Lego Star Wars: Darth Maul's Mission (Family Comic Friday)

Yes- this is a children’s book! It’s either completely wayyyyyyy too young for me or I’m wayyyyyyy too old for it.

  Whichever.

  So, why did I check it out and read it? Well, it was placed in the New Arrival Kids Graphic

Novel shelf at my library. I had recently watched the Freemakers Lego Star Specials Cartoon Network and while geared for kids, I did find them very funny. That explains the Lego Star Wars part, but why is a 38-year old husband trolling the kids section. Over the years, I’ve been working on building up the graphic novel sections (in 13 years, it’s gone from 1 shelf to over a dozen, plus a kids and young adult section.) It doesn’t help that the librarians at my local branches don’t really know what’s appropriate for kids and what’s not. I mean, I found Watchmen in Young Adult once and Death: High Cost of Living in the kids section!

   Anyway, the book wasn’t a comic book or graphic novel by any stretch of the imagination. It needs to be shelved in young readers for sure. Even though the characters used word bubbles to speak, there isn’t any sequential action indicative of the comics medium.

  It’s a children’s book, through and through. Though, there are plot holes as the action goes from Naboo to Tattooine to a dance party on said desert planet and back to Naboo with no answer as to why Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan make the interplanetary u-turn in the first place. Talk about your suspensions of disbelief!

  Parents, expect many laughs and probably even more questions when reading this as a bedtime story.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Banned Books Week 2015- What Gives a Book a Bad Name?

 
   Yesterday we looked at the people who asked for books to be banned. Today, we're going to look at the factors that give a book a bad name.

  So, just what gets a book banned?

    The answer: Just about anything. From depictions of sexual situations to drug and alcohol use. Accounts of homosexuality to portrayals of religions- both Christain and not. Offensive language, violence, and rape are other reasons people demand a book be banned from schools, stores, and libraries. My favorite reason is differing political viewpoints.

    Well, folks, if these were the reasons to ban a book then you'd never be able to get you hands on a copy of the Bible, Torah, Koran, or most other religious texts. (And this insight is coming from a Christian!!!)

   Another reason books are banned are because people violate the number #1 of selecting a book: They judge it by its cover. Take the book I am reading right now. As you can see on the cover of Maus, it depicts 2 mice huddling under a poster of a cat that looks an awful lot like Hitler. There is also a swastika behind the Hitler-cat. Well, I posted this exact picture yesterday (see right) and my mother-in-law flipped. She thought I was reading a pro-Nazi text.

    She hasn't been the only one ever to do this. Art Spiegelman's Maus has been challenged numerous times because people see the cover and think 'Oh, my God! Someone is making the Nazis kid friendly. I must stop this." But in reality the artist used Mice to represent the Jews and Cats as the Nazis to show how Hitler referred to the Jews- as vermin that needed to be extinguished! And what is nature's most perfect exterminator of mice? Why, it's a cat! Click here to read more...

    After I explained all of this to my mother-in-law (and mentioned that it takes place in her ancestral home of Poland), I think I came ever so close to convincing her to actually read a graphic novel!!!

    Anyway, my point to this article is is that so many times a book gets banned or a bad reputation is because someone looks at the cover, is repulsed, and automatically calls for its censor. But if people would just research the book, a lot of the legal tie-ups about censorship would be erased from dockets nationwide.

    One neat thing my library does every Banned Book Week is that they take a number of books on the list, wrap them in brown paper, and only tell the patron what things got the book banned. I think it's brilliant as it erases the stigma of judging books by their cover and lets the reader go into the book with very little prejudice.

    Now, if you were to see from the listing of grievances that one of those books dealt with something you didn't like- such as violence or homosexuality; here's my advice: don't check it out! Get something else. No one is forcing you to read this stuff... TO BE CONTINUED...

   (coming Friday:  A Family Comic Friday Special Report- Banned Books in School: Assignment Vs. Parental Control.)

Banned Book Week 2015: So Who Bans a Book Anyway?

I went to my local library today to drop out some books due. I'm on staycation, so I thought I'd check out their Banned Books Weeks display. It was a fairly decent little display, 6-sided, but nothing really eye-catching- except for a very information info sheet on the top of the display.

   I was very surprised to learn that of the challenges to books in the past year, only 18% of those who sought to ban a particular book were politicians, religious groups/ clergy, pressure groups, or other governing bodies. The majority of people who attempted to have a book banned were patrons/ customer and parents at 58%.

    To be fair, almost a quarter of legal challenges to banned books were kept confidential or of another criteria that didn't fit in any other category, so there could be some pressure groups or senators or priests lurking in that category unaccounted for. But still, it's a lot smaller percentage than I thought it would be.

  I think the reason behind this is that the news is more likely to cover a story about censorship if it involves a politician or religious group. Why is this? Mostly because sensationalism brings in viewers and readers. CNN doesn't want to devote time to a patron who bought a book and didn't like it and is trying to get it removed from stores. The media would rather cover a group of angry politicians and preachers seeking to have a book not just banned but burnt to a crisp than over a group of mothers irate that little Johnny saw Dr. Manhattan's dingle when he read Watchmen.

  Another issue that makes Banned Book week so important is that there were more challenges toward banning books last year than in any other year in the past decade. So what is the cause for this?

I think it can be broken down into 5 ways:

1. Public mores has changed. Alternative lifestyles are more accepted. Also, People are way more sensitive towards discrimination than ever before. and that leads into #2
2. We are a social media culture. It's a lot easier to get people to rally behind a cause like Black Lives Matter because you have the internet to spread your message more quickly. That leads to #3
3. Companies are afraid of losing money more than ever before. When a variant cover depicting the Joker holding Batgirl hostage, people went to their mobile devices and started a campaign demanding that DC Comics cancel the cover or face a financial boycott. The economy might be better than it was a decade ago, but one major slip in profits is enough for a media giant like DC to have nightmares.
4. Speaking of nightmares- parenting is another reason for why we see so many challenges in the legal system about banning books. Parents, these days are either A) not engaged enough or B) too engaged to the point that they put their child in a bubble. (I was more of a B-child, my sister 12-years younger than I, was more of an A-child.) Anyway, you get these hyperactive parents who see things in books like Harry Potter practicing witchcraft or an alien mom breastfeeding her child and parents go nuts. This leads to my final point...
5. There aren't enough people trying to educate readers on age appropriateness. 

    A favorite story I like to tell folks is how I found a copy of the ground-breaking miniseries Watchmen in the all-ages section of my local library. The book contains nudity, sex, and lots of swears. There's also some violence, but compared to other comics out in the 80s, it's mild. 

   See, I know from experience what's in this book! But the librarian who processed it did n;t. She thought because it was about superheroes, published by DC, and soon to become a movie, then it was okay for all readers. Interestingly enough, she thought I wanted the book banned. I just wanted it put in a more age appropriate place so that we could avoid this from being an issue when a child brought this home to a family who would petition for the book to be banned from the library. 

   So, I encourage you adults out there to please look at the books out there on the market and review them for age appropriateness. That's completely fine to say that my 6-year-old can read Batman Adventures but must be 14 before I'll let them read The Killing Joke. Just don't look at a book and say that because it doesn't fit you views that the book should be outlawed. 

   You may not agree with Mein Kampf or the Communist Manifesto, but this is a country where freedom of speech is protected. Plus, the countries where those works were published had a lengthy and bloody history on banning books and eventually began targeting those who thought differently to those viewpoints with imprisonment, torture, and death.

     Remember folks, when we fail to remember history, we are more than likely doomed to repeat it.
  
   Just a little food for thought on this Tuesday of Banned Books Week, 2015.

  Happy Reading!!!

Tomorrow is Star Wars Reads Day (A Family Comic Friday Extra!)

Tomorrow will be the 2^nd annual Star Wars Reads Day. Sponsored by Lucasfilm and now Disney, the event encourages children to read. And what’s a better way to start reading than to enjoy the adventures of the Star Wars Universe in print.

According to WRAL.com, the ABC affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina, Wake County libraries will be hosting Star Wars Reads parties. During this time, kids can build their own droids, make Chewbacca inspired crafts, have pictures taken with their favorite Star Wars Characters and read some great Star Wars books. Raleigh area Barnes & Noble stores are supposed to also be hosting similar events tomorrow, though WRAL did not go into further detail on that.

Since the year I was born- there has always been Star Wars. It’s like we’re twins or something and I have read my share of some really good and really bad Star Wars books. Here’s a few all-age friendly suggestions to look out for tomorrow.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures- These digests are based on the cartoon show and feature several stories in each volume. I’ve seen them in many libraries and B&N still carry them or can order them. Price is usually less than $9 each

Star Wars Adventures- Also in digest form, these volumes tell some untold tales of your favorite classic Star Wars Characters ranging from Han Solo to Yoda to Darth Vader. These are a little harder to find in retail outlets but many libraries do carry them still.

Star Wars Omnibus- Droids and Ewoks- back in the 80s Lucas presented 2 cartoons based on characters from Star Wars. Droids was the early adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO before they became property of Luke Skywalker. Ewoks took place sometime before the Empire came a calling in Return of the Jedi. Both shows spawned comic book series that though aimed at kids, were a really cool nostalgic read when I found this at a thrift store. Look for the awesome cross-over in which the Droids and Ewoks team-up against some baddies. Original Cover Price is $22.50.

Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago- These massive volumes are out of print but can still be found in libraries and online. These books collect Marvel’s epic 120+ issue run of the comics based on the original Star Wars trilogy. The violence is no worse than in the films and there are some really awesome stories contained in this along with adaptations of the films. These stories can also be found in stores in Omnibus form published by Dark Horse for around $25-$30 a volume.

Also- Here’s two series that are those a little bit older (12+)

Star Wars: Tag & Bink Were Here- This collected edition follows the misfit Jedi rejects Tag and Bink. Just like in the film Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead- Tag and Bink’s misadventures in some crazy way impact the events of both the original and new trilogies. Extremely funny stuff that’s available in stores or Amazon for SRP of $20.

Star Wars: Infinities (Various subtitles) - These collected editions are based on ‘what if’ scenarios. For example, in Empire Strikes Back, we see what would’ve transpired in Luke was killed by the wampa on Hoth and instead Han had to train to be a Jedi under master Yoda. Sadly, only the original trilogy has been given this treatment. Can also be found in Omnibus form by Dark Horse.

I’ve included a link to the WRAL site. I’m sure you can find a Star Wars Reads Day event in your area as this is a nationwide initiative. So, best of luck, get reading, and may the force be with you!

Marvel Age Spider-man #18 (Family Comic Friday)

Cover to Marvel Age Spider-man #18. Library edition has a red spine and is titled "Spidey Strikes Back."

  Little treasures like this issue can be found at your local library true believers…

 From 2005, when Spider-man suddenly disappears, newspaper editor J Jonah Jameson declares victory that the Spidey menace is over. A slew of criminals also believe that the city is ripe for their plucking and having been attacking the city in droves. Eager to find out why Spider-man disappeared, the Human Torch has been making rounds hoping to catch up with the wall-crawler during one of these crime sprees. But the Sandman and the Enforcers have also been following the arachnid-clad hero’s routes and now have a member of the Fantastic Four in their sights. Now it’s Johnny Storm who needs saving by his friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

Marvel Age was the first attempt by Marvel to create all-age friendly comics that could appeal to young readers, new-comers, and the comic book connoisseur, Marvel, unlike DC, was more open to this in the early 2000s and I think with the slew of movies and cartoons based on Marvel properties, they won the battle for that generation of new readers.

The one thing the Marvel Age books were missing was a link to the past while being relevant and creative. For example, the first 5 or so issues of Marvel Age Fantastic Four are a near verbatim recreation of the first 5 issues of the original series published in the 1960s. Why, even the lingo was archaic. Thankfully, Marvel got the message and was a little looser with the reins on later series, such as Spider-man. However, there was very little continuity in the Marvel Age books until the imprint was almost complete.

I prefer the Marvel Adventures series that came afterwards. Those books were lots of fun. There was a smidgen of continuity without making readers wait till next month for the conclusion. 4 weeks is a life-time for kids to wait to see what happens next to their favorite super-heroes and I give Marvel major props for understanding this. Generally, Marvel would instead have a theme for their titles that would spend about 4 issues. For example, the Marvel Adventures Avengers would spend 4 issues getting to know each other better, then the next 4 issues fighting mythical creatures, and then another 4 issues adding new members to their ranks. This made for easy reading by having each issue self-contained and yet easy to combine in digest form for binge-reading.

The digest reprints are generally the way to go if you want to collect these issues easily. Single issues do pop up in bargain bins but most comic book stores shy away from all-age titles and thus it’s difficult to find unless you are willing to spend hours searching for these series. A digest is normally retailed at $6-9 bucks and can still be ordered through Amazon and other book dealers. The glue in these is horrid and can easily shed pages like a cat in summer, so treat with care.

As I said earlier, these books can also be found at the library. For Marvel Age titles, they are usually found in a single bound hard-back library edition whereas the Marvel Adventures stuff is almost always on a shelf in digest form with additional binding to stand up to multiple readings. I’ve found these books in several libraries in North Carolina and I am sure you can find these nationwide at libraries that devote attention to graphic novels.

Next week, I’ll explore the Guardians of the Galaxy and talk more about teaming with your local library to get it to be more graphic novel friendly.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars