Wonder Woman

Yay, another Wonder Woman book. I will admit that out of all of the New 52 this series is my favourite. Ok, she is now only 23 years old, and wasn't originally made out of clay, but they have kept her essential essence in this series.

In the first volume she found out that she was a daughter of Zeus and now has an interesting family of gods. In 'Wonder Woman: Guts' she has to save a friend who has been kidnapped by Hades. Cue a roadtrip with many gods and lots of action scenes.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I like te Greek mythology and this story delievers it in spades. There's political intrigue and lots of great character stuff. It makes Wonder Woman into a really cool herorine, someone people can look up to again. Not the Wonder Woman portrayed in the Justice League, here she is in control all the time.

This would be ok for high schools, especially having a strong female character as the lead. Reading groups would enjoy talking about the Greek mytholog and how it has been changed to fit the comic. Finally, I would really recommend this book, and as you can see from this blog, it's rare that I do that.

Like Tim Burton on acid

'Billy Fog and the Gift of Trouble Sight' is a strange book, hard to classify. It tells the story of a little boy who wants to resurrect his dead cat. To do this he talks to ghosts who have gory pasts. There are also poems in this book about murderers and other things. The illustrations are all very Tim Burton, if he didn't have to worry about age rating. There's information sections too, all illustrated, in the style of a vintage magazine about the ghosts and gory happenenings.

This is a very dark, beautiful book. I can't say graphic novel because there is more to it than that. The content is quite disturbing, and that did surprise me. Maybe, I don't read enough gothic books to truely appreciate it. The illustrations are stunning, even if the subject matter might not be my first choice. 

This would be a good reading group book because of the different methods of storytelling. It may be suitable for older teenagers, who would probably love it. I would suggest checking the book for content before putting it in a school library or the teenage section of a public library.

Why Gail Simone should write Batgirl

I was shocked with everybody else when Gail Simone was temporarily taken off Batgirl. She is one of the few comics writers that I will read anything that she writes.This book alone proves why she should continue to keep the job.

In the New 52, Barbara Gordon can walk again and is no longer Oracle. This is not as bad as it sounds, according to the new 52 only 3 years has passed since she lost her ability to walk. I, personally, look at it as an alternative time line story to make sense of it all. Anyway, on to the review.

 

The 2nd volume in this run Batgirl: Knightfall Descends starts with a flashback that tells you all you need to know to read this particular story. Don't worry if you haven't read Vol. 1, you don't need to. Barbara has to face her past and start to cope with the fact that she can walk again. There are some truely great character moments, and you really feel for Barbara. There's a couple of interesting bad guys, both old and new. The artwork is decent, and helps tell the story. This is one of those books that is hard to review without giving spoilers. However, if you always wondered what happened after 'The Killing Joke' read this book.

I think teenagers and above would like this, especially girls. It's great to have a strong female role model written by a woman, and that is rare in comics these days. A very good read, but warning, it does end on a cliffhanger.

I'm back

Hello everyone, I'm back. Apologies for the break in reviews, I was made redundant so did not feel like writing book reviews. So to start off again I've chosen a fun one.

This is the story of a young cowboy who is on a mission to bring his family to justice. Only problem is that being a boy, nobody really takes him seriously. It is a very charming book, the artwork is simple, slightly like Peanuts, but it works. It does make you smile. The interludes, mini western stories can be fun or full of pathos. I personally liked the gun slinging penguin.
This would be great for teenagers, and adults. I can see this being very popular in a high school. The violence means that I'd advise checking it before giving it to younger readers.

I look forward to reading more of this series, and I don't often say that.

Dragon Age: the comic

This is one for the gamers out there, a sequel of sorts to the ‘Dragon age’ games. Set in a world of magic and dragons ‘Dragon age: The Silent Grove’ could also appeal to fantasy readers. It follows King Alistair as he looks for his answers about what happened to his father. If you are familiar with the games, then you will enjoy seeing more of characters that you have had many conversations with in the games. If not, then you get to know people quickly, but it does assume some knowledge of the universe. This is not surprising seen as it is written by the person responsible for the storylines of the games. The story follows fantasy conventions and there aren't ay real surprises. Warning, this does end on a cliff hanger and is not a self contained work.

The artwork is beautiful, and it really works. It’s pretty to look at and makes pages without dialogue really work. A decent read.

Not one for children though, but when you think about it ‘Dragon age’ tend to have an 18 certificate. So you need to treat this graphic novel the same way. It will get gamers reading while they are waiting for the next game in the series.

A geek's story

A quirky graphic novel, which follows the life of Simon, an illustration student. He also happens to be a complete geek and has friends to match. Life does not go as he expects, and he ends up getting a job as an exhibit in an alien zoo.  

Tune:Vanishing Point is the first volume in a series. It does not really live up to it’s blurb because this book is more about Simons student life and his family, only briefly touching on the alien zoo. I suspect that the 2^nd volume will be more interesting because that looks like it will follow his life as an exhibit.
The characters in the book are likeable, maybe it is because I’m somewhat of a geek that I appreciate where they are coming from. The romance is rather sweet. The art work is similar to a manga style but not enough to alienate those who prefer more traditional graphic novels.

This will probably be appreciated by young adults, there is some swearing and sexual references, so not for children. An decent enough read that makes me want to find out what happens in Volume 2. (If only to find out why the series is called ‘Tune’)

Kids graphic novel fun

Squish 3 ‘The power of the parasite’, is a fun graphic novel aimed squarely at kids. I have not read the first two in the series, but I don’t believe it is necessary to enjoy this book. The story construction is very clever,  two tales in one. The first involves Squish, an amoeba who is forced to go to swim camp, he can’t swim, and to top it all makes an iffy, new friend. The second involves Squish’s favourite comic book hero, and you actually get to read the comic when Squish sits down to read it. The superhero character faces a similar dilemma to Squish, but comes at it from a completely different angle. Children get a relatable character and an action packed superhero tale in one book. I would have loved to have read this as a child.

The artwork is simple, but it does really work for this age level. What I really like about this book is that there is a useful moral story about doing what is right and not following the crowd. I think that this would be a good book to give children who are suffering the results of peer pressure. Children’s reading groups would find a lot to discuss in this book about the characters actions. It could even be used in a lesson on friendship. A surprisingly good read, even this adult laughed at some points in the book.

Hard Sci fi

The Moon Moth is an adaptation of a short story by Jack Vance, illustrated by Homayoun Ibrahim. It’s a complicated story about an ambassador who goes to a completely alien planet and has to find a criminal. It does take a lot of concentration to follow the story; admittedly I had never read the original. I wonder if I had whether it would be an easier read. It is nice to see that not only traditional classics are being adapted into graphic novel format, and I applaud this brave publishing endeavour.

The artwork is decent and tells the story as best as it can. The way the aliens communicate is hard to depict and the artist has some ingenious ways of showing this.

I’m not sure I’d recommend this for a reading group because of the complicated storyline, unless it was read alongside the original short story. I think ‘hard sci fi’ fans will love it, just not my cup of tea.

What the Dickens.... Batman?

I thought I’d review something to tie-in with Charles Dickens Centenary. I didn’t want to go the obvious route of a straight adaptation, so I found ‘Batman Noel’. This is basically a retelling of ‘A Christmas carol’ but with characters from the Batman universe. The most interesting idea, and the one that really grabbed me is the Batman is Scrooge. It came as a shock reading it, because Batman’s nearly always pictured as the hero. The author cleverly plays with the readers expectations all the way through, and there are some unexpected moments. I tried to guess who the different ghosts and characters would be in Gotham, I didn’t always get it right. I like books that surprise me and this one did. The characters draw you in and there is an uneasiness throughout the book that Batman may have finally turned too dark.

The artwork is beautiful, breathtaking at times, a painted style that tells a lot of the story for you. Yes, I know graphic novels should do that anyway, but some artworks just do it better.

There’s a bit of bad language in the book, but I suspect some teenagers would love it. Reading groups who don’t do graphic novels would enjoy comparing it with the original ‘Christmas Carol’

A must read.

1960s relived

‘Baby's in Black’ is a touching love story, and there is added interest because it involves someone who used to play with ‘The Beatles.’ Set in 1960s Germany, it follows Astrid and her friends. She is a photographer and gets persuaded to go to a rough part of town to see an unknown band.

The art style is very reminiscent of the 60s. Black and white line drawings work really well and make it surprisingly very easy to tell the characters apart. It works so well that some pages have no dialogue but still tell an emotional story.

This is a biography; I really didn’t know much about the people involved (apart from ‘The Beatles’). No knowing who Astrid was does not matter. The characters are well realised and so sympathetic that the reader is really hoping things will turn out for the best.  It is translated from German but it has been done so well that the reader doesn’t realise it’s a translation.

There’s mention of drugs, cigarettes and alcohol, so this  is not for children. Teenagers would get something out of this because of the realism of the club scene. It is an unusual love story that could appeal to anybody.

A classic biography with a new twist

An intriguing graphic novel, ‘Dotter of her father’s eye’ is the story of two father/daughter relationships. One is that of the a semi-autobiographical account of the writer whose father was a James Joyce expert. The other is of James Joyce and his daughter. I am not a fan of James Joyce, so I didn’t quite get a lot of the references, however, I don’t think that is important to appreciate this book. It’s quite a feminist tale; both protagonists are trying to do things that are not necessary acceptable to the older generation in terms of what women should be like. I did prefer the James Joyce story to the modern one, but that’s because there is more of an emotional undercurrent to it. This is Mary Talbot’s first foray into graphic novel writing, and I am intrigued to see how she follows this book up.

The artwork by Bryan Talbot, is as always really well done and conveys a lot of emotion. The only issue I had was that sometimes it took me a while to work out which girl’s story I was reading. The solution is to remember their hairstyles.

This would be good for any reading group who are reading a James Joyce book. It just shows a different side to the man and the effect he had on those around him. It would probably be a good first graphic novel for those book clubs who enjoy the modern classics. Please note, this is not for children.

Baseball story for girls

‘Play Ball’ is all about baseball. Do not let that put you off; the reader does not need that much knowledge of the game to enjoy this graphic novel. It tells the story of 2 sisters who move to a new school, one is your typical boy mad girl, the other is a total tomboy who loves baseball. In America, girls play softball not baseball, I think it’s the same problem that girls’ football used to have. So the tomboy decides to play baseball, against all rules and conventions. In doing so, she makes everybody’s’ lives more difficult.

The artwork is very clear, and is in the form of line drawings. This book did remind me somewhat of the old Bunty style stories, and that is not a bad thing. The non-colour aspect could put some younger readers off the book.

This is an equality story that also touches upon the value of teams and what happens when parents split up. So if you want a girl power story for teenagers then this is the graphic novel to read. It could be aimed at younger readers but there is the odd mild bad language that could upset parents. I’m not sure whether boys would like it, but it could be a good reading group book to get young people talking about the issues it touches.

Holy Terror Batman or not!

This is going to be one of those love or hate books. It's basically about a Batman and Catwoman type characters who get involved with a terrorist attack. At first, it is quite straight forward with suicide bombers, but then goes a bit too far for me. It shows all Muslims in a bad light, and the main character is clearly racist. Then the main good guy uses torture on suspects to get information, this is not the way I want my heroes to act.


The artwork is startling, typical Frank Miller, violent and suggestive. I suspect some people will read this for the art. For once, however, the art does not justify the book. The racist undertones are too much for me to like this book. I suspect it would be a good discussion piece for a reading group, because it is bound to seperate opinions. It's not suitable for children.

Stunning artwork

The first thing that strikes the reader, after the overlong introductions, is the stunning artwork. It is just so detailed and intricate. It is not what a reader, used to American comic art style, expects. The people are real, there are no unrealistic portrayals.

The stories are basically old school westerns, well written, and very obviously heavily researched. ‘Indian Summer’ follows an outcast family during an Indian attack. The portrayal of women in this one was up and down. Sometimes the naked women were very tastefully portrayed, whereas other times it did feel a bit too voyeuristic. The reader sees a level of detail that you would not expect, and it does not really need to be there.

The 2^nd story, ’Paper Man’, was a lot better. Looking at themes of colonialism and how Indians are just as intelligent as the white man. I really engaged with this story, and thought it had a good ending. There were no naked women in this one, but honestly, it was the journey that made the story riveting.

This is definitely an adult graphic novel because of the subject matter, and the illustrations. It includes rape, incest and extreme violence.  Those who are interested in the graphic novel as art will like this book, even with its faults.

An old adventure

Hellboy - House of the Living Dead

This was a surprisingly quick read. Set in the past, Hellboy encounters Mexican wrestlers, vampires, a Frankenstein type professor and his Igor. The story does stretch credulity with Hellboy constantly being drunk, and having a successful career as a Mexican wrestler.

The artwork is pretty as always, the style does strangely work in the past and the gothic style.  I will admit that I have only read the odd Hellboy and have watched the films. I just wanted it to be a longer graphic novel, because there were some characters that I would have liked to know more about. Maybe more knowledge of this universe would enable a better reading experience. I suspect that this book plugs a gap in Hellboy’s timeline.

It is probably ok for teenagers to read, and those that are old enough to have sneakily watched the films before they legally should. The shortness of the book would appeal to reluctant readers.

Very pretty

This is very pretty, the artwork is beautiful. The story is old fashioned, and is a fairy tale of sorts. It follows a dragon and its impact on peoples’ lives about him.  There are 3 sisters living in the affected village, all of them conform to some kind of female stereotype. The main sister is intelligent and wants to be a healer. Another is obsessed by the dream of her true love coming from across the sea. The world the author makes does seem expansive, and I expect there will be many more stories based there. This would, perhaps, give ‘The Last Dragon’ more narrative strength.

There are pages when only the art tells the story, and those really work.  When I first started reading it I thought it was going to be more like ‘Stardust’ by Neil Gaiman, from the style of the text and layout, and that is a compliment.

To be honest, the story doesn’t matter that much with a book of this type. People will read it and look at it just for the artwork. There’s quite a lot of deaths involved, so its probably suitable at ages 10 plus. Adults and teenagers will be interested because of the use of the art.

Star Wars: Clone Wars

Strange Allies is the latest graphic novel based on the ‘Star Wars: the Clone Wars’ TV series. It is also based on characters created for the ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars, Secret Missions’ series of books for young people. I have not read that series of books, but I do avidly watch the TV series.

This graphic novel follows a master less Padawan, Nuru Kungurwara who has made a name for himself. In a sequence of images very reminiscent of the opening narration of the carton, the reader sees how he came to that fame. It is a nice explanatory  touch for those who have not read the ‘Secret Missions’ books, and probably a thrill for those who have read them to see the memorable sequences illustrated.

A straightforward mission to protect a droid consignment from pirates becomes a lot more complicated. Savage Opress (Count Dooku’s new apprentice only briefly seen in the TV series) gets involved, and more things are at stake than droids.

The artwork is in keeping with the TV series style, and that means that sometimes some characters like Yoda look a bit odd. Most of the story is told by the action in the artwork, and the nice clean lines means it’s very accessible for young people. The story is engaging and has enough twists to keep the reader happy. The entire book is loyal to the ‘Clone Wars’ sensibilities, and as such is suitable for readers who are old enough to watch the cartoon.

A good, entertaining read

I'm back again

I'm going to try to start reviewing new graphic novels very soon. So watch this space!

Hulk Smash, or not

I'm not the greatest Hulk fan in the world. I find the lack of brains irritating in the character, Dr. Banner always worked better for me. So I was intrigued to read how it all started in Marvel Masterworks: The Incrediable Hulk Volume 1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

It's interesting how often the ground rules for the Hulk change in this:

1. He's grey, is intelligent and only happens at night
2. Banner choses to change into the hulk via a ray gun - oh, and now the Hulk is green
3. Hulk becomes a mindless tool of the side-kick
4. Back to raygun and intelligent Hulk

I actually really enjoyed these stories as the Hulk's humour is quite sarcastic. Some of the other characters do seem quite cardboard, and you can definately tell by the language that its a product of the 1960s (Daddy-O is used a lot).

The artwork may not make it the most accessable for modern comic fans (one of my graphic novel reading group members refused to look at it), but the stories are interesting enough to merit a read. There is more to the Hulk, than 'Hulk Smash' of the cartoons. I enjoyed this more than the Wildcats book.

Age wise - there's nothing offensive in here, so suitable for all.

Wildcats: World's End

Well, this lunchtimes reading was:

Wildcats: World's End by Christos Gage, Neil Googe and Pete Woods

To be honest, I've not read that much Wildcats, so didn't know the characters that well. It didn't matter, as whatever you needed to know was explained. It's set after 'The Number of the Beast' where a world is destroyed by evil supervillians. The good guys lost!

The post apocolyptic way of surviving as good guys who lost is quite intriguing. They try to save everyone they can, or decide that maybe superheroing isn't for them. On the strength of this graphic novel I might read more Wildcats, as the storyline is gripping.

Its definately for older teens as there are quite a few sexual references in it, one character is definately obsessed.