Bandette, Volume 2 Review

Bandette, Volume 2: Stealers, Keepers! Paul Tobin and Coleen Coover. 2016. Dark Horse Books. 136 pages.

Rating: 3/5

It took me a while to get into volume one of this series. With that setup it was much easier to get into volume two. Bandette and her rival, Monsieur, agree to a heist competition where each one tries to steal the most items from the gangsters in Finis. Despite the exuberance and lightheartedness that Bandette embodies, this book seemed darker than the first. It probably has something to do with the whole organized crime aspect and the hitman that is hunting Bandette. Those make this volume more serious than the first.

While a lot of the same style of quips and references are used in this volume, my favorite element of the first volume, namely the extended cast of urchins that help Bandette out, is missing. That  supporting cast made her a lot more likeable in my opinion. Without them, she feels a little flat. The creators play up the rivalry between Bandette and Monsieur a bit more and showcase Absinthe as the villain.

I enjoyed the art once again, and the extra information at the back of the book makes it much better because the creators reveal the inspiration for some of the characters. Those additional pieces at the end really round out the book by fleshing out the cast. Fans of the first volume won't be disappointed.

Invinvible Iron Man, Volume 1 Review

Invincible Iron Man, Volume 1: Reboot. Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez. 2016. Marvel. 136 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Iron Man is back. We get to see a range from him. Toward the beginning of this volume he is struggling with his position as a hero and a businessman. His life has been stagnant and he needs to find something to make it new again. By the end of the volume he has regained his old confidence. Bendis does a great job with Tony Stark and transitioning through different stages.

I've only read a few Iron Man books before, but this one felt different. It has to do with the mystical elements wrapped into the story. This is a different side to Iron Man and his place in the Marvel universe. It brings out some old villains and allies too. Bendis develops the relationships between these characters and Tony Stark wonderfully. This is one of the things that he does extremely well.

The artwork is great. The characters are expressive and detailed. I'm not a huge fan of the art on Iron Man's new suit though. It seems too slick, which isn't out of character. It's just now my preferred style. While the book isn't particularly serious, the creators do manage to make it fun and bring in humor at just the right times. I'm not up to speed with what has been happening in the Marvel universe, so there may be elements that I missed out on. Regardless Reboot is a fun entry into what is going on with Iron Man currently.

Habitat Review

Habitat. Roy Simon. 2016. Image Comics. 96 pages.

Rating: 4/5

My favorite part of this book has to be the art. The Meso-American setting combined with sci-fi elements is fantastic. It's sort of like reading a futuristic story about the Mayans. The illustrations of the people leave a little to be desired though. They feel more like sketches than completed images. The style makes them stand out from the rest of the art, but it wasn't too distracting.

Although there some questions that aren't addressed, I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I kept wanting to see what would happen next. The setting helped make it compelling. This is a bit different than other comics out there, and it's worth picking up for that reason alone.

Divinity III: Stalinverse Review

Divinity III: Stalinverse. Matt Kindt, Trevor Hairsine, Ryan Winn, and David Baron. 2017. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 5/5

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

What would the world be like if the Soviet Union had won? Not just the Cold War, but if they were successful going back to the end of WWI, it might look something like this book. It reimagines the Valiant universe in a Soviet dominated Earth.

To begin with, this isn't particularly friendly to new readers. It does give some background on the Divinity storyline, which has the most impact on this one of the other Valiant books. They fail to introduce most of the characters though. For someone already familiar with them, this book was perfectly fine. Others might find it off putting or hard to follow.

I love what they do with the traditional Valiant heroes, both in terms of characterization and art. The groundwork for the conflict was laid out in the previous Divinity books, so it is satisfying to see what happened to the third cosmonaut. The art is great. It captures the setting perfectly. Divinity III is a blast to read.

Burma Superstar Review

Burma Superstar: Addictive Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia. Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy. 2017. Ten Speed Press. 272 pages.

Rating: 5/5

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

If you're like me, you probably wouldn't think you know anything about Burmese cooking. There are a lot of familiar elements to these recipes though. It draws on elements from Indian, Chinese, and other Southeast Asian cuisines. There is a lot of flavor packed into these recipes. I've only had a chance to make one of them so far (the Coconut Chicken Curry, which is featured on the Amazon page for the book), and it was delicious. I marked so many recipes in this book that I wanted to try that I will have to pick up a physical copy to add to my bookshelves.

Beyond the recipes, this book has a lot to offer. It begins with the story behind the restaurant, Burma Superstar, in San Francisco. Added to this is some Burmese history and culture. The writers go beyond the culinary history of the region, while remaining true to the spirit. The photos are gorgeous. Every single picture of the food looks delicious. The pictures of the people and the locations add to the feeling of the book.

I also loved the way it is laid out. It felt a little backward at first, but after a brief introduction, they jump right into the recipes. Information on hardware and ingredients is included at the back of the book. I think this is a good move because having it up front might seem intimidating, especially if you don't have many of the items. There are enough recommendations for substitutes on certain ingredients throughout the book that its easy to get comfortable with things first. This book hooked me and I'm looking forward to getting an opportunity to explore it in more detail.

When to Rob a Bank Review

When to Rob a Bank. Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner. 2015. William Morrow. 405 pages.

Rating: 3/5

For a collection of blog posts, this isn't bad. It is the fourth book in the Freakonomics series. I can't compare this to the others because I haven't read them. I imagine this one is a bit more freeform. They loosely tie their selections together under some pretty broad categories.

These guys are clearly intelligent. Despite some quirky subjects, they do take themselves fairly seriously. It happened that I was reading this while taking an economics course, so it was fairly relevant for me. I think this made the book more enjoyable than I would have found it otherwise.

If I had to do it over again, I would want to read Freakonomics first, then maybe come to this book.

The Periodic Table of Wine Review

The Periodic Table of Wine. Sarah Rowlands. 2017. Abrams Image. 164 pages.

Rating: 5/5

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

I love the idea behind this series. It splits the table between white, rose, and red wines, working from fuller wines on the outside to lighter, more approachable wines in the center. Each wine on the table is given a brief overview, along with pairing ideas and suggestions for similar wine styles to try. The table itself is a great guide for different types to try. Each wine is going to share similarities to the ones above, below, and to either side.

There are some familiar grapes and styles presented here, but there were quite a few that I didn't recognize. It seemed like there was a focus on European wines. The author does mention certain types that are worth seeking out from other parts of the world though. I would have liked to have seen more American grapes represented. What the book presents is doing really well though and should give a good starting point for anyone looking to branch to different types of wine.

It also provides some great resources at the end of the book for anyone that wants to delve further into the world of wine. Some of these provide a much greater depth than this book seeks to cover.

Harbinger Renegade, Volume 1 Review

Harbinger Renegade, Volume 1: The Judgment of Solomon. Rafer Roberts, Darick Robertson, and Juan Jose Ryp. 2017. Valiant Entertainment. 144 pages.

Rating: 4/5

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

This is a great book to read if you're familiar with some of the events leading up to it. There are references to the early Harbinger books from Valiant Entertainment, but they do provide some information to let the reader know what is happening.

The knowledge on how to unlock powers within a small percentage of the population, and who those people are, has been released into the world. Now various groups are trying to perfect that knowledge and use it to their advantage. Faith, one of the original Harbinger kids, sees the threat that this poses to the world and is trying to stop it.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but I've read about most of the characters already. It starts off a little ho-hum. However, when Peter Stanchek reappears, it really takes off. He is given a lot of great characterization, mostly through the art. I loved seeing all of the characters from Harbinger brought back together here. Despite a rocky start, it showed a lot of potential by the end. I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Dark Engine, Volume 1 Review

Dark Engine, Volume 1: The Art of Destruction. Ryan Burton and John Bivens. 2015. Image Comics. 112 pages.

Rating: 2/5

Suffice it to say, I was not terribly impressed by this book. The world is in ruins and a group of men create a female living weapon to go back in time and destroy whatever caused the problem to begin with.

None of the characters are particularly interesting. Sym, the weapon, doesn't have much personality until the end of the book. She hops from time to time killing anything she encounters. The group that created her is so shrouded in mystery that it's difficult to get to know them. They are mostly waiting for the end of time or for Sym to complete her mission. It doesn't seem like they care which one happens first.

I enjoyed the art. It can be a bit gruesome though. There isn't much for plot and things move at a turtle's pace. I couldn't get into it because there wasn't enough here to make me care about what happened next.

Lady Mechanika, Volume 1 Review

Lady Mechanika, Volume 1: Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse. Joe Benitez. 2015. Benitez Productions. 160 pages.

Rating: 2/5

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

The idea behind this series is really cool. It is a steampunk, Victorian age series featuring a heroine with mechanical arms and eyes. The premise reminds me of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

My biggest problem with this book is that it is extremely slow. There is a lot of exposition setting up the story without a lot happening. The Lady Mechanika is a strong character, but she falls into the trap of not knowing much about her past. This would be fine except we don't learn enough about her in this volume. She remains too much of a mystery for me to care about what happens to her.

The art is great though. It captures the setting perfectly. I didn't always care for Mechanika's costumes because they seemed sort of awkward. The other characters are drawn wonderfully though. And the backgrounds are detailed and imaginative.

Things pick up toward the end of the book in terms of pacing and plot. It's worth checking out for something a bit different that mixes the past and the future.

X-O Manowar, Volume 3 Review

X-O Manowar, Volume 3: Planet Death. Robert Venditti, Cary Nord, Trevor Hairsine, and Moose Baumann. 2013. Valiant Entertainment. 144 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Aric of Dacia, aka X-O Manowar, is a warrior from the 5th century that has been transplanted into modern times after being abducted by an alien race known as the Vine. He fought his way free, returned to Earth, and fought back against their secret network that has infiltrated society. Now he plans to take the fight to them.

There is a bit going on with this book. The creators show a lot more of the Vine as Aric arrives on their home world and leads an uprising of all the races enslaved by the Vine. There is a mix of action and background, including a prophecy regarding the X-O armor. It is a lot of fun. The different elements mesh really well together.

I'll admit I wasn't a huge fan of Cary Nord's art at first, but it has grown on me as I've seen more of it. This volume is awesome though. Part of it might be Moose Baumann's colors. The art brings this alien planet to life. We get to see into the Vine culture and the sort of place their empire spawned from. Planet Death is aptly named and definitely worth picking up for fans of the character.

Rocket Girl, Volume 1 Review

Rocket Girl, Volume 1: Times Squared. Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder. 2014. Image Comics. 120 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Rocket Girl is a lot of fun. It is about a young woman who is part of the New York Police Department's Time division. She heads back to the 1980's to investigate a company that is suspected of meddling with time. Plus there's a jetpack, and who doesn't love jetpacks, right?

The creators capture the feel of the 80s, or at least the parts that most people remember, perfectly. The art is excellent at conveying the setting. I enjoyed the characters a lot too. The dialogue was particularly well done. There are some fun time travel paradox/snafu moments, such as with the cops that are trying to bring our heroine back to 2013. The story of the corporation employees and that of the heroine work great together.

The whole police department dynamic is ridiculous though. All of the cops are teenagers, and they are forced into retirement when they get too old. The chief reminds me of a little boy playing dress up. His wardrobe is a big part of it, but his attitude and mannerisms seem like someone imitating an adult. This isn't a serious book, yet those moments with the chief seemed to jar me out of the story a little too much. Anyway, this is a great book to check out if you're looking for something light-hearted.

Letter 44, Volume 1 Review

Letter 44, Volume 1: Escape Velocity. Charles Soule, Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque, Dan Jackson, Guy Major, and Shawn DePasquale. 2014. Oni Press. 144 pages.

Rating: 5/5

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

This book is great. It begins with the inauguration of the latest president of the United States. He finds a letter addressed to him from the previous president explaining that an alien device was discovered in space, that a team was dispatched years ago to investigate it, and how that device shaped his policies. There is some social commentary thrown into the mix as well.

The character interactions are what drive this book for me. I like the approach to the president and his staff, the ex-president, and the space crew. There are these different relationships that we get to see develop over the course of the story. The space crew is particularly interesting because they've had time to create new group dynamics over the years that they have been traveling to their destination.

I enjoyed the art. There is a high level of detail, which I appreciate. A lot happens here, but it doesn't tell the full story. I will definitely pick up the next volume.

My Drunk Kitchen Review

My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking & Going With Your Gut. Hannah Hart. 2014. Dey Street Books. 240 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Two quick things. First, I have never watched Hannah Hart's YouTube channel, so there might be some quirks to this book that would appeal to fans of her show that I am not aware of. Second, this is not really a cookbook. It's more of a personal reflection centered around food.

That being said, this book is entertaining. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, which may have helped, but Hannah can be quite silly. Her sense of humor (lots of puns!) might not be right for everyone. I dig the formatting for the book because it is set up like a traditional cookbook. Each "course" corresponds to different points in a relationship and the "recipes" relate to that course. The recipes have an introductory section, ingredients (which sometimes are ridiculously short or incomplete), and directions.

There is a bit of a make it up as you go attitude when it comes to food prep. She comes up with some clever ideas for substituting ingredients on favorite dishes. Are these going to work for everyone? No. The idea behind it is fun though and might help remove some of the intimidation that people have around cooking. Along with that, I enjoy the information on how she started her YouTube show and some of the difficulties she had along the way. Despite some serious moments, this is a fun, quirky book that is good for reading with a nice drink.

Predator: Prey to the Heavens Review

Predator: Prey to the Heavens. John Arcudi and Javier Saltares. 2010. Dark Horse. 96 pages.

Rating: 1/5

Where do I even begin? This story is set in an Africa town with a U.S. (?) military base stationed nearby. The town has been decimated due to a conflict with a local warlord. And then some predators show up and start killing people. That's pretty much all that happens here. It really could have used an extra 32 pages to fill out some story.

It does give some back story on the human characters, although they still end up feeling pretty flat. There isn't much for plot. The predators are hunting the humans for unstated reasons (anyone that knows anything about predators can figure it out), and another group of predators is hunting them.

The book is full of action and the art isn't bad. These just weren't enough to carry it for me.

Fathom: Blue Review

Fathom: Blue. Vince Hernandez, Claudio Avella, Mark Roslan, Erick Arciniega, and Josh Reed. 2017. Aspen MLT. 176 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Maybe I'm being a bit generous with my rating on this one, but it is probably the best book I've read so far from Aspen. It shares some of the faults I've noticed with their other books, but not to the same extent.

Anyway, this book is about a group of super powered people working for the U.S. government. They are from a race of people living in the planet's oceans known as the Blue. They've been recruited to both stop other Blue from harming humanity and work toward creating peace between the two races. It starts off a bit clichéd and the characters take some time to truly become distinct. The story builds in a good way and while the book ends on a cliffhanger, it left some promise for this series to develop  really well.

As mentioned, the characters were one of the issues I had with the book. They start off somewhat flat, but they develop personality as it goes on. Some of the tropes that are used in the beginning help bolster them rather than drag them down. For the most part I enjoyed the art. One thing Aspen tends to do is throw full page pinups of their female characters in skimpy outfits into the story at some point. Blue did not suffer from that problem nearly as much as their other books.

This is a slow building story, or at least it was for me. Part of that might be due to the writing/characters in the early portion of the book. It picks up steam though and definitely left me feeling like there is potential behind this story.

Archer & Armstrong, Volume 2 Review

Archer & Armstrong, Volume 2: Wrath of the Eternal Warrior. Fred Van Lente, Emanuela Lupacchino, and Guillermo Ortego. 2013. Valiant Entertainment. 128 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Volume 2 picks up right where volume 1 left off, both from a story standpoint and in terms of design. That's perfect for me. This book is so much fun because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Watch out though. There is plenty of good content here that creates a backdrop for the series. Some new characters are introduced and more is revealed about our heroes. The Geomancer is a particular favorite of mine among the new characters. She is unexpected in many ways, which makes her progression through the book satisfying.

Van Lente does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Despite all the silliness, or perhaps because of it, they feel like fleshed out people. Since I've started reading the Valiant titles, I've been a huge fan of the art. Not every piece works for me, but it doesn't have to either. I felt like the art in this book was a step up over the previous volume. This is a great series to jump into the Valiant universe with.

Bandette, Volume 1 Review

Bandette, Volume 1: Presto! Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover. 2013. Dark Horse Books. 135 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Bandette is a quirky book. The main character is a thief operating in Paris. She is obsessed with books, candy, stealing, and magic (or at least saying presto). Her main competition is a man known as Monsieur. And the police enlist her help to catch other crooks rather than spending much time trying to capture her. These elements add fun to the book.

For all that, the book never really hooked me. I appreciated it more as the cast of characters expanded and the setting filled out. Bandette's idiosyncrasies give the book most of its personality. It is wonderful for the silliness that she brings. But she is a bit too flighty for me.

The art is good. It has a cartoonish style that might appeal more to younger readers. This fits the book perfectly since Bandette is a teenager and runs around with a band of urchins. Plus, the lighter art style meshes well with the tone of the book.

Definitely pick this up if you're looking for something offbeat and fun.

Britannia Review

Britannia. Peter Milligan, Juan Jose Ryp, Raul Allen, and Jordie Bellaire. 2017. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 3/5

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

Britannia follows Antonius Axia, a Roman legionnaire, during the reign of Nero. After saving one of the Vestal Virgins, his fate becomes entwined with theirs. He also gains the ability to see what others can't, sort of like Sherlock Holmes. I would not be surprised if the great detective was an inspiration for this character.

I like that this book takes a step away from the traditional Valiant characters. It allows the company to explore different eras and locations without messing with their core series. Heading to ancient Rome is a fun choice, especially with the supernatural elements that are brought into the story.

The art is gritty. I'm not sure if it was a conscious choice, but it made me think of an old manuscript that was recently discovered. Whose pages are brittle and cracking while remaining legible. It does take on some darker tones to match the plot of the story. Jordie Bellaire does a fantastic job with the colors.

This book didn't wow me the way that other Valiant books have. I appreciate the risk they took on this book by going outside their normal elements. It could have used a more charismatic protagonist though.

The Pho Cookbook Review

The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favorite Soup and Noodles. Andrea Nguyen. 2017. Ten Speed Press. 168 pages.

Rating: 3/5

My expectations for this book might have been too high. Or maybe I'm just not as interested in pho as I thought I would be. Either way, I found myself a lot less engrossed in this book than Nguyen's previous one, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen.

The Pho Cookbook is great for enthusiasts though. Nguyen gives some history on the dish, taking time for both the North and South Vietnamese styles. She even gives an explanation on the history and pronunciation of the name. The section covering the different ingredients is particularly helpful. There were a couple that were unexpected, but that might just be my unfamiliarity with what goes into the dish.

Probably the best part about the book is that Nguyen offers recipes for varying amounts of time and difficulty in preparing the dish. There are shortcuts for preparing the dish quickly during the week without sacrificing a lot of flavor. This ramps up to a full on preparation that would need a day on the weekend to complete successfully. Nguyen covers chicken, beef, and vegetarian options, which rounds things out nicely. She also provides information and recipes for accompaniments, some traditional some not. The pictures are beautiful and present the dish wonderfully.

Anyone with an interest in pho should pick up this book.