Magic: The Gathering: Rise Of The Gatewatch: A Visual History
Hardcover | Kindle
Magic The Gathering Accessory
Abrams ComicArts and Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: July 23, 2019

I try to be upfront with everything I write, folks. So when I say I have never in my entire life played Magic: The Gathering, I hope you know I am not kidding. When it was first coming out, I was well aware of it but only because at that time I was living above a comic shop and found myself constantly in there for one reason or another. This now defunct but eternally glorious shop was my refuge, just as it was for so many others. I saw the fervor with which newcomers took to the game but it sadly held no allure for me. I was and still am a diehard tabletop role-playing fan, but the entire concept of a trading card game just did not appeal to me. And until quite recently I had no idea there was more to it than the simple mechanics of gameplay. This is in no small way because of Magic: The Gathering: Rise of the Gatewatch.

The book itself is a fairly straight forward homage to the game with elaborate backstories and beautiful art for each of the eight planeswalkers, plus the added bonus of one of the most evil beings in the multiverse! The histories included show the planeswalkers in a variety of lights. Not every one of them is heroic, though most are to be sure. And while I may never play a single round of the game, I now see what appeals to those who do. It is just as gripping as what I would consider traditional gaming, though this has been around long enough that I must give it the due it deserves.

How To Fake A Moon Landing
Exposing the Myths of Science Denial
Hardcover | Kindle Edition
Written by Darryl Cunningham
Introduction by Andrew C. Revkin
Abrams ComicArts
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Cover Price: $16.95

The truth is out there. Nothing embodies that saying like the data presented in  How To Fake A Moon Landing: Exposing the Myths of Science Denial. No matter how you slice it, science is real and it has led mankind on some wondrous adventures and completely changed our lives. From how we view the cosmos to explaining things a bit closer to home here on Earth, we see science everywhere. Now before you go getting your panties in a bunch, this book doesn’t go out of it’s way to debunk anything you learned in Sunday School. Instead, it examines how, through scientific methods, deductions (and yes, proof) can be found in a plethora of areas.

From ridiculous conspiracy theories such as Global Warming lies and the Moon Landing hoax to more mundane, medicinally focused issues such as Homeopathic remedies and Chiropractic cures, Darryl Cunningham delves deeply into the facts. Knowing that both sides in an argument are apt to use disinformation to further their agendas, he presents everything in a humorous and enlightening manner.

Economix
How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn’t Work), in Words and Pictures
Written by Michael Goodwin
Art by Dan E. Burr
Abrams ComicArts
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Cover Price: $19.95

Great Recessions! Debt Ceilings! Fiscal Cliffs! Run for the hills! AAAAAH! Scrub away the façade of apocalyptic doom and, to many, economics is a dull and often mystifying topic. Before you spend hard-earned cash on seed banks and toilet water recycling kits, it would be wise to invest a little time into learning about economic theory and history. But where to start? And more importantly, how to stay awake while researching?

Michael Goodwin’s graphic novel, Economix, seeks to fill in the wide gap between fear-profiteering, 24-hour cable news stations, and dreary, soul-consuming Economics 101 courses. Goodwin unapologetically takes a moderate-to-liberal viewpoint on economic theory. Much of his criticisms are reserved for the undue and unnecessary suffering of the poor and middle class caused by unchecked greed and corruption in the business and financial sector. Drudge Report junkies are likely to reject this book outright and dropkick it into the nearest dumpster. That’s a shame because economics is the most discussed news topic over the past few years; an enjoyable layman’s economic guidebook is an essential addition to any voter’s bookshelf.