Vol.1 Brooklyn’s 2017 Favorites: Graphic Novels

Our favorite comics from this year spanned a host of narratives, from metafictional explorations of loss and belonging to ominous supernatural tales of terrifying forces at work. Some are formally inventive, while others make use of a lean storytelling approach to convey the narratives at their center. All of them opened our eyes to the tales being told, regardless of their nature.

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#tobyreads: Unlikely Journeys and Unexpected Connections

Last week’s column looked at isolation and solitude. This week’s goes in a different direction: finding literature that brings together unexpected elements in deeply effective ways. This can include everything from science fiction incorporating elements of folklore to surreal fiction inspired by the lives of animals to an elusive, digressive take on the detective novel.

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Afternoon Bites: Tom Waits, Superhero Philosophy, Zadie Smith Interviewed, and More

Talking Tom Waits at the Los Angeles Review of Books. “I’m not ever saying anything unusual, you know? I’m just trying to think about general things just a bit more specifically.” Zadie Smith is interviewed at The Rumpus. Thom Dunn on Jonathan Hickman’s philosophical superheroes. Jason Rice has good things to say about David Gilbert’s & Sons. New diary comic from Gabrielle Bell. Scott Snyder is interviewed about horror comics, retro photos, and Batman. Cory Doctorow on Warren Ellis’s hallucinatory-sounding procedural Gun Machine. […]

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