Paper Girls, Vol. 3 Review

Paper Girls, Volume Three. Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chang, and Matt Wilson. 2017. Image Comics. 128 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Volume three sees the girls taken from the future of 2016 to the far past. Time travel is a huge element to this series, which anyone that has made it this far along should know. This volume does a great job of pulling together just how pervasive it is in the setting, even if there isn't a lot going on in this arc. It focuses more on the girls, their skills, and their relationships.

After the girls arrive in this new time period, they are confronted by another young woman who acts as a guide for them. Through her, they learn that they aren't the first people to visit this period and that bits of technology have been filtering through rips in space-time. I like that this ties up a loose end from volume two, although it creates more of its own. There is also a character introduced that may be extremely important to the overall structure of the story.

As for the art, I'm still enjoying it. It is just as good here as it was at issue one. The color scheme can be jarring because it is different from what is expected. It uses lighter shades, almost pastel. With the amount of nature in this issue, the colors could have made things weird, but it's reigned in just enough.

This volume lays out some plotlines that could result in a big payoff in the next volume. There is one scene in particular that hints at things to come, which indicates the creators have some long term plans. They need to start giving the readers some more details about what is causing all the time travel trouble and the role of the Paper Girls in all of that. Bring on volume four.

Superhero Comics Review

Superhero Comics. Chris Gavaler. 2017. Bloomsbury Academic. 376 pages.

Rating: 4/5

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

I'll admit that this book wasn't my favorite. It is very academic, which makes it a bit dry to read. As a result, I took a long time to finish it because I could only read it in small chunks.

There are two major sections of this book: history and analysis. The history portion is quite in depth. It begins by examining adventure books that are a precursor to superhero comics. I've read a couple other books that delve into the history of comics this way and I felt like this one did a good job of not just rehashing what I had read before.

Once it gets into the appearance of comics, it starts to get better. There are a few distinct eras that Gavaler covers. Each one has its own defining characteristics that help to identify them. I think I enjoyed this portion more than the earlier history because I was more familiar with the characters discussed, if not the specific series'. It seemed like there was a diverse choice of characters used, which is nice to show off that this genre of comics can provide readers with more than just white, male heroes.

The best part of the book has to be what I've referred to as analysis. Again, some of what is discussed here has been covered in other books I've read, but the coverage on different artistic techniques that are used and the effects they have is great. I think this book is worth picking up for that alone because it is presented so well. It wraps up with an application of this artistic knowledge to an actual comic, followed by a list of important or influential comics for each era. The book can be a bit heavy at times, but I feel like it has a lot to offer serious comics readers.

Captain Marvel, Vol. 2 Review

Captain Marvel, Volume Two: Down. Kelly Sue DeConnick, Christopher Sebela, Dexter Soy, and Filipe Andrade. 2013. Marvel. 136 pages.

Rating: 3/5

I picked this up from the library along with volume one and I almost regretted because I didn't enjoy the first book. The story here is better, but goes on a bit too long.

The first part of this book involves a former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and a giant robot that rises out of the Gulf of Mexico. The relationship between the two women is well done. I don't know anything about Monica though, so I feel like part of their banter loses its impact. The most interesting portion is how it relates to the levees in New Orleans weakening and how the heroes are going to help fix them. Too bad that didn't take up more of the story.

Once that wraps up, Carol returns to New York and is diagnosed with a sickness related to her alien DNA and she is forbidden to fly. This begins to tie things back to volume one. Again, there are characters presented that I'm not familiar with and that aren't introduced very well, so the importance of some of Carol's relationships is lost.

The art splits between a realistic style and a cartoony style. I would have preferred a common style throughout the book. Either one would have been fine. The mix isn't terrible, but it is very noticeable when it does change. There are some cool scenes with the giant robot though.

Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 1 Review

Amazing Spider-Man, Volume One: The Parker Luck. Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. 2014. Marvel. 152 pages.

Rating: 2/5

I really like Spider-Man, but this book fell flat for me. I haven't read the preceding Superior Spider-Man series. There are a bunch of references to things that happened in that run, but I don't think it matters much that I haven't read it. This volume is predicated on that fact that Peter Parker has bad luck, so anytime something happens it seems tied to that. It's certainly a theme that's been used in other Spider-Man books, but it feels overdone here.

This book is missing some of the humor that I expect from Spider-Man titles. It tries. Boy, does it try. The attempts don't work out though. And that is tied into the art, which seems inconsistent. Sometimes the character faces and bodies looked normal, and sometimes they seemed distorted or out of proportion.

It's not all bad though. I liked the use of Electro. What happens with his powers, his reaction to it, and Peter's involvement worked well. It might be the most humanizing approach to a villain that I've seen from Marvel in a while. Too bad the rest of this book doesn't compare well to it.

Descender, Vol. 2 Review

Descender, Volume Two: Machine Moon. Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen. 2016. Image Comics. 116 pages.

Rating: 4/5

This book started off a little shaky for me. It had been quite a while since I read volume one, so I had to refamiliarize myself with the characters and what was going on in this setting.

Even though this series seems to be centered around Tim-21, a sentient robot designed to look like a young boy, the parts that stood out in this volume had no direct interactions with him. Andy, who was Tim's owner, learns that the robot is still alive and sets out to find him. He picks up a sidekick along the way. This part of the story is very enjoyable because it starts to fill in some gaps between what happened at the beginning of the series and the present.

The other part of the story featuring the Evil League of Robots (not what they are actually called) could have used some work. It lays some groundwork for what I expect to come in future volumes, particularly when related to Tim-21. There just wasn't a lot to excite me about those portions of the book.

The art is weird and took me some time to get used to. Instead of being very polished and somewhat futuristic looking, as you would expect, it's sparse and almost appears unfinished at times. Once I adapted to it, I decided it works great for this book. There is a nostalgic element for the characters that the art seems to highlight.

Star Wars: Kanan, Vol. 1 Review

Star Wars: Kanan, Volume One: The Last Padawan. Greg Weisman, Pepe Larraz, and David Curiel. 2015. Marvel. 144 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Kanan manages to capture the feel of the Star Wars movies without relying on the central characters. The character is connected to the Star Wars Rebels series, which I've never seen so I have no idea how this compares. I do know that I enjoyed this book a lot.

His story picks up near the end of the Clone Wars, when the slaughter of the Jedi is ordered. From there, he is on the run trying to survive in a universe that he is ill prepared for. There is some tension as the clone troopers from his old squad are hunting him down. Kanan has to forget much of his training to make it, even going so far as to throw in with a smuggler. I like that this gets wrapped back into the present day of the other Star Wars comics that Marvel has been putting out.

The art is great. There are so many strange elements in Star Wars, so having this visual medium to convey the story works wonderfully. It makes it so easy to get a sense of the different characters in a very short period of time. This book is exactly what I want from a Star Wars comic because it makes excellent use of the setting and tells a fun story at the same time.

Chew, Vol. 7 Review

Chew, Volume Seven: Bad Apples. John Layman and Rob Guillory. 2013. Image. 128 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I took a long break between volumes 6 and 7. The series is still good at this point, but this one isn't quite as funny as the previous books. It does have its moments, but it has a much more serious quality to it. It deals with the aftermath from volume six a lot.

Highlights include the strange egg worshipping cult, Tony standing up for himself, and the couple of moments the creators took to poke fun at the series. Even though I didn't enjoy this volume quite as much as some of the previous ones, I'll definitely pick up more. The setting is great and the characters are solid. I've been a huge fan of the at since book one, so it doesn't disappoint one bit in that regard.

Fierce Kingdom Review

Fierce Kingdom. Gin Phillips. 2017. Viking. 288 pages.

Rating: 2/5

I was expecting this book to be a lot more exciting than it turned out to be. Of course, it starts out normally enough as Joan and her son Lincoln are visiting the zoo. Things turn when they are getting ready to leave.

A couple of things bothered me about this book. One is the writing style. Something about the way Phillips writes this story makes it feel forced. This wasn't something that was contained to a certain portion of the book, but kept popping up throughout. Joan seemed to be trying too hard to show how much she cares about her son by focusing on how he used to be. Second, there are a bunch of unbelievable moments. Not in the "I can't believe that just happened!" sort of way, but instead in a "Why would she even do that?" way.

Then there are the shooters. We only really get to see one of them, but they are portrayed as caricatures. They seemed thin and only present to try to force Joan to do something. Which doesn't really work for the most part. It seemed like everything she does is reactionary. She only makes decisions when something else forces her into it. This drained a lot of the tension out of the story for me because she wasn't being dynamic. The flow of time based on the events that occurred compared to the times listed at the beginning of the chapters seemed off.

It's not all bad though. There are powerful moments, especially when Joan is confronted with the baby. And the end, while not entirely surprising, is built up to and presented well.

Star Wars, Vol. 2 Review

Star Wars, Volume Two: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon. Jason Aaron, Stuart Immonen, and Simone Bianchi. 2016. Marvel. 144 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Another Star Wars book set between the original movie and Empire. This volume splits up the characters, with Luke seeking out information on the Jedi and Hand and Leia running into someone claiming to be Han's wife. These stories do eventually get tied back together.

I much prefer Luke's story in this volume because it shows off a bit more of the Star Wars universe. It also expands on Obi-Wan Kenobi and what happened with him after he returned to Tatooine with Luke. The Han and Leia story is more insular. Sure, they are fighting against the Empire and there is a huge claim that needs to be investigated, but it doesn't add much to the whole.

I really liked the art. Everything that happens on the Smuggler's Moon gives the creators a chance to show off some cool stuff unique to Star Wars. More than anything else in this book, it made me want more stories about the Jedi, even if it doesn't feature the heroes from the movies.

Sex Criminals, Vol. 1 Review

Sex Criminals, Volume One: One Weird Trick. Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. 2014. Image. 128 pages.

Rating: 4/5

What would you do if your orgasms stopped time? Rob a bank, naturally.

There is a bit more to Fraction and Zdarsky's offbeat series than that. It begins as a coming of age story, which leads into a story about a young woman trying to keep her local library from being shut down. That is, until she meets a man that has the same power that she does.

As silly as this book should be, it's written well and takes time to develop the characters. This makes it a lot more palatable when something ridiculous does happen. The creators manage to keep this from being merely amusing, instead creating something that is highly entertaining and readable. More importantly, they create something that makes you want to keep reading no matter how out there it gets.

My favorite part of this book, aside from the musical number in the bar, is the art. It's done spectacularly well. Especially when the characters enter the Quiet, which is what one of the characters calls the period when time is stopped. So sit back, relax, and probably don't read this in public unless you want to get some funny looks.

El Deafo Review

El Deafo. Cece Bell. 2014. Harry N. Abrams. 248 pages.

Rating: 4/5

This is a really good book. It's meant for younger kids, so some elements, like the toilet humor, might not appeal to older readers. The focus on what it means to be deaf, especially for a young girl that was able to hear until she got sick, is fantastic though. It's scary to think that this kind of thing could happen to anyone.

There are a mix of uplifting and discouraging moments. I enjoyed seeing how the other characters try to help, whether they are successful or not. And it was awesome to learn about the Phonic Ear. This is something that I never knew existed and reading about how much it was able to help is wonderful. The interactions with the other kids and the illustrations would appeal to the intended readers in particular. But the overall experience of reading this book is enlightening.

Moon Knight, Vol. 3 Review

Moon Knight, Volume Three: Birth and Death. Jeff Lemire, Greg Smallwood, and Jordie Bellaire. 2017. Marvel. 112 pages.

Rating: 5/5

The final volume in this series wraps things up beautifully. Where the second part was disjointed, part three uses the structure of the first two sections to give a satisfying conclusion. All the different aspects of Marc Spector's personalities are given a chance to shine. Plus, it brings the story back full circle.

The art is gorgeous yet again. I love the layout work that the creators use because it is different from a lot of other comics. Bellaire's color work is top notch as always. This series is a fantastic look into the psyche of Moon Knight that should appeal to fans and newcomers.

Heartthrob Vol. 1 Review

Heartthrob, Volume One: Never Going Back Again. Christopher Sebela, Robert Wilson IV, and Nick Filardi. 2016. Oni Press. 136 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I love the ridiculousness of this story. A young woman gets a heart transplant and then starts to see the man that the heart used to belong to. After years of playing things safe, she decides to let loose and go on a crime spree using the knowledge imparted to her by the organ donor.

So the concept is a bit out there, but the characters are really well done. Callie and Mercer are a good team, and made me think of Bonnie and Clyde a little bit. It's fun to see the toll their relationship takes on Callie over the course of the book, both physically and mentally. The supporting members of their crime family add some sanity to this crazy idea and even hint at the state of Callie's mind a few times.

I like the art. There isn't anything stand out about it, but it is solid work. There are a few instances where it really drives home some of the concepts used in the book. This is a fun, quirky book with a vibe similar to Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job.

Fatale, Volume 1 Review

Fatale, Volume One: Death Chases Me. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. 2012. Image. 144 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Ed Brubaker is a great writer. His stories are always really engaging, with interesting characters and decent dialogue. He likes to play the long game with his books, which means the stories tend to be revealed slowly with not a whole lot going on. Plenty happens in this first volume of Fatale, but it is just beginning to scratch the surface.

Jo is the most interesting part of this book. She is the titular fatale and she gets wrapped up in all the different storylines. My problem is that she is kept to the sidelines. I wanted more of her story, but I got to read more about all of the different men that she has been involved with.

The cult aspect is pretty good. It doesn't push things too far, and for the majority of the book it doesn't delve into the fantastic. But I want more of that too. It makes the setting much more interesting to have that supernatural element creep in. As things are, the book didn't interest me enough to seek out volume two, but it is quality work from Brubaker and Phillips.

Bedlam, Volume 1 Review

Bedlam, Volume One. Nick Spencer, Riley Rossmo, and Frazier Irving. 2013. Image Comics. 184 pages.

Rating: 2/5

For a book that is about a former serial killer, it lacks a lot of punch. Don't get me wrong, there is violence up the wazoo. That's about all it had to offer though. The idea of the "reformed" serial killer that wants to help the police find a new murderer is actually kind of interesting. And that part of the story isn't bad. However, I feel like this book doesn't add anything to the concept.

Rossmo's art can be spectacular at times. Within this volume, it seemed kind of lacking compared to his other work. Color is used for dramatic effect. It's cool that it is mostly black and white, with red thrown in for emphasis. This reinforced the dark atmosphere because the red is usually blood and sometimes covers the page.

I'll admit that I'm not usually a fan of really dark stories. They usually sound interesting to me, and then fall short of what I would have liked to have seen out of them. I mention this simply because people that like that sort of thing will probably enjoy this book immensely. Despite some elements that sounded good, it just didn't work for me.

If Chin Could Kill Review

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor. Bruce Campbell. 2015. Thomas Dunne Books. 368 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Why should you care about his book? Whether you are a fan of Bruce Campbell or don't know who the heck he is, his book shows off a different side of Hollywood. Sure, most of his anecdotes take place outside of the glitzy town, but the sentiment remains. As one of the "working stiffs", he puts the effort that goes into the making of movies and TV shows front and center, without downplaying the importance of the people behind the scenes.

I've seen a bunch of stuff with Bruce Campbell in it. This book showed me just how prolific of an actor he is, and it only goes through the late 90s! While he focuses on how he got into acting and the first Evil Dead movie, there are stories about so many different projects. I like that it gives a range because it gives a good idea about how similar and different putting together a movie or a TV show (or small scale vs large scale movies) are.

It helps to have seen Evil Dead to enjoy a large section of this book. If you haven't seen the film (or the sequels at least), there are references to the finished product that just don't make sense. Plus, it would be harder to appreciate all of the work that ended up going into the film without having an idea of how the whole thing turned out. Aside from that, it is a great view of how the regular people involved with these type of projects contribute. Campbell's knowledge of the various roles is readily seen and adds a lot to this insight.

Moon Knight, Volume 1 Review

Moon Knight, Volume One: The Bottom. Charlie Huston and David Finch. 2007. Marvel. 152 pages.

Rating: 5/5

It's hard for me to explain why I enjoy this character so much. His stories are dark and brutal, which usually can turn me off to a comic. Then there are the not so favorable comparisons to Batman (and seriously, who is going to rate favorably against Batman in people's eyes). Sure there are similarities, but Moon Knight has a certain quality about him that tends to be lacking in the DC hero.

Huston captures it perfectly in the first few pages, where Marc Spector, the man behind Moon Knight, talks about why he put on the costume to fight crime. It isn't altruism or revenge, despite being the avatar of the Egyptian god of vengeance. No, for him it is about the sheer joy of being able to do it.

There have always been some psychological underpinnings to Moon Knight stories. How much of what is happening is real or in his head? More recent series have tackled that question in greater detail. This book uses a lighter touch to keep the reader guessing without dismissing everything out of hand. Add in a group that wants to manipulate Marc or see him destroyed and the story becomes engaging on another level. Many recurring characters make an appearance, though not all of them are introduced very well.

I thought the art was perfect for this book. From the beginning, Moon Knight has been a violent character. The art capitalizes on that while managing to keep the worst of it off screen. That might make things worse because the reader is left to fill in the blanks. We do get to see the consequences of Marc's actions, both for himself and for those close to him. This book shows Marc at his worst, but gives hope in spite of the dark, gruesome world he occupies.

Captain Marvel, Volume 1 Review

Captain Marvel, Volume One: In Pursuit of Flight. Kelly Sue DeConnick, Dexter Soy, and Emma Rios. 2013. Marvel. 136 pages.

Rating: 2/5

After reading part of the other Captain Marvel series by Kelly Sue DeConnick, I expected to like this book a lot. The character, Carol Danvers, is actually pretty cool. This volume put her in a pretty mediocre place though.

A chunk of the story retells how Carol got her powers, so it can be a good place for new readers to jump on. I learned some new stuff about her from that aspect of the book. There is a large portion that involves time travel that didn't work for me. That's sort of surprising because I've read a bunch of comics that use time travel and enjoyed them.

This one felt unnecessary though. She is mysteriously sent back to the 1940s, encounters a group of female pilots, some Kree, and an old hero of hers. These elements all seem way too obvious as far as directions to take with the character.

The art is pretty good though. Marvel does a nice job selecting high quality artists. It's probably the strongest part of this book, but it's really not enough to carry things.

Rapture Review

Rapture. Matt Kindt and Cafu. 2017. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 5/5

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

I've been reading through as many comics from Valiant Entertainment as I can. They have consistently put out good books, so it isn't any surprise that I enjoyed this new miniseries. Like a lot of Valiant's books, it builds on what came before while trying to be friendly to new readers. This is a hard feat to achieve, but I think they did a decent job here.

Here's what I loved about this book. First, Tama. This is the current incarnation of the Geomancer. She came from the future in a box. Her attitude is wonderful. The creative team could have made this book really dark, but Tama keeps it light. Plus, she gets to set up the story and provides some hope. And she owns a book that tells the future and has ever changing contents.

Then there is what this book does for Shadowman (or Magpie, not really sure what he is going by these days). I haven't read all of his individual series, so there are a couple things about him that I only know vaguely from reading other books, but Rapture picks him up, dusts him off, and sets him on the path of being awesome. There is a lot of potential for the character at the end of this book, which makes me want Valiant to give him his own series again.

This story mostly takes place in the Deadside, which is kind of like purgatory. I've enjoyed all the books use this location. The sheer craziness of it makes it a lot of fun to explore. And I love the art. It takes advantage of the setting and mixes in the elements I would expect from other books featuring these characters. Could some new to Valiant enjoy this? Sure. But I think having some knowledge of the setting and characters would make this book more enjoyable.

Water Memory Review

Water Memory. Mathieu Keynes and Valerie Vernay. 2017. Lion Forge. 108 pages.

Rating: 4/5

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

It seems like a lot of stories targeted at younger readers start off with a move, and this one follows suit. This isn't a bad plot device because it can speak to the isolation that people feel at times. Water Memory is a little different in that the characters are moving back to somewhere familiar rather than away from something else (albeit the daughter never visited this town before).

I like the emphasis on family that permeates this book. It gives the main character, Marion, a connection to this place and drives her to explore. There is a little mystery that comes along with her exploration. It helps move the story along, but didn't seem overly important to the whole work. Instead, there is a focus on the characters, especially showing how they integrate into this new lifestyle and interact with the people there. The stories that are shared and the attitudes of the characters give it the feel of a small town.

The imagery is wonderful, particular the landscapes and background pieces. I could feel it when the storm hits because of how beautifully the art is done. There is a little bit of the fantastical or supernatural that creeps into the story too. The art helps hold the line on this until well into the book, giving hints of what is to come without showing off too early.

Archer & Armstrong, Volume 4 Review

Archer & Armstrong, Volume Four: Sect Civil War. Fred Van Lente, Khari Evans, ChrisCross, and David Baron. 2014. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I am loving this series. The silliness is off the charts. So many books try to take themselves too seriously, and this one veers in the opposite direction. Some people might not like the goofiness, but I've read enough stuff by Fred Van Lente to know I'll enjoy it.

Archer seemingly turns his back on Armstrong after finding him in bed with his sister. He heads off to Project Rising Spirit for information on his past, which leads him into a full on battle with the Sect. I liked seeing the different groups that make up the Sect, even if some of them aren't in the book very long. The flip side to that is Armstrong's guilt ridden adventures with his brother, Ivar. Their short lived jaunt through time is massively fun. They hit up some historical events, but the best part is the beer stats for Armstrong in each leg of their journey.

Khari Evans and ChrisCross do a bang up job with the art. Their illustrations really embrace the tone of the series. Sit back, drink a beer, and embrace the ridiculousness that is the Sect civil war.