#12 - Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson and #13 - Aqua Leung by Mark Andrew Smith and Paul Maybury

#12 - Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson
#13 - Aqua Leung by Mark Smith and Paul Maybury

Currently, I am simultaneously working through two legitimate books (aka not graphic novels) in Bill Bryson's Neither Here nor There and Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, but while reading them I've been simultaneously reading many (many, many, many) comics on a weekly basis and the occasional original graphic novel. These two were finished back during my Sasquatch trip, but I never had the opportunity to write about them before now.

Also, I just want to say that I am resigned to the fact that I likely will not reach my 52 book goal for the year, but eclipsing thirty is still a very real and far more possible goal for myself.

No less, on to the books!

As some of you may have noticed, I've been on a bit of a Craig Thompson kick lately. First, one of my all-time favorite graphic novels in Blankets, then Good-bye Chunky Rice, and now Carnet de Voyage. The reason why is in terms of graphic novelists, I find him to be one of the most interesting, real, and visually intriguing of the whole bunch.

Now Carnet is a bit of an oddball, as it isn't really an OGN (original graphic novel for the uninitiated) but a travel journal that Thompson made while he was travelling on a signing tour through Europe and northern Africa (latter part was just visiting, not actually signing). Within the pages of this we just get a bit of insight into who he is as a person while also getting a view into what it's like to travel the world in this modern age of amber alerts and strained foreign relations.

Overall, it's an interesting if not somewhat repetitive read. It cannot compete with his other works, but as an unabashed fan of his visual style, I dug it. Thompson gets the opportunity to stretch his legs even more within these pages, as instead of needing to tell a story he simply has to journalize events which leads to even more creative layouts (I'm a huge fan of his layouts). Additionally, he gets to get into far more interesting landscapes and architecture, which allows him to really show what he can do in terms of intensive detail.

If interested in traveling and/or a fan of Thompson's artwork, definitely give this a shot. I enjoyed it, but I'm really big on both sides of that and/or equation.

Aqua Leung on the other hand is a far more successful venture as it is actually a story based OGN, thus having the inherent boost of having the structure (you know, beginning, middle, end...ish) that Carnet lacked.

This book is Mark Andrew Smith and Paul Maybury's very own rendition of the legend of Atlantis, and it is an extremely interesting interpretation and read. Although it starts a bit unfocused with a bit in the beginning with some sort of massive cosmic turtle who acts as the storyteller introducing us to the backstory and to the characters. Once we get involved with Aqua, the story really takes off and we're treated to a very fun romp where a young boy finds out that he is not just an ordinary kid but the savior of the kingdom of Atlantis.

Sure, it sounds slightly ridiculous, but it's very fun and has a big imagination to it. The visuals do take a bit to get used to, as I found them to be a bit cluttered at times and the coloring to be a bit overly dark. Midway through the book though the storytelling duo really finds their visual niche and the quality of art begins matching the quality of the writing, and the second half is far more interesting than the first because of that.

Aqua Leung was a very interesting read, but one major problem that I was unaware of going in is that it is secretly a part one. Or at least I hope so, as the story of Aqua was only partially told and there was no resolution in terms of Aqua's attempts to unify the kingdom of Atlantis.

Because of that, you have to be willing to wait for the completion of the story at a later, unknown date. The main problem with that is I'm unsure whether the completion of the story is really worth the wait in the same way that Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series or Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series is. We'll see, pending further volumes. An interesting start, I just wish I knew it was only the first volume going in.

#11 - Good-bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

#11 - Good-Bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

"You should find where you belong."

Fairly recently, I re-read Craig Thompson's incredible graphic novel Blankets and decided that I had to seek out other works that he had done. First on the list was Thompson's debut, Good-bye, Chunky Rice. This of course had to happen not only because it was another Thompson work, but also because it was a Harvey Award winner itself and none other than Alan Moore raved about it.

Alan Moore.

The man who never comes out and speaks about anything, the wild recluse of comics, raved about it.

That's about as good a recommendation as you can get within the graphic novel world.

No less, it isn't what Alan Moore thinks about this, it's what I think because this is my show, not Alan Moore's (unless he wants to take over, and in that case he can feel free to do so). My thoughts? I think it's another very good representation of the power that graphical narratives can offer to the world, as this story beautifully tells about the power of friendship, loneliness, and the nagging feeling that there is something else out there in the world.

It's a story about a turtle named Chunky Rice, and his best friend named Dandele (she's a deer mouse) in particular, but there is also an incredibly touching story within it about a longshoresman named Solomon and the bird he is nursing back to health named Merle. Back to the point, even though Chunky's life is very good with Dandele and his current situation, Chunky has an overwhelming lack of a sense of belonging. To find that, he abandons his happy and comfortable life to pursue that dream.

Through all of the characters, Thompson delves into complexities of friendship and the meaning of life in very subtle and intriguing ways. Once again, not only does he work very well as a writer, but he also excels artistically, both creating a very visually interesting and stylish world but also once again absolutely nailing the layouts. I can't get enough of his work to be honest.

However, it is not all roses in this review. This story is definitely very short and after you finish it you're left with a serious sense of "well, that was good, but is that it?!" You definitely are left wanting more, and if you are a person looking for completion or a real unifying story, this is not the place to get one. Where it excels is the slice of life that it cuts out for us of this group of people's lives, but it is definitely not without flaws.

So overall, I would recommend this, but it isn't a 100% recommend for everyone. If you're looking to branch into graphic novels, this would be a good one to start with (although I'd definitely go with Blankets over this). Due to some of the flaws that I gleaned from the story (and they may be shaken out on re-reads) though, it definitely does not make it into the class of "instant classics," but it definitely stands out as a great debut and another excellent addition to Craig Thompson's very solid library of works.

#8 - Blankets by Craig Thompson

#8 - Blankets by Craig Thompson (writing and art)

Typically I start my reviews of books I read with a quote from the actual piece. One problem with the current review is I no longer have my copy of it (one of the many things that I'm sure was lost in the transition from place to place at school and from moving back to Alaska), so without the ability to look at it and without the foresight to actually write something down while reading I have no quote to provide. Not that it will actually really change things, but I hate breaking tradition.

Second note: this is actually the second time I've read this book, but the first time since 2004 so I feel as if the refresher definitely counts (this was another thing my Mom found before me - and pretty much everyone else).

Blankets is an award winning autobiographical (probably? he calls it a novel, but it feels very memoir-ish like Maus or Fun Home) story by Portland, Oregon graphic novelist Craig Thompson that follows his upbringing in Wisconsin as a member of a strict Christian family, and is one of those dreaded coming-of-age tales that so many people talk about. You could walk into a movie or book store and toss a dart and there is a good chance it would hit a coming-of-age story (well, in this day and age, you're probably more likely to hit a remake or self help book respectively, but that is neither here nor there). So what exactly sets Blankets apart?

Quality.

It isn't your run of the mill coming-of-age story. More than anything I've ever really read, Blankets captures both the time of your childhood and the relationships with those most important to you then (family - in particular his brother) and specifically, highlights the high school time period (and the awkwardness that comes with it) and first love in an emotionally honest way. The whole story resonates with emotion, as every word, phrase, and page of art within the book crackles with love, hope, and sadness.

Another running thread throughout the story is his Thompson's transition from a youth on the fast track to being in the ministry to someone who gives up on his religion. He handles this with care and sensitivity, and the religious themes throughout the story really tie everything else together. If he hadn't handled that aspect so well, the whole story would have crumbled.

Even with Art Spiegelman's Maus winning the Pulitzer Prize, the graphic novel medium still had not picked up a whole lot of respect with the literati. Of course, with the perception being that graphic novels are all tights and utility belts you can easily see why. However, Blankets goes a long way to earn the medium quite a bit of respect. The weight of the subject matter (and the book itself - the damn thing must weigh five pounds and it is nearly 600 pages long) is handled deftly by Thompson, as he is an extremely talented writer who doesn't pull punches and crafts the story in such a manner that it stays with you well past the initial reading.

Yet to be mentioned are Thompson's skills as an artist. Given that I've only spoken about his writing, you may think that his art may be unmentionably bad - but no, that is untrue. The story wouldn't work well without the art to tie everything together, and Thompson's black and white art is beautiful and imaginative, rendering the hopes and dreams of his childhood and high school self in all their full glory.

As a bit of a freak about the sequential art (fancy phrase for comics, as named by Scott McCloud) medium, one thing that really gets me going in art are layouts. Thompson's layouts are spectacular, and the way he melds the text of his story into the imagery is nothing short of genius. Every choice he makes in that department is flawless, and if the rest of the package was simply average I'd have to say he'd still deserve the Eisner's and Harvey's he won if only for that. I don't know if you noticed, but I really like his layouts.

Truth be told, I think this should be required reading for high schoolers. It captures the thrills of youth and all the aspects that dominate that time period (faith, love, family, loneliness, etc.), but from the perspective of someone who went through them already and fully recognizes the allure and harsh reality within it. When you're young, everything feels like the end of the world, but Craig Thompson is here to show you that it really isn't. This is a wonderful work, and I'd fully recommend it to anyone from teens on up. I personally cannot wait for more from the talented Mr. Thompson, and I'm horribly envious of his enormous amounts of skill as a writer and artist.

Also, If you'd like a second opinion, there is another very good review on a fellow bloggers site here.