Graphic Novel Review: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Fun Home‘s subtitle is “A Family Tragicomic”, and it couldn’t be more apt. Alison Bechdel‘s blunt, hyper-literate voice is a singular one in the world of graphic novels, and makes for an autobiography more self-exploratory than most others. Bechdel approaches her past misfortunes with a wry, sardonic tone that only lapses a few times- and is all the better for it.

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Graphic Novel Review: Blankets by Craig Thompson

Thompson’s critically acclaimed coming-of-age autobiography is powerful, achingly sad portrait of the author’s early life growing up in an extremely religious household and finding his first romantic partner. The masterfully illustrated book is compelling, but some readers may be left cold finding out only one of the central themes gets an appropriate denouement.

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Weekly Fiver #19

Welcome to the Weekly Fiver, where I’ll pick five recently released songs of varying degrees of quality and thoroughly break them down for you. No two songs will be on the same tier, and they’ll be listed from best to worst. The top song will be an excellent must-hear tune, while the bottom song will be one you ought to stay away from or else you will make your ears sad. It’s all very scientific.

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Millennial Masterpieces #4: Arcade Fire – [The Suburbs]

Welcome to Millennial Masterpieces, where I’ll look back at a great album released within the past 17 years and see what its legacy is. Fourth in the series is Arcade Fire‘s Grammy Award-winning meditation on nostalgia and youth: The Suburbs.

Released: August 2nd, 2010

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Graphic Novel Review: The Can Opener’s Daughter by Rob Davis

Convoluted doesn’t even begin to describe this book, which is so self-satisfied with its mythology that it never bothers to clue readers in on what is going on at any given point. Other than the intricate, phantasmagorical art, there’s not much about The Can Opener’s Daughter for the casual reader to enjoy.

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