Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City

As usual, Guy Delisle makes a far flung place feel very accessible, although perhaps not physically so.  He brings an even mix of experiences any traveler in Jerusalem could have or observe with those specific to his own profession as an animator and cartoonist.  It usually has a very mellow tone with occasional pointedness, much like the drawings.  He has poise and timing.  He knows when to let the images speak for themselves or even contradict.  He is very consistent although the material of each place is anything but.  So as usual, it is a great pleasure to read.

Anya's Ghost

This is a simple story of a few days in the life of a girl as she matures a little intellectually.  It is a cute story with an unusual vehicle, but travels a very familiar path in that.  And somehow, although she's grown by the end, I was left with a sense that she hadn't actually done any growing.  She has determinedly turned a new leaf, but it is somewhat abrupt.

The art is solid and expressive and cute.  It is a little cartoony, but that's the way I like it.  The whole is somewhat bland, but pleasant.

Incognito

 There's the anti-HERO, the one who is imperfect and brooding, but in the end, heroic, and then there's the ANTI-hero, the one who may have done something heroic, but it is a side effect of some decidedly unheroic motivation.  I seem to be happy with the first, but not the second.  The hero here is decidedly the second.

Had I read this as issues, I doubt I'd have gotten past the second.  Our protagonist manages to masquerade as someone else to have sex with a woman he works with just a few pages in.  Yep, rape.  How endearing.  Then there's a bit of heroing for his own twisted unheroic reasons that actually gets a bit boring.  Superpowered guy beating up random street thugs.  Meh.

But I have six issues in a cover in my hands, so it doesn't end there.  Luckily, that is all just introductory stuff.  The story does pick up into something far more interesting and ultimately moves him along the scale toward the first, the anti-HERO.  Likely not enough for my own tastes, but not everything has to be written for me.