Review - Moving Pictures

Moving Pictures
by Kathryn & Stuart Immonen
Top Shelf Productions

In glancing on the recent acquisitions for the library, I saw this book on the shelf and its stark cover image caught my eye.

Moving Pictures is a story set in World War II Paris and concerns the plundering of art by the Nazis. Ila Gardner, a low level curator, is working with Rolf Hauptmann to catalog and classify artwork the Germans might want to take for themselves. As Ila tries to protect works and keep information from Rolf, the two of them enter into a romantic relationship. Deeply suspicious of each other, they are not sure what either person wants out of their coupling.

We follow Ila in this story. Scenes of her being interrogated by Rolf are interspersed with her trying to maintain an understandable life with other art curators trying to protect masterpieces from disappearing. The relationship between the two i very complex. Ila resents Rolf. Rolf has little pity for Ila. And despite their dislike for each other, they find themselves linked together. As the story progresses, the art work is portrayed as if they were people. Civilians disappear, much like the artwork, and are irreplaceable. Ila looks at a minor painting, “Girl with red hair”, and equates her life as if it were the picture. It is not a huge masterpiece, and other than the artists gaze while making it, beneath the notice of most people.

The artwork in this book is very stark. Like block prints, the strong black lines and simple figures underlie the bleakness of Paris at the time. Interjected between the story is full page reproductions of the artwork they talk about in the story. These are also done in black and white and seem to be frozen and lifeless. I feel that this was done to help show how bleak it must have been at that time.

This is a very good graphic novel and most libraries would do well in ordering it for their collection. Much like the graphic novel Resistance I talked about a little while ago, I think this would be be good for older teens to read to have a portion of the Second World War experience displayed. I would not put it in the YA area since there is some profanity and sexual situations which some younger teens parents might not appreciate. Instead, it going to be placed in out adult non-fiction collection.

Review - X-Women

X-Women
written by Chris Claremont
art by Milo Manara
Marvel Comics

When I head about this project, I knew I had to get it. I like the work of Milo Manara. It’s the high art of pornographic comics. And with him working with the subject of the women from the X-Men, my inner perverted fanboy was hoping for something good.

This comic is a one shot that highlights the work of Italian comic artist Milo Manara doing what he does best, portraying sensual women. This is a story of the girls, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Rogue, Psylock, and Marvel Girl, taking a vacation on a Mediterranean resort. When Marvel Girl is kidnapped and taken to a jungle island, the other X-Women go on the rescue running into world dominating evil organizations run by a beautiful woman (of course), and rugged sky pirates who really like beautiful women.

Written by Chris Claremont, this story stands outside of the current X universe. It certainly is not a deep plot dealing with intense character conflict leading to a revelation that shakes the core of the Marvel Universe. And it stand outside of the current X-Men storyline since the ladies in the book are having too much fun. But that’s ok. It’s a enjoyable, swashbuckling story where each X-Woman is put in a position to be hit on by men and save the world while looking good.

This book, though it defines the term used in anime, is mostly fanservice, it’s not too objectionable for a library to own. Not a classic by any measure, but it was fun to read and look at. I can’t imagine Marvel releasing this as a trade paperback since it’s a stand alone single comic book. But they might bundle it with some other books to form a collection.