Review: New Super-Man, Vol. 1: Made in China

New Super-Man, Vol. 1: Made in China by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Admittedly, I only picked this up because Gene Luen Yang wrote it. While I've only read a few of his works, I think all of them have been great. The idea of China creating its own Super-Man (and a sort of Justice League) turned out to be more interesting than I would have expected. With the rise of "American style super-villains", the Ministry of Self Reliance looks for candidates that will exemplify the qualities of a hero needed to defeat them.

Insert Kong Kenan. He's a bit of a punk, picking on some of the other kids from his school. The attitude that compels him to do this stays with him through most of the book, but he starts to show better qualities. I think if he did a 180 as soon as he was picked to get the Super-Man powers the book would not have worked as nicely as it does. Of the supporting characters, Batman might be the best. The attitude is right. Some of the best moments come from the interactions between Kong and this new Batman. Another good dynamic is between Kong and his father.

I liked the art. It is pretty high quality and there weren't any real confusing moments and it wasn't highly stylized either. The colors are great too. Together they capture the feel of the Chinese culture without beating you over the head. This book is friendly for new readers because you don't really need to know anything about Superman to be able to read this volume. If I get an opportunity to pick up the next part of the story, I'll certainly do so.

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Review: Bloodshot, Volume 5: Get Some and Other Stories

Bloodshot, Volume 5: Get Some and Other Stories by Christos Gage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Volume five is really three separate stories. First up is Get Some. Kozol is being held captive in Africa and it is up to Bloodshot and the H.A.R.D. Corps to get him back. The Specialists that the group goes up against are a nice contrast to the H.A.R.D. Corps and allows the story to dig into the history of Project Rising Spirit. There are some good character moments. The one that comes to mind first involves Vagabond and Chernobyl. We also get to see Bloodshot taking control of his future.

Next up is Bloodshot and the H.A.R.D. Corps #0, which provides some history on the group. It starts with the origins in the 70s and shows the evolution of the program over the decades. A highlight from this one is that it fills in what happened with Palmer when the program was shut down in the 90s. The last story is Bloodshot vs. the H.A.R.D. Corps. I think this is a nice way to cap off this part of the Bloodshot story. It provides a nice breaking point between Bloodshot and PRS/the H.A.R.D. Corps.

This is an action book, and it's good to remember that going in. There are some gruesome moments and it can be a bit over the top at times. But that is part of what makes this series fun. The over the top nature does make for some ridiculous moments that just wouldn't work in other books and skirts the edges of what I think this book is able to do. I enjoyed the art in this volume. There are a couple of moments where it didn't work though. Ultimately, I liked what this volume did for the characters and I feel like it is in line with the previous parts of the series.

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Review: Mighty Jack and the Goblin King

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing follow-up! I enjoyed the first volume quite a bit, but the end left me feeling a little blasé. This book exceeded my expectations by a long shot. It follows Jack and Lilly as they head up the beanstalk to rescue Jack's sister from a giant. There are some side adventures that occur along their path; the best of which involves the goblin king. The story is clearly inspired by fairytales without being bound to them. There are some pretty clever moments that really make it stand out. I thought the art was great once again. It has a style that fits both the content of the story and should appeal to the target audience perfectly. I finished this volume satisfied with the story and excited for more. Well done Mr. Hatke.

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Review: Skin & Earth TP

Skin & Earth TP by Lights
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

I rather enjoyed the weird dystopian future depicted in this book. The way it is laid out can leave you feeling disconnected from what is going on at times. This happens mostly because not everything is spelled out from the beginning. It takes a while to get a feel for the world, such as how the cities are laid out and what caused things to be the way they are now. The payoff at the end is pretty good though. I liked the strange path it takes to get there too.

Enaia Jin is a good guide to this world. She is a bit of an outsider, but she is able to pass between the different stratums of society. During the early parts of the book, the reader is able to learn about her and begin to identify with her before any of the big shifts in the story occur. A lot of the other characters are pretty forgettable though. They all serve to tell Jin's story and don't contribute much beyond that.

Art-wise there is a ton going on. The images range from mundane events to fantastical and I thought they were all done equally well. One thing that sets the book apart is the soundtrack that was put together to coincide with the different chapters. There are codes you can scan with a smartphone to queue up the music for each section. It gives a more interactive experience and plays with the senses more than other comics. Between the story, the protagonist, and the artistic elements, this book hit the points for me. I could see others being put off by it, but I think it's worth checking out for something beyond the norm.

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Review: Animosity, Vol. 1: The Wake

Animosity, Vol. 1: The Wake by Marguerite Bennett
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

All the animals in the world suddenly becoming sentient sounds like a cool idea for a story, right? Well, this take on the concept did not speak to me. There are some good moments, particularly involving Jesse and Sandor. Plus the art as a whole is pretty good. I didn't care for the way the story plays out though. It felt like as soon as this event, known as The Wake, occurs, every creature on Earth decides they have to kill each other.

Not that there isn't justification for the hatred that all the animals show toward humans, and some reasons for it are shown. I think it rushed into things. I would have liked to have seen a couple more moments from before The Wake to give some more impact to what is shown afterward. Because it went into the conflict so quickly, I got turned off of the book early on and found it hard to enjoy some of the character moments that come out later on. I will not be continuing this series.

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Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You don't have to be a cat lover to enjoy this book, but it certainly doesn't hurt. It's a lovely little story that was a lot more emotional than I was expecting. The story details how Satoru and his cat, Nana, meet and the journey they take across Japan. We get to meet all of the people that meant the most to Satoru and how each of them have been impacted by cats, and other animals, in their lives. These stories meander in much the same way that Satoru and Nana do on their journey.

One element of this book that I liked a lot is the use of Nana's perspective to tell the story. Since the book is essentially about Satoru (it shifts between telling parts about the present day and his past), having the cat put in its two cents about Satoru is a good choice. It helps to build the camaraderie between the two of them as the story progresses, which adds to its impact. Some of the small moments along their travels end up being the most important.

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Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 1

My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 by Kohei Horikoshi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to say this is probably the most enjoyable manga I've read to date. The plot isn't all that different from some of the other books, but I found that I liked the characters a lot more. This alone kept me interested and actually has me considering picking up the next volume. The art was different than I'm used to seeing in manga as well. It has some of the same highly stylistic expressions and such. I felt like the pages were never quite as busy and that the images in this book were easier to decipher. That is another plus in my book.

This was pitched to me as a manga version of the X-Men, which isn't entirely wrong but I wouldn't say it is exactly accurate either. There is a school for people with gifts (actually there are a lot of both) and there is a certain amount of hero training that goes on. But most of the character development happens outside the school environment, which becomes more prominent toward the end of this volume. The story of this young man who is born without powers in a world where almost everyone has them becomes interesting because so much of the story is based around his strength of character. He has a never give up attitude.

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Review: Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book a lot. It can be slow going at times, and I feel like that adds to how the story is built. It begins simply with a young woman that helps to reestablish her father's moneylending business. Her success catches the eye of a king that kicks off the reimagining of the Rumpelstiltskin story. The emergence of this fairy creature is both fascinating and frightening. This story is buoyed by other elements including a princess who shares a similar destiny and the children of a family that become intertwined with both women.

There is a lot of depth to the individual stories. Each one adds to the fantastical nature of the book. And each perspective, of which there are a few, lends something new to the story. Sure there is some overlap at times because the same scene might be played out from more than one point of view. I liked this though. It shows how certain story elements are affecting the different character, especially later in the book, rather than just telling or expecting the reader to infer what is happening. The juxtaposition of the fairy king associated with unending winter and the demon of fire is a nice touch as well. It melds two mythical tales into something new and enjoyable.

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Review: Cyborg, Volume 1: The Imitation Of Life

Cyborg, Volume 1: The Imitation Of Life by John Semper Jr.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I thought this book started out okay, but went downhill pretty quickly. It's not all bad. The writing in particular did not appeal to me though. I felt like it fell back on some really bad tropes from superhero books, specifically bringing back villains thought dead and nonsense dream sequences. These elements could have been integrated so much better into the story. Instead it takes hold and goes over the top.

Having thought about this book compared to the very first volume of Teen Titans, it is interesting to see how some things have remained with the character. The relationship with his dad is fleshed out a bit more here. It manages to carry some of the struggle that existed between them from the beginning. I would have liked to have seen more of that emphasized, especially with numerous references to Cyborg's mother and the way her death created tension for him and his father.

There is certainly more of his background mentioned in this book, which should make it easier for new readers to get into it. It just falls short in a lot of the dialogue and the plot that it could easily turn someone off of the book. Mostly I enjoyed the art. There are instances where it is difficult to make out exactly what is going on. The times where it gets things right art wise far outweigh the moments that left me scratching my head. I like where this book was going. I'm not sure its enough for me to take a chance on the next volume though.

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