Craig Thompson's "Blankets"

From the get go, the reader is launched into a very personal view of the world by a specific boy named Craig. The story is obviously autobiographical--something somewhat new and different to the comic world. While I cannot relate to a sad and dark childhood like this author, I can recognize it and appreciate my own luck in the matter (I had an awesome childhood, happy family, great sister, nice places-- quite the opposite in many ways). But even for someone like me, there are elements of the story I might identify with. The scene in Sunday school, the good times during childhood spent being silly with my sibling, and certainly the joy of drawing, the sneaking around with your first love, the fear and ignorance about sex caused by a christian upbringing.

This realistic approach to comics proposes that comics can be more that simple entertainment. They can have ethical, literary, and nostalgic value. Blankets regards subject matter that is generally thought of as "too serious for comics", a notion Will Eisner often takes into account with his comics. This seriousness and required involvement of the reader begged for a new name, a new face. Thus, the term "Graphic Novel" was born. Quite appropriate-- a "novel' sounds much more grown up, and with the already-in-place connotations of the word "comic", "graphic novels" give artists a fresh start of sorts.

Content aside, the stylizing says a lot for the story. Authoritative figures are comparatively huge and 'scary'. The gestures of the figure along with the ink feel correct and fluid. The paneling and variety of angles and compositions in spot on and rewarding. An excellent work -- something I would recommend in an instant.

Overall, the book is a masterpiece. It's a sincere, personal, page-turning experience in which we re-live our own growing experiences.