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Notables 2010: Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura’s I Kill Giants

Joe Kelly and JM Ken NiimuraI Kill Giants, 2009.

I Kill Giants is the tale of a very angry 5th-grade girl living in her fantasies (of being a giant-killer) and thus holding the world, and especially any attempts to get emotionally close to her, at bay. It’s told very inventively and convincingly, and Barbara, the main character, is very appealing despite, and because of, her aggression. My only complaint is the rather conventional reason that she’s acting out the way she is; the revelation is so unsurprising, it took away (a bit) from how much I liked it up until then. But the telling of this old story is really the key, and that’s what makes this book special.

Age: The Booklist review  says grades 9-12. But I’d say you could read this with kids as young as 5th grade.

What is this “Notable” thing all about? Matt and Jessica are the series editors for the Best American Comics, and are responsible for the Notable Comics list at the back of the book, which is comprised of virtually all the comics we sent to the guest editor that weren’t picked, as well as a number of others that we think are noteworthy for various reasons, but that we didn’t send to the guest editor.

We’ve always hoped readers will delve a bit into the list to find more great stories once they finish reading BAC. Realistically, though, we know that’s tough. What can you know about a story from a title and author? So this is one of a series of posts focusing on each of the Notables from the 2010 Best American Comics.

Have or know of a comic we should look at? Find submission info here.

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