I don’t usually read graphic novels, but in the last month I have read several including two by Gene Luen Yang. The other was Superman Smashes the Klan which I review in another post. I love the fact that Yang chooses the topic of basketball for his newest book, as he admits he knows very little about the sport when he begins working on it. By the end of the project he has made friends with the coach and many of the players and becomes a big fan of the team, the Oakland school, Bishop O’Dowd Dragons. I also liked the mascot as it was the same as my high school team’s.
While I haven’t come across many graphic novels with sports as the theme, I enjoyed how Yang interspersed fast-paced action with history of the sport. The background story of the coach was also enjoyable. Lou Richie had played for the Dragons in 1988 and had scored on the last play of the game, only to have the ref overturn the basket. As the coach for the Dragons, winning a championship has also proved elusive. I highly recommend this graphic novel not just for those who like this genre but for all sports enthusiasts! And the illustrations were awesome!!
Mad for Books 