This graphic novel...  was just released in time for MoCCA Fest earlier this month in New York City.  Even if you didn't pick up a copy there, you can still purchase it online.

Before I blog my review, I'll post what the promotional piece said about this publication:

"The beauty of comic book creation is that it is a celebration of two worlds: the literary and the artistic. For the better part of a year, the writer and artist members of the Comicbook Artists Guild have been working steadfastly to bring these two worlds together for the purpose of supporting children’s literacy. Iconic, the Guild’s first graphic novel project, is a collection of short stories based on old tales that are taught in schools all over the world, but each one has a twist to it.

Included in Iconic are stories based on mythological characters such as Prometheus, Talos and Cuchulainn. Legendary literary characters such as Ebeneezer Scrooge and Sherlock Holmes appear in slightly varied narrations from their original. The creators of the Guild explore the trials and triumphs of folklore heroes Robin Hood and John Henry. Lastly, the creators share stories based on historical figures Mark Twain, St. George and Gustave Whitehead. All of the stories are tied together by a fictional grandfather as he shares the stories with his grandchildren."

Okay, the above shows that the creators at CAG have their goals set pretty high for this graphic novel!   Here's what I thought: 

Introduction by Gary Cohn - Good background intro to this book by Gary, who has worked on several different comic books at DC Comics and Crusade Comics.  His sharing his love of comics and what led him to work in the field was very insightful.

'Grandpa Pages' - Good intro by setting the stage that this is an older man telling his grandkids the following stories in the book.  Text and artwork are family friendly.

'First In Flight: The Gustave Whitehead Story' - I had seen a few of these pages in a preview earlier, and wanted to see more.  The complete story was worth waiting for from Robert J Sodaro & Rick Lundeen!

'George and the Monster' - This was a good story, even though the audience is meant for younger children, I enjoyed this tale by Scott Ludwig & Keith J Murphey.

'Prometheus And The Fire Of Tomorrow' -  By David Guiterrez, Adam Von Arx, Albert Luciano, and Alex Rivera was another story that jumped out at me that I liked.

'Outlaws Of Industry' - kept my interest. But then again I like well written westerns! By Ryan Markle, Paul London, & Alex Rivera.

There were other stories, for a total of eleven, but as with all anthologies that are written and illustrated by different persons, there will be some that you will enjoy over and over again, others that you will read once and enjoy, and a couple that won't be your favorites.  That doesn't mean I didn't like them, just that anthologies have varied writing styles and art formats.  Which is good if your own personal reading and art tastes are different from mine.

The book itself is a very good buy for this format.  And it is a good first effort for this group.  I would like to see more in this format from CAG!

The following are the details for the graphic novel:

Name:  Iconic
Genre: Anthology
Format: 112 pages  Cover Price: $ 9.99  Black & White  $2.50 shipping

For more info on the graphic novel and how to purchase it, please see the web site  at: http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4339457

For more info on the Comicbook Artists Guild, please see: http://www.comicartguild.com/

(Note: A complimentary item for this mention / review  was provided by the publisher.)  

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