Sounds of Your Name

Sounds of your Name is an anthology of comics written and drawn by Nate Powell. The collection is fantastic for anyone who is a fan of Powell, or of classic newspaper comic strips. The stories are well drawn and deal with serious political issues. The artistry itself is very good, characteristic of this genre. However, it doesn’t have much appeal to the teenage age group that has been spurring the comic book market. The stories are more adult in nature and require a person to pay attention to what they are reading. Being a military wife I found the first comic “Nineteen” regarding a soldier’s job to be the most poignant for me. “Company” was an especially touching piece on how people should take those who are mentally disabled more seriously.

The overall organization of these pieces is lacking. The book is divided into sections, but each piece is not always separated from one another, making it hard to follow in most cases. For a person who is new to Powell’s work I found myself reading into another story not realizing that the one I had started with had ended or actually getting lost mid-story and having to go back and reread some pages. Even though not every comic had a title it would have been good to have a date or something that signified a separation in stories. I recommend this book for those people who are adept in this genre or are fans of Nate Powell’s work.

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