Surface Tension Review

Surface Tension. Jay Gunn. 2016. Titan Comics. 176 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Surface Tension was included in the Elementals box that I received from Comic Bento. There are parts of this book that I absolutely loved and a couple that fell flat.

A year ago, the vast majority of the world's population walked into the sea never to return. The survivors remaining on a remote island have been scraping by when two people unexpectedly return, but they are obviously changed. The book goes on to tell the story of what caused the mass migration while showing how the survivors deal with the return of the loved ones they thought lost.

There is clearly an environmentalist bent to the story, although I felt like the bias was not as heavy in the first portion of the book. It never got to the point that it felt unreadable or overly agenda bent. The reactions of the characters to the events around them help the book shine. Their thoughts and actions felt natural.

Which brings me to the art. A lot of the drawings of the people felt lacking, almost as if they were not fully realized. This probably stood our more because the creatures and the landscapes are extremely detailed. The creatures in particular look like they could have come from a Hiyao Miyazaki film.

There is some nudity and violence. I didn't find it particularly graphic though. It would probably be suitable for a high school student to read.

Thor Volume 2 Review

Thor, Volume 2: Who Holds the Hammer? Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Jorge Molina. 2016. Marvel. 136 pages.

Rating: 4/5

After the mysterious appearance of a woman wielding the hammer of Thor, Mjolnir, the creators take us on a journey to discover who the new Thor is. Volume one shows that she is capable and worthy of taking on the mantle of Thor.

This volume places the original Thor, now going by the moniker Odinson, on a search for this woman's identity. At the same time, Odin unleashes the Destroyer to strip her of the hammer and reveal her identity. It was fun to follow the Odinson as he visits all of the women he can think of that may have picked up the hammer and crosses each of them off in turn.

There are twists in this search that I enjoyed a bit. Odin's approach to the situation is a bit extreme, although it is very fitting for the character as he appears in the Marvel universe. A slew of female heroes join Thor in her fight against the Destroyer. This may have been the highlight of the book for me. Thor's new identity is revealed by the end of the arc. I don't think the creators could have gotten away with dragging it out much longer.

A classic issue is included at the end of the book showing an original attempt at creating a female Thor. I liked the story, but I find that I don't care for a lot of the classic issues. They end up being boring because there is so much exposition. It doesn't detract from the main arc though.

Grayson, Volume 1 Review

Grayson, Volume 1: Agents of Spyral. Tim Seeley, Tom King, Mikel Janin, Stephen Mooney, and Jeromy Cox. 2015. DC Comics. 160 pages.

Rating: 4/5

DC seems to have taken a different tactic to many of its superhero comics recently (or at least the ones I've been reading). In Grayson, Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin a.k.a. Nightwing joins a spy organization known as Spyral. Their mission appears to be to search out metahumans (people with powers) and neutralize them.

Dick has to rely on a different skill set than he is used to from his crime fighting days. The training he's received over the years is certainly beneficial, but there are times where it is clear he is new to his current role. This isn't a bad thing by any means because he is new to it; I don't think this would have worked as well if there weren't complications along the way.

There is one aspect of the story that I didn't enjoy as much, and it relates to Dick's past. Others may be more enthusiastic with this particular part of the story. I felt like it prevented him from developing as well as he could have. The shadow that looms over Dick Grayson is long and bat shaped. On the other hand, there is a chapter devoted to his future, which I thought was fantastic. It works its way from a point in the future backwards. This could have been hokey or poorly done, but the creators handled it well. The characters are developed well and it unfolds nicely.

This book is friendly to new readers. It gives an overview of Dick Grayson's life and career, so people that aren't familiar with the character can get an understanding of him without having to read a backlog of comics.

Book of Death Review

Book of Death. Robert Venditti, Doug Braithwaite, and Robert Gill. 2016. Valiant Entertainment. 160 pages.

Rating: 4/5

The Eternal Warrior is awesome. He acts as protector to the Geomancers that serve the Earth. In this story, he has to help the last Geomancer save the world. There is a great contrast between the present day and the future that will occur if they fail.

So the crazy guy bent on the destruction of the world isn't a new plot in comics by any means. The creators handle this really well by making the bad guy smart, using tension between the heroes of the world, and allowing the reader to discover what is happening as the characters do. The beginning seemed a bit odd until I made it further into the book and saw how it was connecting into the story.

This book is friendly to new readers because it actually introduces each of the main characters at the beginning of the book, and then gives the reader a reminder of who each of them are as they come on stage. This is repeated in each chapter. The fight sequences really show off why the Eternal Warrior is a great character. It kind of reminded me of Batman, but he certainly has his own personality.

The Book of Death is an enjoyable read. Despite the name it contains a fair amount of humor and hope.

Broxo Review

Broxo. Zack Giallongo. 2012. First Second. 240 pages.

Rating: 3/5

The story opens with Zora, a young female warrior, traveling to a distant mountain in search of the Peryton clan rumored to live there. Instead she finds Broxo and his pet/guardian. Zora discovers that the people she is looking for are all gone, leaving undead monsters in their wake.

The book is directed more toward younger readers, probably what would be called middle grade. The humor and mannerisms of the main characters would appeal to that age group more. I feel like the book can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers though. As the story unfolds, Zora and Broxo develop a deep friendship and even come to rely on one another. Both of the characters are searching for something more than they are willing to admit, even to themselves.

The pacing on the book felt great at times and really stunted at other times. Perhaps it is related to the transitions between chapters, but it definitely seemed inconsistent. The art wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't wow me either. This may be due to the fact that it is targeted at younger readers and the creator was trying to make things feel relatable to that audience.

All in all it is a decent fantasy story featuring zombies, a giant white dog thing, witches and ghosts.

Comic Bento Rewriting History Box Review

For those that don't know, Comic Bento is a blind subscription box service focused on graphic novels. This means that they choose a theme for the box, in this case Rewriting History, and select at least four graphic novels to put into it. They reveal the theme for the box around the middle of the month and close orders the middle of the next month. Although the theme is given, subscribers don't know what is in the box until it arrives. The cost varies between $17.50 and $20.00 per month based on the subscription chosen plus shipping and handling.

A card detailing the theme and the contents of the box are included each month. A synopsis of each book is provided and the justification for including it in the box. The card also reveals the title of the next month's theme.

X-Men: Days of Future Past
Cover price: $19.99

I should have seen this one coming. The video revealing the theme hinted at it heavily. That said, I was really excited to see this one included. This is a classic X-Men story that I haven't had a chance to read yet. The X-Men journey to the future (2013!) for the first time and must figure out a way to prevent the terrible fate they discover. Plus it is written by Chris Claremont. For me, the box is worth it for this book alone. The others are just nice bonuses.

Mankind: The Story of All of Us, Volume 1.
Cover Price: $14.99

This book is a pleasant surprise. It is based on the TV series, and features everyday heroes throughout the history of mankind. This first volume begins with the Ice Age and goes to the Middle Ages. It really takes a different approach than what I was anticipating seeing in the box. I flipped through it and it looks like the stories are pretty varied.

Chronos Commandos: Dawn Patrol.
Cover Price: $14.99

Another book from Titan Comics featured in a Comic Bento box. Their books tend to be a little more off the beaten track, and this one doesn't look to disappoint in that regard. The Nazis developed time travel and head back to the age of the dinosaurs. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this. If this is half as amusing as it sounds, it should be quite enjoyable.

Ivar, Timewalker.
Cover price: $9.99

Finally, we have Ivar, Timewalker, who saves the future by travelling into the past to stop bad things from happening. Thanks to Comic Bento, Valiant Comics is fast becoming one of my favorite publishers. I am looking forward to reading this one, but Days of Future Past will come first.

Two things of note before I wrap this up. First, this is the first box I've received from Comic Bento that didn't feature a hardcover book. I'm only a few boxes into my subscription, so I'm not sure if this is abnormal or not. It's something I will keep an eye on though. Second, the cover price of these books is a little lower than the other boxes. They clock in at $59.96 total, which is still worth the admission price, but not be as worth it to readers that have one or more of the books already.

The Little Black Fish Review

The Little Black Fish. Bizhan  Khodabandeh. 2016. Rosarium Publishing. 52 pages.

Rating: 2/5

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short book, but it felt like it took me a long time to read through it. It can come across as kind of preachy and it is a bit more philosophical than I normally like to read.

The story is about a little black fish that decides it wants to find out what is at the end of the stream that it lives in. Its mother and the other fish living nearby discourage it from leaving its home. The same reasons for staying seemed to come up every time the little black fish encounters a new animal or group of fish. The moral behind the story is nice and it does encourage the reader to think for themselves.

The writing is a bit cumbersome though. This is an adaptation of a children's story by Samad Behrangi. Part of the problem I have with the writing may be the particular translation used here. I am not a big fan of the art either. There are times where it can be quite wonderful, but for the most part I didn't feel like it added much to the story. The slow pacing and the amount of repetition used in such a short book are the main reasons I didn't enjoy it though.

The Four Points, Volume 1 Review

The Four Points, Volume 1. Scott Lobdell, Jordan Gunderson, Josh Reed, and Valentina Pinto. 2016. Aspen Comics. 132 pages.

Rating: 2/5

I really like the idea behind this book. It pits four women who can harness the cardinal elements against the Four Horsemen. They come from different areas of the world and they have personalities that reflect the element they are tied to. They are all given opportunities to show off what they can do.

There are a couple things that didn't work for me though. The art is something that I was conflicted on. It is gorgeous, but the female characters could have been portrayed a lot better. The outfits they wear are laughable at times. I felt like they were trying to portray strong female characters and then took a step back objectifying them.

The pacing felt odd at times. The story jumped to the next point at times without good transitions. I won't say this is something unique to this book,  but it felt like it happened more than others I've read. There is a nice twist toward the end of the story which made it more interesting. Not sure I am willing to continue reading the series though.

As a side note, the copy of this I received through Comic Bento had an exclusive alternate cover. I loved this and hope to see more of it in future boxes. It definitely is a good sign that publishers are willing to provide goodies like this to the Bento box.

Thor, Volume 1 Review

Thor, Volume 1: The Goddess of Thunder. Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Jorge Molina. 2015. Marvel. 136 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Thor the Odinson is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir. Many try to claim the hammer for themselves, but it is a mystery woman that lifts the hammer and takes on the power and mantle of Thor. I like that Marvel decided to go in this direction. It seems like they have been pushing for more female heroes to take center stage, which is a good thing.

In addition to changing the holder of Mjolnir, there is a power struggle among the gods of Asgard with the return of Odin and frosts giants are invading the Earth. These storylines tie together quite nicely. I've read a few other books featuring Thor, but I don't think it is necessary to enjoy this one.

The identity of the female hero is a mystery. This can be a good and a bad thing. It's good because there is more focus on the hero side and showing that the Goddess of Thunder can measure up to the Odinson. I can see readers being frustrated not knowing who is under the mask though. The other characters build up some curiosity about who she is. The art handles the character and the setting beautifully.

Black Magick Volume 1 Review

Black Magick, Volume 1: Awakening. Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott. 2016. Image Comics. 128 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy from NetGalley for an honest review.

First of all, I am a huge fan of Greg Rucka apparently. I've enjoyed all of the books that I've read by him so far. That's part of the reason I wanted to read this book.

Black Magick is about Rowan Black, who is a detective and a witch. She is interrupted during a ritual with her coven by a phone call from her partner: she is needed at a crime scene. The man involved in the crime is someone she has never met, but knows her by name and about her secret life. The whole sequence sets up the book and drew me in immediately. After this encounter she is on a mission to find out who set up the meeting while keeping her partner from learning about her personal activities.

The pacing of the story varies throughout the book, but it is able to remain a quick read. The interactions between Black and her partner are realistic. I think this helps ground her for the reader so that she is more relatable. Since we learn about Black only as details around the mystery man are revealed, it can make her seem a little standoffish. I think this will pass as the series unfolds.

I loved the artwork. The drawings are mostly black and white. Anything related to the occult gets color, which makes it stand out in a great way. There are a few places where this technique is put to fantastic use. It is also used more subtly, so cursory reading might not pick it up. I saw a piece by Nicola Scott in the back of another book recently. It was awesome and her name was familiar, but I couldn't place it until I picked Black Magick up again. I knew right away why I liked it so much. I will definitely be seeking out more of her work in the future.

Fear Nothing, Volume 1 Review

Fear Nothing, Volume 1. Dean Koontz, Derek Ruiz, Grant Alter, and Bob Gill. 2010. Dynamite Entertainment. 128 pages.

Rating: 4/5

This book is an adaptation of Dean Koontz' novel Fear Nothing, which I have not read. I quite liked this adaptation of it though. It was included as part of a bundle that I purchased through Humble Bundle.

The main character, Christopher Snow, suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes him to have severe negative reactions to light. This means that he spends most of his life indoors and in darkness, using candles for a small amount of light when necessary. After his father dies, Christopher uncovers a group that wants to prevent him from discovering the cause.

The story moves along at a nice pace. The introduction to Christopher and his affliction is handled well. There are times when I found myself forgetting about it until I noticed him doing something strange because of it. His disease is something that recurs throughout the story, and it can add some spooky elements at times.

The tension is handled well. As Christopher seeks friends who may be able to help him get to the bottom of his investigation, he gets wrapped up in strange events. The art didn't strike me as anything spectacular though. It's not bad, but it was really secondary to the story rather standing alongside it.

It doesn't look like the second volume has been released yet, which is disappointing as I find myself unlikely to pick up the novel to read the rest of the story.

Astonishing X-Men Volume 6 Review

Astonishing X-Men, Volume 6: Exogenetic. Warren Ellis and Phil Jimenez. 2010. Marvel. 136 pages.

Rating: 3/5

I'm glad to see things turned around a bit here compared to volume 5. The darkness that took over Ghost Box is still present to a degree, but the creators acknowledge and begin to move past it.

First of all, this book features the return of the Brood! I loved watching the X-Men fight them in the '90s animated series. They get an upgrade here by being genetically modified by the latest person that wants to see the X-Men destroyed. There are also organic Sentinels and an island sized monster.

The art is superb, but I've always enjoyed the work of Phil Jimenez. He takes the style from the previous book and makes it his own. And the creatures are beautiful and horrific at the same time. That alone made this a better book.

The story was mediocre though. The team has to rescue Abigail Brand after her spaceship is damaged during a check of an asteroid. This sequence is pretty cool, although once it is done the X-Men just fight monsters and head off to the bad guys secret base. The villain never evoked any real feelings from me, so I think he could have been developed better. Maybe a slower reveal would have worked in his favor. That said, his backstory actually fits really well within the overall arc.

Personally, I will likely hold off on the rest of the series for a while because it has mostly lost my interest.

Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling Review

Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling. Tony Cliff. 2016. First Second. 272 pages.

Rating: 5/5

This is the follow up to Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant. It is set a couple years after the events in that book. I don't think it is necessary to read that one first, but it does help set up the relationship between Delilah and Selim.

In this book, we see our heroes travelling in Portugal. It opens with a nice adventure sequence and then shifts gears a bit. There is a war going on between France and England, which has spread to the Iberian Peninsula. They run across an English patrol that accuses them of being spies for the French. After escaping the English troops, Delilah decides they should go to England to clear their names.

I don't want to make too many comparisons to the first book, but this one is less action packed. The pacing is slower, but the story is a bit more in depth. In addition to clearing themselves of treason, we are introduced to Delilah's family who are unaware of her adventures. There is a bit of a balancing act that she tries to go through while tracking down the soldier who sullied her name.

The art is beautiful once again. There are a lot more locations used here, and the characters' clothing is more varied. The sequence at the end between Delilah, Selim, and the English soldier is fantastic. Despite the slow pacing, the buildup is well worth it.

Astonishing X-Men Volume 5 Review

Astonishing X-Men, Volume 5: Ghost Box. Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. 2009. Marvel. 184 pages.

Rating: 2/5

Expectations may have been a bit high coming off the fantastic Joss Whedon run on Astonishing X-Men. There is definitely a shift in gears after the M-day event, which removed a huge number of mutants from the Marvel universe. I feel like there were too many changes made at once though, and this book suffered for it.

The core group is basically the same from the previous volumes, expect Colossus and Kittie Pryde have been replaced by Storm. She is a strong addition to the team, so there are no problems with that.

They have moved from New York to San Francisco and are working as a task force for the police. During this work, they come across someone who appears to be a mutant, but not one that is known to be alive. This leads into an investigation that involves parallel worlds.

Part of what I didn't like here is the attitude of the characters themselves. Scott in particular is much more pessimistic. They are a lot more mercenary than the X-Men I am used to reading. This matches the darker tone of the book, but it seems out of place.

And that darkness is reflected in the art, which can be cool at times. Something that bothered me about the art, and it may be nitpicking, is that the artist seems to struggle drawing eyes. Unless there is an up-close shot of one of the characters faces, their eyes look like they are closed or just not filled in. This made it hard to keep focused on the story.

The two issues at the end explore what would have happened if the X-Men had acted differently. I liked these quite a bit because they are set in alternate dimensions that have their own little quirks. There is some rehashing of the plot from the rest of the book, which felt unnecessary.

East of West Volume 3 Review

East of West, Volume 3: There is No Us. Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. 2014. Image Comics. 144 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Check out my reviews of volume one and two.

This book brings us back to the alternate America in which the Four Horsemen walk the Earth. They are divided with Death searching for his son and the others trying to fulfill the prophecy of the destruction of the world. The leaders of the major nations are meeting to prevent, or in some cases start, war.

The art in this book is beautiful, just as it is in the previous volumes. All of the characters are drawn in a way that makes them unique. This isn't always something that happens in comics. Plus there is a large cast of characters to illustrate.

The Death storyline is my personal favorite and this volume continues that trend. Wolf and Raven are fantastic companions to Death. The quest to find his son is pretty powerful with some nice twists thrown in.

Speaking of Death's son, this volume really brings him forward. He had a brief introduction before, but now we see just what the son of Death and one of the nation leaders can do. The end of his storyline left me wanting to pick up the next volume to find out what happens.

The war conference was the weakest part of the story to me. It moves a bit more slowly than the others and didn't have any major surprises. It is more political in nature and really seems to be setting the stage for things to come.

Street Magicks Review

Street Magicks. Paula Guran (Editor). 2016. Prime Books. 384 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Street Magicks is a collection of urban fantasy short stories. All of the stories in this volume have been published elsewhere, and some of them only have a tenuous connection to the title. They all involve magic to some degree, but I found the use to be fairly light in a number of stories.

The standout stories for me were "A Year and a Day in Old Theradane" by Scott Lynch and "Painted Birds and Shivered Bones" by Kat Howard. Lynch's story is downright fun as a group of female thieves come out of retirement to steal a street. The feel of it is very similar to The Lies of Locke Lamora, meaning fans of that book will enjoy this story. Howard's story seems more like an urban fairytale. A young woman thinks she is going crazy after seeing a man transform into a bird. She becomes obsessed and as a painter feels a need to explore that transformation through her art.

I was glad to read Jim Butcher's story, "Last Call", featuring Harry Dresden. I am a bit behind in the book series featuring this character so there were moments that were a little jarring, but wouldn't be a problem for diehard fans or newcomers. Neil Gaiman's story, "The Goldfish Pond and Other Stories", was okay. It is about a writer who has his book opted by Hollywood and struggles between staying true to his work and writing a script that the studio wants to use. Nothing about the story wowed me though.

Overall, this is a good collection of stories. There can be a bit of a stretch fitting them into the theme, but anyone with a remote interest in fantasy stories can find something to enjoy here.

Ghostbusters International Review

Ghostbusters International. Erik Burnham and Dan Schoening. 2016. IDW Publishing. 120 pages.

Rating: 2/5

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy via NetGalley for an honest review.

First of all, the galley I received only contained the first half of this work. That alone didn't impact my opinion on this book, but it was definitely building to something that may have left a better impression than what I was able to read.

The Ghostbusters are currently employed full time through the city of New York, handling the various hauntings that pop up. After completing a job for the United Nations, they are approached by a man who wants to buy out the operation and use their services to convert haunted real estate into usable property. A deal is struck between the mayor of New York and this businessman to split the use of the team. This leads to a trip to Venice for their first international mission.

The premise sounds pretty interesting. It gives the Ghostbusters a reason to travel outside of New York, which has more than its share of problems. The way they are approached for the deal and the implications of what the land will be used for set a little bit of mystery and tension.

I had two problems with the book though. The art on the Ghostbuster characters didn't work for me. It was kind of cartoony and exaggerated. The ghosts and some of the side characters were handled much better, and the backdrops were well done. The second thing that was a miss with me is the characters themselves. There wasn't an introduction to them at all. While the reader can infer who each of them are, it would have been better to give some information about them first. There is some of the banter that readers familiar with the franchise would expect, I felt like it didn't match the potential.

This book may appeal to die hard fans, but it is not a place for new readers to jump in.

Footnotes in Gaza Review

Footnotes in Gaza. Joe Sacco. 2009. Metropolitan Books. 432 pages.

Rating: 4/5

This is the third book by Joe Sacco that I've read and I must say that I really enjoy the level of detail that goes into each one. He puts a lot of effort into researching each topic. Since these are basically journalistic pieces, the tone is very different from other historical books I've read.

Footnotes in Gaza is based around two events in the Gaza Strip in 1956. Both events involve Israeli soldiers attacking Palestinian refugees living in the Strip. Sacco is meticulous in setting the scene by describing events leading up to these attacks, while also comparing the situation of the refugees then to that of the Palestinians now. He describes these events as historical footnotes and attempts to raise them above that status.

There is a clear bias here because it is told from the view of the Palestinians, but Sacco incorporates historical documents when available and builds the tension between the two sides. So we are seeing the events from one side, but there is an understanding of why the other side acted the way it did to a degree.

Once he gets to the main conflict, which occurred in a schoolyard in Rafah, that tension between the two sides is unleashed. This is extremely powerful and horrifying. It speaks to Sacco's skill that he is able to bring this conflict to life and evoke such strong emotions. The book can be a slow read at times, but it is worth it.

Complete Alice in Wonderland Review

The Complete Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll, Leah Moore, John Reppion, and Erica Awano. 2016. Dynamite Entertainment. 184 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Dynamite's The Complete Alice in Wonderland is a superb reproduction of Lewis Carroll's classic tale. I've just never been a huge fan of  his writing. This copy came as part of a bundle that I purchased through Humble Bundle.

For me, the story is too choppy. It jumps from event to event without great transitions. This is something that carries over from the original and is not particularly a fault of this book.

The art is great. I think it really captures the feel of the stories. It is definitely influenced by earlier iterations, but that doesn't detract from the work at all.

There is a short chapter called "The Wasp in the Wig" that was cut from the original publication of Carroll's book, which has been added back in here. It doesn't have a lot of action, but it is a nice little piece.

I highly recommend this adaptation for fans of Carroll's work.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1 Review

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1: Squirrel Power. Ryan North and Erica Henderson. 2015. Marvel. 128 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Squirrel Girl is a very strange character. The issue at the end of this volume depicting her very first appearance is proof of that. This isn't a bad thing, but I felt like she never really clicked with me.

The book opens with her getting ready to go to college and move into the dorms. It wasn't explained in much depth, but this is huge for her because she hasn't interacted with other people a whole lot. In the first few days of her college experience, she confronts multiple supervillains.

One of the things that didn't work for me with this book is the art. It is a little more cartoonish than I prefer. It wasn't distracting or detrimental to the book as a whole, in fact the style works pretty well with the tone of the story. I just didn't care for it. It also took me a while to get used to Squirrel Girl's personality because she is very different from other superhero characters.

There are a number of things that I enjoyed about the book too. First, Squirrel Girl has a more realistic appearance compared to other female superheroes. Second, the book is funny. The little editorials at the bottom of each page are pretty amusing. The humor extends beyond that to her interactions with other characters (the fourth issue is great for this). Third, squirrel suit.

I recommend giving this one a shot if you are looking for something a little different to read.