The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Beauty
Hubert, author
Kerascoet, illustrator
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123158, $19.99, PB, 152pp

https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Hubert/dp/1681123150

Synopsis: When the repulsively ugly Coddie unintentionally saves a fairy, C= oddie wishes for beauty, but she does not understand the poisonous nature o=
f the fairy who grants the wish. The village folk no longer see Coddie as r= epulsive and stinking of fish. They now perceive her as magnetically beauti= ful - which does not help her. The villagers plot to gang rape her, and whe=
n she attempts to escape, her mother is killed.

A young local lord rescues Coddie, but her ultimate destiny may be far grea= ter - or perhaps far more terrible - than anyone ever imagined. No one is t= ruly safe in the wake of Coddie's preternatural beauty; not her loved ones,=
not her country, not even her enemies.

Critique: A dark, caustic, and violent fairy tale for adults, Beauty an eng= rossing take on the nature and corrupting power of beauty and our obsession=
with it. A highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and communit= y/academic library Graphic Novel collections, "Beauty", by the late author = Hubert and artist/illustrator Kerascoet, is now available for the legions o=
f Hubert fans in a paperback edition and in a digital book format (Kindle, = $14.99).

Editorial Note #1: Hubert started at first making a reputation for himself =
as a colorist but soon turned to scriptwriting where he established himself=
as a leading voice in graphic novels for an adult audience. Hubert thus sp= oke of anorexia, gender, or even homosexuality in tales and stories that ha=
ve become as essential as Miss Pas Touche or Beauty (both from NBM), drawn =
by the duo Kerascoet. He passed away on February 12, 2020.

Editorial Note #2: Kerascoet (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerasco%C3%ABt)=
is the joint pen name of the French illustrators, comics and animation art= ists Marie Pommepuy (born 1978) and her husband Sebastien Cosset (born 1975=
).

Darkly She Goes
Hubert, author
Vincent Mallie, illustrator
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123134, $29.99, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Darkly-She-Goes-Hubert/dp/1681123134

Synopsis: Once upon a time there was a fallen knight, who believed that sav= ing a princess would allow him to atone for his crimes. Once upon a time th= ere was a dark princess, who believed that it was up to her to atone for th=
e crimes of her parents.

Banished for a fault that forever taints his reputation, Arzhur wanders fro=
m tavern to field of battle in search of the next contract which will fill = his purse. One night, three mysterious old women offer him to regain honor = and fortune if he frees the daughter of a neighboring king, held captive in=
the ruins of an abandoned castle.

But Islen is not the damsel in distress that he expected to save...

Critique: Enhanced on every page by the museum quality art of Vincent Malli=
e, author Humbert's graphic novel, "Darkly She Goes" reveals the weight of =
a family legacy in the form of a compelling fairytale with a message about = facing one's inner demons. "Darkly She Goes" is a riveting ode to redemptio=
n that pits free will against fate, and brought vividly and memorably to li=
fe by the collaboration of two true masters of the fantasy genre. While esp= ecially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Gra= phic Novel collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that = "Darkly She Goes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.9= 9).

Editorial Note #1: Hubert started at first making a reputation for himself =
as a colorist but soon turned to scriptwriting where he established himself=
as a leading voice in graphic novels for an adult audience. Hubert thus sp= oke of anorexia, gender, or even homosexuality in tales and stories that ha=
ve become as essential as Miss Pas Touche or Beauty (both from NBM), drawn =
by the duo Kerascoet. He passed away on February 12, 2020.

Editorial Note #2: Vincent Mallie (http://vincentmallie.com) was born in Pa= ris in 1973. He graduated in graphic arts in Paris. Since 1998 he has been =
a comic artist collaborating with many top French authors in the field and = working on a number of bestselling novels and series. Renowned for the aest= hetics of his semi-realistic line, the efficiency of his layouts and his gi=
ft for fabulous natural compositions, Vincent started collaborating with th=
e late Hubert (Beauty, Miss Don't Touch Me) on Darkly She Goes, which gave = him the opportunity to offer an epic and seductive drawing, in a feminist t= ale as powerful as it is striking.

Satan's Kingdom
Robert Sergel
Secret Acres
PO 710, Cooperstown, NY 13326
https://www.facebook.com/secretacres
9798985586312, $19.95, PB, 148pp

https://www.amazon.com/Satans-Kingdom-Robert-Sergel/dp/B0BT1KMFKG

Synopsis: Robert Sergel's Best American Comics selection and Ignatz Award n= ominated series, Eschew, captures those awkward, private, hilarious moments=
of our past with the publication of "Satan's Kingdom", a new collection th=
at illustrated and documents that those who cannot remember the past are co= ndemned to repeat it. "Satan's Kingdom" tours America's haunted history of = spite houses and bad babysitters. Readers will meet Napoleon in New Jersey,=
and find themselves somewhere between Desolation Bay and Satan's Kingdom.

Critique: Distinctively illustrated with author/illustrator Robert Sergel's=
black/white artwork, "Satan's Kingdom" is a memorable and entertaining rea=
d from beginning to end. This trade paperback edition of "Satan's Kingdom" = published by Secret Acres is highly recommended for personal, community, an=
d academic library Contemporary Graphic Novel collections.

Editorial Note: Robert Sergel (http://www.robertsergel.com) has a degree in=
Photo & Imaging from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. In the mid-2000's he = was a member of the Transplant web comic collective. He is the author of th=
e graphic novel, Bald Knobber, and draws the Ignatz-nominated comic series = Eschew, a Best American Comics selection. SPACE: An Eschew Collection was p= ublished by Secret Acres and counted on Paste Magazine's best comics of the=
year.

Shadow Hills
Sean Ford
Secret Acres
PO 710, Cooperstown, NY 13326
https://www.facebook.com/secretacres
9798985586343, $23.95, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Hills-Sean-Ford/dp/B0BT16Z9SS

Synopsis: Environmental disturbances and a mysterious epidemic wreak havoc =
on the remote, struggling town of Shadow Hills. The rivalrous townsfolk rac=
e to find a cure and uncover the source of the threat before it destroys th=
e entire community. Their search for answers leads them into the depths of =
a long buried past.

Critique: "Shadow Hills" is the long-awaited follow-up to Sean Ford's peren= nial favorite graphic novel, "Only Skin". A decade in the making, Shadow Hi= lls collects all ten serialized chapters and brings the highly acclaimed se= ries to a new, stunning conclusion. Of special appeal to readers with an in= terest in dystopian and mystery fiction, "Shadow Hills" is especially and u= nreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university li= brary Graphic Novel collections.

Editorial Note: Sean Ford is a founding editor of the Best American Comics = notable comic anthology, Sundays. He graduated from the Center for Cartoon = Studies in 2008. His comics and illustrations have appeared in the Alternat= ive Comics anthology series, Alternative Comics are Dead, online at Slate a=
nd Narratively, and in Verso Books titles. His design work includes books b=
y authors Malcolm Gladwell, James Patterson, Dan Simmons, Joshua Ferris, An= ita Shreve and others. (https://www.cartoonstudies.org/tag/secret-acres)

Destroyer Duck: Graphite Edition
Jack Kirby & Steve Gerber
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605491172, $31.95

https://www.amazon.com/Destroyer-Duck-Graphite-Steve-Gerber/dp/1605491179

Destroyer Duck: Graphite Edition is a revealing and satirical survey of the=
legal battle writer Steve Gerber found himself in against Marvel Comics ov=
er the ownership of his creation Howard the Duck. He tapped artist Jack Kir=
by to contribute to a benefit comic called Destroyer Duck, and thus a five-= issue biting attack was created which is reproduced here, relettered from K= irby's pencil art and featuring examples contrasting Alfredo Alcala's inkin=
g style over Kirby's on original issues, Gerber's scripts and plots, and mo= re. Authoritative collections on comic book history need this survey, which=
covers the hidden jabs in Destroyer Duck and reproduces Kirby's pencil art=
in a black and white celebration of both art and efforts to foster creativ=
e license and freedom. Definitive comic book history collectors and librari=
es should consider this a mainstay of historic import.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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