Andre the Giant: Life and Legend Review

Andrew the Giant: Life and Legend. Box Brown. 2014. First Second. 240 pages.

Rating: 4/5

I'll admit that I picked this up because I love The Princess Bride. Sure, I watched Andre wrestle when I was younger too. And the book came with some pretty high recommendations. Those were just bonus reasons for me to read this book though.

This is an excellent biography. Given the format, some information is going to have to be cut. Box Brown does a wonderful job of creating a narrative from Andre's life. It shows the hardships he had to deal with beginning at a very young age. This is reinforced throughout the book. I don't think it was overused. There was just enough to make sure the reader doesn't forget about it. The book gives a fair portrayal of Andre. Brown isn't trying to show him as anything other than a real person with good and bad moments mixed in.

I have some mixed feelings on the art. The style fits in with the other books I've read from First Second. It tends to be more cartoonish, which I don't always like. Brown uses the art to portray Andre as this larger than life person. This may not have been possible with a different drawing style. All in all, this is a great book. I learned a lot from it.

James Bond: Hammerhead Review

James Bond: Hammerhead. Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida. 2017. Dynamite. 120 pages.

Rating: 4/5

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

You pretty much know what you are going to get when James Bond is involved. This book hits on all the classic elements of the series with at least one minor twist.

This book is surprisingly friendly to new readers. Not being too familiar with the franchise (I've only seen a couple Bond films myself), I was able to keep track of the different characters and what was happening in the plot. Speaking of plot, this one involves a weapons manufacturer that is being targeted by a terrorist organization, so there is violence. I think the creators do a nice job of keeping most of it off screen.

And the art is good. I particularly like the character details, but the landscapes are nice also. I can't say anything wowed me about the art. It is quality work though. Hammerhead provides an action packed story that is an excellent portrayal of James Bond.

Joyride, Vol. 1 Review

Joyride, Volume 1. Jackson Lanzig, Colling Kelly, Marcus To, and Irma Kniivila. 2016. BOOM! Studios. 112 pages.

Rating: 5/5

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

Well that was a blast. Joyride is a seriously fun, action packed space adventure. Earth made contact with alien races and is now ruled by a dictatorship that restricts anyone from leaving the planet. With this premise, the book could have gone really dark and turned into a dystopian story. Instead, everything about it is bright and energetic. There are conflicts to keep things interesting though.

I love the characters. From the rebellious Uma to the hitchhiker Kolstak. Every one of them adds personality to the book. There is enough variety to keep me engaged and prevent things from becoming flat. The development of the characters individually and as a whole over the course of the story is great too. Despite some differences, it sort of makes sense that they would keep travelling together.

But the stand out portion of this book is the art. I really like the style for the characters. Most of them are little more than kids and the art captures that. Their expressions are detailed and support the text. The colors do a lot to create the tone of the book. I think the panel work is awesome too. They do a lot to draw the eye down the page, so even if they are used in an unusual way I didn't feel confused as to where I should be looking or reading next. Then there are the scenes that juxtapose two characters. These go a long way to show how the characters are similar and different without spelling things out. I liked this one so much I went out and bought a physical copy. Can't wait to read volume 2!

The Stranger in the Woods Review

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit. Michael Finkel. 2017. Knopf. 224 pages.

Rating: 4/5

An interesting tale of a man that hid in the woods for 27 years. Finkel does a great job of walking the line on this story. He doesn't praise or condone Chris Knight's actions. Instead, he tries to give a fair representation of events with historical information peppered in. I feel like the additional information about historical hermits added to the story because it reveals some similarities and differences between Knight and others that have separated themselves from society in the past.

I think the pacing on the book is good. It grabbed my attention, so I kept wanting to come back to it even when I only had short periods of time to read. The only real problem I had with it is the abrupt ending. Considering Knight's right to privacy it makes sense that Finkel isn't able to reveal a lot about what happened to him after he is released from prison. It just left me wanting more, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Lady Mechanika Volume 2 Review

Lady Mechanika, Volume 2: The Tablet of Destinies. Joe Benitez, M. M. Chen, Martin Montiel, and Mike Garcia. 2017. Benitez Productions. 160 pages.

Rating: 4/5

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

I'm glad I took a chance on this book. I wasn't impressed with first volume because it felt like it dragged on and on. The story is set in an alternate Victorian England with science fiction elements mixed in. Volume two picks up on a thread from the end of the first volume, but goes off in another direction.

The story reminds me of The Mummy. Much of it is set in Egypt and it involves a search for an ancient artifact. Lady Mechanika's relationships with the various characters worked well. There are some tropes used throughout the volume, but the creators execute them wonderfully. It is a fun adventure story that roams across the heart of Africa. And the art is great again. It shows off a range of skill from the creators. This book made me interested in continuing the series.

Ivar, Timewalker Volume 2 Review

Ivar, Timewalker Volume Two: Breaking History. Fred Van Lente and Francis Portela. 2015. Valiant Entertainment. 112 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Volume two didn't have quite the same impact as volume one, but it is still enjoyable. The first issue in this volume continues the time traveling shenanigans that I enjoyed from volume one and sets the scene for the rest of the issues. The Anni-Padda brothers are back together for this story. There is something about the sibling rivalry between them that is fun to read. Plus, Amelia Earhart makes an appearance.

The story didn't seem to flow quite as well as the previous volume. It seems to slow down a little to bring Ivar and Neela back together. The characters are fine on their own, but I feel like they work a lot better together. I didn't like Neela's story as much, but I think it is laying the groundwork for the third volume in the series.

I enjoyed the art. It's not anything super special, but it is solid work. Flipping through the book again I did notice a few things that I don't think I caught the first time through, so there are some nice details to find. I'll definitely pick up the third volume to see how this series wraps up.

Pachinko Review

Pachinko. Min Jin Lee. 2017. Grand Central Publishing. 496 pages.

Rating: 3/5

Pachinko is an epic tale about one Korean family living in Japan. I loved seeing the family grow and face challenges throughout the book. There are a lot of hardships, but that isn't the central focus  of their story. Selflessness, love and hope are intertwined with the difficulties.

I am  torn on the writing though. It is beautifully written to the point that it drew me into the lives of these characters. On the other hand, it seemed  to plod along, drawing things out. It would also take unexpected turns in the middle of a sequence. Surprises in a story are a good thing, but this involved shifting gears between events or points of view with little transition. These sorts of interruptions didn't happen a ton, which made them bearable.

The author does a fantastic job of portraying the harsh realities for Koreans living in Japan. Not knowing a lot of details on how they were treated, it was fascinating to read about the policies in place to keep Koreans separate. It influences the choices that many of the characters make, especially in the latter half of the book. I wholeheartedly recommend reading Pachinko in spite of my issues with the writing style.