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Original Essays | June 12, 2013

Lian Dolan: IMG The Bard and Bridget Jones Meet in Elizabeth the First Wife



Note: Lian Dolan will be appearing at Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing on Thursday, June 27, at 7 p.m. I was lucky enough to have a fantastic... Continue »
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    Elizabeth the First Wife

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2 Hawthorne Graphic Novels- General

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Far Arden

by

Far Arden Cover

 

Review-A-Day

"With a ship named after Milton's famed anti-censorship essay, another named the Melville, and through-lines about global warming and DNA that keep popping up, the book offers more to chew on than just an Indiana Jones exploit set on arctic waters." John Eisler, Rain Taxi (read the entire Rain Taxi review)

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Meet Army Shanks — crusty old sea dog and legendary brawler of the high Arctic seas! He's got just one mission: to find the mythical island paradise known as Far Arden, which lies hidden (so they say) in the wintry oceans of the far North. But there's more than just water standing between Shanks and his goal: he'll have to contend with circus performers, adorable orphans, heinous villains, bitter ex-lovers, well-meaning undergraduates, and the full might of the Royal Canadian Arctic Navy! Not to mention he's not so sure how to get to Far Arden in the first place...

In his first solo graphic novel, Kevin Cannon (Top Ten, The Stuff of Life) proves himself a master spinner of yarns. Far Arden is an epic journey through a world not quite our own, written and drawn with strokes bold and swift. As readers hurtle toward the stunning conclusion, Cannon assembles countless details, characters, and relentless plot twists into an astonishing whole far greater than the sum of its parts. Thrilling, eccentric, lusty, genuinely moving, and often hilarious (with sound effects that alone are worth the price of admission), Far Arden may be the best adventure comic you'll read all year.

Review:

"In this fanciful tale set in arctic Canada, disparate characters struggle to find a mythic paradise island, Far Arden. Despite far-fetched aspects like the evil, bureaucracy-controlled Royal Canadian Arctic Navy, a half-man/half — polar bear and a conniving university professor of psychology, the story becomes mundane through the intertwining character relations and attention to detail in constructing the world. The protagonist, a stoic, rugged arctic pirate, Army Shanks, searches for the island to reunite with his mentor, Simon Arctavis, but is hindered by old acquaintances and ill-fortune. Slowly, the reader becomes immersed in this alternate arctic world. Commonplace and strange are fused, as rants on the dangers of global warming transition into a battle with a polar bear. The thick crosshatched backgrounds and simple fluid characters further ground the story. As the entwined pasts of Army, his ex, her current husband, a college couple and an orphan bent on revenge for his father's murder are revealed, entwining pasts become clear and the full range of this engrossing story is revealed." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"One amazing slice of storytelling magic." Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Review:

"Cleverly plotted....Cannon is one of the comics world's most energetic storytellers, and his minimalist artwork, far from cramping its subject matter, has its own eye-catching charm." Booklist

Review:

"Far Arden is one of the most unruliest and unpredictable adventure comics I’ve read in a long while, and yet the story weaves itself into a complex and consistent whole...the best of two worlds: the purely spontaneous burst of comics creation and the carefully constructed adventure saga." Dave Baxter, Broken Frontier

Review:

"The character of Army Shanks is one that readers can really sink their teeth into....He's a man with all the personality conflicts and defects and emotional confusion that make us human. And even when he surprises you by bringing a dead fish to a party at the governor's palace, it doesn't seem at all out of character." Sean Kleefeld, Kleefeld on Comics

Product Details

ISBN:
9781603090360
Author:
Cannon, Kevin
Publisher:
Top Shelf Productions
Subject:
General
Subject:
Graphic Novels
Subject:
Comic books, strips, etc.
Subject:
Graphic Novels - General
Copyright:
Publication Date:
May 2009
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
382
Dimensions:
6.5 x 5 x 1 in

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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Graphic Novels » General

Far Arden Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$13.95 In Stock
Product details 382 pages Top Shelf Productions - English 9781603090360 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "In this fanciful tale set in arctic Canada, disparate characters struggle to find a mythic paradise island, Far Arden. Despite far-fetched aspects like the evil, bureaucracy-controlled Royal Canadian Arctic Navy, a half-man/half — polar bear and a conniving university professor of psychology, the story becomes mundane through the intertwining character relations and attention to detail in constructing the world. The protagonist, a stoic, rugged arctic pirate, Army Shanks, searches for the island to reunite with his mentor, Simon Arctavis, but is hindered by old acquaintances and ill-fortune. Slowly, the reader becomes immersed in this alternate arctic world. Commonplace and strange are fused, as rants on the dangers of global warming transition into a battle with a polar bear. The thick crosshatched backgrounds and simple fluid characters further ground the story. As the entwined pasts of Army, his ex, her current husband, a college couple and an orphan bent on revenge for his father's murder are revealed, entwining pasts become clear and the full range of this engrossing story is revealed." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review A Day" by , "With a ship named after Milton's famed anti-censorship essay, another named the Melville, and through-lines about global warming and DNA that keep popping up, the book offers more to chew on than just an Indiana Jones exploit set on arctic waters." (read the entire Rain Taxi review)
"Review" by , "One amazing slice of storytelling magic."
"Review" by , "Cleverly plotted....Cannon is one of the comics world's most energetic storytellers, and his minimalist artwork, far from cramping its subject matter, has its own eye-catching charm."
"Review" by , "Far Arden is one of the most unruliest and unpredictable adventure comics I’ve read in a long while, and yet the story weaves itself into a complex and consistent whole...the best of two worlds: the purely spontaneous burst of comics creation and the carefully constructed adventure saga."
"Review" by , "The character of Army Shanks is one that readers can really sink their teeth into....He's a man with all the personality conflicts and defects and emotional confusion that make us human. And even when he surprises you by bringing a dead fish to a party at the governor's palace, it doesn't seem at all out of character."
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