Illustrated by Ian Bertram, colored by Matt Hollingsworth
Little Bird's village comes under attack from the American Empire, but her mom has a great plan: squirrel her away until the violence is over, then set her on freeing a great warrior named Axe. Axe will save the people, and save the North, aka Canada, the last bastion of resistance against the Empire. Little Bird's family lineage is not what she was originally led to believe, and the Bishop who's coming after her now has more secrets than all of them combined.
0 Comments
This graphic novel presents three the major naval battles: the Battle of Tsushima, the Battle of Jutland, and the Battle of Midway.
In the Battle of Tsushima, the Russian Baltic Fleet is ordered to reinforce the fleet at Port Arthur, but their way is blocked by the English control of the Suez Canal. By the time they make it around Africa, the Japanese have decimated the forces at Port Arthur. The Japanese navy deals another blow at the Straight of Tsushima as the Russian fleet tries to sneak through on their way to Vladivostok. The Battle of Jutland was a showdown between the British Royal Navy and the German Kaiserliche Marine. This was one of the final battles of World War I, and helped the British reaffirm their supremacy over the seas, despite the heavy losses dealt to them here by the Germans. The Battle of Midway is one of the most famous battles in World War II. In this chapter, four pilots, friends since childhood, are separated from their post at Pearl Harbor and reassigned to different areas. One ends up at Midway, flying ancient planes in a vain attempt to stop the Japanese fleet. At a critical moment, the Americans break the Japanese code and find out that they plan to attack the base at Midway. The American forces lay a trap for the Japanese fleet, and turn the tide of the War in the Pacific.
Illustrated by Michael Sloan
In the Fall of 2016, the Aldabaan family receives word that they have been approved to travel from Jordan to the United States. Brothers Ibrahim and Issa are able to emigrate with their families, but they are leaving behind their mother and another brother and family. This is after they have all fled war-torn Syria. The eldest son, Naji, can't wait for the family to start their new lives in the United States, but the political climate has Ibrahim and his wife, Adeebah, unsure of what they're going in to. Once in Connecticut, they receive help from IRIS, a refugee resettlement agency, and told that they need to become self-sufficient within four months. The whole family adjusts to oddities of America, such as basements and Life Alert. Naji and his sister, Amal, start school and are treated as outcasts. The family constantly wonders if they've really left behind the worse life.
We begin with the conclusion of Iku's parents visiting, in which Iku finds an advocate in an unlikely place. Next, we are introduced to Marie, a young woman who has a condition that is destroying her hearing. She is friends and neighbors with Instructor Komaki, and he always finds the right book to recommend to her. In her latest visit, Komaki recommends a book with a heroine suffering from the same condition. Bystanders at Marie's school report Komaki because they think he is cruel for giving her a book that focuses on her deafness, and officials forcibly remove Komaki for questioning and investigating into the alleged "abuse" of a disabled person. Of course, Iku can't wait for the rest of the squad to come up with the plan to save Komaki, so she puts things in motion for herself. In the Bonus manga of this volume, there is a story of a Publisher Party where the Library forces are providing security. Iku ruins her clothes, so she has to borrow a dress and get all dolled up, and she doesn't understand why all the men are hitting on her!
Illustrated by Alexis Vitrebert
This story of Versailles is told from the perspective of Henri de Nolhac, son of Pierre de Nolhac, who came to be a steward of the palace during the Third French Republic. This is not Versailles during the time of kings and queens. This is Versailles as it was just beginning to be appreciated as an historical masterpiece, and thanks in large part to the dedication of Pierre. But, the demands of restoring the palace took a toll on the family life of Pierre, which is also included in great detail. This story also includes how Versailles morphed during the Great War, changing from a monument to a refuge for wounded soldiers and a place of gathering for Christmas celebrations and the like. Extensive end-notes provide more historical context for the de Nolhac family and the source materials for the creative team.
At the beginning of this novel, we get the resolution of the big reveal from the previous volume, where Ed, Alphonse, and Mustang all become privy to just how far the reach of the homunculi is within Amestris. The rest of the novel is a major flashback to the Ishvalan Civil War. We know from previous volumes how the war started, but until this point, we have only been privy to snippets as characters try not to remember the slaughter they took part of. Hawkeye, never one to shield Edward or treat him like a kid, is finally the one to educate him on the horror of what they were asked to do as part of the military. We also learn a vital piece of Colonel Mustang's past, and it further explains the dynamic between Hawkeye and Mustang.
Iku's parents come to visit her at work, but there's a huge problem - they think she is a noncombatant working as a Library Clerk. With the help of Instructor Dojo and Asako, Iku works both days on Clerk shifts, and they all might be able to convince her parents that she does indeed work as a Clerk. They just have to stay clear of Komaki, who doesn't believe in lying, but has promised to take shifts in the records room, far away from Iku and her parents. This deceit eats away at Iku, especially because she just got off a successful mission to save the general of the Library Forces, but she can't be truthful about the part she played!
Kiku is a high schooler on vacation with her mother in San Francisco, trying to find their family home in Japantown, when she gets swept back in time to her grandmother's violin recital. She travels back and forth a few more times before she is sent back to 1942, right as her grandmother's family is being shipped out to an incarceration camp. She is "stuck" in the past for a year, living in the camps alongside other Nikkei and her grandmother, who she doesn't have the courage to speak to. Back in the present, Kiku and her mother decide to research more of the family's history and the history of the Topaz, Utah camp, and to become activists against the camps at the U.S. Border for Latinx immigrants.
The Museum of Information is closing because it’s founder passed away. In his will, he left a treasure trove of documents, records, and books to the Library. The MBC can’t raid personal libraries, but now that it’s in the hands of the Library, they are free to go after it! Iku has been “benched” and is attending the funeral as the Director’s body guard, all because she has yet to tell her parents she’s a combatant, and this fight will surely be televised. Meanwhile, Tezuka and Instructor Dojo are on the front lines moving C-trains full of information from the Museum to the Library while MBC soldiers close in.
Iku learns to work in the Reservations room, securing books from other branches and finding titles in the Stacks to send to other branches. The Interim Head librarian acts suspicious with Iku's roommate, Asako, asking for specific titles and then squirreling them away in his office. Iku’s squadmate, Tezuka, asks her out even though he has continuously made her feel like he hates her, but this makes Iku confirm her feelings for Dojo. The MBC conducts a raid on the Library, seeking to take out titles they disapprove of. It's Iku's first MBC raid while she's is on duty, she and Asako figured out that the MBC was going after all the books in the head librarian's office.
|
About MeI've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students. Search this siteRatings, Audience, and Subject Tags
All
Archives
April 2024
|