I Kill Giants [Paperback]

Joe Kelly (Author), J. M. Ken Niimura (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 2009

Barbara Thorson, a girl battling monsters both real and imagined, kicks butt, takes names, and faces her greatest fear in this bittersweet, coming-of-age story called "Best Indy Book of 2008" by IGN. Collects I Kill Giants #1-7.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Barbara Thorson, bullied and friendless, will not back down. She is smart, angry, won’t follow the rules, won’t let anyone close, and sees things no one else does. In short, she is a very disturbed girl, and the power of I Kill Giants is its ability to convey the reality of a frightened little girl’s pain along with the wonder of her apparent fantasies. Kelly’s portrayal of the material is nothing short of literary, echoing the similarly combined elements in Roald Dahl’s Mathilda (1988), just as the giants that Barbara describes to her tentative new friend Sophia recall Quentin Blake’s illustrations in The BFG (1982). Nimura’s line work also retains the jittery quality of the British illustrator’s style, creating a world of sharp tension. As Barbara begins to let people in, her insistence that the giants are coming threatens these intensely longed-for relationships. Whether or not they exist, the metaphor of giants to symbolize the vast terrors of a person’s inner life has never been better realized. Along with Storm in the Barn (the 2009 Booklist Top of the List winner for Youth Fiction), this is graphic storytelling at its zenith: employing fantasy to offer profound insight and take readers on a deeply emotional journey. Grades 9-12. --Jesse Karp

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Image Comics (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1607060922
• ISBN-13: 978-1607060925
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.6 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joe Kelly is one of comics' hottest writers, with highly acclaimed runs on Daredevil, Deadpool, X-Men and Superman to his credit.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, Wonderful, and One of a Kind November 23, 2009

By GraphicNovelReporter.com TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

The very first giant, Ur, was the result of a union between the earth and sky. When he became too lonely from being the only of his kind, he tore himself apart, creating a group of other giants: swamp giants, mountain giants, frost giants, and, worst of all, titans. They're unstoppable.

We know this because Barbara Thorson explains it just so. Barbara is waiting for the giants to come, at which time she will fend them off with her deadly hammer. It's tough work, preparing for an oncoming invasion and being the sole person tasked with killing them when they arrive.

Barbara is a unique fifth grader, even aside from training to kill giants. She wears giant bunny ears, avoids talking to most of her classmates, has regular conversations with fairies, calls her P.E. teacher a bull dyke, and even slaps the school psychologist. She's antisocial and proud of it, considering almost all the people she encounters to be stupid and annoying.

Only fellow student Sophia manages to crack Barbara's thick shell, acquiring a place of trust and friendship that no one else ever has--or even tried to attain. The sweetness of the friendship is genuine, as are most of the relationships in I Kill Giants. Whether Barbara is dealing with her principal, her psychologist, or her sister (who is raising Barbara and her rarely seen brother), and even when the dialogue feels ready-made to fit a movie starring a sassy protagonist, the words have the ring of truth to them. Even when writer Joe Kelly pushes the dialogue to the brink, he pulls back just in time to ensure believability. Better yet, he sends in surprises to usher the story along in unexpected paths (anchoring it as he goes with some fun allusions; my favorite being one of the best movie quotes ever: "No fighting in the war room!").

All along, we know this story is headed somewhere; we just don't know where at first. Kelly holds his cards close to his vest for a good part of the story--even scribbling through lines of his own dialogue to obscure what's really going on in Barbara's life--but he pulls the curtain back just in time, confirming our suspicions without making us wait too long for the satisfaction of knowing, after all this, just what is going on with this character we've become so attached to.

That attachment is perhaps the best trick I Kill Giants, because it comes about so subtly and effectively. Like JM Ken Niimura's frenetic but pitch-perfect art, Barbara's personality is wild, jagged, and impossible to not get engrossed in. By the time we've finished our journey with Barbara, we're stronger for the experience and so is she.

I Kill Giants is easily accessible for teens (the aforementioned bull dyke outburst is about the harshest the language ever gets, and the violence is frequent enough but never graphic), but it's a true gem for adults as well. It, like Barbara, is lovely, wonderful, and one of a kind.

-- John Hogan

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid Storytelling September 8, 2009

By lanewburn

Format:Paperback

I Kill Giants is both powerful and poignant with its young protagonist, Barbara, battling in the awkward struggle of otherness. She cocoons herself in her imaginary world, slaying monsters and facing giants that, though flights of fancy, are tangible symbols of the inevitable truths she must face. The writing is subtle and the artwork, a nod to manga, is whimsical yet the perfect delivery piece for so touching a story. It's one of the few comics that forced me to shed a tear, but sniffling aside, I rallied for its heroine and her all too vivid moment of having to grow up. This is a fine example of why comic books can and should be considered part of the canon of good literature.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just beautiful. November 9, 2009

By S. Shuster

Format:Paperback

This touching and humorous story of a young girl who must invent monsters to cope with her demons touched something inside of me. I bought it blind because I was looking for something light and the cover art was fun. It was not what I was expecting yet I read it in one go. This is one of the only books that I have ever allowed myself a few tears for. The writing and art are perfect for this story, and the protagonist is someone who we can all relate with at different times. If you want a treasured part of your collection which will stir up emotion, get this book!