Not just a tie-in, this throwback builds on the weirdness of its era and offers something more.
Segura brings the “lost” comic book described in his novel Secret Identity(2022) to four-color life with illustrator Jarrell in this 1970s super-hero throwback graphic novel.
In this work, the Legendary Lynx (aka Claudia Calla) is allowed to operate free from her metafictional origins as a character from the mid-1970s stolen from newbie writer Carmen Valdez (neither the character nor the creator ever existed in real life), prowling the shadowed streets of Triumph City clad in a domino mask and cheetah-print bell-bottoms, “sleek, dangerous, and eager to take out Triumph City’s trash.” Trained as an acrobatic, claw-wielding vigilante by the ghost of a prolific cat burglar to avenge her murdered sister, Claudia becomes a hero who both protects and supports women. Lynx stands apart from other characters of the time due to an absence of the racial or gender stereotypes common to the era. This approach makes her noteworthy even today as the narrative inverts tropes, provides queer subtext, and positions the supposedly “mild-mannered” Claudia as the only hope for intrepid reporter Simon Upton, who is stalked by the vampiric Mr. Void and his translucent skeletal army of Voidoids. Jarrell’s dynamic pencils bring the action on faux-faded, yellowed pages, drawing loving inspiration from Sal Buscema’s work on Steve Englehart’s Secret Empire and giving the book a “dated” look that cleverly helps to frame the story as ahead of its time. Comic-book Easter eggs abound, including The Apparition’s Dr. Manhattan-esque word balloons, a muscular medieval villain straight out of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, and locations referencing creators like Duffy Vohland. These references are a blast and not just a gimmick; a tongue-in-cheek framing device that pulls in comics legend J.M. DeMatteis and Comic Book Resources reporter Brian Cronin also offers frank commentary and a short but thorough history of the comics industry. The end result is a companion piece to a celebrated novel (and its sequel, Alter Ego) that doesn’t just dither in meta-commentary—it’s actually a fun super-hero period piece that stands on its own.
Not just a tie-in, this throwback builds on the weirdness of its era and offers something more.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781545814000
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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
Immensely enjoyable.
The debut graphic novel from Mohamed presents a modern Egypt full of magical realism where wishes have been industrialized and heavily regulated.
The story opens with a televised public service announcement from the General Committee of Wish Supervision and Licensing about the dangers of “third-class wishes”—wishes that come in soda cans and tend to backfire on wishers who aren’t specific enough (like a wish to lose weight resulting in limbs falling from the wisher’s body). Thus begins a brilliant play among magic, the mundane, and bureaucracy that centers around a newsstand kiosk where a devout Muslim is trying to unload the three “first-class wishes” (contained in elegant glass bottles and properly licensed by the government) that have come into his possession, since he believes his religion forbids him to use them. As he gradually unloads the first-class wishes on a poor, regretful widow (who then runs afoul of authorities determined to manipulate her out of her valuable commodity) and a university student who seeks a possibly magical solution to their mental health crisis (but struggles with whether a wish to always be happy might have unintended consequences), interstitials give infographic histories of wishes, showing how the Western wish-industrial complex has exploited the countries where wishes are mined (largely in the Middle East). The book is exceptionally imaginative while also being wonderfully grounded in touching human relationships, existential quandaries, and familiar geopolitical and socio-economic dynamics. Mohamed’s art balances perfectly between cartoon and realism, powerfully conveying emotions, and her strong, clean lines gorgeously depict everything from an anguished face to an ornate bottle. Charts and graphs nicely break up the reading experience while also concisely building this larger world of everyday wishes. Mohamed has a great sense of humor, which comes out in footnotes and casual asides throughout.
Immensely enjoyable.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-524-74841-8
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
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