It’s been a good year for graphic novels.
According to a recent report by Publishers Weekly, sales of adult graphic novels rose almost 30 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019.
And, in the last week of January 2021, sales more than doubled when juxtaposed with the same period last year, increasing by a whopping 110 per cent.
Maybe the seismic events of 2020 had something to do with the medium’s rise in popularity – or maybe it didn’t, who knows. But what’s certain is that people are more eager than ever to leap into the panelled world of graphic novels.
And what a wide and wonderful world it is, encompassing provocative horror and memoirs that shine a new light on a specific pocket of history to works that dismantle the concept of a superhero.
If you’ve been skirting around the graphic novel aisles of your favourite bookstore but are unsure where to begin, here’s our pick of 10 graphic novels to try first.
‘Uzumaki’ by Junji Ito
This spine-chilling page turner comes from the mind of Japanese mangaka Junji Ito.
The three-volume work, which was released between 1998 and 1999, tells the story of a town suffering from a supernatural curse, causing its citizens to fear and obsess over all things spiral-shaped. Ito’s genius is clear in the way he takes a simple shape and unpacks it in all kinds of eerie and thought-provoking ways. The work has been described as one of the most terrifying graphic novels around and has been compared to the works of US horror mastermind HP Lovecraft.
‘Maus’ by Art Spiegelman
Few graphic novels have been as influential as Maus, so we would be remiss not to include it high up on this list.
The work, serialised between 1980 and 1991, depicts US cartoonist Art Spiegelman interviewing his father about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. The work represents the Jewish community as mice, Germans as cats and Polish citizens as pigs. Maus has been famously difficult to categorise with critics classifying it as fiction, biography, memoir and autobiography all at the same time.
The work is the only graphic novel to nab the coveted Pulitzer Prize, which it won in 1992.
‘Lighter Than My Shadow’ by Katie Green
Written and illustrated by Katie Green, Lighter Than My Shadow is a touching account of life with an eating disorder.
With its hand-drawn illustrations, sombre colour palette and measured storytelling, the 2013 work delves into Green’s struggle with anorexia, showing how the English author recovered from the disorder.
‘The Incal’ by Alejandro Jodorowsky
From French-Chilean surrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky comes an epic space opera fusing science fiction, mysticism, political suspense and satire.
Originally illustrated by French artist Jean Giraud, The Incal graphic novel series, which debuted in 1983, is set in the dystopian capital of a small planet within a human galactic empire at war with an alien race. It follows a private detective, John DiFool, who comes into contact with the Luminous Incal, a mysterious power-granting object sought after by a number of warring factions.
If you're a fan of the films by the The Holy Mountain director, this title is for you.
‘Persepolis’ by Marjane Satrapi
This autobiographical series by Iranian-French graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi portrays her childhood experiences during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, as well as her early adult years in Austria, where she goes to start a new life.
Persepolis was listed in Time magazine's Best Comics of 2003 and was praised by one of its literary critics as "sometimes funny and sometimes sad but always sincere and revealing".
‘The Sandman’ by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman’s take on the mythical character in north European folklore is as spooky as it is life-affirming.
The series revolves around the capture and subsequent imprisonment of the Sandman – an anthropomorphic personification of dreams. After 70 years, he manages to escape during the present time and, after taking his vengeance on his captors, sets about to rebuild his empire.
Like with most of his other work, Gaiman brings the mythology of the Lord of Dreams closer to everyday human life.
‘Through the Woods’ by Emily Carroll
This is not your Disney fairy tale.
Through The Woods by Canadian author Emily Carroll is a delightfully terrifying anthology featuring five fairytales with beautiful illustrations and nail-biting storylines.
A not-to-be-missed title for any horror fan.
‘They Called Us Enemy’
Based on the childhood experiences of George Takei, They Called Us Enemy depicts the period when the Star Trek actor was imprisoned in a US internment camp at the height of the Second World War.
Takei and his family were among the 100,000 Japanese Americans who were relocated and incarcerated by the US government shortly after Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour.
The graphic novel depicts Takei’s experiences at the camp in a riveting story that confronts legalised racism.
‘Watchmen’
One of the most acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Watchmen upends the superhero narrative, deconstructing and even ridiculing the concept of the benevolent hero.
The series, created by legendary comic book writer Alan Moore, is set in an alternate timeline in which superheroes emerged in the 1960s and helped the US win the war in Vietnam. The 1986 work shows a world on the brink of a third World War as tensions between the US and the Soviet Union are at an all-time high.
The work marks a turning point in the graphic novel and in a 2016 retrospective by the BBC, it was described as “the moment comic books grew up".
‘Miles Morales: Straight out of Brooklyn’ by Saladin Ahmed
A more traditional take on the superhero genre, this 2019 graphic novel by Arab-American writer Saladin Ahmed has Miles Morales swinging back to the limelight as Spider-Man.
The story starts with Morales doing his best to juggle his school and social life with his role as a crime-fighting vigilante. Soon, supervillain Rhino and his lackeys start sacking Morales’s beloved Brooklyn. It initially seems like just another day for Spidey but things soon take a dark turn.
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UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
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On sale: now
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
THREE
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Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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MEFCC information
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
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Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
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RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
