50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Review-a-Day

Ships Ahoy

by Review-a-Day, November 30, 2009 12:00 AM
Far ArdenFar Arden by Kevin Cannon

Reviewed by John Eisler

Rain Taxi

An adventure story a la Tintin meets 21st-century indie comics in Kevin Cannon's debut graphic novel, Far Arden. The book details the quest of an arctic sailor named Army Shanks who, as he tells his young orphan friend at the end of Chapter I, is "going to avenge your father's death, find the Areopagitica, save Hafley, possibly rekindle a rocky love affair with Fortuna (but probably not)... and fulfill my promise to find Far Arden and meet up with my friend and mentor, Simon Arctavius." 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. And while the story is occasionally bumpy, especially at the beginning, even the plot contrivances seem enjoyed by the novel's dramatis personae, as if they know they're in a farce; if the characters occasionally speak in exposition, their journey to the fabled Far Arden nonetheless becomes moving by the story's tragic end. Such success is largely due to Cannon's beautifully paced, exuberant art, which blends energetic sketchbook passion with measured, concept-driven flair; a particularly nice touch is his graphic use of action verbs as sound effects, so rather than "pow!" and "bam!" we see "tear open!" and "handshake!!" and "face punch!!!" (a strategy Lynn Johnston deployed to great effect in her domestic strip For Better or For Worse, but which here lends a whimsical touch to the otherwise earnest action sequences). Cannon has illustrated other graphic novels, but it's apparent that Far Arden has taught him how to write his own; it'll be exciting to see what he does next.




{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Fiction of 2020 by Powell's Books
  2. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  3. Midyear Roundup 2021: The Best Books of the Year (So Far) by Powell's Staff
  4. The 11 Best Places to Read by Will Schwalbe
  5. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: Pacific Northwest Edition by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Sitemap
  • © 2022 POWELLS.COM Terms