Rex Libris Volume One: I, Librarian (Rex Libris)
by James TurnerSign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
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Read in June, 2008
I had read a smattering a good things about REX LIBRIS on the comic book websites I frequent, so when I saw the first volume of his adventures for $.50 (plus shipping) on eBay, I jumped at the offer.
REX LIBRIS tells an entertaining story filled with sesquipedalian words, librarian jokes, and a bevy of fun mythological characters (some of Rex's co-workers include Circe the sorceress and the Egyptian god Thoth). The plot is so simple and instantly classic that it's amazing no one thought of...more
REX LIBRIS tells an entertaining story filled with sesquipedalian words, librarian jokes, and a bevy of fun mythological characters (some of Rex's co-workers include Circe the sorceress and the Egyptian god Thoth). The plot is so simple and instantly classic that it's amazing no one thought of...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
Librarians and Their Sympathisers
Canadian.
Profoundly Canadian.
But not in a touchy-feely Carol Shields, Lynn Johnson kind of way.
Canadian in a good Mordechai Richler, Leonard Cohen kind of way.
That is, if either of those gentleman wrote comic books and were certifiably insane.
Following the interplanetary, cross-dimensional exploits of the titular Mr Libris -- pistol-packin', two-fisted, 2,000 year old head Librarian of the Middleton Public Library; square of jaw and shoulder and haircut -- and the rest of...more
Profoundly Canadian.
But not in a touchy-feely Carol Shields, Lynn Johnson kind of way.
Canadian in a good Mordechai Richler, Leonard Cohen kind of way.
That is, if either of those gentleman wrote comic books and were certifiably insane.
Following the interplanetary, cross-dimensional exploits of the titular Mr Libris -- pistol-packin', two-fisted, 2,000 year old head Librarian of the Middleton Public Library; square of jaw and shoulder and haircut -- and the rest of...more
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"Welcome to the Middleton Public Library, where the patrons are not always human, the telluric energy of the local ley point brings fictional characters to life, and the librarians are always heavily armed. Long-lived Head Librarian Rex Libris, whose first library job was at Alexandria, is a member of the Ordo Bibliotheca, which throughout history has protected human knowledge from menaces both natural and supernatural. His colleagues include the ancient witch Circe, the megalomaniacal talk...more
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Read in October, 2008
Who doesn't like the idea of a librarian super-hero? Mine would be called (um) "The Librarian!" And she would get library levies to pass -- even in difficult economic times -- and somehow (with super powers) inspire the men who sit on the computers all day to organize and run some small business that makes them feel useful and needed. She would install those new "MetroNap" chairs in the staff lounge and wash-down stations for bicycle commuters. Stuff like that.
Rex is J...more
Rex is J...more
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I have no idea how funny this comic book would be to non-library folks, but it was mighty amusing to me. How could any librarian resist a comic book that begins with Ranganathan's Five Laws? Not to mention all the literary characters popping up in the stacks as "physical manifestations of paranormal emanations extruded from the mental energy captured in the literature on the shelves". Though, as Rex warns one patron, "never ever mention characters you meet who are not yet in th...more
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Read in August, 2008
Probably the geekiest, most erudite graphic novel I have ever read. Rex Libris is a librarian, see - this whole book is basically about his attempts to retrieve an overdue library book. Except that it was checked out by Supreme Warlord Vaglox of Planet Benzine Five. So really, all Rex has to do is travel across the galaxy, fight his way through Vaglox's minions, and snatch the book out of the tyrant's appendages. As you might gather from all this, there's plenty of action. The geeky part comes i...more
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This is my second in an unintentional series of unreadable books about the library. From now on only Jason Shiga is allowed to write library stories, especially comics.
I cannot figure out why this book is even a comic. The drawing is incredibly dull and lifeless. The book is mostly long, boring exposition. If only there were some way via cartooning to avoid long, tedious, small font descriptions of characters, plot, and action. If only those details could somehow be shown instead of endle...more
I cannot figure out why this book is even a comic. The drawing is incredibly dull and lifeless. The book is mostly long, boring exposition. If only there were some way via cartooning to avoid long, tedious, small font descriptions of characters, plot, and action. If only those details could somehow be shown instead of endle...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to Rachel by:
weird lit mag I picked up at the Writer's Center
Great concept, terrible execution.
Rex Libris is a gun-toting, four-thousand-year-old librarian charged with protecting the universe from evil, recovering overdue library books from space warlords, and shushing kids in the stacks. The idea here is that he is just one of many in the secret Ordo Bibliotheca, and that *all* librarians are secretly ass-kicking crimefighters.
While I love anything that tears down the librarian's bad rap, this comic is terribly overwritten--too many words, too m...more
Rex Libris is a gun-toting, four-thousand-year-old librarian charged with protecting the universe from evil, recovering overdue library books from space warlords, and shushing kids in the stacks. The idea here is that he is just one of many in the secret Ordo Bibliotheca, and that *all* librarians are secretly ass-kicking crimefighters.
While I love anything that tears down the librarian's bad rap, this comic is terribly overwritten--too many words, too m...more
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Read in May, 2008
First the good news: James Turner tries harder than your average graphic novelist. He's got his own vision, and he's smarter than more writers. When he's clicking, he's also funny as heck.
Next the medium news: There's some terrific art and writing in this book, but it doesn't always gel together.
And the bad news: This book isn't all that well paced, the dialog is often wooden, the type size is too small.
Way better than average, but still, a bit frustrating.
Next the medium news: There's some terrific art and writing in this book, but it doesn't always gel together.
And the bad news: This book isn't all that well paced, the dialog is often wooden, the type size is too small.
Way better than average, but still, a bit frustrating.
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
Librarians, and people who REALLY love the library. I don't see it having a very wide appeal.
With a multitude of polysyllabic words that forced me to get out my dictionary, and a healthy smattering of "knowledge is power", Rex Libris was chocked full of kick-ass librarianship. And samurai demons who want to check out books without a library card, and literary characters who terrorize patrons, and the crystalline tyrant of Benzine 5, Vaglox, who will not heed Rex's warning to return the overdue copy of Principia Mathematica.
Goofy librarian fun!
Goofy librarian fun!
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Read in April, 2008
I enjoyed it because of my interest in libraries in general, but Rex Libris, the indomitable librarian, is quite interesting, sort of a super hero of wits. The story takes on a much wider branch of villains including a deeply evil arch nemesis Mr. B. Of course, all villains want to destroy knowledge, sequester it for the use of the few. Turner brings interesting elements of the public library. It didn't disappoint. Quite good and fun to read.
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Read in November, 2007
recommended to Chriss by:
Discovered it in Suisun and bought my copy when I got home to Sarecommends it for: Anyone who enjoys humor, science fiction, libraries, comics or reading
A humorous science fiction librarian adventure graphic novel with an art style that's the love child of Flash and Etch-a-sketch. When I first flipped through it at the comic shop I was put off by the lengthy exposition. But my thoughts kept turning back to it and ended up buying it and ended up enjoying it and not really being bothered by the volume of lettering. I've already written a full review for Rex Libris on my blog, www.morevikings.com
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Read in April, 2008
The story in this graphic novel is good. I really enjoyed the librarian saves the day by getting the overdue book back part. And the sci-fi aspect was good too. It could make it's own noir-ish novel if given the chance. Or it could be a great movie starring Brenden Fraiser.
But the art is what I didn't really like about this one. The type was too small at times to read. Fix that a bit and it'd be a bit better and easier to read.
But the art is what I didn't really like about this one. The type was too small at times to read. Fix that a bit and it'd be a bit better and easier to read.
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Read in August, 2007
The concept for this book was so promising, but I was disappointed by the execution. The writing was packed with exposition and not much plot, and the main character talks like a New Jersey mobster which was a bit off-putting. The description on the back of the book was far more fun than the book itself. So much potential, mostly wasted unfortunately.
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Read in January, 2008
Hilarious set-up with some fun characters. The art isn't particularly appealing, and the text is extremely tiny, which gets annoying after awhile; however, if you stick with it, there are some great library-related jokes. Thoth in the basement of the Middleton Public Library is a fabulous idea -- I wish there were more focus on him!
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Read in February, 2008
advanced visicomboics is definitely the wave of the future - B Barry Horst hit it on the head. a little bombastic with excessive firepower, but dead clever.
rex' accent drives me nuts though, otherwise it would've gotten more stars...
rex' accent drives me nuts though, otherwise it would've gotten more stars...
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Read in May, 2008
This was cute and funny, but a little heavy on the text for me when I'm reading a graphic novel. Obviously, I don't mind reading text, but it's hard when it's in those small comic fonts. But a good story that was fun to read.
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Read in April, 2008
I dug the library jokes and classic lit references, but Rex's gumshoe accent got on my nerves to the point where I only finished the book because I hoped there would be a rad ending. There was not.
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Read in January, 2008
The concept of this graphic novel was so enticing (go librarians!), but there was a bit too much exposition - and the protag's mobster accent was definitely surprising.
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recommended to Tracey by:
Lesley
GN Turner, J 2007 - Lesley gave 4 stars
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