Jim Butcher's Dresden files. Storm front: Vol.1 The Gathering Storm

Bibliography: Butcher, J. (2008). Jim Butcher's Dresden files. Storm front: Vol.1 The gathering storm. (M. Powers, Adapter. A. Syaf, Illus.) New York: Del Ray.

Genre: Graphic Novel – Fantasy/ Mystery

Reading Level/Interest Age: 15-18

Reader's Annotation: Who do the Chicago police turn to when there is a crime that defies the ordinary and points to a suspect who is anything but human? Harry Dresden, wizard for hire.

Author: Jim Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri, on October 26, 1971. He is the author of two successful fantasy series: The Dresden Files and the Codex Alera series.

Plot Summary: "If circumstances surrounding a crime defy the ordinary and evidence points to a suspect who is anything but human, the men and women of the Chicago Police Department call in the one guy who can handle bizarre and often brutal phenomena. Harry Dresden is a wizard who knows firsthand that the everyday world is actually full of strange and magical things – most of which don't play well with humans.

Now the cops have turned to Dresden to investigate a horrifying double murder committed with black magic. Never one to turn down a paycheck, Dresden also takes on another case – to find a missing husband who has quite likely been dabbling in sorcery. As Dresden tries to solve the seemingly unrelated cases, he is confronted with all the Windy City can blow at him, from the mob to mages and all creatures in between." (jacket flap)

Critical Evaluation: I confess that the premise of this series strikes me as a tad absurd. Dresden is an odd blend of Harry Potter-esque wizard and Mike Hammer detective, but I suppose that is no more outlandish than police psychics or mediums, which have been made the subjects of popular television series. The text is not as overly-exaggerated as in the other graphic novels I've seen, but it also does not quite make sense at times. I occasionally felt at a loss to know exactly what was going on, and the pictures, as detailed as they are, did little to alleviate the confusion. As for the content of the pictures, they definitely remove this novel from the categories of children's and juvenile lit. They are extremely graphic, containing frequent nudity and grotesquely mutilated bodies. True, the characters' genitalia are not rendered, but there is little else left out. The artist also seems to have an obsession with male body hair and facial stubble. Nearly all of male characters have it in abundance, even on Dresden's shoulders, which can be seen repeatedly during the half of the volume in which he is nude while battling a demon. Perhaps, the collaborators wanted to create a gritty, adult feel for the work, but the concept seems a little overdone. I was also dismayed to find that the story ended abruptly without even an inkling of the eventual resolution to the mysteries it contains. That's when I noticed that this was merely volume one of the graphic novel adaptation of a full-length novel. I am not sure how many other volumes there are, but this one was no longer than a traditional comic book. At $22.95 for each volume, that is a pretty expensive investment for a library.

Curriculum Ties:

Book Talk Ideas:
• adapt scene where Harry summons a fairy
• adapt scene in car with John Marcone
• adapt scene when Harry and Karin Murphy examine the hotel room and the bodies

Challenge Issues: violence, sex, cursing, use of magic

Challenge Defense:
• Explain library selection policies
• Provide reviews of the book from reputable sources
• Explain library challenge procedures
• Offer challenge form

Why was this text included in this project? Despite my wishes, I wasn’t able to include any paranormal texts because I ran out of time to read any (something I will rectify over the upcoming holidays), and I wanted to be familiar with more than just one graphic novel. This title sort of achieved both goals.