Doerries, Bryan (text) & Jess Ruliffson & others (illus.). The Odyssey of Sergeant Jack Brennan. Pantheon. Apr. 2016. 160p. ISBN 9780375715167. pap. $19.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101870990. GRAPHIC NOVELS

Writer/director Doerries (Theater of War project) draws on Homer’s timeless ­Odyssey to dramatize the plight of veterans returning home. Preparing to leave Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Corps sergeant Brennan coaches his squad about challenges in reentering civilian life by comparing contemporary suicides and other PTSD tragedies with Odysseus’s turbulent homecoming. ­Artist ­Ruliffson (­Invisible Wounds) draws the frame story with a chiseled khaki feel and coloring. ­Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer) takes up the mythical Trojan Horse episode and Queen ­Hecuba’s curse in blocky, rich color and sweeping vistas. ­Justine Mara ­Andersen (Mara, Celtic ­Shamaness) depicts our hero’s encounters with the winds and the Lotus Eaters in curvy, lighter tones, while Dylan Meconis (Family Man) lends a cartoonier style to Circe’s enchantments, and Nick Bertozzi (Shackleton) depicts the Land of the Dead with dripping, greenish zombie touches, illustrating the Sirens, sacred cattle, and whirlpool with glowing realism. Yet the graphics remain consistent among the artists while the Greek costumes morph into modern dress by the end, creating a nice touch. VERDICT Smooth transitions between two compelling story arcs will keep adults and teens solidly in thrall for both message and entertainment. Useful for educators and therapists. [See ­Prepub Alert, 10/12/15.]—M.C.

Druillet, Philippe (text & illus.). The 6 Voyages of Lone Sloane. Vol. 1. Titan Comics. 2015. 72p. ISBN 9781782761051. $17.99; ebk. ISBN 9781782765363. F

Celebrated French artist Druillet, cofounder of the influential magazine Metal Hurlant (which inspired the U.S. publication Heavy Metal), won a European science fiction award for this visually spectacular 1972 collection. Engagingly pulpy narration relates the adventures of human space explorer Sloane, who is trapped by alien entities and encounters unimaginably powerful cosmic gods while on an interstellar quest. Sloane’s remote and indeterminate personality renders the stories less engaging than they could be, but the book’s main draw is its astonishing, full-color depictions of extraterrestrial beings, technology, and architecture, complete with feverish baroque detail. ­Druillet’s human figures, panel-busting designs, and spreads are reminiscent of Jack Kirby’s work on series such as New Gods and ­Fantastic Four. Yet Druillet’s art is sleeker and more art nouveau–esque, and his creatures and themes point toward another avowed early influence, H.P. Lovecraft. Previously published in English in 1973 and 1991, this hardcover edition features sharp, oversized reproduction that does justice to its incredible content. VERDICT A space opera of extraordinary visual splendor.—S.R.

Dunlap-Shohl, Peter (text & illus.). My Degeneration: A Journey Through Parkinson’s. Pennsylvania State Univ. (Graphic Medicine). 2015. 106p. ISBN 9780271071022. pap. $29.95. MEMOIR

Newspaper cartoonists make a living out of satirizing bad news, and now former Anchorage Daily News staffer Dunlap-Shohl draws his own life. The good news: Parkinson’s disease (PD) won’t kill him. Still, the condition doles out worsening symptoms unceasingly, in disabling dribs and drabs. Initially contemplating “suicide by bear” while jogging in the Alaskan forest, the author eventually decides to remake himself into a model of resilience through exercise, deep brain stimulation, a rainbow of medications, and empathetic support from family, friends, and the medical community. His deliberately scrabbly brown/green art—now done on computer, owing to motor control issues—fittingly captures his ten years of PD–invaded life as well as his wildly imaginative visions of punching out a personified Parkinson’s, visits from a “spandex angel” who preaches physical fitness, and how coping with PD is akin to fighting Moby Dick. VERDICT Going beyond patient-education booklets, Dunlap-Shohl’s journey of setbacks and triumphs contextualizes key disease information within a narrative suffused with emotion and wry humor. PD patients, families, and caregivers will find it valuable; those who enjoy memoirs will appreciate its compelling real-life drama.—M.C.

Evans, Kate (text & illus.). Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg. Verso: New Left. 2015. 144p. ed. by Peter Buhle. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9781784780999. pap. $16.95; ebk. ISBN 9781784781019. BIOG

Polish Jewish socialist Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919) wanted to “affect people like a clap of thunder.” Unfortunately, the thunder of World War I militarism hindered ­Luxemburg’s incisive critiques of capitalism and Marxist theory from getting the hearing they deserved. Considered so dangerous by militarists for her antiwar activism that she was ultimately assassinated, “Frau doktor” Luxemburg and her work found readers in the United States during the 1960s but has since attracted less attention. Recent financial upheavals worldwide reveal her ideas as still insightful. Evans’s skill at supple black/grayscale caricature makes the numerous talking-head panels appealing, which are intercut with smoky panoramas of rebellion and war. These contrast with the ­charming and frank portrayals of Luxemburg’s erotic life with fellow activists. ­VERDICT ­Revolutionary in her intellect, viewpoints, and sociosexual life, Luxemburg more than earns her place among women of the past century whose acts were precedent-shattering. ­Essential for readers interested in economic thought and women’s issues, adult through high school, together with Sharon Rudahl et al.’s A Dangerous Woman: The Graphic ­Biography of Emma Goldman and Peter Bagge’s Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story.—M.C.

Hayes, Leah (text & illus.) . Not Funny Ha-Ha: A Handbook for Something Hard. Fantagraphics. 2015. 148p. ISBN 9781606998397. $16.99. HEALTH

Much of the public conversation around abortion concerns ethics and the pros/cons. Hayes (Funeral of the Heart) bypasses all that to focus on what an abortion is actually like. After an introduction situating the decision to abort firmly with the woman, the author introduces two hypothetical patients and follows them step by step. The women differ in age, ethnicity, and social situation; one chooses a medical abortion (via pharmaceuticals) and the other a surgical procedure. Medications, side effects, and emotional vulnerabilities are all addressed, and those seeking an abortion are urged to rely on medical professionals for information and to line up solid support from friends and family. Hayes draws gently poignant characters in sketchy outlines with grey and rose tints on a pale yellow ground, and all text is in hand-lettered uppercase resembling an emphatic note from a girlfriend. The book is not a one-stop reference, and a brief resource list supplies links for information not covered, including about adoption. ­VERDICT This compassionate, empathetic work goes far in demystifying a little-­discussed aspect of a sensitive topic for adults and teens. No anatomical diagrams or explicit depictions.—M.C.

Joines, Brian & Jay Faerber (text) & Ilias Kyriazis & others (illus.). Secret Identities. Image. 2015. 160p. ISBN 9781632154408. pap. $14.99. Superhero

After the weather-controlling Crosswind aids the Canada-based Front Line superteam in their battle against Perdition and his demons, the group invites Crosswind to join their ranks. Superstrong Punchline, alien martial artist Gaijin, speedster Rundown, cybernetic warrior Helot, magma-man ­Vesuvius, and leader Luminary all welcome him, and only the magic-powered Recluse remains wary—perceptively so, since Crosswind is actually a spy sent by a shadowy enemy to bring down the team. The group’s members all have secrets, ranging from merely embarrassing to dark and ruinous—and when a crisis leads one of them to confide in him, Crosswind sees a way to learn the hidden information of the others. The book reads and looks much like a superhero comic from the immediately pre-postmodern era (i.e., the early 1980s). However, the story’s theme of good people with major flaws is contemporary, bringing fresh changes to the genre and inviting contemplation on the nature of heroism. Though marketed as Volume 1, this collection reprints the complete series. VERDICT A solid choice for superhero fans willing to step out of the Marvel and DC box.—S.R.

McCreesh, Alison (text & illus.) . Ramshackle: A Yellowknife Story. BDang: Conundrum. 2015. 140p. ISBN 9781894994996. pap. $20. memoir

Winnie-the-Pooh loves honey pots, but Yellowknife’s honey buckets are something quite different. Fresh out of college, ­Alison and on-again, off-again boyfriend Pat decide to spend a summer working in the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories. The city’s multicultural vibe turns out to be part wilderness camping, part urban casual, part frontier settlement. House-sitting for pay eventually brings them to Old Town and its off-the-grid community Woodyard, where they develop deeper feelings for the place—and for each other—without indoor plumbing (honey bucket = chamber pot) yet with plenty of friends and mosquitoes. Based on her comics blog drawn during their first summer there, McCreesh’s ­account ­intersperses travelog with historical details and diagrammatic pages explaining local features, e.g., “The Deal with Honey Buckets.” The comfortably chummy watercolor art recalls hand-tinted postcards slightly grimy from enthusiastic handling. VERDICT This offbeat read offers an armchair introduction to a region and lifestyle readers might want to visit, but not live there—yet McCreesh still does, and loves it. Recommended for new adults and older who enjoy the graphic travelogs of Lucy Knisley and Kaisa Leka.—M.C.

Motter, Dean (text & illus.). Mister X: Razed. Dark Horse. 2015. 136p. ISBN 9781616556532. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781630083038. F

Mixing 1940s design with flying cars and wiseass robots, the Bauhaus-cyberpunk world of Mister X is one of ­“Murder and intrigue in the good old-fashioned ­future,” quips Motter (Electropolis). These interlocking noir-themed stories feature architects trading in “psychotecture,” a May-­December marriage turned deadly, a futuristic twist on zombies, a bombastic mayoral race suggestive of the 2016 presidential election campaign, and the unhappy results of trying for easy money the hard way. A former architect, the mysterious Mister X functions as part detective, part narrative glue that holds the plots together. The stylish neutrals-plus-crimson art mingles retro-future panoramas of Radiant City with lifestyle details: rats in ceiling girders of abandoned buildings; an airplane that rivals Mamoru ­Oshii’s vehicles in the anime Innocence; cracks and graffiti on once-elegant structures. The sharp writing incorporates numerous punning names (Anesta Robbins, Iphelia Payne) and sly pop culture inside jokes. Although Mister X comics first appeared in the 1980s, these new tales require no prior familiarity. ­VERDICT Beautiful work with a concept that has not aged beyond its appeal or lost its edge. Fans of noir and steampunk will enjoy; high school and up.—M.C.

Pope, Paul & others (text) & Gilbert Hernandez & others (illus.). Strange Sports Stories. Vertigo. 2016. 144p. ISBN 9781401258641. pap. $14.99. F

In the 1970s, DC Comics issued a short run of sports comics with fantastical or sf elements. These 16 new stories, reflecting wider acceptance of violent themes, push clichés further toward the bizarre, sometimes quite cleverly. In “Dodgeball Kill,” for example, off-planet games exploiting multispecies inmates collide with an unexpected prison rescue—all captured for reality video. And, in a hilarious parody of ESPN, “Leap of Glory” shows a match in which players, fans, and announcers all succumb to a suicidal mania to rack up points. The art ranges from fine to great. Amei Zhao’s somber, watercolor-like work excels at illustrating a couple arguing amid an apocalyptic bombing, from which they seek refuge in Cuba—at a baseball game. Ronald Wimberly and Paul Pope contribute standout art for stories concerning a wager against the devil and a postdisaster rivalry among the only football players surviving an interstellar skirmish: two robots. VERDICT With themes of war and peace, suicide a way to score points, victims turning the tables on aggressors, and the unthinkable juxtaposed with the mundane, this collection will entertain adult sports fans and enthusiasts of short, catchy tales of the weird.—M.C.

Prudhomme, David (text & illus.). Cruising Through the Louvre. Comics Lit: NBM. 2016. 80p. tr. from French by Joe Johnson. ISBN 9781561639908. $22.99. FINE ARTS

“It’s like walking inside a giant comic book,” exults Prudhomme (Rebetiko) as he roams the Louvre. Soon he focuses on other viewers, and how viewers and art interact. Many museumgoers take photos, borrowing the images for themselves. Numerous individuals and groups echo poses from the art, by design or not. Others seem to merge with the art, as Prudhomme views the collaborative visual effect. Couples in art contrast with couples in life. Some visitors substitute their own heads over the necks of headless statues, or poke their faces into the open mouths of animal figures. The effect is a droll, multilayered commentary on the human imagination featuring the art, the viewers themselves, the viewer/art interactions, and Prudhomme’s own agenda—which includes attempts to find his lost companion, visualized as one of the missing heads. The charming colored pencil art varies in levels of detail; sometimes the art is more realistic than the humans, at other times the reverse is true. VERDICT Anyone teaching art appreciation or beginning-level art history will learn from this quirky catalog of how people behave around art. Its “life imitates art” sous-texte promises to amuse others attracted to visual humor.—M.C.

Vaughan, Brian K. (text) & Marcos Martin & Muntsa Vicente (illus.). The Private Eye. Image. 2015. 300p. ISBN 9781632155726. $49.99. M

In 2076 United States, everyone has a secret identity. Decades earlier, Internet security was breached, and people’s private information was shared with the world, ruining lives. So the World Wide Web was abolished, and privacy is society’s paramount concern, with most wearing masks or costumes in public. A Los Angeles woman named Taj hires an outlaw private ­detective code-named “P.I.” to investigate her, to find out if her secrets are buried deep enough—but when Taj is murdered, P.I. is in the crosshairs of a powerful figure with an unthinkable plan. Vaughan’s public ­libraries unfortunately have circulation ­records less privacy-sensitive than those at this ­reviewer’s current library (though Vaughan’s ­librarians protect their patrons’ information with deadly force). On top of his ­engaging thriller plotline, Vaughan presents many compelling (if sometimes outrageous) speculations about his projected future society: for instance, without the Internet to distract them, engineers and inventors started making actual practical advances in fields such as renewable energy and magno-cars. Martin’s depiction of future L.A. is appropriately colorful but seedy. VERDICT A cool, satirical, thought-provoking futuristic noir for adults.—S.R.

Martha Cornog is a longtime reviewer for LJ and, with Timothy Perper, edited Graphic Novels Beyond the Basics: Insights and Issues for Libraries (Libraries Unlimited, 2009). Steve Raiteri is Audio-visual Librarian at the Greene County Public Library in Xenia, OH, where he started the graphic novel collection in 1996