Trickster and Ghostopolis - A Graphic Novel Twosome

Trickster - Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection edited by Matt Dembicki

Completion Date: April 25, 2011

Reason for Reading: Fun!

This extraordinary graphic novel depicts traditional Native American trickster tales with inspired artists and native writers.

This is a collection of stories told in graphic novel format. Like most short story collections, there were some really good stories and others that I didn't enjoy quite as much. Most of the stories revolve around the idea of a Trickster, but there are other characters that make an appearance. They are mostly Native traditions, so some of the stories you will recognize as retellings, but others are entirely new. The emotion behind the stories are all over the place, too. Some are playful, but others are dark in nature. Some of the stories will remind you of Aesop's fables by their morals at the end of them.

This collection was a lot of fun and I am glad I read it. It is worth reading if you get a chance.

This book counts for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Completion Date: April 26, 2011

Reason for Reading: Fun!

Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.

This graphic novel was a lot of fun. I don't read a lot of books set in the afterlife, but it leads to interesting settings and stories. The artwork is done really well, too. In the real world, Garth is battling with a terrible reality that he has a life-threatening disease. This is something that his mother refuses to face, so she continues to find another answer. Then, Garth is accidentally transported into the Afterlife by Frank Gallows and everything changes. Garth discovers that he has powers in this world and his whole attitude begins to change. He is taken around the world by the ghost of his grandfather, which opens up even more in the healing path. Overall, it was a pretty good read and well worth your time if you haven't read it yet.

This counts for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.