Boys Rule Boys Read!: Guys LOVE Graphic Novels!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Guys LOVE Graphic Novels!

Hey, all you reader guys out there. We survived yesterday. You what day I mean--the one devoted to all the stuff that makes MANLY MEN like us shudder in our manly boots. The day devoted to kissing and hugging and romance. In other words, Valentine's Day, the one devoted to looooove!!!

The MANLY MAN view of romance

So to get the thought of all that stuff out of our minds, let's ask ourselves--what do guys LOVE? And the answer to that is obvious--GRAPHIC NOVELS!! Yes, indeed, graphic novels are great! You've got exciting stories, laughs, heroes punching out villains, and sometimes whole planets blow up! So let me tell you about a few graphic novels that I and a regular contributor to this blog have read and enjoyed lately.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars--The Colossus of Destiny by Jeremy Barlow; art by the Fillbach Brothers

This was a great story. Jedi Master Mace Windu speeds to the planet Simocadia to stop a Separatist invasion but Yoda appears and tells him it's a mistake. Mace goes anyway and has to face the results of his decision. This one has lots of good Star Wars action, cool artwork and Mace Windu, one of the best Jedi Masters. How could you go wrong?

The Adventures of Daniel Boom aka Loud Boy: Game On! by D. J. Steinberg; illustrated by Brian Smith

If you like cartoon series with whiz-bang action and goofball humor like Fairly Odd Parents or TUFF Puppy, you'd like this graphic novel series. Loud Boy is one of the five kids who've discovered they have super powers. In this one, Loud Boy and friends are charged by their Uncle Stanley to keep the Flooggget out of the hands of Old Fogey and his evil cohorts. But along the way, Loud get sucked into a video game--literally! Unless he can win the game and get out, every kid on earth will disappear into cyberspace.Can Loud Boy do it? Read and see--and have a really good time as you do!

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarret J. Krosoczka

I've been a fan of Lunch Lady, the cafeteria supervisor and crime fighter, for a long time. In this book, Lunch Lady and her sidekick Betty.are working a summer camp--which supposedly has a swamp monster in the lake. It couldn't be true--or could it? Lunch Lady will have to use all their high-tech school cafeteria crime-fighting equipment to save the camp! I really like these graphic novels--mystery, suspense, and good campy fun. CAMPY fun!!!! I just made a joke! Har, Har Har, Har!!!!!

And to prove that I'm not the only one who enjoys graphic novels, here's a review from our old friend Michael:

Lunch Lady, book 8
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril
by Jarret J. Krosoczka
Lunch Lady, Betty, Hector, Terrence, and Dee are all back! When a school photographer scams school kids out of thousands of dollars and then runs, it's up to Lunch Lady to find her, or the student council's fund will be ruined. I do think that the scene transitions are a bit jerky, but there's an action scene that I consider the best of the series so far. Plus, does the ending suggest the start of a serial? I guess book 9 will reveal that. But for comic book readers, this is a good one to check out!

And here's one more from Michael:

Mal and Chad, book 3
Belly Flop
by Stephen McCraine
Comic-book duo Mal and Chad are back for their third and longest adventure yet! When Mal learns that Megan is pushing him away, he wonders how cool he has to be to hang out with her. Also, a talent show is being held at Einstein Elementary, and Mal sees this as an opportunity to show his level of coolness. Plus you can expect plenty of episodes with his inventions. Comedy, romance, sci-fi, inspiration, and action all come into play in this book as well as the other books in this series. As far as graphic novels go, this is one of the best! I was a little bored during the first few chapters because this book focuses more on the romance and inspiration than anything else. The five elements I listed above did not blend together as well as it has in previous books. However, what action there was was very well-done, and this book is definitely worth reading!

Michael Lanier
Pianist, guitarist, banjoist, autoharpist, jaw harpist, Ukeist, Mandolinist

So you see, guys really do LOVE graphic novels! If you'd like to read about more graphic novels, click on the "graphic novels" tab under this post. And what about YOU? How you read a good graphic novel lately? One that you LOVED? Write in and let us know! And remember--these graphic novels are:

Guy Tested--Guy Approved!

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