Todd, the Ugliest Kid on Earth

author: Ken Kristensen

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.57

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/09/30

date added: 2013/09/30

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

As you might expect from a series titled Todd, The Ugliest Kid on Earth, this is a pretty cynical look at life. Todd is so ugly that he has to wear a bag over his head. But he is naive, and possibly the least ugly character in this book.



When a maniac killer is on the loose, Todd is set up by neighborhood bullies as the prime suspect. An opportunistic police detective sees his opportunity for fame and fortune. Todd's parents are oblivious and unconcerned about having a child in prison. And little Todd is sent off to the adult prison, where all sorts of awful things await. Todd chases butterlies and flies and bugs, while those around him are committing horrific crimes.



There is a great foreward by Danny Trejo talking about a friend of his that was in prison, and the whole book is outlandish, satirical and over the top. The art by M. K. Perker reminds me of the work I remember from Cracked magazine. This is very dark and cynical while still being funny. Definitely not for the easily offended or those without a sense of cynicism at the world around us.





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The Thrilling Adventure Hour

author: Ben Acker

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.19

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/09/29

date added: 2013/09/29

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a graphic novel based on the live show and podcast of the same name at Maximum Fun. Throughout the book, it's stated that you don't need to be familiar with the podcast in order to enjoy the graphic novel. I'm not currently a fan, so I decided to take the challenge.



The graphic novel features many different stories. All featuring outlandish heroes in strange situations. There is a robot cowboy marshall on Mars, a heavily drinking couple, ala Nick and Nora Charles, who act like a couple of 1930s ghostbusters, and there are time travelers like Amelia Earhart (who becomes a pirate captain).



It's all in the high adventure fashion, with lots of nods and winks. It's got a great retro feel. Many of the stories feel like old pulp stories, serial films or radio dramas. I think this is on purpose. It also turns out that a few of the stories in the book are based on regular sketches on the podcast and live show, and as a newcomer, I am intrigued enough to check out the podcast. I didn't feel lost in reading this. I enjoyed the stories, and the hilarious fake ads throughout the book.





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The Bramble

author: Lee Nordling

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.20

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/09/28

date added: 2013/09/28

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Cameron is always tagged in tag and he is never quick enough not to be "it" all the time. A surprising trip into the Bramble finds him in a strange worlds with new friends that teach him new skills.



It's a fun children's novel told mainly with pictures and very few words (the only words in it are tag, you're, and it). It reminded me a bit of some of the early Maurice Sendak novels and Where The Wild Things Are.



The creative team behind the book come from Disney and Pixar, so you know the story is magical. A fun graphic novel for young children, but I enjoyed it also. The colors are more on the subdued side (ranging from gold to deep purple and back again), but the art has lots of details and strange creatures.





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The Reason for Dragons

author: Chris Northrop

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.75

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/27

date added: 2013/09/27

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Wendell's dad is dead, and he has nothing in common with his step-dad Ted. When Ted and Wendell have a fight, it leads Wendell on an adventure to the old, abandoned Renaissance Faire outside of town. He meets a knight there who is looking to kill a dragon, but is the knight who he says he is? Is there really a dragon?



It's a good coming of age story about a boy who doesn't fit in, and a knight who might not either. The art by Jeff Stokely uses the color palette of late autumn and early winter, with it's deeper, richer colors and falling leaves. There are leaves falling everywhere in the pages. I love fall, so I'm drawn to it's colors.



The book includes a series of short stories by other creators using the main characters of the book, Wendell, Ted and the knight, Sir Habersham. According to Sir Habersham, "You're either a knight, or you're not."





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The Strange World of Your Dreams: Comics Meet Sigmund Freud and Salvador Dali

author: Joe Simon

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.33

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/26

date added: 2013/09/26

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

In a great forward by Craig Yoe, we are introduced to the early world of dream comics. The argument is made that dreams and comics go very well together due to the frame nature of comics. Early examples from Winsor McCay are given. Both Little Nemo In Slumberland, and a book I was unfamiliar with, Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend (in which McCay solicited people who had vivid dreams after eating Welsh Rarebit) are referenced as early examples of dream comics.



This collection of comics by Simon and Kirby from the 1950s is surreal and strange. They mostly feature fictional dream interpreter Richard Temple narrating stories of people with disturbing dreams and what those dreams could mean. There are fake offers to interpret your dreams, and one page text stories that are all pretty good. The book drifts into stories of the zodiac as the series tried to find it's footing. The series only lasted 4 issues, and all four issues are here along with covers and proposed covers.



The Kirby art is great with dream creatures with no faces or distended garish looks. The colors are otherworldly. These are comics that in a few years would be deemed unsuitable and banned. They were never meant for children and it's great to have them available again.





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Stick to It and Win with Any Strategy: Mastering the Art of Adherence

author: Lee Colan

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.40

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/24

date added: 2013/09/24

shelves: non-fiction-business

review:

Creating and achieving success depends on a lot of factors, including sticking with your strategy. Adherence in business can be a problem. Using the formula Focus X Competence X Passion = Adherence, the authors of Stick With It give advice on how best to achieve business goals.



Throughout the book are practical examples, inspiring quotes, and links to online tools referenced in the book. There are 13 tools and worksheets included. Building on a practical framework, the approach seems like a pretty well balanced approach. The authors readily agree that excellence trumps strategy, and I would think having focus, competence and passion in balance would lead to some great business innovation.



Adherence is tough when we seem to live in a sped up world, but the benefits would seem to be worth pursuing. A pretty good business book with some very practical steps.





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Rubicon

author: Mark Long

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.90

book published: 2013

rating: 5

read at: 2013/09/23

date added: 2013/09/23

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

What a brilliant idea. Take the plot of the movie The Seven Samurai, and relocate it from medieval Japan to modern day Afghanistan. Instead of samurai, use Seal Team members.



When a Seal Team member is killed in Afghanistan, his fellow team members travel to the base to find out what happened and possibly get revenge. When a local village asks for help defending against the Taliban, they round up a couple other soldiers from the base to help defend the village.



The original story idea came from Hollywood screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ('The Usual Suspects), and is fleshed out by Mark Long and Dan Capel, who is a founding member of Seal Team Six (the book's forward is written by Seal Team Six leader Richard Marcinko). The art by Mario Stilla reminds me of all the great Kubert art on Sgt. Rock comics. It was a fast read, and a look into the lives of Seal members.





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Joe Palooka

author: Mike Bullock

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.00

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/09/21

date added: 2013/09/21

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

MMA Fighter Nick Davis finds himself in the middle of a bank robbery. When his heroic attempt to stop it goes badly, he finds himself on the run. With a couple cops hot on his trail, he heads out of the country. With his fighting skills, he finds himself inside a shadowy world of fighting. Meanwhile, back home, Nick's girlfriend and his little sister work to clear his name.



It's kind of a cross between the movies Bloodsport and The Fugitive. Nick fights under an assumed name, and all his opponents are video game huge. Just when you think an opponent can't get larger, one comes along. In that respect, it feels like fighting video games.



It's a reboot of an older character who is basically a boxer, and it's (as stated) a fairly movie plot story. It will be interesting to see where they take it, or how long they can keep the suspense going.







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Komacon

author: Anina Bennett

name: Wayne

average rating: 0.0

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/13

date added: 2013/09/13

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Komacon is a really cool concept. Take 6 veteran American writers and team them with 6 up and coming artists from Korea to come up with a fresh, creative idea. The result is a fresh, inventive approach.



The stories each a few pages in length and the art styles range all over the place, from painted to pen and ink to idiosyncratic style. There is not a badly drawn story in the book, and the writing pairs up nicely with each.



It's hard to pick a favorite, but it might either be Fire Dog by Colleen Doran and illustrated by Hae Mi Jang, with it's story of a world with a dying sun, and the blind girl who might save everyone, or Smoker by Ben McCool with it's Bill Sienkiewicz inspired art by Jun-Hyuk Choi. Suffice to say, all the stories are great and wonderful introduction to these emerging talents.





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Injustice: Gods Among Us Vol. 1

author: Tom Taylor

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.58

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/12

date added: 2013/09/12

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

When the Joker commits a horrendous act, it tips Superman over the edge. He is now on a mission to end all violence in the world, even if he has to be violent to do it. Siding with him are most of the Justice League. Siding against him is Batman, who sees in Superman what he could have become if he would have allowed vengeance to rule him instead of justice.



This is a comic tie in for the video game and it's a doozy. Strangely violent and yet, at times, funny (Ares, God of ponies...). It's a pretty epic story, and although canon is kind of broken all over the place, I really liked where it went.



My review copy was only 151 pages and ended right when...well, I can't tell you, because it would be a spoiler, but trust me when I say, I'll be looking for a copy so I can finish reading this pulse-pounding story.





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Injustice: Gods Among Us #1

author: Tom Taylor

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.32

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/12

date added: 2013/09/12

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

When the Joker commits a horrendous act, it tips Superman over the edge. He is now on a mission to end all violence in the world, even if he has to be violent to do it. Siding with him are most of the Justice League. Siding against him is Batman, who sees in Superman what he could have become if he would have allowed vengeance to rule him instead of justice.



This is a comic tie in for the video game and it's a doozy. Strangely violent and yet, at times, funny (Ares, God of ponies...). It's a pretty epic story, and although canon is kind of broken all over the place, I really liked where it went.



My review copy was only 151 pages and ended right when...well, I can't tell you, because it would be a spoiler, but trust me when I say, I'll be looking for a copy so I can finish reading this pulse-pounding story.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/694892242?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

Opera A to Z: A Beginner's Guide to Opera

author: Liddy Lindsay

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.50

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/11

date added: 2013/09/11

shelves: non-fiction

review:

Opera A To Z by Liddy Lindsay succeeds in making opera more accessible. Starting by explaining the four composers who form the pillars in opera, Mozart, Puccini, Wagner and Verdi, the book then goes through the alphabet, with each letter representing a different opera.



There are brief descriptions of each featured opera with composer dates, year performed and other facts. There is a glossary of terms in the back for quick reference, as well as places to view operas.



The book features full color watercolors for each letter and a full color illustration of each opera with the letter clever worked into the drawing. It all feels like a kid's book, but opera plots are not always kid friendly. Then again, if I'd had this when I was about 11 or 12, I might have learned to appreciate opera at a younger age.





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Green Hornet Year One Omnibus Tp

author: Matt Wagner

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.25

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/09/10

date added: 2013/09/10

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Green Hornet: Year One tells the origin story of how the Green Hornet met Kato. It's written by Matt Wagner with art by Aaron Campbell. The character of the Green Hornet has been around since the 1930s, but I don't know that much of the origin has been given. I know that Britt Reid is the heir to a newspaper, and that he fights crime alongside Kato as The Green Hornet, and that's about it.



Here we learn of Kato's upbringing in Japan and his time as a soldier during the horrific Nanking Massacre. We see Britt as a driftless wanderer who finds himself trapped in China and running into Kato. Together they make their way back to Chicago, hopefully in time for Britt to see his ailing father.



The action keeps flipping between the present and the past of the two heroes. In the present, they are fighting a corrupt gang as the newly formed duo. The writing is just fine by Matt Wagner and the story and art have a great sense of the period, but I found the constant flipping back and forth to be kind of distracting. At times, the time would shift back or forward for no apparent reason. Still a fun read, though.





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Creepy Presents Steve Ditko: The Definitive Collection of Steve Ditko's Stories from Creepy and Eerie

author: Archie Goodwin

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.00

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/09

date added: 2013/09/09

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

After Steve Ditko and Stan Lee had a falling out over Spider-Man, Steve spent time illustrating stories at Creepy written by Archie Goodwin. In a great introduction by Mark Evanier, he explains that the magazine didn't pay all that great, but they attracted some top talent because the artists wanted to work alongside Archie. I think that's pretty high praise.



All 14 of Steve Ditko's illustrated stories are here. Since the magazine was black and white, that's how these were drawn. Some with pencil, most with a watercolor wash over them.



And the art is pretty cool. Most of it leans toward the macabre, with ghoulish faces and odd angles showing the poor saps that dare mess with the unknown. There are also some barbarian stories here, with strong heroes and swords and armor. I remember a few stories from when I was younger, but honestly had no idea that Ditko was the artist. It's great to see these in print again and paying a nice tribute to a great artist.





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Monster on the Hill

author: Rob Harrell

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.27

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/08

date added: 2013/09/08

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Stoker-On-Avon has a problem. Their town has a monster, but that's not the problem. The problem is that their monster isn't scary. Certainly nothing like the rock star monster, Tentaculor, of the town of Billingswood.



So, a bumbling scientist, and a stowaway newsboy are sent to see if they can solve the monster problem. It seems the monster suffers a self-image problem, so they head out to find the monster's old classmates to see if they can help. There may be an even bigger problem waiting when they get back home.



Rob Harrell, of Adam@Work fame, has written a hilarious send up of all that scares us, all that holds us back and the friends we make along the way. There are laugh out loud moments in here and the art is cartoony and fun. Great fun for all of us who secretly wish our town had a monster on the hill.





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Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Vol. 2 — Prisoner of Bogan

author: John Ostrander

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.69

book published: 2013

rating: 2

read at: 2013/09/07

date added: 2013/09/07

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

In a time about 37,000 years before the events in Star Wars, we get a tale from before the Old Republic of the Je'Daii (precursors to the Jedi). Xesh is a force hound who is toying with the dark side. For that reason (among others), he is forced to live on the prison planet Bogan. These events take place before this book, and the story picks up here.



We learn some of Xesh's troubled past, and why he wants to be the master of his own destiny. We meet the friends and teachers he has betrayed. We meet Lok, a fellow prisoner, who has his own plans for the power that Xesh has, and we meet Trill, Xesh's broodmate, who is hunting him down for her own reasons.



As a casual Star Wars fan, the story seems so far removed from what I know that, while it's interesting, it seems quite distant. Some of the characters have strange markings on their faces, and this just seemed distracting to me. I like the art by Jan Duursema, but so many of the poses were so overdramatic, that I kept wondering if people in this world ever just stand around and have a conversation, or if they need to crouch and swing a weapon over their head at the same time. That's probably a preference in the series that I'm not aware of. It wasn't bad, but just not to my particular liking.



I got this as a galley from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!





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The Bottom Of The Sea

author: Zachary Jernigan

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.20

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/05

date added: 2013/09/07

shelves:

review:

Zachary Jernigan is fast proving to be one of my favorite new writers. His writing is intelligent and imaginative and breathes new life into a genre that I love. THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA collects 5 of his stories. 4 have previously been in print and one is new to this collection. In Zachary's foreword, he mentions taking the chance to make some small changes to the stories.



The stories range all over the place. From a city racially divided after a war to a blind man dependent on a young boy to take him to the fish market daily. The title story feels like it could be in the same universe as Jernigan's excellent book NO RETURN. I loved all the stories, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be All My Ghosts, about a father who will do anything to save his ailing child, but he is no ordinary father.



It's a short collection, but every story is a great read. I look forward to seeing what Mr. Jernigan comes out with next.





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A Distant Soil: The Gathering Tp

author: Colleen Doran

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.25

book published: 1997

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/04

date added: 2013/09/04

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Colleen Doran began writing A Distant Soil when she was twelve. Neil Gaiman gives a great tribute to this and the stories he wrote when he was 12, and how Colleen's saw print and his didn't (sort of).



This is an epic story of a brother and sister who are espers, aliens, cops and gangsters and even a knight from King Arthur's round table shows up. It seems like every few pages another character is showing up. In another story, that would seem to be too much, but it's all done pretty well here.



The art has been digitally restored, and you can really see the artistic progress from the beginning of this graphic novel until the end. The characters hair and clothes are very much from the 80s, with everyone sporting big hair. The characters look a bit similar in the way they are drawn, so I got confused occasionally, but the backgrounds in the later issues reminded me of the cosmic comics of the 1970s like Doctor Strange and the Silver Surfer. It's a fun book.





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The Night Wanderer: A Graphic Novel

author: Drew Taylor

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.36

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/08/31

date added: 2013/09/04

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

The Night Wanderer tells the story of a vampire who returns home after hundreds of years. His people lived as Native Americans off the land. He is on a self imposed fast during his journey. He takes a room with a broken family.



Tiffany, her father and grandmother are still feeling the effects of Tiffany's mother leaving the family behind for a white man. Tiffany is also having trouble with her boyfriend. She finds a strange friendship with the new boarder, Pierre. A friendship she can't seem to make with her own father.



The story began life as a play by Drew Hayden Taylor, then became a graphic novel. The art by Michael Wyatt is not my favorite. It's a little over digital, so it lacks a bit on shading and warmth, but it serves the story well. The art is black and white, except when Pierre is fighting hunger or anger, then his eyes glow red. It's a better told tale than other contemporary teenage vampire stories. Tiffany and Pierre are both sympathetic in their own ways.





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The Killer Volume 4 Unfair Competition

author: Matz

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.00

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/01

date added: 2013/09/01

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

The killer teams up with Mariano again in Volume 4, Unfair Competition. There are two stories that make up this volume, but they are tied together.



In the first story, the killer is sent to America to take out some corrupt people in the oil industry. He meets up with Freeman, an ex-CIA agent. In the second story, Mariano, Freeman and the killer find themselves in the oil business in Cuba. In order to cut through regulatory agencies, the killer's special talents are called on.



Along the way, there is plenty of commentary on the corrupt rich, or the complacent middle. It's another fine story in the series, and although I used the word a couple days ago in my review of The Killer Omnibus, it's very cinematic. The story by Matz is good and the art by Luc Jacamon is excellent with backgrounds teeming with details. I like this series.





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The Killer Vol. 4: Modus Vivendi Part Two

author: Matz

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.78

book published: 2012

rating: 4

read at: 2013/09/01

date added: 2013/09/01

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

The killer teams up with Mariano again in Volume 4, Unfair Competition. There are two stories that make up this volume, but they are tied together.



In the first story, the killer is sent to America to take out some corrupt people in the oil industry. He meets up with Freeman, an ex-CIA agent. In the second story, Mariano, Freeman and the killer find themselves in the oil business in Cuba. In order to cut through regulatory agencies, the killer's special talents are called on.



Along the way, there is plenty of commentary on the corrupt rich, or the complacent middle. It's another fine story in the series, and although I used the word a couple days ago in my review of The Killer Omnibus, it's very cinematic. The story by Matz is good and the art by Luc Jacamon is excellent with backgrounds teeming with details. I like this series.





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