Tait Howard

It's really sad that the history of immigration keeps going through the same cycles of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and rejection.

This graphic novel uses a framing sequence with fictional characters living in New York City who spend the night talking about Ellis Island -- one of them is a museum guide there -- when they find themselves taking shelter together in 2012 as Hurricane Sandy rages outside and takes out their power and threatens to flood the first floor of their apartment show more building. These bits are a bit flat, but the historical facts shared are still enlightening.

Side note: I recently saw an episode of "1923" on Paramount+ that gave a much nastier portrayal of what was happening at Ellis Island, and it was hard to shake those images while reading this more upbeat take. show less

The Sunken Tower is original, funny and will attract a wide range of readers. I do not read graphic novels often but this one I was able to get through in one sitting - the story and characters kept me engaged and looking forward to the next page. Very enjoyable - 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC.

Set deep underground in a sunken city, a young wizard and his two companions embark on a journey to escape the clutches of an evil cult.

Dig is having a very bad day. His bag show more is broken, he can't catch a break at the local market, and just when things are looking up, he's kidnapped by a couple of Blood Cultists and taken to the underground city that serves as their base, where he'll make a tasty human sacrifice for an unspeakably horrible monster. Thrown into a dungeon, he's left to feel sorry for himself. But his new cellmates, Iana and Crina, are ecstatic about Dig's appearance. He's a wizard, which means he knows magic, which means he can help get them all out of this terrible sunken city for good! If Iana can get her hands on a sword, and Crina can remember the way to the giant tower that leads to the surface, then everything will go smoothly. That is, until the Blood Cultists catch up with them, and Dig's magical abilities are put to the ultimate test. Because Dig's been keeping a secret. And if it's found out... he may never see the surface again. show less

I really wanted to like this. The characters are so flipping adorable, and I like the general magical girl premise of it. But I feel this is definitely a comic intended for people already deeply familiar with the web series (which I didn't even know existed), and there was very little in it for me to connect with. The first chapter was very engaging and introduced the characters pretty well, but after that everything just fell apart. I am going to check out the web series, and maybe I'll show more revisit the book to see if I appreciate any of the chapters more after that, but overall, I was not impressed. show less

Graphic Novels have been instrumental in helping me not only learn about history, but to develop an interest in diving deeper into it. That's what I love about History Comics. The stories are written in a way to help readers learn and understand, while being entertained. History Comics: Ellis Island accomplishes that with a story about how the island came to be. I learned things that I didn't know and I'm looking forward to learning more. It's narrative nonfiction in the style of a graphic show more novel, so it will compel to readers that struggle with the average nonfiction book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, First Second, for access to this advanced copy! show less