Hockey Karma Review

Hockey Karma. Howard Shapiro and Andres Mossa. 2016. Animal Media Group, LLC. 160 pages.

Rating: 4/5

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

This is the third book in the Forever Friends trilogy (The Stereotypical Freaks and The Hockey Saint are the other two books). The book is a progression from the previous stories and is set about 10 years after The Hockey Saint. It follows two friends, Tom Leonard and hockey player Jake Jacobson.

Jake is near the end of his career and battling with replacement and drug addiction. The creators did a great job of showing how these affected other aspects of his life. While Jake's life is deconstructing, Tom is working on building things up. He starts a relationship with his high school crush and develops plans to improve the community where the book is set. These events unfold over the course of the hockey season, which works nicely to pace the story.

The art is markedly different from the previous books. Mostly this is in the characters, which makes sense because they are a bit older now. I enjoyed it in general. There were a couple panels where the angle of the illustration combined with the character design made it look a little odd. The action shots on the ice are well done.

I think this is an excellent conclusion to the series. Although the characters are older now, it should appeal to teens that might have read the first two books or anyone that enjoys hockey stories.

Free Image Comic: Ringside #1

Image Comics is currently offering a digital copy of Ringside #1 available for free. Find it on the Image website or Comixology. This will be available until 3/30/2016 at 11:59 PST.

Ringside #1. Joe Keatinge, Nick Barber, Simon Gough, and Ariana Maher. 2015. Image Comics. 38 pages.

Rating: 3/5

I feel like my connection to wrestling is matched pretty well with the creators of Ringside. It isn't something I follow any more, but I have watched on and off over the years.

Anyway, Ringside is about a former wrestler, Danny "The Minotaur" Knossos. His story reminds me of the movie The Wrestler, but he seems to have things together a bit more in this first issue than the guy in the movie. We get a tour of his former associates and an introduction to a young wrestler trying to make a name for himself.

The story didn't blow me away, but it is a nice introduction to the setting and characters. There is clearly more to Dan than we see here. The ending should hook anyone that enjoys the rest of the story into checking out more of the series.

The art is fine, but there are times where shadows are used almost excessively. There are points where it works to give a good reveal though. I feel like the creators could have shown a bit of the characters and built a bit more into the world. It's hard to judge based off one issue how the rest of the series will go.

The column at the end was great. I always enjoy reading what the creators have to say about themes,  influences, and the characters they created. They make some excellent connections that I wouldn't have thought of myself.

Fieldhouse Review

Fieldhouse. Scott Novosel and Sam Sharpe. 2016. Fieldhouse LLC. 64 pages.

Rating: 5/5

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through Goodsreads Giveaways.

Just from seeing the hardcover book I could tell there was a lot of care put into it. Fieldhouse is about Scotty Novosel's dream of playing basketball for the KU Jayhawks. He doesn't fit the ideal basketball player physique, but he has heart.

What makes the book work for me is that it is clear that he put in a lot of time and effort to achieve his goal. It isn't an easy path either. There are times where he is discouraged and doesn't think he will be able to succeed. The people around him provide support in a variety of ways.

It is an inspiring story that anyone can enjoy. There is a sports theme, but that isn't the point of the book. Scotty's attitude and response to obstacles is what shines through in the end.

The Hockey Saint Review

The Hockey Saint. Howard Shapiro. 2014. Animal Media Group. 133 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for free from NetGalley.

The Hockey Saint centers around two hockey players, one amateur and one professional, that quickly become friends. Tom Leonard is a college student who idolizes Jeremiah Jacobson and seizes an opportunity to meet him.

The bond that forms between the two men occurs naturally, and doesn't feel forced. The effect they have on each, good and bad, is slower to develop and deepens their relationship.

There are two elements that threw me off the book: the artwork and the investigation into Jeremiah. One of the league executives auapects Jeremiah of misconduct and hires a former FBI agent to investigate him. A lot of the story surrounding the investigation is repetitive, while the art felt understated throughout.

I enjoyed The Hockey Saint for the most part. Although it is presented as a hockey story, it is more about the characters and their relationship.