Masterpiece Comics byR. Sikoryak 741.5973 SIKORYAK

The classics of literature come to hilarious new life reimagined as classic comic strip and comic book characters. We have Garfield as Mephistofield the demon cat tempting Faustus, Batman as Raskol of Crime and Punishment, The Metamorphosis starring Charlie Brown, and many more.

Sikoryak has been able to flawlessly duplicate the art style of over a dozen different artists of classic comic strips and comics. He’s also able to take the essence of the classic novels and still keep the essence of the comic he uses to satirize it. It makes for absolutely hilarious reading. However, if you are unfamiliar with the classics or the comics he uses to parody them, then a good deal of the humor is lost. However, if you like old comic strips and classic literature this is one of the funniest mash-ups you’ll read.

Solanin by Inio Asano FIC ASANO

Meiko and her friends are adrift in Tokyo. College is over but none of them seem to have any plans, true aspirations or hopes. When Meiko makes the drastic decision to quit her job and then encourages her boyfriend to take his band seriously it starts a series of events that tears their life apart. Just when there is a hope of pulling everything back together a sudden tragedy tests them all like never before.

This is another part of the excellent Viz Signature line of more serious and artistic manga aimed at older teens and adults. I am super thrilled about the line and already gave a glowing review to Tekkon Kinkreet by Taiyo Matsumoto (check it out if you haven’t already!) also from Viz Signature. It’s great that we are getting manga for all ages and tastes. Solanin is a beautiful story with a great cast. Some people may not really like the characters because they are admittedly lazy and sometimes hard to root for, but I think most people have that time of life where they don’t know what’s next. Solanin captures the fear of the future and the joy of rediscovering a personal connection with living. It does this best when it deals with music and how it transforms people and the music scenes are also the best drawn. The art is great throughout though, I just really like how Asano captured the raw energy of rock. If you like the more serious manga and want a totally self contained story then you should see if Solanin is for you. If you’re a swordfights and sci fi kind of comic fan, then you’ll probably want to give it a pass.

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Franciso X. Stork YP FC STORK

Pancho’s dad died in a car accident and his sister was found dead in a hotel room. The police say it was natural causes, but he knows better. It was murder and he’s going to find the killer and make him pay. First he has to find money and get away from St. Antony’s, the orphanage he’s been stuck in. Both come in the form of D.Q. a young teen in the advanced stages of cancer. D.Q. makes Pancho his helper getting him money and a trip that will take him closer to the man he has to kill. But when D.Q. introduces Pancho to his Death Warrior Manifesto and a girl named Marisol, Pancho starts to question everything. Will the boy that is dying be able to convince Pancho not to throw away his life?

This is a wonderful book with truly deep characters. D.Q. is very unusual and really adds a great philosophical bent to the story. Pancho is a good protagonist because his drive to avenge his sister is so string it carries the reader forward, but it’s the new people in his life distracting him that become more interesting than his murder plot. It’s a complex look at the difference between living and dying and the true meaning of faith and the true meaning of love. If you’re looking for a good drama then absolutely check this one out.

NPR's summer reading list

At the beginning of every summer, NPR interviews independent bookstore owners to get their picks for hot (tending toward literary fiction) reads of the summer. We have most of the titles on the list already. Click here for a link to the article.

Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola YP FIC MIGNOLA

In 1944 Hitler was getting desperate and turned to his obsession with the occult to give him a doomsday weapon. A group of occult scientists led by the immortal Russian mystic Rasputin performed a ceremony that miles away called up a demon child. Discovered by occult expert Trevor Bruttenholm (inexplicably pronounced 'Broom') the demon is given the name Hellboy and adopted. Fifty years pass and Rasputin returns with demonic frog men and a plan to destroy the world. Hellboy, the fish-man Abe Sapien, and the fire starter Liz Sherman band together to stop Rasputin, but can Hellboy stop the man who called him from hell?

Hellboy is one of the coolest and most interesting comic series in a long, long time. It takes inspiration from ancient mythology and folktales, the King of Comics Jack Kirby, and the horror writer H P Lovecraft to create a wholly new and unique book. Hellboy himself is funny and a fantastic central character. His struggle with his demonic legacy and noble mission make for great stories as the series continues. The books also have rich supporting characters in the members of the Bureau of Paranormal Research Department. Mike Mignola's art has been heavily imitated since Hellboy broke on the scene 15 years ago and his work remains the fresher and more interesting than any of his challengers. If you like comics at all or if you enjoyed the movies (DVD HELLBOY) then you should absolutely grab the Hellboy series.

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski YP FIC MLYNOWSK

Devi spent the last three years of her life obsessed with her boyfriend, but now high school is ending, she’s getting dumped, and she’s all alone. And when her cell phone falls into the mall fountain she thinks its final proof that she is cursed, but something super strange happens. When she tries to use her phone it will only call one number: hers. Hers from three years ago! Now Devi can fix everything so she never dated Brian and make the life she really wants. But what does she really want? And will she still want it when she gets it? And does time travel calls cost extra minutes?

Okay, I’ll start off with a minor gripe. I always have a problem with how quickly characters in books accept the magical situations they are in. If I started talking to myself in the past and then altering the past to change my current reality, I would need some MAJOR therapy to deal with the questions. However, once you put those quibbles behind you there is a lot to like about Gimme a Call. It’s fast paced and funny and it’s a great hook to have the two main characters be the same person just a few years apart. It was a great decision to have both Devis as narrators. Anyone that has found an old journal or diary can relate to how weird it is to reconnect with yourself and this book handles that very well. The fast pace means that we get to see plenty of different timelines as Older Devi pressures younger Devi into trying all sorts of ways into improving their life. So definitely check it out if you are looking for some fun and funny summer reading.