The Color of Earth

With the depressing collapse of the Minx imprint line of comics for teen girls started by DC comics, I am always on the lookout for exceptional (or really any) comics and graphic novels for females, teen or otherwise. Which is why I am looking forward to this summer in publishing, if only for the next two installments of Kim Dong Hwa's trilogy, beginning with The Color of Earth.

I read this beautiful graphic novel quickly at first and realized that I had slowed down just to match the floating pace of the story. This is a beautiful and evocative tale set in 19th cen. pastoral Korea. Ehwa, over the course of several seasons (you really get a feel for the changing of the seasons in the story), comes of age and learns about the mystery of intimacy. Hwa uses natural imagery and parables to explain love and relationships, men and women.

Ehwa's mother runs a tavern and is single, her virtue questioned and gossiped about. Ehwa struggles to understand the men in her life and the way they behave very differently to women. The tavern men are lecherous and aggressive with her mother, but the young monk she meets on the road is sweet and unassuming.

This is a very lovely and insightful book. I'm really looking forward to the next two in the series, The Color of Water (out in June) and The Color of Heaven (out in September).

Check out the Minx line as well. Most of them are still available and in stock at the store. They are smart and egdy little comics for girls ages 15 and up. Cecil Castellucci's The Plain Janes and Janes in Love are my personal favorites. Find the Minx line in our Graphic Novel section for teens.

.Mandy.