Graphic Novels

Are you waiting for the summer blockbusters? Waiting for your favorite superheroes to come to the silver screen? Waiting for Batman or Amazing Spider-man or the star-studded Mighty Avengers? Well, if you can’t wait and need your fill of superhero action, come down to the Liberal Memorial Library and get your fix through our graphic novels.

The Library has plenty of graphic novels to whet your appetite – from the X-Men to the Hulk to Captain America. And of course, we’ve got graphic novels featuring tales of your favorite Dark Knight and friendly neighborhood webslinger.

But if you’re looking for an epic series – check out DC’s Blackest Night and Brightest Day. It takes the Green Lantern Universe to another level.

In Blackest Night, you get the ultimate battle of good versus evil. It’s the battle of the Black Lanterns, who are killing heroes and then raising from the dead, against not only the Green Lantern Corps – but other ring-bearing beings powered by the rest of the color and emotional spectrum.

You’ll learn about more about the regulars from the Green Lantern universe -- Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Sinestro (Yellow Lantern) and  Carol Ferris (Star Sapphire)  -- as well as new additions -- Atrocious (Red Lantern), Larfleeze (Orange Lantern), Saint Walker (Blue Lantern), and Indigo-1 (Indigo Tribe). You’ll also learn about powers each colored ring along with its emotional property  – fear (yellow), rage (red), love (sapphire or violet), hope (blue), avarice (orange), compassion (indigo) and will (green).

Will these powerful beings be able to put aside their differences long enough to defeat this great evil? Will their combined even be enough to stop the march of the Black Lanterns and their ability to make the dead rise? What about the mysterious White Lantern? What part does it play in Blackest Night?

And after you’ve finished reading Blackest Night, you’re ready for the next chapter so jump right into the series Brightest Day. This three-volume series takes a step back from the regular Green Lantern Universe and deals with the unsung heroes, who were killed by the Black Lantern and then brought back to life by the White Lantern.

Deadman leads a group of resurrected heroes and is charged by the White Lantern to find Earth’s savior. Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Dove and Hawk, Firestorm, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter try to put their lives back together again while fulfilling certain quests by the White Lantern in an effort to stop the Black Lantern’s Dark Avatar from destroying the Earth and the entire universe.

It’s a battle of good and evil and in the end green plays an essential part in the finale, but it’s not the green that you might expect. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster of triumph and tragedy in Brightest Day.

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February was a busy month at the Library. Love and chocolate and fluffy animals were in the air.

On Valentine’s Day, we gave plenty of kisses -- chocolate kisses, that is. Whoever checked out a book that day received a sweet smooch.

We also wanted to find what books were in the hearts of our patrons. They showed us by writing their favorite books on paper hearts which were posted on the wall. Among some of the books were The Yearling, Pride and Prejudice, The Replacement, and Soul Surfer. And everyone who let us know was entered into a drawing to win an adorable plush animal or a delicious box of chocolates. We want to congratulate all the winners and thank everyone who shared their favorite book with us.

Library and Lunch also got into the spirit with the theme “For the Love of Chocolate.” Patrons came in and discussed their favorite books such as The Coffee Trader and Romeo and Juliet while enjoying chocolates and sugar cookies.

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Also in February, the Library was also proud to exhibit wonderful pieces of artwork from the Dream Rocket Project an international public art project.

In 2009, the International Fiber Collaborative launched The Dream Rocket Project, a collection of approximately 8,000 art pieces made of fabric and textiles from the United States and various regions of the world.

The work that was display at Liberal Memorial Library was submitted from schools, groups and individuals residing in states such as AL, OH, KY, NC, FL, NY and KS. A number of these works were created by schools located in Kansas such as Jefferson Co. North High School in Winchester and Free State High School in Lawrence.

In 2014, the displayed artwork will be joined with the other pieces to wrap around a 365-foot Saturn V Moon Rocket replica at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The designated theme of the panels, “Dare to Dream,” challenges individuals to expand beyond the present state of the world and imagine the future. Perhaps most importantly, individuals are challenged to imagine their contribution to that future. These individual dreams and aspirations will combine to create a monumental 32,000 square feet work art, providing a tangible demonstration of the beauty of individuals collaborating to meet universal challenges.

To date, the Dream Rocket team has received submissions representing 351 cities, 49 states and countless countries.