Week ending March 1, 2019

Céka (text) & Bast (illus.). The Rolling Stones in Comics. NBM. (Comics Biographies). Apr. 2019. 192p. tr. from French by Montana Kane. ISBN 9781681121987. $26.99. Rated: Teen+. BIOG
Using the same alternating-text-and-illustrated-segment template as 2018’s The Beatles in Comics, this graphic biography of “The World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band” raises the story of Mick, Keith, and Co. above mere facts and situations to give a fuller portrait of the band, its origins, and its cultural impact, besting the Fab Four’s equivalent volume. One reason why, apart from its better-defined artwork, is its insistence on setting the story straight, including when it concerns the Stones’ Liverpool “rivals” (they were always friendly—John and Paul even wrote the Stones’ first hit song), the importance of founding member Ian “Stu” Stewart, and the events leading to the 1969 tragedies of the Altamont festival and the death of founding guitarist Brian Jones. Other unsavory aspects of the band’s and its members’ stories are explored, but this is neither a muckraking exposé nor a comprehensive history, just the outstanding introduction it intends to be.
VERDICT The Stones make a dandy transition to sequential art in this fine primer on the legendary group, its accomplishments, and why they likely won’t stop until they drop, literally. Recommended for fans of classic pop/rock and biographies alike. Profanity and scenes with nudity, drug use, and violence—for teen readers and up.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB

London, Jack (text) & Christophe Chabouté (text & illus.). To Build a Fire. Gallery 13: S. & S. 2018. 64p. tr. from French by Laura Waters. ISBN 9781982100827. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781982100834. Rated: Teen+. LIT
London’s 1902 short story “To Build a Fire” is perhaps one of the best glances 20th-century audiences have of the Klondike Gold Rush, when thousands of prospectors flocked to the frozen north of Canada in the mid- to late 1800s. French graphic novelist Chabouté (Park Bench; Alone) renders the stark narrative of an unnamed adventurer trying to reach a logging camp through minus 75° temperatures in stunning detail. Artwork in white and black, gray and brown, and varying shades in between captures the harsh cold vividly, expressively depicting the feelings of hope and despair experienced by the main character and his dog. Juxtaposed against these drab colors are vibrant oranges and reds of the fire conjured forth by the prospector’s laborious efforts, drawing readers’ eyes to the hypnotic image and intuitively eliciting a sense of hope.
VERDICT Chabouté’s exceptional adaptation would pair well with the actual prose story, giving visual depth to London’s spare and gripping writing.—Alger C. Newberry III, Genesee Dist. Lib., Flint, MI

Tung, Debbie. Book Love. Andrews McMeel. Jan. 2019. 144p. ISBN 9781449494285. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9781524851712. COMICS
With the well-received Quiet Girl in a Noisy World, Tung meditated on life as an introvert. Here the author/illustrator delves into her experience as a bibliophile with another charming collection of personal comics. First published on her blog, Where’s My Bubble?, these cartoons honor the physical aspects of books and reading—the unique smell of an old spine, the warmth of her favorite reading corner and blanket, the thrill of the hunt in a bookstore or library—as well as celebrating the magic of getting lost in a story. Tung also admits to using books to enable her introversion. Most of the comics are only a page long and rendered in a monochromatic, kawaii style with watercolor finishes. The panels are packed full of little details and depth, with Tung’s self-deprecating sense of humor preventing the collection from becoming too saccharine, and it’s these pages that resonate most deeply.
VERDICT These comics will touch a nerve with avid readers who’ll find they share many of Tung’s quirks.—E.W. Genovese, Andrew Bayne Memorial Lib., Pittsburgh