I am really conflicted on the new Twilight Zone graphic novels. I remember the show a lot (I think that episode with William Shatner on the airplane pretty much scarred me for life) and I so read both of the new releases "The After Hours" and "Walking Distance" quite happily. But I'm not sure that these books work for today's teens. Every now and again I read a book directed at YAs that I can't seem to separate my adult self from. I can't appreciate them from the perspective of a teen reader (this really hits me when it comes to romances). I was not familiar with either of the original Twilight Zone episodes so I'm not blinded by nostalgia but I did wonder if maybe the show's aura of menace or (in the case of "Walking Distance" in particular) out of control weirdness conveys in the written form. I read the stories, found them mildly enjoyable but wasn't blown away as I pretty much have always been while watching the show (even today). I'm wondering if teens would be more blown away because they likely would not have the show to compare to or if the books would work at all for them as these two in particular seem to have nothing to do with teenagers and more to with adult concerns.

Plus, well, they seemed a bit bland, for lack of a better word. It's not that I think they move too slow for modern teens because any good story written at a solid pace works for readers young and old as far as I'm concerned. But these two books seemed off to me. Has anyone else read them? I'd be curious to see what you think. (And while I'm at it I will mention again Holly Black's graphic novel The Good Neighbors which I thinks nails creepy, weird and mysterious perfectly and is highly recommended.)

I also just finished a new Drawn & Quarterly gn by Pascal Blanchet: White Rapids. I bought this book primarily because my father's family is from the region it is written about and since it's a pretty obscure part of Quebec (on the St Maurice River) when I see anything about that area I grab it. The story covers the real history of the town of Rapide Blanc. Built by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company in 1928 as a company town to run the nearby dam, the town thrived for decades until the dam went automatic in 1971. Rapide Blanc was shut down and abandoned by order of the company. Aside from the intriguing social history (my family was from the town of Shawinigan Falls) Blanchet is a fan of 1950s modernism and he has designed the whole book in the most appealing retro way. The text is sparse but when present dances across the pages in a variety of fonts. The people are drawn almost as if they are from magazine ads and the graphics are AWESOME! He also has a soundtrack for the town and its people featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong and others. It's a snapshot of a time and place that literally has vanished and it's done in such a way that the book is basically a piece of art. I love it and if you have a soft spot for rural Quebec history (or art deco or the 1950s or company towns) then this is a little gem you should certainly seek out. (You can see a preview of it here.)