The Rise of the Graphic Novel is a book written by and for librarians. For that, it works. If you’re looking for a detailed history of comics, this isn’t your book. At only 64 pages, it’s a breezy read broken down into approximately five-page chunks, covering comics from their inception right up to today’s big movement, manga. It is a handy way to introduce your local librarian to one of the hottest trends in their business right now. The author, Stephen Weiner, doesn’t get too bogged down in historical context for the book, and punctuates it nicely with real world examples, such as BONE, MAUS, and SANDMAN. It’s all well and good to explain in broad strokes what the movement is about, but lots of people find it easier to learn by examples. I know I do. That’s why I think those chapters are so important in the book, above and beyond the extra sales it might mean for those individual titles. The book is a hardcover release from NBM. At $15, it’s available in comic shops now, but should be available through the book trade in the coming weeks. I am not sure who wrote the above paragraphs. They came from an e-mail my brother sent me. Another item to consider although it is more aimed at comic fans than libraries is the soon to be released Eisner/Miller, a conversation between comics greats Will Eisner and Frank Miller.
