The theme this week is mystery. Cue the canned audience 'Oooh's and 'Ahhh's. I read two totally different comics that were both intriguing and captivating in their own right.
We'll start with the comic geared toward adults and then move to the comic for kiddos.
Black Stars Above
Vault Comics
Writer: Lonnie Nadler
Artist: Jenna Cha
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Previews World called this comic a "cosmic horror" and I am picking up what they're putting down.
This comic is a mystery from beginning to end and there are definitely horror elements abound. I couldn't help but think of "Coraline" when I looked at some of these, uh... characters? Monsters? It is yet to be seen.
We follow protagonist Eulalie as she goes through the motions of a life she has become discontent with. She is a fur trapper's daughter in some very cold and desolate looking place in 1887. The comic's narrative is pushed by diary entries from Eulalie as she muses about her life, her family's struggles and her desire for more.
As a small-town gal, I totally get it. After meeting a mysterious stranger, Eulalie heads into the storied forest to deliver a package. What lies beyond the forest is unclear. Will she meet friend or foe? She had written off stories told by her grandfather as prejudice for the things and people in the woods. But inside of the box she carries with her, Eulalie finds something powerful.
She'll have to let the black stars guide her.
This comic is spooky, beautiful, compelling and I can't wait to read issue #2.
Mr. Wolf's Class Mystery Club
Scholastic
Author: Aron Nels Steinke
This comic is for kiddos but I picked it up because Steinke is a Portland-local and I had heard such lovely things about his comics. They were all true. "Mystery Club" was charming and adorable and I wanted to immediately gift it to someone with a kid so they could enjoy it together.
The comic is a sort of slice of life look at a group of students in Mr. Wolf's class. It's innocent and adorable and brought me back to times where all your classmates were your friends and school was just so fun.
But it has some treats for parents, too, if they choose to read this story with their kids. Mr. Wolf is hilarious and very human for a wolf. His impatience and encouragement toward the students is very sweet. I would recommend this book to elementary-age kiddos but I'm an adult lady (kind of) and its sweetness entertained me, and I was incredibly impressed with the amount of inclusion in its characters. They are all animals but you see all different kinds of family structures and I think that's such a great subtle way to inject things like tolerance and kindness into a kid's book.
And a final note: Long live the rats!
I want to know what kinds of comics you're reading and loving. What do you think I should be reading? You can tweet me @hello_destiny and you can find more comics content at youtube.com/kgwcomics.