Level Up by Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham
I picked this up due to my love for American Born Chinese.* I'm happy to report, Level Up is just as good, and has made it onto my best graphic novels for 2011 list. I enjoy books like Level Up, they showcase new talent and are a great platform for using comics to propel ideas, not just superheros. This is a classic son not wanting to disappoint his father story. In a sense, I've read this before, but Level Up treats the story differently. It's use of watercolor comics all done by Pham bring it out of the stagnate modern comic and into a more modern place. Pick this book up, it's a coming of age story, but with a twist that everyone can appreciate.
When I did more extensive writing about this during Graphic Novel Month I went on and on about the modern state of comics. I believe, with the advent of ereaders and tables, we are going to see a new type of mixed media author. Part graphic, part prose, part chose your own adventure, and part compelling story. It's a medium that cries out for collaboration. The artwork in Level Up lends itself to such works. It's fresh, but with an old soul feel. I'm going to keep an eye on the artist, because I feel like I'll see a lot more of him in the future. He brags about only having 399 fans on facebook, but a few years from now he's going to be more widely known. Pick this up now, watch the growth, it will be amazing.
I'm now moving onto The Scorpio Races. This has been on a bunch of 2011 best of lists, so I've decided to give it a shot. Also, I'm still attempting to study for the GRE so posting may be a bit slow for the next week or so. I can't wait for that to be over.
*American Born Chinese is an astonishingly good graphic novel. Read it. You won't be disappointed.
I picked this up due to my love for American Born Chinese.* I'm happy to report, Level Up is just as good, and has made it onto my best graphic novels for 2011 list. I enjoy books like Level Up, they showcase new talent and are a great platform for using comics to propel ideas, not just superheros. This is a classic son not wanting to disappoint his father story. In a sense, I've read this before, but Level Up treats the story differently. It's use of watercolor comics all done by Pham bring it out of the stagnate modern comic and into a more modern place. Pick this book up, it's a coming of age story, but with a twist that everyone can appreciate.
When I did more extensive writing about this during Graphic Novel Month I went on and on about the modern state of comics. I believe, with the advent of ereaders and tables, we are going to see a new type of mixed media author. Part graphic, part prose, part chose your own adventure, and part compelling story. It's a medium that cries out for collaboration. The artwork in Level Up lends itself to such works. It's fresh, but with an old soul feel. I'm going to keep an eye on the artist, because I feel like I'll see a lot more of him in the future. He brags about only having 399 fans on facebook, but a few years from now he's going to be more widely known. Pick this up now, watch the growth, it will be amazing.
I'm now moving onto The Scorpio Races. This has been on a bunch of 2011 best of lists, so I've decided to give it a shot. Also, I'm still attempting to study for the GRE so posting may be a bit slow for the next week or so. I can't wait for that to be over.
*American Born Chinese is an astonishingly good graphic novel. Read it. You won't be disappointed.
No comments:
Post a Comment