Comics and manga are for everyone, but a single book club can’t serve every potential reader. A book club for younger readers is unlikely to satisfy teen or adult interests, while genre-specific book clubs can potentially appeal to readers of overlapping ages. Alternatively, community reads are typically intended to engage readers of all ages and interests.
The titles you select will depend on who your book club is intended to serve, and can vary greatly by genre, art style, and complexity. We’ve created reader’s guides for some of our favorite comics and manga, including discussion questions and a notable review for each one, to help you get started. This month, we’re spotlighting Ripple Effects: The Deluxe Edition and Blacksad — 1. Somewhere Within the Shadows for older teens and adult readers.
Ripple Effects: The Deluxe Edition (Fanbase Press)
Most people have read or watched at least one superhero’s origin story, but Ripple Effects asks a unique question: What if the superhero derives their powers from an otherwise debilitating and unseen disability?
Ripple Effects goes further, and this is what makes it such a brilliant master class in health literacy. What happens when you flip the page is that each issue of the story ends with a short essay. Each essay connects to something that happened in the story immediately preceding, connecting something that happened with or to George (a.k.a. his superhero name, “Ripple”) to the lived experiences of the essay’s author. —Graphic Medicine
Blacksad — 1. Somewhere Within the Shadows (Europe Comics)
Blacksad is a gritty crime drama featuring anthropomorphic animals who are anything but soft and fuzzy. Readers will be delighted by their depth, and the excellent crafting of the central mystery can spark interesting discussions.
First making waves a decade ago, Blacksad, created in Spain, published in France, has since garnered well-deserved critical success and status as an international bestseller… All of this material is riveting, and Guarnido’s artwork is atmospheric and full of indelibly captured characters—he’s a true master of the form. Blacksad is a comics classic. —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Start Your Own Comics & Manga Book Club
Starting a comic or manga book club at your library or school might seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re not personally familiar with the medium, so we’ve put together a free resource, Hosting Comics & Manga Book Clubs, designed to ensure you and your readers have the best experience possible.
- Prepare: What you’ll need to do before scheduling your first book club event.
- Promote: How to get the word out about your book club event.
- Participate: How to ensure your book club members have a great experience.
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