A couple of months back, Publisher Weekly magazine released its annual list of the Best Comics/Graphic Novels of 2010. Here is their picks:

	X'Ed Out by Charles Burns PW's Verdict: The adventures of Tintin get a dark mirror image as a young man named Doug suffers teenage angst and a hostile universe of talking maggots.
	Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson PW's Verdict: Gorgeous artwork and a smart, witty script elevate this tale of household pets who unite to fight occult menaces in idyllic Burden Hill.
	How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden PW's Verdict: An evocative, sometimes funny and often emotional recap of Glidden's birthright visit to Israel done with charming watercolors and no shortage of candid responses to the Jewish state and the Palestinian question.
	Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines PW's Verdict: A powerfully imagined and visually detailed experimental work set in an otherwise naturalistic world where animals can speak and argue the moral consequences of their treatment by humans.
	Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by Greg Neri and Randy DuBurke PW's Verdict: The origin of ongoing urban violence is explored through the true story of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an 11-year-old from the Chicago projects who gained infamy after killing a 14-year-old neighbor.
	Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka PW's Verdict: A crazy-intense achievement of spectacular artwork tells the story of Kate Kane, a gay former Marine who must save Gotham City from a crime-worshipping cult.
	Bodyworld by Dash Shaw PW's Verdict: A goofy yet gorgeously rendered, relentlessly experimental mashup of the high school sports hero and psychedelic drug novel genres that quite literally turns the book on its head.
	Weathercraft: A Frank Comic by Jim Woodring PW's Verdict: A disturbing fantasy of struggle from comics' premiere surrealist as the piglike Manhog endures the sufferings of Job from the cruel Whim.

The editors of Amazon have released their annual list of best comics and graphic novels of 2010:

The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death by Todd Hignite

Summary: Jaime Hernandez’s moving stories chronicle the lives of some of the most memorable and fully formed characters the comics form has ever seen. His female protagonists, masterfully delineated with humor, candor, and breathtaking realism, come to life within California’s Mexican-American culture and punk milieu.

Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka

Summary: A new era begins as Batwoman is unleashed on Gotham City! Marked by the blood-red bat emblem, Kate Kane is a soldier fighting her own private war - one that began years ago and haunts her every waking moment. In this first tale, Batwoman battles a madwoman known only as Alice, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras!

Market Day by James Sturm

Summary: Mendleman’s life goes through an upheaval when he discovers that he can no longer earn a living for his growing family doing the work that defines him—making well-crafted rugs by hand. A proud artisan, he takes his donkey-drawn cart to the market only to be turned away when the distinctive shop he once sold to now stocks only cheaply manufactured merchandise. As the realities of the marketplace sink in, Mendleman unravels.

King of the Flies by Michel Pirus

Summary: The book first appears to be a series of unrelated short stories, each starring (and narrated by) a different protagonist, but it soon becomes obvious that these seemingly disparate episodes weave together to form a single complex narrative, with events that are only glimpsed (or even referred to) revisited from different perspectives—revolving around Eric, a ne’er-do-well, drug-taking teenager at war with his stepfather and, apparently, the whole world. (He is the titular King.)

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt by Michael Mignola

Summary: When ancient giants begin to reawaken in the British Isles, Hellboy is invited to join an ancient band of fellow monster hunters called the Wild Hunt and help bring them down. But an unexpected betrayal sends Hellboy after a quarry far more deadly: the Queen of Blood. This newly reborn evil has her murderous sights set on all of humanity, and the only way Hellboy can stop her is to finally confront the truth about his own dark heritage.

Wednesday Comics by Neil Gaiman et al.

Summary: This oversized hardcover edition collects the entire critically acclaimed anthology series that reinvented the classic weekly newspaper comics section. It features 16-different stories starring the World's Greatest Super Heroes including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash, as well as lesser known characters including Metamorpho and Metal Men written and Illustrated by the comic industry's top talents.

Salon.com lists the best new graphic novels.
Watch slideshow here!

1. A Sickness in the Family

2. The Guild

3. The Little Prince

4. Picture This

5. Adventures of Unemployed Man

6. Blacksad

7. The Hunting of the Snark

8. Wilson

9. Parker: The Outfit

The theme for this year's Saskatchewan Library Week (October 18-25, 2010) is "Libraries=Possibilities". To help celebrate our favorite week of the year, here is a select list of library-themed graphic novels for you to check out. Enjoy!

Unshelved series by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes

Summary: A humourous look at what it is like for staff to work in and for those using the services and resources at Mallville Public Library. As the writers point out, "Some of the stories are made up, some of them are based on real life, and some are absolutely true stories sent to us from our readers. And the stranger the story, the more likely it is to be true."

Four Tall Tales: a Graphic History of Regina Public Library, featuring stories and illustrations by Allan Dotson, Dakota McFadzean, Jonah McFadzean and Raul Viceral

Summary: To help celebrate RPL's 100th anniversary in 2008, each writer created an original story based on one of the four iconic images used for on all our posters and banners. Blending trivia, history, biography, fantasy and even horror, the end result is a fascinating and very promising graphic novel that leaves you wanting more! Note: Click here to read a staff review of the novel.

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett Krosoczka

Summary: Lunch Lady can sniff out something rotten like no one else—and there’s definitely something rotten going on in the library. The usually friendly librarians have become cold and secretive. Even Dee can’t seem to crack a smile out of them. What darkness may lurk in the hearts of librarians? Lunch Lady is on the case! And Hector, Terrence, and Dee are along for a wild ride! Note: Click here to read a staff review of the novel.

I, Librarian by James Turner

Summary: The astonishing story of the incomparable Rex Libris, Head Librarian at Middleton Public Library, and his unending struggle against the forces of ignorance and darkness. Rex travels to the farthest reaches of the galaxy in search of overdue books. Wearing his super thick bottle glasses, and armed with an arsenal of high technology weapons, he strikes fear into recalcitrant borrowers, and can take on virtually any foe from zombies to renegade literary characters. In this first collection of Librarian adventures, Rex must confront the powerful Space Warlord Vaglox and retrieve the overdue Principia Mathematica while an energy manifestation of blood thirsty Vandals attempt to burn down Middleton Library, and all within, to the ground.

Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq by Mark Alan Stamaty

Summary: It is 2003. As the war in Iraq grows closer, Alia Muhammad Baker, chief librarian of the Central Library in Basra, grows increasingly fearful that the irreplaceable treasures of her library are in grave danger. Her pleas to government officials go ignored, so Alia comes up with a plan of her own. With the help of her neighbours, Alia smuggles over 30,000 precious volumes to safety.

Jack of Fables series by Bill Willingham

Summary: A spin-off of Willinham's popular Fables series, this new series focuses on Jack Horner's adventures following his time in Hollywood where he is enjoying fame and fortune after a string of successful movies. However, Fables authorities move quickly quickly to strip him of his newly found success and to makes worst, these same authorities including a trio of gun-totting librarians, are out to silence Jack forever!

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. To help celebrate the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to Canada, here is a list of Asian-themed graphic novels for you to enjoy!

Note: This list only includes those books that look
at Asian identity, history, culture or politics.

As I was checking one of my favorite websites this past weekend, I stumbled across this list of 10 comic books that should be TV series.

I knew that ABC was developing Fables as a TV series but was surprised to hear that another one of my favorite series, The Walking Dead, was also going to be adapted for the small screen. Can't wait!

So do you agree with the list or do you think there is a series missing?

--May

Our great Children's Collection Coordinator came up with a few recommendations for kids. Check them out!

Mouse Guard by David Peterson
Medieval style swordplay meets animal fantasy in this story of a band of mice that protect their community from predators

Bumperboy Loses His Marbles by Debbie Huey
Bumperboy Loses His Marbles is an all-ages story following Bumperboy - with his best pal, Bumperpup - on his frantic trek to find his missing marbles before the big Marble Tournament. Does Bumperboy have what it takes to win all the marbles?

Sardine in Outer Space by Emmanuel Guibert
Sardine, a little girl, travels with other mates on a ship across the universe to prevent an evil dictator from ruling the whole galaxy.

Avatar the Last Airbender by Michael Dante DiMartino
Katara, who has special waterbending powers, and her brother, Sokka, rescue twelve-year-old Aang who is an airbender, a race of people no one has seen in a century. It is soon revealed that Aang is the long-lost Avatar who must save the world from the Fire Nation.

Somewhere along the line the top ten list grew to such proportions that it could no longer be contained in one measly article, these days whole books are dedicated to single lists. 500 Essential Graphic Novels: The Ultimate Guide, is a catch-all list of the the graphic novels you should read to know what's going on in the world of comics. Sure, there are bound to be omissions deemed unforgivable by some while other books and authors are over-represented, but all-in-all this is a fairly comprehensive book.

All the big genres are divided up by chapter including a chapter for general fiction, comprising everything that either doesn't fit into a genre or refuses to recognize that genres exist. Manga and European comics are represented but the focus is on North America and the books that are available here. In fact, books that aren't in print in the U.S. are not listed. This book is intended for the general reader who's getting interested in comics or who wants to see what's out there (though just about anybody will find something new). Now that comics are going mainstream and more people are taking them seriously a book like this can be an invaluable introduction to comics' great diversity.

--Mr. Awesome

Wow, you know when the holiday season is fast upon us when the first top 10 books list of the year start appearing. Here is the Amazon Editors' Top Ten Picks in Comics and Graphic Novels for 2008:

1. Apocalypse Suite: The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way.

Summary: In an inexplicable, worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.

2. What It Is by Lynda Barry.

Summary: How do objects summon memories? What do real images feel like? For decades, these types of questions have permeated the pages of Lynda Barry’s compositions, with words attracting pictures and conjuring places through a pen that first and foremost keeps on moving. What It Is demonstrates a tried-and-true creative method that is playful, powerful, and accessible to anyone with an inquisitive wish to write or to remember.

3. An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories: Volume 2 (Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories) by Ivan Brunetti.

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4. Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw.

Summary: After 40-some years of marriage, Maggie and David Loony shock their children with their announcement of a planned divorce. But the reason for splitting isn't itself shocking: they're "just not in love any more." The announcement sparks a week long Loony family reunion at Maggie and David's creepy (and possibly haunted) beach house.

5. The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames.

Summary: This touching, compassionate, ultimately humorous story explores the heart of a failing writer who's coming off a doomed romance and searching for hope. Unfortunately, the first place his search takes him is the bottom of a bottle as he careens from one off-kilter encounter to another in search of himself.

6. Omega: The Unknown by Jonathan Lethem.

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7. Too Cool To Be Forgotten by Alex Robinson.

Summary: In 2010, mild-mannered software engineer Andrew Wicks goes to a hypnotist to quit smoking, but wakes up from his trance to find himself in high school in 1985.

8. Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert by Scott Adams.

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9. Zot!: The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987-1991 by Scott McCloud.

Summary: The series stars Zot, a teenager from an alternate Earth where rocket-powered boots and laser guns are commonplace, and Jenny, a girl from our Earth who just wants to escape her humdrum high school existence. The zippy, pulpy stories feature Zot facing off against a multitude of villains, from robots run amok to thwarted, steampunk-style inventors.

10. The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard by Eddie Campbell.

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