Most Anticipated New Books – July 2020
Here are the books and comics I’m most looking forward to that come out in July!
Comics Review – November Volume 2 by Elsa Charretier and Matt Fraction
November volume 2 picks up in the immediate aftermath of the first volume that came out last year. This volume is about the same length as the first volume, coming in at about 80 pages. I think the release model for the series is pretty interesting. You’ll end up with amounts to a pretty hefty graphic novel coming out in three chunks over the course of about 18 months.
Best reads of June 2020
It’s a little bit early, but here are my favorite things that I read in June 2020. Most of them had been released before this month. It was a month marked by trying to focus on primarily reading work from Black creators. It was also a month marked by having difficulty focusing on reading, spending a good deal of time doomscrolling instead. Nonetheless, I still managed to read quite a bit and discovered some great works from authors old and new to me.
Manga Review – Crocodile Baron, Vol. 1 by Takuya Okada
This was absolutely bonkers. Usually I start a review by giving a brief synopsis of what the book is about, but I felt this one warranted a bit of commentary first. Crocodile Baron is a manga about a talking, high-class crocodile novelist who is always on the search for the finest culinary treats that Japan has to offer. Donning his top hat, with his side-kick, Rabbit, in-tow, Crocodile departs to a new area of Japan in each chapter after hearing about the best place to get Japanese favorites like Udon or Takoyaki. If that sounds like a pretty crazy premise for a book, it’s only because it absolutely is.
Reading Reflections: The March trilogy by Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
Rep. John Lewis, the Congressman serving Georgia’s 5th district since 1987, is one of the most titanic figures of the United States Civil Rights movement from the 1950’s and 1960’s. In a trilogy of graphic novels, co-written by Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, Lewis recounts his involvement in the movement. Across the three books, virtually every major event during the movement is covered. This history of the battle for justice and equality for Black Americans is essential knowledge as the fight continues well into the twenty-first century. March serves as a reminder of how far the nation was able to progress due to the sheer, unrelenting will of African Americans during Rep. Lewis’ life and just how far we collectively have to go.
