Coraline

In other animation/manga/graphic novel news, I spent some time this weekend with Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. I recommend Chutah read it, if she has not already. It was marked as suitable for ages 8 and up, but it scared me. People had black button eyes. Which sounds kind of cute, like teddy bears, but was freaky in the extreme. It was grotesque and ghoulish and creepy, but also really cool.

It was a dark Alice in Wonderland that grants the power to Alice. There was a strength of will to the main character that was something integral to herself, not found from the situation or other people. The art was very different than what I have experienced, but I usually am reading something Japanese or derivative. It was very Western, somewhat realistic with loose, flowing lines. The colors were usually subtle, but strong colors were used to emphasis, as in Death Note.

I looked for the second volume of Sandman, but my library is pretty spotty on the graphic novels. I’m thankful that they have them at all. I really enjoy the complexity of the graphic novels; the art and story combine to make a lush and intellectually stimulating experience.