Book Feature: Kibuishi’s “Amulet”
Posted under: What’s this? A feature on something that isn’t music?
During spring break, I got into a few of the Flight comic compilations, and my thirst for wonderfully drawn, contemporary, story-telling comics has only been ever-so-slightly satiated. Might do a write-up for some of those in the future, but if you are a fan of comics or just someone who likes pretty pictures and beautiful tales, I would recommend you check them out at your earliest convenience.
Barring that, I turned toward Amulet, a project by Flight editor Kazu Kibuishi.
Image courtesy of http://www.boltcity.com/amulet/.
Title: Amulet Book 1: The Stonekeeper
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Genre: Graphic novel, fantasy
Let me just get this out of the way first. Given its history, the medium of graphic novel (or “comic”, if you prefer) has been associated with geeks and spandex-clad superheroes. Much of the market still centers around these associations.
The medium has shifted since those days (and some might argue it that it was never really fully situated in such a way to begin with). More and more new artists and dreamers are finding that they can most effectively share their creations with a combination of words and pictures. The inundation of movies based on storylines etched out in comics should be a clear indication that consumers and producers are starting to recognize more and more the marketability of the graphic novel.
I could go on and on about the impact of webcomics and Japanese manga on the medium, but I feel that I am straying too far from my original intention, which was to tell you, the reader, about this fine work of art.
To summarize, Amulet tells the story of a young girl and her brother who, after moving into a supposedly haunted house with their mother, find themselves immersed in a fantasy world and forced to delve further to save their parents and the unbelievable realm they have stumbled upon through the basement door.
Image courtesy of http://www.boltcity.com/amulet/.
Does that sound like the premise for some ’90s animated movie for kids? If so, that isn’t too far off the mark while at the same time being a bit of a stretch. Kibuishi’s style of drawing and the way in which he progresses the story in the mind’s eye of the reader through successive panels of action guarantee that Amulet could very easily translate to the big screen. Despite the stillness of the pictures, one can’t help but feel the movement of the character’s actions, and before you know it, there are no more pages left.
To say that this is a kid’s story may be a bit misleading. The story kicks off with a warm family scene that quickly turns to tragedy, and the repercussions are felt to the very end of the book. As the events unfold, it may be tough for the reader to imagine that this is one of those shallow tales where everything turns out perfect for the hero (or, in this case, heroine) at the end of the journey. The main characters are kids, and the minor characters are cute things like facially expressive robots and an anthropomorphic toy bunny come to life. Death and fear are not far from them, however, and – as this is but the first book in a series – the last few pages leave the reader wondering if everything will be all right.
So, if you are looking for a relatively quick read that will surely leave an impact and a desire for more, check out the first book of Amulet, which has been out for over a year now, and look forward to the second book, which is supposed to come out this summer.
Any thoughts on Amulet, Kibuishi’s work, or comics in general? Have any recommendations for other graphic novels that are worth a read? Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Got anything to say? Go ahead and leave a comment!
Additional comments powered by BackType
categories
tag cloud
@mouseandcat
- Steampunkin' it up at #Ohayocon. about 11 days ago (reply)
- @NukeTheStars hm... I'll have to remember that for next year, or Halloween. Maybe I'll call myself Magnetman. That's original, right? about 13 days ago (reply)
- Getting frustrated trying to make this costume work, but then it came to me: MAGNETS. about 13 days ago (reply)
- Woman at Wal-Mart picked up Star mag, read it in line, discarded it. Like she would pay money for that garbage. about 16 days ago (reply)
- I've gotten pretty good at making things out of cardboard. Not sure if that's a testament to my skill or my budget. about 17 days ago (reply)
recent comments
- Loading...