Copperhead, Vol. 1 Review

Copperhead, Volume 1. Jay Faerber, Scott Godlewski, Ron Riley, and Thomas Mauer. 2015. Image Comics. 128 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Copperhead is a sci-fi/western. The main character is a single mother who has taken on the role of sheriff on a backwater planet. Her only deputy is a war veteran that views her as taking his job. It does follow a police procedural format to some degree because of her position. This means it can be a little predictable at times, but it is still a fun read.

There are a couple aspects I particularly enjoyed about this book. The first is the relationship between humans (specifically the protag) and the androids they created to fight their wars. This starts off pretty vague, but it ramps up when the sheriff comes up against one in her investigations. That portion of the story was very satisfying. The other one involves the deputy and his past. It isn't explained in detail. There are really just hints to it until a great sequence that shows part of what turned him into such a gruff character. Those character building elements kept me along for the ride.

Overall, the art is average. It details the setting nicely, but most of the time it doesn't stand out. There is a nice variety of alien creatures in the book though. I look forward to reading the next volume.

Divinity Review

Divinity. Matt Kindt, Trevor Hairsine, Ryan Winn, and David Baron. 2015. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Divinity is a nice spin on the superhero genre. First of all, the main character is a Soviet cosmonaut that was launched into space with no hope of returning. Second, he takes a nonviolent approach to problems.

The entire portion surrounding the Soviet space program is wonderful. I feel like the creators really capture the spirit of what was going on at the time, and spin out a character that is very believable in that role. As the book goes on, things break down in some unexpected ways. And then the end lays out a nice twist on the entire book.

The art is superb. It showcases some unique environments, and the character details are great. The coloring is fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the art galleys at the end of the book that let the reader see how the art process progresses. That provided some nice insight.

To tie this into the Valiant universe, some of their other characters show up near the end of the book. While this could be seen as superfluous, it provides an opportunity to show what this new character is capable of. He is very different from their other characters. It also sets up some repercussions for future books. This book stands pretty well on its own, though it will appeal more to fans of this universe.

Spider-Woman: Shifting Gears, Vol. 1 Review

Spider-Woman: Shifting Gears, Volume One: Baby Talk. Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez. 2016. Marvel. 120 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Jessica Drew is Spider-Woman. She has been many things, but now she is preparing for motherhood. This book was an interesting choice on Marvel's part because pregnancy and superheroing don't really go well together. That gets addressed early on. The setup for that part of the story might leave casual or new readers confused because it references some earlier books. I have a bit of a gap in my Spider-Woman knowledge, yet it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book.

The creators have a clear grasp of who Jessica Drew is as a character. They are able to keep true to who she is while bringing in a new aspect. And their insights on parenthood are pretty realistic. I'm sure there have been pregnant characters in comic books before, but this one did a great job tackling the subject and some of the stresses that come along with it.

There are some ridiculous moments too. The Skrull? Really? I mean that whole section ended up being pretty good, but I was skeptical because it felt a little forced. The art is good, as expected. There is a sequence in issue four that was excellent, but most of it did not stand out. This isn't an average superhero book, which is just fine.

Comic Bento January 2017: Red and Blue

Comic Bento is a blind subscription box service that provides four or five graphic novels each month. Each monthly box is tied together as part of a theme. The theme for the January 2017 box is Red and Blue. There are two "red" books and two "blue" books. Each book relates to its color through an association that people generally have with that color.

Code Red (Joe Brusha, Vincenzo Riccardi, and Ricardo Osnaya; 2014; Zenescope) is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. You know, if she was a secret agent working for the U.S. government to stop an evil queen and her army from taking over the world. I like the concept of this book. It's always fun to see when creators take something familiar and put a twist on it. For the most part the art looks good. The colors bring a lot to the table though.

Fathom: Blue (Vince Hernandez and Claudio Avella; 2017; Aspen) features a group of characters known as Blue that come from the oceans. They are being hunted by a member of the U.S. Navy. I think I will have to read this one to get a better idea of what is going on. Comic Bento subscribers received an exclusive variant cover, which Aspen likes to do. The interior art feels a bit amateurish. Hopefully that doesn't detract from the enjoyment of this book.

The next two books I've read before. Legends of Red Sonja (Gail Simone, Jack Jadson, and various; 2014; Dynamite) is a nice collection of stories featuring the legendary character. There are some great creators that got involved with this project, and they are able to showcase the wide range of stories Sonja can inhabit. The art covers a wide range too. Everyone should be able to find something to like in this book.

Last up is Spider-Man: Blue (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale; 2011; Marvel). It tells the story of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy and how they fell in love. I read this one a long time ago and I'm excited to revisit the story. The art style isn't as crisp as I'm used to, but it seems to fit the story of the book well.

The February 2017 box will be about Builders.

Second Nature Review

Second Nature: A Gardener's Education. Michael Pollan. 2003. Grove Press. 320 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I didn't expect a book about gardening to be quite so engaging. Pollan takes the reader on a journey starting with his earliest memories of being in the garden through the establishment of his own garden. In the end though it is less about gardening tips and techniques and more philosophical. Pollan explores why we garden and some of the similarities and differences between British and American gardens.

I've read many of Pollan's other books and I enjoyed this one almost as much as the others. The way he writes makes the topic accessible to the reader even if it isn't what you expect. There are some parts that are less interesting to me, specifically the very early portion and parts of the last chapter on seed catalogs. But there is humor and insight sprinkled throughout that make it enjoyable and worth picking up.

Self-Obsessed Review

Self-Obsessed. Sina Grace. 2015. Image Comics. 160 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Sina Grace provides a unique glimpse into an artist's history. This collects pieces from a ten year period, including some of Grace's earliest works. The early stuff isn't the greatest and contains a lot of self doubt from Grace. As a gay comics writer, he is in an unusual position.

The first half of the book took me a while to get through, but I felt like the second half made up for it. I saw a shift towards confidence in the work. What really made it interesting for me is when he begins to write about his experiences in the comic industry. There is some insight here that I haven't seen before and it was refreshing to see.

The art is all over the place. It's not unexpected considering the amount of time that the book covers. I think my enjoyment of the art built as I was able to see how it improved and how some elements that stayed the same over time. This is a pleasant reflection on his life, how he got into comics, and the decisions he has made within the industry. Someone that identifies more with his personal life would probably get more out of it, but it is worth checking out.

Bloodshot, Vol. 1 Review

Bloodshot, Volume 1: Setting the World on Fire. Duane Swierczynski, Manuel Garcia, and Arturo Lozzi. 2013. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Bloodshot is the epitome of human weapon creation. He has nano machines inside him that increase his strength, speed, and healing capabilities. Combined with his innate skills, he is almost unstoppable. The only problem is he has no idea what his true identity is.

For those unfamiliar with Valiant, there is a group called Project Rising Spirit that experiments on humans to bring out their maximum potential. With Bloodshot, they use him for high risk military missions and wipe his memory periodically. They also implant false memories about families and identities he never had. Bloodshot discovers this after a mission goes bad and rebels in an effort to find out the truth about himself.

There is a lot of action in this book, which is great given the premise. This character can be pretty grim, but he does have his limits. The art can get gruesome at times as well. This reinforces how brutal he is and just how powerful he can be. Like many of the other Valiant books, this one mixes genres at times. It is part espionage, part sci-fi, and part military thriller. These elements blend together nicely to introduce an interesting character. I'm looking forward to more of this character.

Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1 Review

The Mighty Avengers, Volume 1: The Ultron Initiative. Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho. 2008. Marvel. 168 pages.

Rating: 3/5

This has to be close to the epitome of an Avengers book. It features some extremely powerful characters going up against one of the biggest bad guys in Avengers history. The formation of the team is one of the highlights of the book in my opinion. I don't know enough about some of the characters (Wonderman and Sentry specifically) to get too excited about it.

The writing on this book is great. Even though there are characters I was unfamiliar with, by the end of the book I felt like I had a decent understanding of them. This story gave me a much greater appreciation for the character Ares because it shows him as more than just a dumb brute. Ultron is used effectively both in how he (she?) comes back and what the Avengers ultimately do to defeat him. There is plenty of action, but it isn't all fighting. My biggest complaint about the writing are the completely random thought bubbles. Eventually they just became amusing. Early on they slowed down the pace of the book and kept me from getting into the story.

The art is a mixed bag. I don't think I've read an entire book drawn by Frank Cho before. There are times when the art is fantastic. At other times I just can't figure out how a character ended up being drawn a particular way. There are images that seem awkward because they don't match up to expectations based on the rest of the book and how bodies should look. I don't know if this is typical for Cho or not, but it was another instance where I was pulled out of the story.

Overall, it is a nice team book. There are a couple twists on the standard superhero stories that make it worth checking out.

The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 1 Review

The Unbelievable Gwenpool, Volume 1: Believe It. Christopher Hastings, Danilo Beyruth, and Gurihiru. 2016. Marvel. 152 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Unbelievable is right. This book is so off the wall. It starts out with a short piece featuring Howard the Duck. That's about all that needs to be said about that.

This is the story of Gwen Poole (get it?), who is a young woman from our world that got stuck in the universe featuring all the Marvel characters. She also happens to be a huge comic book nerd, which means she knows everything about everyone. And she gets recruited to be a henchman for M.O.D.O.K. It's great!

Obviously this book will be more enjoyable to people that are familiar with a lot of the Marvel characters because of Gwen's knowledge. It provides for some inside jokes, such as the ones regarding the other M.O.D.O.K. henchmen. The book is loads of fun. It is able to take on a more serious note at times. Those never dominate the book, which is probably for the best.

The art was hit or miss for me because it switches between a somewhat realistic style and a cartoonish style. The cartoon styling fit the book perfectly. The realistic art didn't match the tone of the book as well. It almost slowed the book down because it could be a bit jarring to switch between the styles. Thankfully there isn't a lot of that happening. The colors are vibrant and in your face, which complements the art so well.

I received this book from Comic Bento, and I definitely recommend checking it out.

The Damned, Vol. 1 Review

The Damned, Volume 1: Three Days Dead. Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, and Bill Crabtree. 2017. Oni Press. 152 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the concept behind this book. It is set in an alternate reality where demons exist and are actively involved in the world. The story is placed during Prohibition, so there are lots of gangsters too. And then there is Eddie, the protagonist, who just won't stay dead. It has a bit of that off the cuff vibe that can come with hard-boiled detective/noir stories. That's a perfect fit for Eddie.
The art is pretty good too. Particularly the depictions of the demons. There is a lot of variety to make them seem distinct.

However, things didn't pick up for me until near the end of this volume. I feel like I kept asking myself "so what?" about characters and events as they came up. Most of it is addressed eventually, but it left me sort of blasé about the whole thing. There wasn't enough information to get me invested in the character early. I might feel differently about it if I went back and reread it though.

Fate of Perfection Review

Fate of Perfection. K.F. Breene. 2017. 47North. 332 pages.

Rating: 3/5

There are a lot of great concepts in Fate of Perfection. It is set in a future where mega corporations have displaced governments and taken control of every facet of life, including reproduction. But they seem to have learned to allow some diversity into their breeding programs to prevent a catastrophic event from wiping out humanity. The fear behind these type of companies taking control of our lives is presented nicely.

The book is centered around a woman named Millicent that works for one of the conglomerates. She is selected for one of the natural breeding programs, whereas most people are grown in labs. This leads her down a path that makes it clear that the life she was living isn't what she thought it was. The world she shows the reader and encounters for the first time is well thought out.

It gets repetitive though. The interactions between Millicent and Ryker, the father of her child, can be tedious. And as the characters get nearer to their goal, the story can be formulaic. It never got to a point where I didn't enjoy the book, but I could understand others feeling that way.

Everything gets wrapped up in the end. There is an epilogue that sets up the next book in the series, but by ignoring that the book could easily stand on its own.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Review

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Ashlee Vance. 2015. Ecco. 400 pages.

Rating: 5/5

This book is awesome. Sure, Vance's writing style has a bit to do with that. It is incredibly easy to read and is just fascinating in general. What really makes the book pop is the subject: Elon Musk. Vance clearly has an affinity for Musk, but he doesn't shy away from the man's negative qualities either. This provides for a fairly balanced view despite some bias.

It gives some information on Musk's early life and the first couple companies that he was involved with. The main focus is on Tesla, which makes electric cars, and SpaceX, which builds rockets, though. The approach that Musk took to these industries is so different from the norm. It pretty much garnered one of two reactions: awe or doubt.

It all boils down to his vision for mankind and how he can play a part in helping us achieve that goal. Whether you agree with his end goal or not, this book is worth reading to see what inspires this behemoth in the tech industry. It certainly made me want to explore ways that we can work to protect our species now and in the future.

Harrow County Volume 1 Review

Harrow County, Volume 1: Countless Haints. Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook. 2015. Dark Horse Books. 152 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Harrow County is an interesting little book about witches. Specifically a witch that is killed by the townsfolk and promises to seek revenge on them. Enter her counterpart that has no idea of her strange birth, but begins to exhibit signs of being a witch.

I love the art. The places and monsters are great. The people are okay. They almost seem a little unfinished. That's probably the best way that I can describe it. Even when the book enters places that are a bit hazy, there is a sense of place within it. Clearly the creators have an idea of how all these locations connect even if it isn't spelled out for the reader.

Emmy, the protagonist, is wonderful. I got the sense that she could really be someone that grew up on a farm with little knowledge of the outside world. And she likely heard lots of stories about this evil witch or a similar one, so her silence about what is going on with her is appropriate. The bit with the skin suit is odd though.

There are a lot of elements to make this a creepy story. They may not jump out at you at first, but that subtlety is part of the book's strength. It sets the stage for a much deeper story going forward.

Kaijumax Season One Review

Kaijumax, Season One. Zander Cannon. 2016. Oni Press. 168 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I expected not to like this book. The idea is extremely silly. It features a maximum security prison designed to hold giant monsters akin to Godzilla. There are cliques, schemes, corrupt guards, and romance.

To be honest, it took me a while to differentiate between the various monsters. The early potion of the book jumps around a bit. Once it gains some more focus, the story starts to shine. It can be ridiculous at times, which is fine given the subject matter. I think it is easier to set aside some of the strange events because of the subject of the book. Yet, it addresses some real issues with prisons at the same time.

That is one of the strengths of the book. It gives the reader much more than they would expect going in. Yes there are some clichés that pop up. Cannon seems to include those more as homages to the things he loves more than anything else.

The art left me with mixed feelings. The styling is more like manga or anime. It fits the theme appropriately, but it didn't do a whole lot for me. I loved the color work though. It is flashy and bright in contrast to the dark events of the story.

This book is so far afield from what I would normally read and it's great. Definitely recommended for anyone that likes Godzilla (or other monsters), science fiction, or prison stories a la Orange is the New Black.

Rabbids #1 Review

Rabbids #1: Bwaaaaaaaaah! Thitaume and Romain Pujol. 2014. Papercutz. 64 pages.

Rating: 3/5

So I'm not really familiar with the Rabbids franchise, but this book was pretty amusing. The characters are not very intelligent rabbits that get into some strange situations. I think it worked in this context because each one is fairly short. Most are a page, with some being two pages in length. There is some range to the humor, so it's not hitting the same note throughout the book. This made it much more enjoyable than similar books I've read.

The art is quite good too. There is some simplicity to it because the characters are basically identical and the style is cartoonish. But the diversity of scenes allows the artist to inject some creativity into the art too. There is a nice balance to the book. Younger readers should love it and adults can find something to like too.

Smite: The Pantheon War Review

Smite: The Pantheon War. Jack Banish and John Jackson Miller. 2017. Dark Horse Books. 88 pages.

Rating: 4/5

For being a video game tie-in, this book is actually pretty good. There is a nice mix of gods from various cultures. It is focused mainly on Greek/Roman and Norse gods, but there are some Egyptian and Far East gods as well. Many of the characters should be familiar to readers interested in mythology.

There is a plot to kill Zeus and start a war between the various gods. The tension is set when one god attempts to take the followers of another. I would have liked to see this aspect expanded a little more, which a longer book would have allowed. The last portion of the book is the only part that feels directly tied to a game. It is fairly short and can easily be skipped without affecting the rest of the story.

I really enjoyed the art. There may be some inconsistencies, but it is eye catching and ties in well to the overall tone. I particularly enjoyed some of the more monstrous looking characters. All in all this is a fun read featuring the ancient gods.

Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 1 Review

Vampirella Masters Series, Volume One. Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Amanda Conner. 2010. Dynamite Entertainment. 176 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Know what you are getting into going in. If the cover puts you off, you might be better off skipping it. It's not a bad vampire story all things told. Grant Morrison and Mark Millar are two great comics writers, and they hold their own with Vampirella. There isn't a lot in the way of backstory, but the reader should be able to get enough to make it through the book.

These stories are campy. A short list of things included in this volume are:

vampires, gangsters, a mysterious undead creature, space nuns, and time travel.

This book should have been so much worse for the random elements just tossed in. Vampirella's main antagonists are a vampire clan and the aforementioned weird undead guy, whose name escapes me. He actually works great as a villain for her to fight.

The art seems to be the big sticking point for the book. Most of the complaints I've seen revolve around Vampirella's costume. Ignoring that, the art is actually pretty good. It can be gruesome and over the top. This plays right into the other elements of the book. Read it for a fun diversion involving vampires.

Moon Knight, Vol. 1: Lunatic Review

Moon Knight, Vol. 1: Lunatic. Jeff Lemire, Greg Smallwood, and Jordie Bellaire. 2016. Marvel. 120 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I've wanted to read this book ever since I heard this new series was coming out. Moon Knight has got to be one of my favorite Marvel characters. There is always the question of whether Marc Spector is off his rocker. This book takes it to the extreme by placing him into a psych ward. He has no memory of how he got there and things are stacked against him to the point where he questions whether he really is Moon Knight. To find the truth, he must escape.

As much as I enjoyed this book, new readers will probably feel a bit lost. Part of this is because the creators draw on past books quite a bit. There are characters present that mean something to Marc Spector and Moon Knight that fans will recognize, but anyone else will be left wondering what his relationship is to each of them. The creators tease this out a little bit to try to minimize the disconnect for new readers. I'm not sure how effective it will end up being though.

The art is top notch. It sort of reminds me of the style from the Warren Ellis run on Moon Knight. What this book has that a lot of other Moon Knight books that I've read in recent year do not is a lot of Egyptian characters. Since Marc Spector is tied to an Egyptian god it sort of makes sense that the enemies he is facing would connect to that background. I'm interested to see if that portion of the book will continue.

This is worth picking up for the art alone. Smallwood and Bellaire work wonders to bring the psyche of Marc Spector to life. There are some familiar elements to this book, but Lemire seems to be pushing the character in a new direction.

Kaptara, Vol. 1 Review

Kaptara, Volume One: Fear Not, Tiny Alien. Chip Zdarsky and Kagan McLeod. 2016. Image Comics. 128 pages.

Rating: 2/5

This book struck a chord with me, but not the right one. It tried too hard to be funny and edgy. In the end it just felt bland.

The setting has to be the best part of the book. It begins with a science team in the middle of space. They pass through a strange zone and end up crash landing on a world that seems inspired by Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland. There are a lot of strange creatures and lands that the crew can travel too.

I did not like any of the characters though. They are taken to extremes that made them seem one dimensional. The story is decent, but the characters drag it down to a point where I didn't really care what was going on. I don't have much interest in the art either. It takes that nonsensical characterization and bumps it up a notch. Sometimes it worked though.

I wouldn't write this one off entirely. The humor that drives a lot of this just wasn't what I was looking for.

Generation Zero, Volume 1 Review

Generation Zero, Volume 1: We Are the Future. Fred Van Lente and Francis Portela. 2017. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anyone paying attention to my reviews will recognize that I enjoy stuff put out by Valiant Entertainment. Generation Zero features some characters introduced in the Harbinger Wars story, but it is well removed from that. The focal character is a young woman whose boyfriend dies in car crash. She thinks there is something fishy about his death and reaches out to a fabled group, Generation Zero, that helps people in need. They respond in spectacular fashion and it is unlike anything she expected.

This is the fourth series I've read written by Fred Van Lente. I'm not sure if it is the source material or his writing, but they have been consistently good. I enjoyed the characters a lot. The members of Generation Zero have a nice array of powers, and their interactions among themselves and with others show off their personalities. They felt different from the Renegades, which is another group of young superheroes in the Valiant books. That can be tough to pull off.

The town where everything takes place is great. There are references to some other events, which gives it some life because what happens in the other books clearly has an impact. The town itself has become stinking rich. There's really no other way to describe it. This has affected everything in the town and the art reflects that. It's very well put together in that regard. I wasn't too impressed with the art at first, but one of the later issues takes a huge turn that I thought was wonderful.

It can move a little slow at times and it helps to have some knowledge of what's been happening in the Valiant comics. Yet, it is written really well and has enough oomph that it doesn't really matter.

Comic Bento December 2016: Mighty

Comic Bento is a blind subscription box service that provides four or five graphic novels each month. Each monthly box is tied together as part of a theme. The theme for the December 2016 box is Mighty. It is also a publisher spotlight on Marvel. This makes sense considering Marvel is the number one comics publisher and has expanded into other forms of media.

The Mighty Avengers: The Ultron Initiative (Brian Michael Bendis and Frank Cho; 2008; Marvel) is the perfect book to lead into this box. Iron Man hand picks an Avengers team, which ends up facing off against one of the iconic Marvel villains, Ultron. These are some of the top characters from the biggest publisher. This should not disappoint.

X-O Manowar: By the Sword (Robert Venditti and Cary Nord; 2012; Valiant Entertainment) is an excellent choice. This is the series that Valiant chose to launch the reboot of their universe back in 2012. The main character has drawn some comparisons to Iron Man, which isn't a bad thing. X-O is an ancient warrior that has been displaced in time with the strongest weapon Earth has seen. Check out my review here. I'm excited to see this book included in the Mighty box, but I already own a copy. My first duplicate book from Comic Bento in a year's worth of boxes isn't bad though.

Smite: The Pantheon War (Jack Banish, John Jackson Miller, and Eduardo Francisco; 2017; Dark Horse Comics) is one that I'm not familiar with. I guess it's connected to a video game franchise. That doesn't really matter though. The art is awesome. If the story is half as good, then this will be a lot of fun to read. The gods are at war, so who knows what will happen.

Last up is The Unbelievable Gwenpool, Vol. 1: Believe It (Christopher Hastings, Danillo Beyruth, and Gurihiru; 2016; Marvel). This is the second book from Marvel for the publisher spotlight. I'm not sure what kicked off the idea to use Gwen Stacy as variants of familiar characters (see Spider-Gwen), but this book looks so ridiculous that I can only imagine it will be lots of fun. The art is more cartoonish than I typically like, yet it seems to fit the concept perfectly. This book goes to show that  Marvel is willing to go out on a limb with their characters. Their willingness to be inventive and innovative is part of what keeps Marvel on top.