Review: Asterios Polyp

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing. Asterios isn't a particularly likeable character, yet the story is told in a way that can get the reader to empathize with him. He's always been a bit of a loner, partially by choice. He can come off as boorish and snobby. The relationships he builds with the other characters goes beyond that façade. The story follows two timelines. The one in the present shows where he is now and serves to soften some of the events in the past.

I enjoyed the use of abstract art. It plays with the format of the graphic novel while reinforcing some of the snobbery that Asterios embodies. The story is wholly about the title character and is a wonderful portrait. The book goes beyond what the general public would think of as a comic book in both the content of the story and the art, and it does it well.

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Review: Bone, Vol, 1: Out from Boneville

Bone, Vol, 1: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is delightful. The Bones are cute, funny, and a tad crude. The three that we get to see in this book were kicked out of their home town, which gets explained later in the book, and set out to explore the world. There are some pretty big sidetracks as they try to come up with a plan to return to their home safely.

I thought the supporting characters were all enjoyable too. The big thing about this book is that it gets to show off the world. There are a bunch of locations and characters that become the focus as our hero travels along. Eventually, the Bones get pulled into the situations they stumble into as they try to work it to their advantage.

The art is simplistic maybe? The characters are much more rounded and not as detailed as other books. That style works for the story though. It seems to match the mindset of our hero. This series is one that I would gladly continue.

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Review: Night's Dominion, Vol. 1

Night's Dominion, Vol. 1 by Ted Naifeh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, that was a heck of a ride. Night's Dominion moves at a pretty good clip and is entertaining along the way. Anyone that has played D&D will recognize some nods to the game, starting with the way the group of characters come together. These characters represent certain archetypes and even dip into the superhero genre for a couple of them.

Things start out simply enough: a young woman has become a thief to get the money to free her brother from prison (I'm not even going to touch that one). But there is something more sinister going on in the city. This plotline for the control of the city plays out pretty well. There is enough politicking in the book to make it seem plausible without grinding things to a halt. I like how this portion of the story conflicts with what the heroine is trying to accomplish to draw her into the larger story.

Although the characters don't get a ton of development in this volume, it still was an enjoyable story. It does a nice job laying the groundwork for future books in which each of the characters introduced could grow more. I liked the art style too, which is always helpful for graphic narratives. This book should appeal to anyone that enjoys the fantasy genre, and I particularly recommend it for people that might have been turned off by Rat Queens.

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Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon vol. 1: New edition

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon vol. 1: New edition by Naoko Takeuchi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not even sure what it is I read. I've watched Sailor Moon before, so I sort of knew who the characters were going in. This volume brings the team together and does a nice job giving a low down on who everyone is. It is still sort of messed up and weird, but in a good way.

True to the title, the book focuses on the young woman that becomes Sailor Moon. There is clearly a lot more going on than what this single book tells us. Sure, she's important, but who knows exactly how important. The different chapters feel somewhat disconnected though because Sailor Moon is the main connection point as she is introduced to her fellow guardians. But all the characters are interesting in their own ways, even the villains in the book.

The art is all over the place. The style is consistent throughout the book, but it is super busy. It can get distracting unless you start to ignore certain things. That might be one of the reasons that manga doesn't usually click with me. This one was alright. I don't expect to pick up the next volume though.

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Review: Storm, Vol. 1: Make It Rain

Storm, Vol. 1: Make It Rain by Greg Pak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Storm is awesome. She is incredibly powerful, thoughtful, kind, and knows when to leverage her powers. This book does a nice job introducing the character and hitting on some of the highlights of her past. As a casual X-Men reader, I thought this book was done well.

The last couple issues do leave a bit to be desired because they feel rushed. They could have been expanded into a full arc to give Storm a stronger motive and make it feel less out of place. This book tells some loosely connected stories and this last part still didn't mesh well with the rest of it. All in all, I enjoyed the book though.

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Review: War Mother

War Mother by Fred Van Lente
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

War Mother brings us back to the future timeline in the Valiant universe set in the year 4001. Unlike the Rai series, which mostly takes place on a space station orbiting the planet, War Mother is set on Earth.

I was disappointed that this volume opens with the issue that originally introduced the character because it was included in the 4001 A.D. event spin-off book. The only reason this is disappointing is because that issue doesn't add any new content to the character. It makes sense to include it here since not everyone will have read that other book. But I thought that issue was great and it did make me excited to read this volume.

The art is solid. It makes use of a lot of natural color tones to contrast it from the Rai books. I liked the story too. Most of what happens in this book is a result of what happens in the first issue. It opens up an opportunity to explore more of the future world and build some familiarity with a new set of characters. I wasn't thrilled with the end of this arc, but I enjoyed the rest of the story and definitely want to read more about this character.

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Review: Attack on Titan, Vol. 1

Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 by Hajime Isayama
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Despite my attempts at reading manga, there is something about the style that doesn't seem to work for me. I can enjoy the stories well enough and still leave feeling underwhelmed. Attack on Titan shares some of that with previous manga books that I've read, but left me wanting to read more.

I like the world building in this book. It is very contained with the action occurring within a walled off city. Massive walls were built to keep out the titular creatures that destroyed much of humanity years ago. The story follows a young man who seeks to travel outside of the city. The art isn't my preferred style, and sometimes the characters blended together. The characters are pretty well developed though.

The titans get a chance to show off why they are so feared, which brings some tension toward the end of the book. I like what ended up happening as a result. I would definitely pick up the next volume if I saw it at my library.

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Review: Rebels, Volume 1: A Well-Regulated Militia

Rebels, Volume 1: A Well-Regulated Militia by Brian Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rebels focuses on a group of American soldiers in Maine during the Revolutionary War known as the Green Mountain Boys. Wood does a wonderful job capturing the place and the time settings. Obviously, it means something to him based on the amount of care that went into crafting this story.

It really follows one character throughout his life, showing the oppression felt from the British, his early life and marriage, going off to war and the impact it has on his family. The book could have been incredibly dry, but these aspects give it a human touch. This extends to a separate short story that puts the spotlight on the women that helped fight during the war and failed to get recognition because they weren't considered soldiers.

I loved the art. It captured the spirit of the American wilderness. It provided the perfect backdrop for the story that Wood wanted to tell. There are some slow points in the story that made me feel like the book dragged on at times. This is definitely worth picking up anyone looking for a comic that doesn't feature super heroes.

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Review: Archer & Armstrong, Volume 5: Mission: Improbable

Archer & Armstrong, Volume 5: Mission: Improbable by Fred Van Lente
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Volume 5 of Archer & Armstrong crosses over this series with Bloodshot. I've been a big fan of both of these series and felt like it did a good job bringing these characters together. The volume starts off with a 0 issue on Archer, which is nice because his background has been a bit of a mystery. That issue also kicks off the crossover.

This builds nicely on the previous volume of Archer & Armstrong by having Project Rising Spirit react to Archer's new position and trying to take him out. There are some really fun moments in this book, particularly when it comes to Armstrong. I think anyone that enjoyed Sect Civil War should like this volume as well because of the way the story builds off that book. Tying this in with Bloodshot and the H.A.R.D. Corps gives it more opportunities for some fun action sequences.

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Review: The Book of Essie

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via First to Read in exchange for an honest review.

Essie's story is both sad and compelling. I liked the backdrop that she is part of this famous family due to their reality TV show because it sets the stakes high. Adding in the family's strong religious beliefs and Essie's pregnancy out of wedlock sucked me in. The writing is really good because it made me feel creeped out as more of the situation is revealed while keeping me hooked and wanting to continue reading.

The layout of the story works well. It is told from three points of view that allow the reader to get to know these characters better. This seemed to build connections between the characters in a way that reading the book solely from Essie's perspective would have lacked. The way the characters grow over the course of the story felt natural. The supporting characters can feel a little flat at times though. The book felt a little rushed at the end. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for anyone that likes books that tackle difficult subject matter.

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