Defiance: Resistance, Book 2
Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis, Roaring Brook/First Second, $16.99 trade paper (124p) ISBN 978-1-59643-292-5
The second volume of this trilogy about the French Resistance to Nazi occupation during WWII, starts out with a historical description of the occupation, explaining the role of the Resistance, the relationships that develop between the French citizens and the Nazi officers, and the black market for rationed goods. The story centers on Paul, the youngest member of the local Resistance. At 14, he can get away with playing innocent as grown men can't, and he papers the walls of the city with anti-Nazi posters. Soon his sisters are also involved in the effort, all of them hoping that their father, a prisoner of war, will soon return to them. When Paul is nearly caught, he runs off to join the "maquis," members of the Resistance who are living in the woods outside the city, leaving his sisters to wonder what's happened to him. Purvis's bright, clear drawings illustrate a fairly basic story. The history lesson is made dynamic and interesting for young readers throughout. The story moves fairly slowly, though, and one is aware throughout that a history lesson is being taught. (July)
Will Supervillains Be on the Final? Liberty Vocational, Vol. 1
Naomi Novik and Yishan Li, Del Rey, $10.99 trade paper (192p) ISBN 978-0-345-51656-5
The first in a proposed Liberty Vocational series mixes a familiar concept—the superhero school, as seen in the film Sky High and the Web comic PS238—with manga-styled art and character types of those found in countless high school manga. Leah's atom-manipulation powers are significant enough to get her sent away to a private college for kid heroes, where she's confronted with ethical choices both in and out of the classroom. The cast will seem familiar if you've read any of the recent graphic novel book spinoffs of superhero comics. They've got that generic manga look and expected personalities: snooty older girl, mysterious boyfriend material, older crush, snarky roommate. Leah's ability to do almost anything is too convenient, and exactly what she's doing isn't always clear to the reader, unless the text explains it. The big secret plot is set up for a future volume to resolve, which leaves the motives of some characters unclear. Novik is already a bestseller for her Temeraire novels, and some of that audience will hopefully follow her to a likable book with lots of hooks and entertainment, especially for girls. (Apr.)
The Story of Lee, Vol. 1
Sean Michael Wilson and Chie Kutsuwada, NBM Comics Lit (www.nbmpublishing.com), $11.99 trade paper (160p) ISBN 978-1-56163-594-8
English-speaking writers who attempt to accurately depict contemporary East Asian culture tend either to gloss over the negative aspects of Westernization or to sugarcoat the unflattering aspects of East Asian societies. Wilson and Kutsuwada's story falls somewhere in between, most likely as a result of its dual authorship. The protagonist is a young Hong Kong woman who begins an affair with a hip English-teaching foreigner named Matt. She must deal with a jealous Chinese suitor named Wang and a disapproving conservative father. It's an old setup done effectively and believably. If anything, the story feels too true to life as Hong Kong, Korea, China, and Japan all have no shortage of aimless 20-something foreign men, many of them making ends meet teaching English and enjoying the occasional tryst with a local girl. Wilson and Kutsuwada's story tells such a tale from the girl's perspective, faithfully reproducing real Hong Kong locales and name dropping a variety of cool bands along the way. The artwork, particularly the characters, is crisp and expressive, and the story faithfully reproduces a believable slice of life, despite the neat wrapup at the end, even if the story doesn't dig that deeply. (Feb.)
The Sign of the Four
Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Edginton, and I.N.J. Culbard, Sterling, $14.95 trade paper (136p) ISBN 978-1-4027-8003-5
Adaptations of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventures have been mounted in virtually every medium short of nude interpretive dance and have varied widely in quality, but this version of the second Holmes novel is outstanding. Reuniting the creative team that previously adapted The Hound of the Baskervilles and A Study in Scarlet, this volume features all of the hallmarks of the original prose. and the visual translation is rich with Victorian period atmosphere. Culbard's animation background is evident in the clean and deceptively simple artwork. The adaptation also does justice to the complicated plot involving a secret born during the Indian Rebellion in 1857.The narrative is also notable in the Holmes oeuvre for featuring Watson confronting Holmes about the detective's cocaine habit (which Holmes claims keeps his mind sharp when his daily life becomes a bore), and the introduction of Mary Morstan, a client who comes to mean a great deal to Dr. Watson. A real treat in every way. (Mar.)
