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JETSETTER
American Vampire: Vol. 2
TIBET IN THE MIDWEST
Daytripper (Vertigo) The new graphic novel from the Brazilian brother team of Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá is an affecting portrait of one man’s life. Each chapter dips into a key moment in the life of Brás de Oliva Domingos that collectively shaped the trajectory of his existence. The son of a famous novelist and cultural hero, Brás floats through life writing obituaries while dreaming of living up to his father’s daunting example. Each day we spend with Brás culminates in a seemingly fated death that imbues the moment with special significance. But, Brás’ life does not really end. He goes on, collecting these moments until his life is full of them. Moon and Bá excel at instilling life’s seemingly quotidian moments with import, capturing all of the bittersweetness of love, friendship and family. For all its focus on death, Daytripper is really about life. For Moon and Bá, life’s inevitable end is what gives it meaning. Grade: A —Mike Sebastian Daytripper is currently available.
Isle of 100,000 Graves (Fantagraphics) Norwegian comic artist Jason returns, this time with his first collaborator, writer Fabien Vehlmann (7 Psychopaths). Vehlmann seamlessly takes on Jason’s laconic style and deadpan irony for a genre-blending adventure with all the subversive wit one would expect from a Jason tale. The story follows a young girl whose father disappeared years ago after finding a treasure map inside a bottle. When the girl finds yet another bottle containing a map, she sets out with a crew of devious pirates to find her father. But the would-be treasure hunters are in for a surprise when they discover the island serves as a training school for executioners. This light, entertaining take on 19th century adventure stories is sheer enjoyment. Grade: A
Blissful Bloomington
Kevin Wierzbicki
(Vertigo) For anyone who mourns what has become of the once great institution of vampirism there is American Vampire by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque. Bringing back unadulterated viciousness to bloodsuckers, Snyder sets his tale of warring vampire factions against the political machinations behind the rise of an American power. The second volume picks up in 1936 Las Vegas where Skinner Sweet is running a brothel in a little backwater place where the law has been temporarily loosened so the builders of the Hoover Dam can blow off some steam. But someone is murdering the moneymen behind the dam, and it’s up to police chief Cash McCogan to get to the bottom of it. Meanwhile, Pearl has moved to a secluded cabin to escape the vampire world she has been thrust into – but that world catches up to her. With its intelligent, Chinatown-esque intrigue and visceral, go-for-the-jugular art by Albuquerque, American Vampire will restore horror fans’ love for a good bloodsucker tale. Grade: A—Mike Sebastian American Vampire: Vol. 2 is currently available.
by kevin wierzbicki
If you would really like to climb to the top of a mountain in search of someone or something willing to impart wisdom to you, then you should go right ahead. But most people interpret the guru-atop-a-mountain thing as a metaphor and realize that the search for enlightenment doesn’t have to be physically strenuous. This is especially true if you simply take the highway to Bloomington, Ind., home of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center. You would never know that you’re actually in the city of Bloomington when you arrive at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center. Situated on over one hundred acres of wooded land, the TMBCC is a place where you might see a fox, deer or wild turkey before you even get out of your vehicle. Founded with the primary purpose of preserving Tibetan and Mongolian culture, the TMBCC is often visited by His Holiness the Dalai Lama who keeps private quarters on the premises. Visitors are welcome when the Dalai Lama teaches here, but self-guided walking tours are permitted every day during daylight hours. Highlights of the tour include the Kalachakra stupa, inside of which is an intricately designed “medicine Buddha mandala” made with colored sands, the Mani Korlo where you’ll find a succession of Tibetan prayer wheels to spin (always clockwise), the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Interfaith Temple with its exotic public shrine room, and the lotus pond that during certain Buddhist ceremonies receives the sacred sands from deconstructed mandalas. Nature trails and meditation spaces are in abundance too, and you’ll find statuary and other surprises as you roam the grounds. If you want to spend more than a few hours or the day at the TMBCC the center has four retreat cottages that can be rented by the day, week or month. TMBCC.net. Bloomington is also the home of Indiana University, and the city’s small but thriving downtown area abuts the campus and this is the part of town where you can find lots of fun things to do every day. There are a few hotels in this area, and if you lodge at the Hilton Garden Inn, for example, you’ll be no further than a few blocks from all the action. Unique indie eateries abound, so you can forget the fast food while you’re in Bloomington; how about a huge breakfast plate at Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse (where they also have an enormous selection of fresh homemade pastries, so save room), a pide (Turkish pizza) and a strong cup of Turkish coffee at lunch spot Turkuaz Café where you can opt to dine Turkish style (sitting on the floor on cushions) and a supper at Janko’s Little Zagreb where it’s almost mandatory to sample the spicy meatballs (Have a cold beer nearby!). Speaking of beer, you’ll find a selection of locally-brewed Upland beers at most Bloomington restaurants, but Upland Brewing Company is located right in the downtown area and they operate an eatery too so you can gobble a burger while sipping a Double Dragonfly Imperial IPA, Helios Pale Ale, Rad Red Amber Ale or (and this is a favorite) Bad Elmer’s Porter. If you want to take a free tour of the brewery just show up at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday, and you’ll see the entire beer-making process from raw malt to finished product. There are of course lots of things to do on the Indiana University campus, but if you only have a couple hours to explore the institute the “must-see” place is the Lilly Library. This is the rare book and manuscript library of IU where they store nearly eight million pieces and display all sorts of quirky works on a rotating basis. You’ll see rare sheet music, political cartoons, collectible comics and more serious stuff like documents relating to the French Revolution of 1789. The Lilly is also where you’ll find the Slocum puzzle room, filled with an eclectic collection of brain-boggling puzzles and antique mysteries like a Chinese lockbox. Rare and delicate items are behind glass but, as with the rest of Bloomington, lots of the fun here is hands-on.
—Mike Sebastian Isle of 100,000 Graves is currently available.
For more information, visit visitbloomington.com.
Campus Circle 7.13.11 - 7.26.11
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