Hello, and welcome to the last newsletter of 2009 for GraphicNovelReporter.com! It seems like just yesterday I was sending out the very first newsletter. Actually, it was a year ago…one year to the very day, to be exact --- December 18, 2008 --- when our very first GNR newsletter arrived in inboxes, and here we are, one year, 67 creator interviews, dozens of contributor pieces and hundreds of reviews later.

A year ago, I barely knew most of the people who now are our readers. Over the last twelve months, I’ve met many of you at comics conventions, industry events, parties and through emails we’ve exchanged during the ups and downs of the year. Those meetings and correspondence have meant a lot to me and helped us shape the site. I hope you feel the same way, because I feel like we’re just getting started, not only with our industry coverage but with getting to know the folks who make it all possible, from trend-setting librarians to educators to creators and readers.

I was thinking of how much fun GNR is to do earlier this week, when I was able to spend a hour or so chatting comics with Torsten Adair (graphic novels buyer for Barnes & Noble), Alex Simmons (founder of Kids Comic-Con), and Dave Elliot (longtime comics writer, editor, creator, and packager). The four of us sat in the GNR/The Book Report Network office talking about the good old days, the bad old days (they weren’t too far removed from each other) and the times in between in our various lives of reading comics. It was a blast, and even better, it was a learning experience, with all of us sharing our own takes on this industry we love so much. That’s why we do GNR, I thought; to capture that love of the industry and put it onto the web so we can share it with others, whether they are new to graphic novels or longtime readers.

It’s been a great year, and I hope you have enjoyed being a part of GNR as much as we have. There’s plenty more to come, and I think I’m starting to get the hang of all this! (Knock on wood.)

We created a holiday card for you that you can read here. By the way, Carol was wondering if there has been a graphic novel written totally in rhyme after she finished writing the first draft of this feeling like she was trapped in a Dr. Seuss book.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season and a Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to seeing you all in 2010. Random thought from Carol: This is the last year for those ridiculous glasses everyone wears on New Year's Eve with two zeroes for eyes. Already the decade is looking promising!

Happy reading,

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

We share news, updates, tips, personal observations, and more. Keep up-to-date by checking our blog entries.

The New York Times Presents Its List

A New Best-of List

Mark Waid Has Another Great Series

We asked teachers, librarians, writers, professionals and others to share their picks for the best graphic novels of the year. See what following folks selected:

Andrew Farago,Curator/Gallery Manager,Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco
Doré Ripley, Lecturer at Cal State East Bay and adjunct professor at Diablo Valley College
Tony Isabella, “America’s most beloved comic-book writer and columnist”
Brad Meltzer, Bestselling author of Identity Crisis and The Book of Lies
Cathy A. Campers, Librarian, Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon, and author of Bugs Before Time
Dr. Katie Monnin, Assistant Professor of Literacy, University of North Florida
Lisa N. Elliott, Young Adult Librarian, Tigard Public Library
Peter Gutiérrez, Writer, editor, comics educator and consultant, and writer for GNR
James Bucky Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English Education, UTEP English Department
James Sturm, Director, The Center for Cartoon Studies

Mark Millar’s hot series Kick-Ass is ready to kick some tail on the big screen! Starring Nicolas Cage and Aaron Johnson, this story of a little guy with no powers who becomes a superhero anyway is coming soon, and you can find out about it here.

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds by Geoff Johns, George Pérez, and Scott Koblish
Superman, Superboy, Green Lantern, and the combined might of three Legions of Super-Heroes all combine to take on the Time Trapper and his minions in the Legion of Super-Villains. But it's the fixing of two decades of continuity that this book really takes on. Reviewed by John Hogan

The Best American Comics 2009 edited by Charles Burns, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden
What a year it was! Sample some of the best works from 2009 in this ongoing series' latest edition. Reviewed by John Hogan

The Art of Tony Millionaire by Tony Millionaire
From Cartoon Network artist Tony Millionaire comes an early-career collection of stunning artwork. Reviewed by John Hogan

Beast Master, Vol. 1 by Kyousuke Motomi
Yuiko's new classmate may be a bit of an animal, but that doesn't stop her from becoming fast friends with the mysterious, wild-eyed Leo. Reviewed by Casey Brienza

9 Faces of Love by Wann
Nine manhwa stories in one collection show different versions of being in love. Some are realistic, some are high fantasy, and all are enjoyable. Reviewed by Danica Davidson

The Invincible Iron Man: World's Most Wanted, Book 1 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca
With the success of his first movie and with all the buzz surrounding 2010's sequel, Iron Man has easily become one of the world's most recognizable heroes. But when he fails to prevent an alien invasion and runs off with government documents --- documents with information that, in the wrong hands, could prove to be the downfall of his fellow heroes and friends --- Tony Stark goes from the most powerful man in the world to the most wanted. Reviewed by Stephen Giordano

Karakuri Odette, Vol. 1 by Julietta Suzuki
Odette is an android who, like most androids in pop culture, wants to experience what it is to be human. Every time she notices something that makes her different, she asks her creator Professor Yoshizawa to make a change. By enrolling in high school, Odette observes the things that we take for granted, like eating, crying, and friendship. Through her, we discover that it is not simply joy that makes the human experience so special. Reviewed by Courtney Kraft