The Rolling Stones in Comics

Fans of the Rolling Stones, or rock music in general, will find this informative graphic volume provides an insightful and illuminating biography of how the Stones came together as a group and emerged from humble beginnings in the early 1960s. Its value lies not only in painstaking research, but a multimodal approach that intersperses comics narrative with textbook style sections of prose, photography, and quotes from those within and close to the band. Céka’s 21 graphic stories are drawn by a variety of different artists, whose styles range from the mono and dichromatic palettes of Marin Trystam’s illustration on “Blessed Be the Vinyl” to Mao Suy-Heng’s exuberant caricatures in “Century Tour.” Every few pages rotates to a different visual style in telling the sometimes electrifying and sometimes tragic story of the Stones’ rise to prominence, as though the book, like the band, is in a dizzying, constant state of reinventing itself. Extras include “Nine Fun Facts About This Legendary Band!” and a “Find Out More” section with books, films, and article listings for the diligent-reading Stones fan. Rock history doesn’t lack for drama; this trivia-packed volume delivers some real hits.[em] (Mar.) [/em]