Western Classics

May 15, 2011
Grades 7-12 The western is one of the least-explored genres in the comics format, so this collection of seven short pieces will help to fill the void a bit. The centerpiece is a wordy but dramatic adaptation by series editor Pomplun and artist Cynthia Martin of Zane Greys classic novel Riders of the Purple Sage. Other highlights include a cheerfully cartoony and violent take on pulp master Robert E. Howards Knife River Prodigal and a Hopalong Cassidy story that turns a train holdup on its head. A variety of themes crop up throughout this entry in the Graphic Classics series, underscoring the underrated dynamism of western storytelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)