Graphic Novel Review

I've said this in casual conversation numerous times, but I don't think I've ever put it in print. Joey Manley is the best thing to happen to comics since Scott McCloud.

You can tell, when Joey talks about comics, that he truly and deeply loves the artform. And you can see that he shares the same frustration that many of us feel - that comics in America are stuck as a bottom of the barrel, niche market. Lucky for comics, Joey is one of those individuals who is willing to roll up his sleeves and fix the problems he sees.

Joey, and the Modern Tales family of artists, writers, and editors are slowly working to elevate comics from 'hobby' to 'industry'. If anyone can succeed, it will be them.

The newest addition to the Modern Tales group of sites is Graphic Novel Review. GNR will be a journalistic publication dedicated to shining a spotlight on the "literary mainstream" in the field of book-length comics.

What will make GNR stand out from the other review sites is that it is aimed at the casual reader of graphic novels. Joey says, "Comics-related publications, both 'alternative' and 'mainstream,' expect their readers to be masters of arcane tribal knowledge and ritual; most comic book stores seem about as disreputable as porn shops to literary readers; and the graphic novel shelves at big box bookstores are clogged with gaudy melodrama, from both sides of the Pacific. Beyond the one or two literary graphic novels that get attention in the general press every year, the kinds of books we are spotlighting have been mostly hidden from the view of their ideal audience, racked alongside superhero adventures and pre-teen romance books on shelves where the average Anne Tyler or John Irving reader, for example, is loathe to tread."

Editor Alexander Danner has put together a great first issue of GNR that features reviews of a wide range of topics. Alexander says, "Most people don't limit their reading to a single niche genre, so neither will Graphic Novel Review. The books discussed in the first issue alone range from political satire to epic fantasy, crossing through crime thriller and Egyptian mythology along the way--not to mention an in-depth interview with one of the most respected autobiographers working in the medium today. The goal is to provide a resource that will help even the most casual readers of graphic novels find books to suit their tastes. To accomplish this, we've tapped reviewers who are more than just comics enthusiasts; these are literature enthusiasts with an appreciation for the graphic novel form and everything it can accomplish. It's an ambitious project, and one that I'm thrilled to be a part of."

The first issue of GNR features an interview with Eddie Campbell, reviews of Jeff Smith's 'Bone' and Joe Chiappetta's 'Silly Daddy', and a preview of 'Gutsman' a graphic novel slated for release in January, 2005.