Good Comics

Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg – The Plain Janes (Minx Books, 2007) YA Graphix CAS
Minx books is a new imprint from DC Comics publishing (short) graphic novels with teenage girls as the target audience. The Plain Janes is their first title, and I have to say: so far so good. It would be very easy to do a lot of things wrong with an imprint like Minx, but The Plain Janes is not condescending, it doesn't try to hard. Its smart, has interesting multi-dimensional characters (four teenage girls named Jane, is well written and has nice art. Definitely a good start.
I won't get into the plot too much, because you should really read it. The subject matter is very compelling to me. One of the characters is dealing with the trauma of surviving a (presumably terrorist) bombing in Metro City. Her parents move the family out to a suburb and refuse to let her go back to the dangerous big city. Instead of shrinking in fear Jane befriends three other Janes at her new school and the proceed to carry out a campaign of public guerrilla art. Not surprisingly parents and local authorities freak out, and impose a curfew. The kids at the school band together to defy the curfew and things go from there. Definitely recommended. Also, its a pretty short read, so it doesn't require much of a commitment.
As an added bonus there are short previews for upcoming Minx titles. The CPL has Re-Gifters (Mark Carey, Sonny Liew, and Marc Hempel) on order, which is great, because it looks the best of the upcoming books. Its about a teenage girl into martial arts and Korean-American experience in Los Angeles. Good As Lily (Derek Kirk Kim & Jesse Hamm) looks good too, and is about a highschool girl who suddenly has three people thrust into her life. Namely herself at ages 6, 29, and 70. Clubbing (Andi Watson & Josh Howard) about a spoiled London teen moving to the countryside seems pretty terrible actually, but if the library gets it I may give it a shot. Anyway, I'm excited for Re-Gifters.