Comics You Can Find at the Library
Written By Tali Felner
Children’s Librarian
My current reading style has changed a lot since I was a kid. I read the childhood classics: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, more eclectic series such as The Prydain Chronicles (what Disney’s The Black Cauldron was adapted from), Wayside School All-of-a-Kind Family; but what really got me hooked on coming back to the library every week were comics–specifically manga.
Manga’s Origins
When we talk about manga in the realm of books, a lot of people equate them to comics. And they’d be right to do that, the literal translation of the word (man + ga) means “whimsical pictures”– which I think that attributes to what a comic book is. How else do you translate words into a work that tells a story visually? Manga to comic books are like rectangles are to squares, a manga is a type of comic book, but not all comic books are manga. In the last century manga has defined itself as a style, genre, and publishing system. The way manga is created and distributed is vastly different from the Western comic world, though they have their similarities. Manga pre-World War II were similar to political cartoons or newspaper comics. They were short form, a single panel or strip, and voiced the opinion of the Japanese public in newspapers. Post-World War II is when the artform diversified. The emergence of long form stories, bound, published, and serialized (a tonkobon), had been chiefly illustrated by Osamu Tezuka, widely considered to be the father of manga. Inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Tezuka drew and wrote stories that titillated the public, evoked emotion and change within a country that was being reshaped from their political and military losses. You know him from Astro Boy, but his earlier work in adapting western classics like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island was where he got his start. Today, there are an innumerable amount of manga titles that have come out of Japan and the western world. They span across different genres, age demographics, art styles, relationships and more; if you’re looking for a title in a niche genre, chances are it’s out there and available to read.
The feeling of nostalgia I get when I see the shelves of manga series in the YA section of the library warms my heart. It takes me back to hot summer days when I would walk a mile across town to my hometown library, sit in the comics section and plow through multiple volumes at a time. I would see what I just watched on TV in small boxes with dialogue, sometimes be amazed at the divergence between the anime and manga, giggling endlessly at the chibi renditions of my favorite characters, mourning when arcs ended, but excited when a new adventure arose. Here are some titles that I remember fondly:
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, or its full title, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, is beloved to me. It’s a series that no matter how over the top the storyline is, the art and characters always captivated me. I like to think it’s Japan’s answer to Spiderman because Usagi, the series’ protagonist leads a double life. By day she is a regular kid, dealing with the trials and tribulations of adolescence, school, friends, family, love, but secretly she is an evil-fighting super hero! As more of her friends find out about her secret identity and join in the fight against evil, Usagi finds out her true destiny, that she is the reincarnation of a princess of the Moon Kingdom (that’s right, the moon!) With this knowledge and combined power, the Sailor Scouts must protect the universe from beings who are determined to take over the world for their dark purposes. Some folks might call this series “girly”, the art is evident of that fact, but it touches on lessons of loss and acceptance, of love and relationships, rich lore and world-building– I find it to be a lot more rugged than its anime counterpart as it was heavily sanitized through American localization. But, its a classic for a reason. This series can be found on the graphic novel shelves in the YA section on the first floor for checkout!
Pokemon
What can be said about Pokémon that hasn’t already been said? A cultural classic, Pokémon is one of those series that only gets better with age. In this world, creatures with special powers called Pokémon live side-by-side with humans. Our young protagonist embarks on a journey of their own to train Pokémon and use them to battle in order to earn badges, rising up in the ranks to become the champion of the regional Pokémon League. You might have watched the anime as a kid, with your kid, or in passing, but did you know there was a manga before the anime? With the success of thePokémon Red andGreen video games, a manga was made to illustrate the story and later, adapted into an anime– that is why you might see the main character’s name as Red instead of Ash. It feels like a whole new story with action, hilarity, and cute little creatures; objectively the best part. This series–and other Pokémon related novels and comics, can be found in the Children’s Room!
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist is a series I can read again and again and never get bored. I remember being happily surprised when I came upon this series in the stacks as a young reader. In a fantasy world that is much like our own, two brothers embark on a journey to repair the mistake they made years ago, the greatest taboo in all of alchemy: human resurrection. As young children, Edward (Ed) and Alphonse (Al) Elric lose their mother to sickness and attempt to bring her back to life using science and magic. To their detriment their ritual goes awry and Ed loses his arm and leg. Even worse, Al loses his entire body but is quickly saved by his brother transferring his soul into a suit of armor. Ed, now equipped with prostheses called “automail”, along with Al use their country’s government resources to figure out how to get their original bodies back. There are a lot of intricate side plots and secondary characters that are integral to the story– characters you hate to love and characters you love to hate. While the previous two series might be more suitable for a younger audience, this series is great for teens and adults looking for something new to read– and it can be found on the graphic novel shelves in the YA section!
Ouran High School Host Club
Last on this list is Ouran High School Host Club. The title might sound intimidating because, what even is a host club? In Japan, a hostess club is a type of night club that employs female staff to wait on men, usually salary men post-work, who seek their time and attention. In that similar vein, a host club employs men to wait on primarily women who seek their time and attention. This story follows Haruhi, a scholarship student at the prestigious Ouran High School as she repays her debt to the school’s host club following the incident that sparks her being forced to join– breaking an incredibly expensive vase! This series has everything: comedy, drama, slice of life, friendship, and much more! Ouran High School Host Club also touches on class divide, gender expression, Japanese culture, and how it flips the notion of “girly” manga on its head. It’s definitely an interesting read, and can be found in the YA section!
Conclusion
Manga–and comics in general– is a wonderful way to get excited about reading or reignite your love for reading. A lot of these titles aren’t new, they’re about 20 or more years old. It is a testament to the author and their fans the devotion they share for a manga series after all this time, authors publish new one-off chapters or attend cons every now and then. Fans find community in sharing their love for the series, cosplaying, gathering for regional meetups and more. Being able to read them without needing to pay for books like in establishments like Barnes & Noble (r.i.p) or any bookstore helped me foster a love for reading, which I think is what the library is all about. Ask a librarian what they think about these titles, or a recommendation. There are a lot of manga series out there, so if you see something TFPL doesn’t have, let us know!
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