Thank goodness it's a light week, since I have plenty of shopping to do coming up at MoCCA this weekend.
My two book recommendations are at very different ends of the graphic novel spectrum. I haven't seen Guy Delisle's newest travelogue, Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City (Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95), yet, but I'm sure it will be in keeping with his earlier volumes, such as Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea. However, unlike his other books, this one is about a city that others may already know more about, or at least have their own perceptions. I'm curious to see how this one is received. The publisher has posted a preview.
From meaningful and insightful to silly fun. Teen Boat! (Clarion Books, $14.99) by Dave Roman and John Green has the tagline 'the ANGST of being a teen, the THRILL of being a boat!' That may seem to sum it up, but with this crazy character, a boy who turns into a smallish yacht, Roman and Green tell classic school stories: being used by the popular kid throwing a party, detention, class trip abroad, first kiss, running for class president, learning to drive. It's like every teen movie wrapped up in one colorful, kid-friendly set of gags. There's also a Scooby-Doo-like segment when Teen Boat (the actual character's name) tries to get a job but winds up defeating a gang of monster-truck-driving boat smugglers. I suspect young readers will find this collection imaginatively inspiring and enjoyably goofy.
Also out this week is Oni Press' Play Ball, which I've already reviewed. That's another teen-friendly title.
There's a debut comic issue you want to be sure you check out this week. IDW launches a four-issue Popeye ($3.99) series written by the talented Roger Langridge and illustrated by Bruce Ozella. I've had the pleasure of reading it already, and it was great fun, faithful to what I know of the original but thoroughly fresh. Castor Oyl decides to find another Jeep so he can breed Eugene, which leads a bunch of the cast to an island excursion. And Olive gets to show some gumption.
The creators clearly know their material, with Popeye saying, for example, 'D'ja think I'm a cowboy?' the first time we see him, just as he did in his first appearance. It's impressive that each page is structured as a scene, rather like reading the old Sunday pages. You can see here, on the first page, how faithful the style is. All the favorite characters are here, and it's a wonderful comedy adventure read with terrific action art.
I'm also looking forward to how The Twelve wraps up (Marvel Comics, $2.99). The penultimate issue was satisfying, and I'm glad we finally get the finale.
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