Hey, there, comic fans! We’re back with another installment of Quintessential Comics! For this edition, we’re focusing on graphic novels that feature poetry alongside illustration as a celebration of Poetry Month! I hope you all can find something in this list that will spark your interest. Let’s give voice to the poets and just jump right in!
“Embodied”
Let’s start by setting the bar high. “Embodied” is described as “intersectional feminist poetry-in-comics” and is the result of a collaboration between cis female, trans, and non-binary poets and artists. The collection is bound to speak to you in some way as it covers a wide range of topics from the wave of emotions felt during childbirth, to the alienation felt as a result of immigration, to the harassment one can experience in the workplace due to their gender, race or religion. What really shines through in this work is its refusal to avoid the hard conversations and its ability to unite many of us through shared and very human experiences.
If you’re looking for a bit more abstraction, then look no further. “Big Gorgeous Jazz Machine“ delivers with a book that is full of works that deal more with concepts rather than fully-outlined topics. What sets this entry apart is how experimental it is. I mean, it’s just neat to read text-based comics that play around with traditional narrative format. Some of the selections focus on the text as a means of producing an image, whereas others skillfully omit text at key points in order to trigger the “human greed for narrative.” Some of the comics in this collection are really wild, so this one is sure to keep your attention.
“Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car”
While BGJM dealt heavily with the abstract, “Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car“ highlights the beauty to be found in the mundane. Covering episodes of heartbreak, shame, disappointment, hope, happiness, and everything in between, BSTtWoaMC illustrates the way in which fleeting moments can affect the person you become. What I like about this one is that it separates its topics into three main sections: “In Public,” “In Transit,” and “At Home.” This organizational format conveys how meaning can change depending on context and one’s environment. The juxtaposition of the emotional text with the more measured arty style really drives home how seemingly trivial happenings can have profound emotional impact on a person. Be sure to give this one a try.
“Poe”
For those who are looking for a more macabre read, why not try a visual representation of Edgar Allen Poe’s most famous works? Coming to us from Gareth Hinds, who has given us adaptations of “The Odyssey,” “Beowulf,” and various Shakespearean works, Poe is sure to haunt you with its collection of morbid tales ranging from “The Raven” to “The Masque of the Red Death.” Something of note here is how well color is used to capture the essence of each tale. For instance, “The Raven” utilizes charcoal in order to convey a steady sense of dread and “The Tell-Tale Heart” offers us stark red display type that fits its theme of growing craze. If you are already a fan of Poe’s work, or if you are looking for something a bit sinister, go ahead and check this one out!
How do I go about explaining this one in a way that would do it justice? Honestly, I’m not sure that I fully could, so let’s just see where this goes. “Team Photograph“ is a unique blend of history, poetry and memoir that attempts to simultaneously relay the history of Bull Run Regional Park, located in Fairfax Station Virginia, while also recounting the personal tragedy and emotional journeys of the author. Bull Run Regional Park has a history of bloodshed, being a location at which Civil War battles took place. As the author attempts to navigate the intricate web of violence and slavery that took place there, she also fights metaphorical battles that are represented as soccer matches that took place in her youth. The characters are depicted as anthropomorphic wolves, which was her brother’s favorite animal. He was murdered in 2012, and her grief is explored in this work. There’s just so much to this novel that I can’t cover it all here, so do yourself a favor and put this one on hold.
Thanks for joining me for another installment and be sure to stay on the lookout for the next list of comics in the coming months!
