Graphic Novels for Secondary Students

This genre's share of the YA market continues to grow, and several samples are in the process of review for suitability as classroom texts. (Check out my earlier blog for write ups on Maus 1, American Born Chinese, Louis Riel, Persepolis, and Malcolm X.)

pop gun war: gift, by farel dalrymple
Dark Horse Comics, 2003. ISBN: 978-1-56971-934-3
Surreal, dark, imagistic: an atmosphere of menace, ugliness, and [sub]human powerlessness. This novel's linked chapters present a complicated story of urban angels, demons, and mysterious alter egos. Peculiar use of symbols and magic realist elements make this book a challenging read. Think Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

The Silk Tapestry, and Other Chinese Folktales, by Patrick Atangan
NBM, 2004 ISBN: 1-56163-403-4
Atangan's attractive little book is a comic strip retelling of three classical Chinese folktales. Most useful for teachers might be "Pan Gu: the First Man," which represents the Confucian? creation story with elegance and simplicity. "The Silk Tapestry," the second entry in the book, is rather more pedantic -- a solemn tale of an aging Chinese woman whose humility and perseverence earn her a fantastic afterlife. The subtext about respecting elders is culturally appropriate, but somewhat banal. "Sausage Boy and the Magic Brush," the third story, is the richest, with a terrific variety of artistic style and a humourous undertone to the cautionary tale about greed limiting opportunity. Overall, as a window into Chinese culture, the book is illustrative, but not particularly information; as a work of art, Atangan's style has colour and a certain appeal.

Pride of Baghdad, by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
DC Comics, 2006. ISBN: 9781401203153
This is a colourful, readable rendition of the actual story of a family of lions, who are "liberated" when their Baghdad zoo is bombed. The animal characters are well-defined, and the situation that they find themselves in, although extreme, is credible. The destroyed landscape is vivid, and evocative, and the book is a good illustration of "casualties of war" themes. Recommended by ERAC for students in Grades 10 -12.

Seven Sons, by Alexander Grecian and Riley Rossmo [US]
AIT/Planet Lar, 2006. ISBN: 978-1932051469 106 pages.
An Asian-American teenaged girl finds herself inside a Chinatown curiousity shop, whose proprietor tells her the legend of the seven Chinese brothers: the tale of a Chinese woman who brings her specially gifted sons to Gold-Rush-era California. A tragic miscalculation leads to the family's persecution at the hands of angry townspeople, and the escalating violence leads to natural disaster.
This is a beautifully illustrated, easily readable story, and the creators provide some comparative folk versions of the story at the end of the book. The graphic style involves sparing use of text, and very subtle illustrative detail. An excellent entree into the genre for Grade 8-9, with rich possibilities for extension activities.

Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons [US]
DC Comics, 1986. ISBN: 9780930289232
Retired superheroes find themselves targeted by an unknown mastermind bent on world reconstruction.
This book has been well-received for several years, and there are several layers to the main plot. The creators make interesting use of "documentary" text inserts to provide background and dimension. Many characters are individualized, and vivid -- female characters, however, are stereotypical and limited -- and violence in the unfolding story is explosive and unmitigated. The sheer length and complication of the story may be hard for many readers to follow, and I have difficulty imagining how this text would work in a classroom setting, even at the senior secondary level it has been recommended for.