Angela's March Pick :)

Black Hole

By Charles Burns

Winner of the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Awards. Suburban Seattle, the mid-1970s. A strange plague has descended upon the area's teenagers, transmitted by sexual contact. The disease is manifested in any number of ways - from the hideously grotesque to the subtle (and concealable) - but once you've got it, that's it. What unfolds isn't the expected battle to fight the plague or even to treat it. Instead, we witness the nature of high school alienation itself. Black Hole deftly explores a specific American cultural moment in flux and the kids who are caught in it.

This book is amazing commentary on how our society deals with those who are “different.” Sure, it specifically takes a strong stance on how we deal with STDs, and probably (judging by when the story was set) particularly HIV and AIDS, but it digs deeper with its fierce characterization and an apt portrait of suburban small-mindedness. It’s a must-read for those who enjoy literary, independent comics.