folk lore into this novel creating something that feels both authentic and fictional at the same time. The pacing of the novel is also something that really impressed me. The details of the novel are slowly revealed which allowed me to get to know the characters and understand each person's role in the overall story.

Characters: Black Bird is a novel FULL of characters. But what I loved was that I did not feel overpowered by them. Each had their own personality... their own traits. So by the end of the novel, it was easy to remember each of them for their own special reasons.

Graphics: Black Bird is a beautifully drawn novel. All the characters and scenery are just wonderful to look at. This is one of those novels that I would just love to jump into it and visit.

Series Info:
There are currently four volumes of this series available with the fifth being released in August of 2010. Currently, the sixth volume is set to release in November of 2010.


Due to some sexual content and violence / gore, this manga is rated YA, and may not be suitable for readers under 16.

Graphic Novel Review: Chosen

Author: Ted Dekker
Illustrator: J.S. Earls
Publication date: November 2008
Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Copy Provided by: Library
Summary (via Goodreads):

Chosen - The land of the Forest Dwellers has been decimated by the Horde, and Thomas Hunter is forced to lower the recruitment age of his army. From among thousands, four new recruits are chosen to lead--and perhaps die--for the greater good. But their first mission takes a turn when they are intercepted and given a new assignment. Now they must find the seven lost Books of History. Books that control not only the destiny of their world . . . but also of ours.

Plot: It may have helped if I had read the novels before reading this graphic novel. The story line seemed pretty basic, almost too much so. It's an adventure novel, involving some bickering because one of the characters won his place in the group a somewhat nontraditional way. It just felt a little corny at times, but otherwise fit all the standards of an adventure novel with fantasy elements - they were constantly moving and getting in and out of problems.

Characters: They fell pretty flat. Also, the little weird bat-like creatures that help them throughout the novel are kinda.. too cute? I felt at times like some of the characters seemed over the top, much more than they would be in the actual novel.

Graphics: I actually really liked the style. The full color graphics were pretty awesome and I liked the design of the characters and the settings. Visually a lot better than I thought it would be.

Similar Graphic Novels:
Artemis Fowl, the Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer
Stormbreaker - the Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz
Redwall the Graphic Novel by Brian Jacques

Series Info:

Infidel - Graphic Novel (book 2)
Renegade - Graphic Novel (book 3)
Chaos - Graphic Novel (book 4)





Appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Vampire Kisses Winner!

Sorry about the delay. Kate and I have barely been able to talk lately with her new job, so I drew a winner for our launch giveaway! :) Thank you to all who entered and for following this blog. I should be posting at least one or two reviews this week, so keep your eyes out for that! :)

And our winner of the signed copy of Vampire Kisses manga is:

Helen Murdoch!

Congrats! I will be emailing you in a few minutes here for your mailing address!

Graphic Novel Database

In my undergraduate program, I met a fantastic lady named Jen who taught most of my language arts classes in the program - my favorite of which was Childrens' Literature. I asked her an interesting question in our first semester together and that was, "Can we use graphic novels and how do you want us to categorize them?" for the project in which we had to read a ton of kids' books. She said she didn't really read them and told me to use my digression.

But later, she came back to me, feeling horrible she had never given the genre a try and asked for a list of recommendations. In later semesters, she decided to incorporate it into the curriculum we were learning and asked me to speak about them with another class. And since then, I've stopped by her class every semester to do a short talk and the best of which she also asked me to do a Roundtable with her Masters' class she teaches during the summer. For those unfamiliar with the term, every one reads and brings in a few graphic novels and we go around and discuss them and then close up with how we would use them in the classroom/library.

So, for these purposes, I have been adding to a long list of Graphic Novels I've read over the year and wanted a place to put them. Figure this blog is a great place and that some of my readers would be interested in this list.

So, without further ado - click the link. :)

Graphic Novel Database

Graphic Novel Review: Gloomcookie, Vol. 1

Author: Serena Valentino
Illustrator: Ted Naifeh
Publication date: December 2006
Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Copy Provided by: Myself, I bought it. :)
Summary (via Amazon):

The long-awaited GloomCookie graphic novel contains issues 1-6 of this popular comic book series, as well as some other ninja-type surprises, never before seen sketches, Serena’s bad art, a cute Halloween story about The Monster entitled “Trick Or Treat”, special guest artists thingies (Ooooo! Wait till you see ‘em!), Lex’s vocabulary list and LOTS of other squishy stuff to make you happy. As always, wrapped in a gorgeous cover by Ted Naifeh.

The Gloomcookie comic book series is a goth soap opera set in the San Francisco club scene.

Plot: Mixed with bits of fairy tales here and there, this graphic novel mainly follows Lex, a girl who is in love with a boy who prefers an unreachable woman - the wicked queen figure of the club scene and only stays with Lex until she admits her love for him.

Add in her companion, a man who starts to grow close to Lex, but their love is a doomed love for it has repeatedly failed for generations and generations. A story which is discovered during a trip to New Orleans. Add in a carnival, a monster under the bed, and some seriously funny gothic club commentary and you've got a winner of a graphic novel.

Characters: I absolutely love Lex - she uses cute words like "oogie" and "squishy" and "yummy" and she is an incredibly good pouter. She's definitely a good fit for the damsel in distress role in this fairy tale. The other characters are equally as unique and though briefly introduced in the first volume, certainly leave a mark on your memory for the later volumes.

Graphics: Ted Naifeh is my favorite graphic novel artist. I love everything he's ever done and you'll probably see his name crop up A LOT on this blog. I'm sad that he only illustrates this first volume and his graphics are probably the reason that this is my favorite volume of the series. He has a unique way of drawing characters that just draws your eye and you can see the style across his novels. He really is a fantastic artist.

Similar Graphic Novels:
Courtney Crumrin series by Ted Naifeh
Kin by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh
Clubbing by Andi Watson
Life Sucks by Jessica Abel

Series Info:

There are five volumes in the series, each one drawn by a different illustrator. :)

Recommended for ages 16 and up. Some sexual content.

Manga Review: Alice in the Country of Hearts, Volume 2

Alice in the Country of Hearts, Vol. 2

Author: QuinRose, Hoshino Soumei
Released: March 2, 2010 by Tokyopop
# of Pages: 192
Summary: (from Goodreads)

Warning: May contain spoilers from previous novel. Read at your own risk.

Alice begins to grow accustomed to the strange world Peter took her to. And everyone wants to get to know Alice better, too. She gets to know the "Ones with Duties" better. She finds out more about the mysteries of the World. One of the biggest mysteries.

Plot: Despite the amazing start in Volume 1, Volume 2 fell a little flat for me. There was no real character or plot progression. Yes, Alice finds out a big secret about Wonderland, but that is all the really happens. The male characters are still in love with her, which is actually starting to become quite annoying. And strangely enough, there is not one single mention of "the game." Okay second volume, but not the best. However, I am still intrigued with the series' possibility. I am really hopeful that the Volume 3 will get things back on track. But if it does not, then sadly, this may be one series that I just have to give up on.

Characters: Overall, I still really like the characters. However, I am on the fence in regards to who is my favorite. This volume does show a different side to many of the characters. And while I appreciate that on some level, it kinda bugged me. For the most part, I felt like I needed to get to know the characters well before things began to change. Not sure how these changes will effect the overall progression of the series, but I am sure that I will find out in the next volume.

Graphics: Like the first volume, the graphics are amazing. There were numerous times throughout the novel that I would find myself just staring at the pictures, and taking everything in. The attention to detail in this novel is absolutely top notch.

Similar graphic novels:

Alice 19th by Yuu Watase 

Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki

Series information:

There are currently three volumes of this series available with the fourth being released in September of 2010. Currently, there is no information regarding how long the series will be.




This series is rated YA for readers ages 14+.

What I've been reading lately

So, I haven't gotten up to the task of doing an actual review, so I figured I'd at least give you a preview of what's coming up. Here's what I've been reading in the past few days:

Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino (reread Vol. 1 & 2):

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

Yuki Cross has no memory of her past prior to the moment she was saved from a vampire attack ten years ago. She was adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and now works alongside Zero to guard the Academy's secret. Yuki believes the vampires and humans can coexist peacefully, but her partner has different ideas...

I only read a few of these the first time around and loved them. Can't wait to get my hands on more!



Faeries' Landing by You Hyun (reread Vol 1 & 2):

A chance encounter with a mysterious character named Goodfellow leads Ryang to a town called 'Faeries' Landing.' Here, Ryang meets Fanta, a faerie who wants nothing more than to stay with him in the human world. Living with a faerie can be especially trying, but also a blessing as Fanta helps Ryang resolve his rocky relationships with women.

I loved what I read of this series before and I can't wait to finish it!



GloomCookie by Serena Valentino, Illustrated by Ted Naifeh:

The long-awaited GloomCookie graphic novel contains issues 1-6 of this popular comic book series, as well as some other ninja-type surprises, never before seen sketches, Serena’s bad art, a cute Halloween story about The Monster entitled “Trick Or Treat”, special guest artists thingies (Ooooo! Wait till you see ‘em!), Lex’s vocabulary list and LOTS of other squishy stuff to make you happy. As always, wrapped in a gorgeous cover by Ted Naifeh.

The Gloomcookie comic book series is a goth soap opera set in the San Francisco club scene.

This is probably my 5th time reading this one and the first one is my favorite because I love Ted Naifeh's style. The other volumes are by other illustrators and are good, but not as good as this one!


After School Nightmare by Setona Mizushiro (read Vol. 1-3):

You have just awakened to find your darkest, ugliest secret revealed to classmates who would do anything to destroy you. This is what's happened to Ichijou Mashiro, whose elite school education turns into the most horrifying experience of his life when he's enlisted by a mysterious school nurse to take an after-hours class. Only those who pass the class will graduate, and the only way for Mashiro to pass is to enter into a nightmare world... where his body and soul will be at the mercy of his worst enemies. Can Mashiro keep his life-long secret - that he is not truly a "he" nor entirely a "she" - or will he finally be "outted" in the most humiliating way possible?

This is my first time reading this series and I'm LOVING it. It's definitely for Older Teens - 16+ - there's some gore and some sexual commentary. Can't wait for more!



Chosen--Graphic Novel: The Lost Books Series (Book 1) by Ted Dekker

A new YA graphic novel that returns to the universe of Ted Dekker's 600,000-selling Circle Trilogy.

Chosen - The land of the Forest Dwellers has been decimated by the Horde, and Thomas Hunter is forced to lower the recruitment age of his army. From among thousands, four new recruits are chosen to lead--and perhaps die--for the greater good. But their first mission takes a turn when they are intercepted and given a new assignment. Now they must find the seven lost Books of History. Books that control not only the destiny of their world . . . but also of ours.

I really wasn't impressed with this one - an adaptation from Ted Dekker's YA series. I probably won't read the other ones because it really was kind of lame.

How about you guys, reading any graphic novels or manga lately? I know Kate just hit the store to buy some. I picked up a bunch more at the library too, so lots to look forward to!

Manga Review: Alice in the Country of Hearts Volume 1

Authors: QuinRose, Hoshino Soumei
Released: March 1st 2010 by Tokyopop
# of Pages: 184

Summary: (from Goodreads)

In this inventive retelling of the "Alice in Wonderland" story - Alice wakes up to find a white rabbit wearing clothes. The rabbit forcefully drags Alice into the rabbit hole, where he turns into a young man with rabbit ears.

Plot: Follow Alice down the rabbit hole again in the exciting new adventure... manga style. Alice in the Country of Hearts (Vol. 1) is an enticing mixture of the traditional Alice in Wonderland with a new twist. The tale begins with Alice awaking from a dream concerning a mysterious game. Upon telling her sister of the game, she believes that Alice's subconscious is eager for some entertainment, and hurries off to find some cards. Much like the original tale, Alice spies a white rabbit in the distance with a large clock. However, instead of following the white rabbit, it comes to her and explains that she is not following him as she should. To Alice's surprise, the rabbit turns into a man with white rabbit ears. He quickly grabs her and thrusts her into a large hole that has mysteriously appeared. And off to Wonderland we go...

Once in Wonderland, Peter White (aka the white rabbit) explains to Alice that she must drink from a magic vial. Upon refusing, Peter forces Alice through a kiss. And thus the game begins... While not much is known about the game in the first volume, I have to say that I am intrigued.

Characters: The main characters are still in here, but with a twist: The Mad Hatter is a Mafia Boss named Blood Dupre, Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum are the gatekeepers to Blood's home and territory, the Cheshire cat is Boris, a punk teenager with cat ears, and of course, Peter White, the man with rabbit ears who is madly in love with Alice. Actually, it seems that most of the male characters are in love with Alice. But to find out why.... you will have to read the manga.

Graphics: For the most part, the graphics were outstanding. I really loved the cover of this manga, as well as the look of the characters. Alice, for the most part, is dress in a typical Victorian style. And I must admit that every time I saw her in a new outfit... my mind scream, I want!

Similar graphic novels:
Alice 19th by Yuu Watase 

Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki 


Series information:
There are currently three volumes of this series available with the fourth being released in September of 2010. Currently, there is no information regarding how long the series will be.

This series is rated YA for readers ages 14+.

Graphic Novel Review: The New Brighton Archeological Society

Authors: Mark Andrew Smith & Matthew Weldon
Publication date: November 2008
Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Copy Provided by: Author
Summary (via Goodreads):

Out of the ashes of misfortune will rise the next generation of great adventurers! After their parents are lost on an archeological expedition, four children begin to unlock the secrets of their parents' mysterious lives, discovering a hidden world of mystical artifacts, mythical creatures, and arcane knowledge. Soon they find themselves drawn into a conflict over a great library that has kept two kingdoms at war for centuries, the children must save an enchanted forest, the birthplace of magic itself. Join us as these children become the latest members of the fabled New Brighton Archeological Society, and take their first steps towards their true destiny!

Plot: It's a fun-filled plot full of discovery, adventure and some really cool magical aspects. It has it's good versus evil underlying plot and I love the connection between their parents and what they are doing. Definitely a series my students would enjoy!

Characters: Graphically I just love the way the characters look. They have the big heads but otherwise look fairly normal. I really think this graphic novel is stunning and I'm in love with the style - especially of the character. I also like that there's enough characters that each reader will have someone they relate to. Also, it's nice to see sort of nerdy kids turned superheroes (not exactly but they do fight otherworldy creatures). I love the sort of geekiness that the characters had going for them. Also, the general curiosity and adventure seeking of the kids reminds me of some of my escapades as a kid. I think I could match up most of the kids with some of my best friends when I was younger and it was kind of fun to just jump right in and imagine you were the one on the adventure.

Graphics: I absolutely love the graphics. Definitely a graphic novel that would capture my attention at a bookstore. There are great full colors and the characters are drawn so well. I love their quirky nerdy style and their big heads.

Similar graphic novels:
Alison Dare by J. Torres
Artemis Fowl The Graphic Novel by Eoin Colfer
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

Series information: I haven't heard any news, but thusfar the graphic novel is a standalone.


Appropriate for Elementary-aged readers and up.

Launch Giveaway!

So, in honor of launching our new manga blog, we're offering up a signed copy of Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives by Ellen Schreiber.



Thanks for checking out our new site and I hope to see you guys around here often!

Rules:

1. Open Internationally.
2. Fill out the form below to enter.
3. This contest will run until Sunday, July 18th at 10 pm CST.

Introducing Girls Love Graphic Novels!

Welcome one and all to Girls Love Graphic Novels, a blog created by two ladies that love their graphic novels. This blog mainly reviews graphic novels, manga, and anime.

Kristen is an Elementary School Librarian who runs a blog called Bookworming in the 21st Century. She has been in love with graphic novels since the age of 19, when she took a class on mythology and fairy tales that introduced her to the graphic novel series Fables by Bill Willingham. Kristen reads a wide variety of graphic novels, including some manga. Of course, like her usual reading tastes she steers towards fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal before anything other genre.

Kate is the infamous bookworm in charge of the marvelous blog The Neverending Shelf. Her love of manga and anime actually began at the tender age of 11 when she was introduced to the wonder that is Sailor Moon. As the years went by, her tastes in anime and manga only grew. Today, Kate will basically read and watch anything she can get her hands on. Some of her favorite series include: Bleach, Blood +, Fushigi Yugi, Cardcaptor Sakura, Mai Hime, Claymore, Kurau: Phantom Memory, and Rurouni Kenshin.

Along with loving to read graphic novels and manga, we are also enamored with Anime and all the awesomeness that it is. Not only will we be reviewing, discussing and displaying our favorite graphic novels and mangas on here, but we will also be spotlighting different Animes that we are currently watching.

So, here you can find our reviews for graphic novels, manga, and anime, along with any cool features we come up with and a possible Graphic Novel Challenge! Stay tuned for more great things to come.