Musnet / Lumberjanes
MUSNET IS DRAWN AND PAINTED IN A BEAUTIFUL, LUSH AND INKY STYLE POPULARIZED BY FRENCH COMICS MASTERS
Musnet: The Mouse of Monet
by Kickliy
odod books
2016, 56 pages, 8.8 x 0.5 x 11.5 inches, Hardcover
“Winsome” is the kind of word no one ever says out loud; if you encounter it, it’s only in text. But “winsome” is exactly the right word to describe the Musnet series, which follows an impoverished mouse as he attempts to shake up the art world. Musnet adopts his name in homage to the painter Monet, as the two share both a house and an impressionistic style.
Musnet and Monet aren’t the only two characters in the Musnet books (two of which have been published in English so far). There are plenty of animal friends and foes: a fun-loving carp, a moody squirrel, a ninja-like spider, and, inevitably, a villainous cat. This cast of characters is just one of the things that makes the Musnet books so charming. Another is how French they are, with references to stinky cheese and paté, for instance. A third charm factor is the artwork. Unsurprisingly for books about artists, the illustrations by Kickliy are lovely. The countryside settings are appropriately idyllic, and the creatures are drawn with a shaggy, unpolished likeability.
Whether you’re drawn in by the glimpses into the creative process, the quirky take on Monet’s legacy, or just the rodent romances, the Musnet books are delightful.
– Christine Ro
A RUNNING-FOR-YOUR-LIFE-FROM-SKELETAL-MONSTERS MYSTERY
Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy
by Chynna Clugston-Flores (Author), Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (Illustrator), Maddi Gonzalez (Contributor), Whitney Cogar (Contributor)
BOOM! Box
2017, 160 pages, 6.6 x 0.5 x 10.2 inches, Hardcover
Great Charlotte Hawkins Brown! The Lumberjanes have teamed up with the students of Gotham Academy to make the world a better place in this six-issue run, available as single issues now or as a collected paperback in March.
Rosie (of the Lumberjanes) and Professor MacPherson (of Gotham Academy) have disappeared, and it’s up to their scouts and/or students to find them … while apparently traveling back to 1986. Adventures, hijinks, danger, humor, and side ponytails ensue.
If you’re not familiar with at least one of the comics, this isn’t a good place to start. I adore the Lumberjanes and thus had to learn only about the Gotham Academy crew; even so, there were a lot of characters to keep straight (or to give up on keeping straight). If you’re a fan of either series, though, this is a great place to learn about the other.
– Sara Lorimer