Free Comic Book Day

Happy Free Comic Book Day! Yes, comic books, those consistently overlooked, underrated, and misunderstood pieces of sequential art that, I dare say, do more to inspire literacy than any wretched Bob book. So get out to your independent comics store, pick up some free comics, and buy a few goodies while you're at it. Here are some recent favorites of mine.

Incognegro, written by Mat Johnson, art by Warren Pleece (Vertigo/DC, 2008)
Colleen at Chasing Ray alerted me to this gem. The fictional account is set in the South in the 1930s, when lynchings were so common they ceased to be news and municipal officials turned a blind eye.

New York City journalist Zane Pinchback identifies as a Negro, though his pale hair and eyes allow him to "pass" as white, making him uniquely qualified to go undercover and make sure these lynchings aren't simply swept under the rug. But his work takes on new urgency when his own, darker-skinned brother is accused of murdering a white woman in the Deep South and Zane's the only person willing and able to uncover the truth.

Incognegro succeeds as a page-turner of a mystery/suspense, but its real weight lies in its powerful social commentary on the meaning our society places on skin color. Highly recommended for adults and teens. (Also reviewed by the New York Times.)

Runaways, written mostly by Brian K. Vaughan, art by a boatload of folks (Marvel, 2004–present)
My friend Evan suggested this series to me, and I'm glad he did! I just finished breezing through the first seven trades (collecting Volume 1, #1-18, and Volume 2, #1-24). Apparently Joss Whedon started writing the series after that, but I haven't gotten my hands on those issues yet.

The premise is catchy. One night, the six kids of an L.A. supervillain gang known as The Pride learn what their parents are up to and decide they're not interested in joining the family business. Initially aged 11 to 16 (if memory serves), they run away together to hone their own superskills and foil the Pride. Of course, lots of other bad guys turn up, too, not to mention those pesky, interfering NYC heroes and the general drama that results when you put a bunch of hormonal young folks into an intense situation (i.e., secret crushes, snogging, and jealousy). Oh, and one of them is a traitor, too, but we're not sure who...

It's a well-written, well-drawn series that turns many superhero conventions on their heads, while maintaining humor and heart. Also remarkable is the diverse cast of characters. Set in L.A., the multicultural cast (white and black, people of Asian, Hispanic, and Jewish ancestry, etc.) comes off as natural rather than obvious and forced. The male-female ratio is balanced, sometimes even tipped toward the female side, and these girls are not underdressed, oversexed, or at all wussy. At least one character is gay, and Volume 2 introduces a shapeshifting character whose natural form is apparently male but who is just as comfortable in female form. There's even some variety in body type, though most of the characters still tend toward the waifish end. Basically, it's got all the diversity everyone's been looking for in comic books all these years—a sign of the progress everyone's hoping for.

In conclusion: a superfun series for junior high and up!

ETA, 5/4/08 - Until this week, I somehow completely missed that Tales from the Farm, a graphic novel I mentioned in February won a 2008 Alex Award. YALSA, the young adult services division of the American Library Association, gives the Alex Award to books published for the adult market that have great teen appeal. The award is ostensibly named after librarian great Margaret "Alex" Edwards, but I think it could just as easily stand for Adult Literature that's actually EXciting.