The first graphic novel I will be reviewing is The Ghosts and Ruth Ann. Created by communications major Dillon Hawkings and a team of artists and fellow students, this short graphic novel tells the tale of "Young Ruth Ann." Convinced that West Virginia is filled with nothing but coal miners and rednecks, she meets a young man who begins to share tales and stories that open her eyes a little.
The drawings and visual style are great. Though seemingly simple sometimes, with the absense of color, there's not lack of detail and there's plenty of interesting aspects to look at. The mountains and clouds, especially, give a superb feeling that you are indeed in West Virginia and that's essentially what the graphic novel is about. I like how the graphic novel uses stories and flashbacks to help communicate the meaning of the overall graphic novel, and really gives this piece a unique sense.
Overall, I was a huge fan of this graphic novel and would read similar works by these artists. Great job, guys!
The second graphic novel is Doors by Jason Smith.
Though the visual style and art is a bit rough, the story is awesome. It truly feels as if it were a movie being acted out when you flip through the pages, with fully developed characters, a plot that unravels over time, and a sense of suspense and drama that just continues to build. Though the story is somewhat abstract and gets a bit muddled at times, it lets you sort of find your own meaning. The black backgrounds to the panels and the entire visual style makes it feel more like a dream or a memory, and a few panels are especially vivid and put you on the spot.
While not my favorite graphic novel, the story itself was great. Hopefully this is a starting point for using another medium to tell this story, such as film.
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