A classic crime story with lively twists and engaging illustrations.
A gangster returns home to England to save his niece in Thomas’ graphic novel crime saga.
Late at night on the streets of Brighton, England, a young woman named Grace is attacked by an unknown assailant, who’s directed to do so by an older man in a car. She’s quite familiar with her city’s seedy underworld, and she lands some good blows against the driver but is eventually abducted. Grace has been dating Ian Woods, the son of local crime kingpin Harry Woods; Grace’s uncle, John Bannan, had dealings with the Woods that forced him out of town years earlier. Now he’s back and ready to settle old scores, and with the help of his longtime friend, Matty, he starts brawling his way through the city. Back at the Woods’ camp, no one is happy to see John’s sudden reappearance; his arrival on the scene coincides with the Woods’ dangerous deal with a group of Albanian sex smugglers, which is threatening their empire. It isn’t long before John and Matty get pulled into the fray. Thomas’ sharp writing offers plenty of suspense, while also layering in rich history. Every character hints at deeper stories and festering betrayals, which makes this graphic novel feel realistic and gritty. Characters speak in the hard-boiled manner that one expects from a pulp-inspired story: “I never wanted to be a bastard. it’s just all I’ve ever been good at,” John narrates early on. Secondary characters keep the narrative fresh, and Matthews’ retro illustrations fit the tone perfectly; his clever use of blue, orange, and black hues give even expositional scenes a sense of cinematic movement and scope. The ending feels a bit rushed as it ties all the different plot threads together, but there’s at least one great surprise that readers may not see coming, and plenty of exciting action sequences throughout.
A classic crime story with lively twists and engaging illustrations.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781545815915
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced...
A pairing of the text of the Scottish Play with a filmed performance, designed with the Shakespeare novice in mind.
The left side of the screen of this enhanced e-book contains a full version of Macbeth, while the right side includes a performance of the dialogue shown (approximately 20 lines’ worth per page). This granular focus allows newcomers to experience the nuances of the play, which is rich in irony, hidden intentions and sudden shifts in emotional temperature. The set and costuming are deliberately simple: The background is white, and Macbeth’s “armor” is a leather jacket. But nobody’s dumbing down their performances. Francesca Faridany is particularly good as a tightly coiled Lady Macbeth; Raphael Nash-Thompson gives his roles as the drunken porter and a witch a garrulousness that carries an entertainingly sinister edge. The presentation is not without its hiccups. Matching the video on the right with the text on the left means routinely cutting off dramatic moments; at one point, users have to swipe to see and read the second half of a scene’s closing couplet—presumably an easy fix. A “tap to translate” button on each page puts the text into plain English, but the pop-up text covers up Shakespeare’s original, denying any attempts at comparison; moreover, the translation mainly redefines more obscure words, suggesting that smaller pop-ups for individual terms might be more meaningful.
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced e-book makes the play appealing and graspable to students . (Enhanced e-book. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The New Book Press LLC
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
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