Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:
• Review: "…Willie & Joe: Back Home… is superbly done. Like many Fantagraphics releases over the years, this book easily could be placed in a personal library or on a coffee table for public viewing. In many ways, it can be described best as a piece of art and something to be treasured by collectors, comic-strip enthusiasts and military buffs alike…. The strips are a stunning mix of blunt political messaging with dark, satirical humor." – Michael Taube, The Washington Times
• Review: "While manga isn’t usually known for its subtlety, Wandering Son is an exception. The panels have little in the way of background, and there is less exaggeration and slapstick than you will find in a typical manga. The story builds slowly, drawing you in to the quiet internal thoughts of the two children…. Takako’s Wandering Son works as an insight into how it feels to be transgendered, and also as a metaphor for growing up…. Wandering Son reminds us how hard it can be for anyone, whatever gender, to become who we want to be as a person." – Ashley Cook, Giant Fire Breathing Robot
• Review: "Technically, [The Pin-Up Art of Humorama] isn’t a graphic novel or trade collection, it’s a picture book – but an absolutely stunning one, collecting some of the best and most guiltily funny illustrations ever produced: a beguiling remembrance of a different time and the sexual mores of an entirely alien generation which nevertheless presents an enticing, intoxicating treat for art lovers and, I’m afraid to admit, many hearty laughs. This is work which is still utterly addictive and the book is an honest-to-gosh treasure beyond compare." – Win Wiacek, Now Read This!