Customer Reviews

Rex Libris Volume One: I, Librarian (Rex Libris)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rex Libris: I, Librarian is a black-and-white graphic novel collection of the time-and-space spanning adventures of Rex Libris, librarian extraordinaire. Originally a librarian of ancient Rome, Rex has devoted himself to protecting books throughout millennia; his present-day librarian duties include preventing patrons from straying to their deaths amid nigh-endless bookshelves, stopping demon-possessed samurai from taking books without a library card, and reclaiming overdue books held by mad galactic overlords. Aided by a telekinetic songbird with a thirst for world conquest, Rex's latest challenge begins by accidentally teleporting into freefall and only gets harder! The over-the-top two-fisted action combined with fiendishly overwrought narration and tongue-in-cheek lampshading of comic genre conventions make for an exhilaratingly funny read cover to cover. Highly recommended.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A fun story, where immortal agents of a secret order of librarians have to make sure people bring their books back on time, and other important library functions run smoothly. Also fight off barbarian library gatecrasher supernatural invasions, and that sort of thing.

Other than the gun-toting Rex Libris other characters include Circe-as-grandma and a galactic warlord turned into a small bird, who functions as Rex's sidekick.

I found the sameness of the lettering a little tedious.

3.5 out of 5

Yes, it's super librarian, able to stop foul alien tyrants with the proper application of reading skills. This book is a hoot.

and Rex Libris is no exception.

Libris is the Head Librarian at Middleton Public Library. He is aided by an ancient god who lives below the library. Libris engages in an unending struggle against the forces of ignorance and darkness, and travels extensively in search of overdue books.

According to the publisher's 2005 press release announcing this new force among librarians: "Rex Libris is a guardian of knowledge, defender of the Dewey Decimal System and the best hope for the future of civilization. His story is finally told in Rex Libris, the new comic book series by James Turner, author and illustrator of the philosophical tour-de-force graphic novel Nil: A Land Beyond Belief." (Both Rex Libris and James Turner maintain wonderful websites devoted to their exploits.)

"Rex Libris" is a quarterly published "by the good folks at Slave Labor Graphics in glorious black, white, and grey." This book contains a compliation of issues 1 through 5, and a second collection of issues 6 through 13 is planned for release.

Rex Libris has read everything ever written, and he knows where to find it all. In conversation with Vaglox, an alien tyrant made out of crystals who won't return an overdue copy of the Philosophić naturalis principia mathematica: Tomus 1, Libris asserts: "I can recommend a slew of writers to ya: John Stuart Mill, Amartya Sen, Fareed Zakaria, Gurgolzorg the Elder of Planet Demospero Five...It doesn't have to be a zero sum game! Trust over fear, baby! Trust over fear!" Persuasion fails, and a rocket launcher is more effective.

Literary allusions pepper these pages. For example, Libris remembers his first love in the great library at Alexandria: "She could talk Neo-Platonist philosophy like no other. It made me hot. Real hot. She was the ideal made real."

Rex Libris is a delightful addition to my corps of librarian heroes. I recommend his exploits to any book lover; I'm sure you'll find him as amusing and fascinating as I do.


Robert C. Ross 2008

Rex is the Head Librarian at Middleton Public library. But Middleton...isn't your average library. And Rex isn't your average librarian. Rex is an immortal librarian, beginning his training back in the great ancient Library of Alexandria. And Middleton serves patrons from all over the universe and all manner of creatures. Rex uses every resource at his disposal to get Warlords to return their overdue books and pay their fines. Joining him in his adventures are the Head of the Library Thoth (the ancient god), Quagis, and Circe.

It isn't too often that you get to see a book that features a librarian as a hero (yes there are a few, but there far and few in between.) So as a librarian I was glad to stumble across Rex and his merry band and see how they dealt with patrons from across the universe (I made sure to take notes on how to defeat demon spirits.) The story is great fun, easy to read, and easy to get into (and you don't have to be a librarian to enjoy it.) There's a little bit of something for everyone in this book. My one complaint is the lettering gets a bit tiring to read after a while. Otherwise sit back and enjoy the adventure.

James Turner, Rex Libris: I, Librarian (SLG, 2007)

The first volume in Turner's much-ballyhooed series Rex Libris has finally landed on my doorstep, and I have to say, I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss is about. It's possible I read it way too soon after reading Jason Shiga's excellent Bookhunter, which covers much the same territory in a wittier way. Still, it's got a certain visual appeal, being completely computer-generated (this may be happening with increasing frequency, but I don't think I've run across it yet), and the characters are engaging, and the plot is so far out of left field that one can't help being amused. I'll be looking for vol. 2. ***

There are 5 Laws of Librarians: 1) Books are to be read. 2) Every person his or her book. 3)Every book its reader. 4) Save the time of the reader. 5) The library is a growing organism.

With these five laws I am soon launched into volume 1 of the Rex Libris comic book collection by James Turner. This collection contains the first five chapters, with roughly 32 pages per chapter. I think I derived the most humor from this book just by being a librarian and understand the painstakingly difficult patrons with overdue books and fees. Although this series takes it to an utmost extreme when in the first few pages librarian Rex Libris must deal with an unruly patron, a demon-spirit Samuri.

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Arrived in excellent time for Christmas despite warnings it may be late! A very pleasant surprise, and congratulations to the shop for such excellent customer care.