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Feb 10

Graphic Novel Pull List

Looking for a few titles to explore the hidden backlots of human experience? The four below dive deep into biographical and psychological hinterlands, ruminating on childhood, parenthood, and more amid all manner of circumstances. In each instance, the artists/writers unearth emotional veins buried deep in meaning and experience to produce unique and powerful stories.

Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa

Cover of "Three Shadows"

Cover of Three Shadows

A father’s struggle to save his son from the fates takes him on an extraordinary journey. Cyril Pedrosa shows off artistic chops polished in the mines of animated film production (among his credits, Hercules and the Hunchback of Notre Dame) and takes full flight in this memoriam to a loved one.

Stitches by David Small

The New Yorker artist and childrens book illustrator stirs up a cauldron of childhood memories and comes to terms with the powerful, often terrible, circumstances that made him the artist he is today.

Tonoharu by Lars Martinson

Cover of Tonoharu

Cover of Tonoharu: Part One

A beautifully rendered debut by Xeric-award winning graphic novelist, Lars Martinson, tells the story of a lonely, depressed expat teaching English in Japan. I look forward to the second in this series — the look of which reminds me of Chris Ware‘s precise drawing style.

The Killer by Matz, Luc Jacamon

Cover of "The Killer Volume 1"

Cover of The Killer Volume 1 (v. 1)

Unlike the above, The Killer (“Le Tueur”) treads on more rarefied ground — an introspective examination of life as an assassin. Originally written in French, the story unfolds slowly but drips with menace and suspense. David Fincher is apparently bringing this to the big screen.