Graphic Novels Read in July Part II

Part II of the July graphic novels brought several surprises, a few of them highly recommended. Let’s get started…

Black River (2015) Josh Simmons

Black River (2015) Josh Simmons (Fantagraphics)
Josh Simmons, writer and artist
Trade paperback, 6.6″ x 8.6″, 112 pages
ISBN 9781606998335
Retail $18.99
Adults

Let’s get this out of the way right up front: Black River is one of the most uncompromisingly brutal, bleak and violent books I’ve read in quite some time. It certainly won’t be for everyone. I wasn’t sure if it was for me. In fact, I almost didn’t review it. No, that’s not accurate: I almost didn’t finish it, not because it wasn’t good, but because it made me so uncomfortable. Yet the fact that it makes me so uncomfortable also prompts me to write about it.

Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts: An Appreciation

If you’re like me and read Peanuts as a kid and haven’t revisited the comic strip in many years, you might be surprised by taking a look at the first volume of Charles M. Schulz’s creation. I recently wrote an appreciation of the strip over at The Comics Alternative. Hope you enjoy it!