THE BOXER

THE BOXER
Writer/Artist: Reinhard Kleist
$22.95, SelfMadeHero, 200 pgs.
ISBN 978-1906838775

Among fans of world comics, Germany is kind of a non-entity. Apart from the inoffensive, kid-friendly Fix und Foxi, comics have just never been as popular in Germany as they are in places like France, Belgium, and Japan, where they're positively revered, or even the U.S., where comics drive massive merchandising and media empires. In recent years, though, a few German graphic novelists have started to put Germany on the comics map, producing work that is both technically impressive and less reliant on genre tropes than much of the work produced in countries with rich comics traditions. Reinhard Kleist is one of Germany's brightest comics talents, and his latest book, THE BOXER, is absolutely riveting.

THE BOXER is the true story of Hertzko (later "Harry") Haft, a Polish Jew who runs a smuggling ring in Nazi-occupied Bełchatów, Poland, only to end up in Auschwitz. He's not in Auschwitz for long, though: his physicality and viciousness get him sent to the labor camp near Jaworzno, where he is forced to compete in bare-knuckle boxing matches—to the death—for the amusement of his Nazi keepers. Hertzko makes his way to the United States after the war's end, where he pursues a career doing the only thing he knows: fighting.

Drawn in stark black and white, THE BOXER is a very different kind of Holocaust narrative. Haft is not a sympathetic character; he's a born survivor with a remarkable capacity for violence and self-interest. This what makes his story interesting, though: burdened by horrific memories and the dream of a woman left behind long, long ago, even the brutish Hertzko is revealed to be painfully human. Kleist shows us Haft's sense of loss, his rage, unfiltered and without commentary. The reading experience is revelatory. THE BOXER will break your heart, but you won't be able to put it down.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: A substantial read that will appeal to your regular graphic novel readers and to those who'd normally never read a graphic novel. This book is a bargain.

READERS' ADVISORY NOTES: Hertzo "Harry" Haft's pro boxing career was brief (1948-49), but this book may have some appeal for fight fans, especially in light of Haft's claims regarding his 1949 bout with Rocky Marciano. This book is also one of those great "introductions to the medium of comics" I'm always going on about: just about any history buff will appreciate its unflinching portrayal of a complex man making his way through turbulent times. Don't worry that the book was originally published in German; the translation is excellent.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Some nudity/sexual content, graphic violence/brutality

Review © 2014, C. Michael Hall.

THE SECRET SERVICE: KINGSMAN

THE SECRET SERVICE: KINGSMAN

Writers: Mark Millar, Matthew Vaughn

Artist: Dave Gibbons

$12.99, Icon/Marvel Comics, 160 pgs.

ISBN 978-0785165460

Writer Mark Millar is the king of the “elevator pitch.” In Hollywood parlance, the elevator pitch is the art of describing your project in such a way that the high concept (and all the implications therein) can be encapsulated in the thirty seconds you share an elevator with a film producer. As I said, Millar excels at this, which is why so many of his projects attract Hollywood interest. For WANTED, the pitch was, “What if an ordinary nebbish found himself indoctrinated into the secret society of super-assassins to which his dead father once belonged?” For KICK-ASS: “What would happen in real life if a lonely teenager tried to fill the voids in his existence by putting on a costume to fight crime?” For NEMESIS: “What if Batman was the bad guy?” And for THE SECRET SERVICE: “What if an aging James Bond pulled some strings to recruit his ne’er-do-well nephew for grooming as his replacement?”

Millar’s work for Marvel Comics includes some of the highest-selling comics of recent years, including THE ULTIMATES and THE ULTIMATES 2 (which greatly influenced Marvel’s cinematic film universe) and CIVIL WAR. THE SECRET SERVICE: KINGSMAN was co-plotted with Matthew Vaughn, the director of films such as STARDUST (2007), KICK-ASS (2010), X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011), and not coincidentally, the forthcoming film adaptation of this very graphic novel. The art is by Dave Gibbons, one of Britain’s greatest living cartoonists, perhaps best known for his work on the landmark WATCHMEN series with writer Alan Moore. So, as you can see, some heavyweight talents worked on this book.

Unfortunately, THE SECRET SERVICE: KINGSMAN comes across as being a little light.

This book wasn’t meant to change the face of comics. It’s a sardonically dark action-comedy, as Millar’s creator-owned work tends to be, and it succeeds on that level. The villain’s plot is almost an afterthought shoehorned into the story of our Bond-proxy and his nephew…which is entirely the point, I suppose, but this robs certain characters’ story arcs—particularly their deaths—of the gravitas they deserve. That’s not a deal-breaker; Millar’s style has always relied on a certain measure of callousness in its gallows humor. But THE SECRET SERVICE: KINGSMAN, while a perfectly good graphic novel, underscores precisely why that style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Does the fact that I really enjoyed this book mean I’m a bad person?

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: Millar’s KICK-ASS was a popular comic before the movies came out; the films made it even more popular. There’s a good chance the forthcoming film will lead readers to this book as well, which is a great opportunity for you to increase your circ figures and introduce people to non-superhero comics at the same time! Plus, being a standalone work priced at only $12.99, it’s a bargain.

READERS’ ADVISORY NOTES: Note that while the graphic novel is called THE SECRET SERVICE: KINGSMAN, the forthcoming film is called KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE. Readers who enjoy spy stories, dark comedy, and over-the-top action scenes will devour this book with relish. It is, however, a very adult work (see Content Advisory).

CONTENT ADVISORY: Strong language, graphic violence, nudity and sexual content

Review © 2014, C. Michael Hall.

WILD OCEAN: SHARKS, WHALES, RAYS, AND OTHER ENDANGERED SEA CREATURES

WILD OCEAN: SHARKS, WHALES, RAYS, AND OTHER ENDANGERED SEA CREATURES

Writers: Various

Artists: Various

Edited by Matt Dembicki

$19.95, Fulcrum Publishing, 156 pgs.

ISBN 978-1938486388

Full disclosure: I've known Matt Dembicki for some time now. We were both members of the same small press co-op long ago (I'm depressed by the sudden realization of just how long ago) and our work has appeared in a few of the same publications. I've always appreciated Matt's work as a writer, cartoonist, and editor; seeing him evolve into a comics creator of such rare ability and intelligence has been a pleasure. It isn't because I know him that I am so appreciative of his work, though. It's because Matt is incredibly adept at making quality comics.

Matt's previous graphic non-fiction anthologies, TRICKSTER  and DISTRICT COMICS, were both delightful, and I heartily recommend both to any library that hasn't already shelved them. That said, WILD OCEAN might be his best editorial effort to-date. WILD OCEAN is a collection of short stories, each one focused on a different endangered sea creature, produced by a different creator or creative team, and each one a unique narrative experience. The art is vibrant and quirky, and though the writing lacks polish in spots, the immediacy of the work is such that it compensates for its few rough edges. WILD OCEAN illustrates the plight of these animals without preaching, without resorting to angry rhetoric or shocking imagery. It transports you into these creatures' lives and makes you love them.

If you aren't completely entranced by the time you've finished the first story in the collection, Jay Hosler's "Tortuga, the Island that Swims," well...you might be a robot.

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: WILD OCEAN is a work of fiction about a non-fictional topic, which makes it an ideal way to introduce readers to a subject without throwing reams of data at them. It takes an entertaining approach to the subject matter and encourages further study. You can't beat a non-fiction book that pulls off that particular feat.

READERS' ADVISORY NOTES: This is a sure-fire winner for readers into oceanography and the environment, but this book may also appeal to readers interested in comics but turned off by the usual "muscles and tights" style of art so prevalent in American comics and the "big eyes, small mouth" style so common in manga. And, as with any good non-fiction graphic novel, it's a fine way to lure in those non-fiction readers who normally wouldn't consider reading comics.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Some content might be too intense for sensitive or very young children.

Review©2014, C. Michael Hall.