Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler

author: Mark Riebling
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/30
date added: 2017/01/30
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler' by Mark Riebling is a fascinating read focused on recently uncovered documents from the Catholic church. The narrative is fast moving and full of thrills.

History has not been kind to Pope Pius XII. He is probably the most hated pope in modern history. The church took a lot of criticism for seeming to side with Hitler and do nothing while he tried to eradicate the Jews. This book has a different story to tell. Newly discovered documents show that the church actively worked to undermine Hitler. Working with a large group of Vatican operatives and a network that extended into the German resistance, the church actually had a hand in three attempts to assassinate Hitler.

One of the main characters is Josef Müller, nicknamed as Joey Ox, and he was sent on a series of trips to the Vatican carrying correspondence. Being caught with this would have meant his death.

Another is Wilhelm Canaris, who was a German admiral and chief of the German military intelligence service. He decided that Germany couldn't win this war, and joined the opposition to overthrow Hitler.

The Vatican had a secret radio room that was set up by Marconi. Information flowed smoothly as the church was without suspicion, but the life of resistance is not glamorized, and many who were captured were tortured and killed. It's a fascinating book, and I found the way it was told to be gripping. Even though the outcome of the war is known, Mark Riebling knows how to tell a true story very well.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Basic Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm so very thankful for the opportunity to review this ebook.


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Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Storm Surge

author: Dean R. Koontz
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.39
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/29
date added: 2017/01/29
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Storm Surge' by Chuck Dixon and Rik Hoskin from an original story by Dean Koontz, and art by Andres Ponce is a standalone story set in a world of books I haven't read. I was able to figure things out as I went.

Victor Frankenstein is known as Victor Helios in this series. He has also made a series of women. The latest one, Erika Five, decides to explore Victor's secret lab. She finds a talking head named Karloff (nice touch), and a lot more. She finds a portal to another world where Victor is conducting his experiments on the undead. This world is the city of New Orleans at the height of an oncoming flood, not unlike Hurricane Katrina it would seem. As the city becomes choked with the undead, Erika is trying to find Victor to stop him. She finds an ally in another creature that Victor created who now goes by the name of Deucalion. Can they stop Victor? Can they save this strange convoluted story?

The art is good. The story is kind of messy. There are a lot of plot elements that are just to be taken at face value. A talking, disembodied head. Portals to the future. Victor seemingly able to survive in a horde of zombies, even after getting dealt some fatal wounds. I can take a little of this, but it feels like it piled up to a point where my disbelief snapped. I like monster stories, and especially the Frankenstein story, but I was a little disappointed in this.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Insufferable Vol. 1

author: Mark Waid
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/04
date added: 2017/01/29
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Insufferable' by Mark Waid, with art by Peter Krause tells the story of a crime-fighting sidekick who grows up and gets a big mouth, and a big head, and how the rift between these former partners is being used by villains to trap them.

Nocturnus and Galahad were once a crimefighting team, and they were good. That was until Galahad's mother died and so did Nocturnus' wife. It was made worse by the fact that the wife and mother were the same person. Now this father and son rift is further complicated by villains who plant a nasty rumor about Nocturnus. Add in Galahad's brash, bragging ways, and you have a family squabble of large and public proportions. Nocturnus wants to live in peace and fight crime. Galahad wants to tweet about everything he does. Can these two come together to fight a group of villains who may be out to get rid of both of them?

I liked the story of these two. In a short number of pages, I got pretty engaged in the story. Galahad comes across as a jerk with his publicist and his Twitter followers. Nocturnus seems a bit disengaged, but cares about keeping his son safe. I also liked the art. It's an interesting take on a superhero team and I liked where it went.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Glenn Gould: A Life Off Tempo (Biographies)

author: Sandrine Revel
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/29
date added: 2017/01/29
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Glenn Gould: A Life Off Tempo' by Sandrine Revel is a very interesting biography about a brillian Canadian pianist. I'm not sure how much you will learn about him, but I sure enjoyed the ride.

Glenn Gould is most known for his recordings of Bach. He first played in public at the age of 13. After gaining fame and acclaim, he abruptly ended his career and became a recluse. This book gives hints of a man who was driven, and germ-phobic, and very much to himself. The story here weaves back and forth through Glenn Gould's life, from a boyhood learning and performing to a stroke that left him in a coma. On a trip to Russia to play concerts, his initial show was sparsely attended because no one in Russia had heard of him. At intermission, the audience left to go tell friends to come hear this phenomenon play. The rest of the tour was sold out.

The artwork is very good. There are wordless, soundless frames where Glenn Gould is in the midst of playing. panels of hands or his face are shown. The story is told in a non-linear fashion and feels like a good indie film Facts are not spoon fed to the reader and are discovered through careful observation and reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. I recommend reading it while you listen to some recordings by this genius musician.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from NBM Publishing, Papercutz, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Iron Hand

author: Scott Chantler
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/29
date added: 2017/01/29
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'The Iron Hand' by Scott Chanter is the final volume in the Three Thieves series and it's a good finish. It got a little wordier in places as backstory was given, but it's a complete and solid series for young readers.

At this point in the story the three thieves are now only two. Dess is heading home to finally reunite with her brother and she makes some most unusual allies for the final stand. She also learns how to use a sword, which is something she hasn't had to do up to this point. There is intrigue and deception behind the throne, and an army at siege around the castle her brother is in. Dessa makes her final stand against Greyfalcon. Can she win?

I haven't read all the books in this series, but I've read the last few. What strikes me about the series is the variety of characters, the level of action, and a story that doesn't talk down to its readers. Dessa is a capable protagonist who is constantly pushed and stretched and usually lives up to what is being asked of her. Some of the flashbacks and explanations felt a bit long. They were important to explain events from a different perspective, but they drug the story down a little. Still, this is a solid story arc, and one young readers should really like.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Kids Can Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Goldie Vance Vol. 1

author: Hope Larson
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/29
date added: 2017/01/29
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Goldie Vance Vol. 1' by Hope Larson with illustrations by Brittney Williams is a new detective series with a smart, thrill-seeking young detective at it's heart. It's also got a nostalgic feel all over it with the wonderful art.

Marigold "Goldie" Vance lives in the Crossed Palms Resort in Florida. Her mom lives nearby and works as a mermaid in a water show. She runs odd jobs around the hotel, and acts as an amateur detective. When we meet her, she has found a missing young boy and returned him to his parents. Things are about to get a bit darker though with the arrival of a stranger with a German accent who has lost a necklace. Goldie is on the case going against the wishes of her father and the hotel's owner. Can she crack the case?

I loved the flavor of this book. There are so many great things about it, like the setting and the characters. There are little touches, like the young woman with the crush on Alan Shepard, Goldie's "can do" attitude, and how she knows and treats the people around her. The art is a visual treat that fit the story perfectly. The colors have a soft, almost pastel color that fits the Florida sun and palms. I had a great time reading this one.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Boom! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Lost Child of Lychford (Lychford, #2)

author: Paul Cornell
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/27
date added: 2017/01/27
shelves:
review:
'The Lost Child of Lychford' by Paul Cornell is a is the second book in the Lychford series. It's also a ghost story that takes place at Christmas, so it's in good company with a lot of other Christmas ghost stories.

The English village of Lychford seems like a nice little town, but lurking on the edges things are not so nice. Protecting the village are three unlikely women: Judith, the village kook, Autumn, the owner of a witchcraft store, and Lizzie, the Reverend of St. Martin's.

Lizzie is getting ready for Christmas, with the sappy music and cynical occasional churchgoers souring her mood. She sees a young boy in the church by himself, and he appears to be a ghost. Add to that the very strange couple getting married on Christmas Eve with their very odd ceremony, and things aren't what they seem. The three women band together, but are separated and attacked. Can they band together and figure out who this ghostly young boy is?

I haven't read the first book in the series, but I felt able to follow along just fine. I really liked the main characters of this book, and I loved the Christmas setting, although that does fade as the story gets going. There is some decent humor along the way. It's got a cozy mystery feel, but don't let that fool you. There is a coldness at the core of this one. I really liked this book, and Paul Cornell is a very good writer.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Time Share

author: Patrick Keller
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.30
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2017/01/27
date added: 2017/01/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Time Share' by Patrick Keller with art by Dan McDaid is a goofy time travel graphic novel. While most time travel stories tend to veer around incoherence, this one charges right into it. Unfortunately for the reader.

When we meet Ollie Finch at the beginning of the book, the scene seems very familiar. He is being given instructions for accelerating his car to a precise speed to get back to where he came from. This isn't where the time travel references end. Ollie's trip is cut short by the appearance of a large naked man who appears to be a cyborg, named Teddy. He is soon joined by a few other strange folks, a 19th century inventor, a soldier from the future, a Time Master with his own time travel machine (which is oddly bigger on the inside), and Ollie's ex-girlfriend.

The story loops around on itself. Sometimes the panels don't make sense, then are explained by a flashback or a scene where our characters travel back to the scene we just read. Other times the panels don't make sense, and the reader is left to scratch their head and move along. There is some extraordinarily bad juvenile humor. When I say bad, I mean stupid.

In spite of that, I really liked Dan McDaid's artwork. The lines are clean, and the characters have a distinct look to them. I like cyborg Teddy's silly puppy dog smile as he crashes his way through things. Unfortunately, it's hard to recommend this based on the art alone.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Complete Alice In Wonderland

author: Leah Moore
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/26
date added: 2017/01/26
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Complete Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll, adapted by Leah Moore & John Reppion with art by Erica Awano is an ambitious graphic novel which works in spite of the challenges of the source.

The problem is that the first book, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' is more narrative in nature, in spite of the loopy story. Young Alice chanses a White Rabbit down a hole. She meets a series of strange creatures and shrinks and grows and shrinks. She has a weird encounter with loyalty and makes it home intact and perhaps wiser for her journey. It is the better known book of the two, and has been adapted many times.

The second book, 'Through The Looking Glass,' is a bit more free-form in nature. Alice finds a strange world by following her cat through a mirror. She still meets really unusual characters, but the interactions consist more of long poems. There is some of this in the first book, but they are much longer here. That doesn't mean they aren't good, just that it's more poetry than prose. So it's still Alice, but the character journey is different.

The adaptation is quite good. This could be used by a scheming student to write a fairly convincing book report on the two books. The language rings true to the book and the illustrations are marvelous. The artist has not necessarily tried to copy a previous version we've seen of Alice, and yet, she was still familiar to me.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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I Hate Fairyland Volume 1: Madly Ever After

author: Skottie Young
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/26
date added: 2017/01/26
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
The cover of 'I Hate Fairyland Volume 1: Madly Ever After' by Skottie Young should be enough to clue you in to the contents. A grumpy looking little girl holding a large bloody axe is standing among a horde of colorful, but battered fairytale looking creatures. You are in for a bumpy ride if you expect sweetness and light here.

Gert has been stuck in Fairyland since she was six. The problem is she is now forty, but she still looks six. A constant barrage of sugar and sweetness and warped her personality. Witness as she shoots apart the first narrator of the story, the moon. This is a death with brains and eyeballs and viscera flying out, but this is not enough for Gert. She takes out the anthropomorphic stars as well. Gert is as sick of Fairyland as it is of her. She can leave if she finds the key to the door back to our world. The problem is that plans are afoot to try to keep her in Fairyland long enough to end her life.

It's violent, irreverent, and probably not something for most readers. I'm embarrassed to admit that I found it pretty funny in places. The over the top gore is pretty cartoonish, but Gert's attitude is pretty ugly. Let's call this one R-Rated and let you proceed at your own risk.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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What Is It?

author: Nicole Hoang
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/25
date added: 2017/01/25
shelves: children-s
review:
'What Is It?' by Nicole Hoang with art by Dustin Nguyen started life as a story written by Nicole. As a wedding present, Dustin illustrated it. It's a childhood story she wrote and with the new illustrations, it's a cute storybook to read aloud.

A young girl in the woods is looking for something she saw out there the day before. As she describes it, we start to see it's features. Ears like shells, face like a cow and bad breath. Is this a friend or a foe? If it's dangerous, can the little girl defeat it? If not, why is she looking for it.

The story was written when the author was 10 and it shows in places, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's charm. Dustin Nguyen is known for drawing Li'l Gotham and Study Hall of Justice and his illustrations here are winning. The little girl is adorable. I wonder if he based the drawings on what his wife looked like at that age? I think this is the first picture book I've read by a graphic novel company. If not, they are pretty rare. I applaud KaBoom! for taking the chance.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Boom! Studios and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Extreme Battlefields: When War Meets the Forces of Nature

author: Tanya Lloyd Kyi
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/25
date added: 2017/01/25
shelves: children-s
review:
'Extreme Battlefields: When War Meets the Forces of Nature" by Tanya Lloyd Kyl with illustrations by Drew Shannon looks at what happens when armies meet weather and terrain. It pulls examples from all over history and I thought it was great.

The ten chapters take armies that met with severe obstacles (beside their human enemies). Hannibal trying to attack Rome found the Alps to be formidable. Typhoon Cobra hindered the American fleet during WWII. Canadian forces found lots of mud in Passchendaele. The Siachen Glacier takes lives from the Indian and Pakistani army as they face off at the top of the world. There are sandstorms and tunnels and volcanoes. All kinds of hardships for soldiers.

There are maps and illustrations. Where photos exist, some are included. There are bullet points and the text is broken up into shorter subsections. The book tells the story from one side of the battle, but it does a good job of not necessarily taking a side. This is mostly the stories of armies that faced odds of terrain. I think young readers who like reading true stories will like this. I know I learned some things while I read it.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Annick Press Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Bizenghast Collectors Edition V.1

author: M. Alice LeGrow
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/24
date added: 2017/01/24
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Bizenghast Collectors Edition V. 1' by M. Alice LeGrow collects over 500 pages of a Gothic story. It has its creepy elements, but sometimes it's confusing.

Dinah is orphaned when her parents die in a fatal car crash. She goes to live with her aunt in Bizenghast, MA in a former school called St. Lyman's School for Boys. She has a hard time accepting the death of her parents and when we meet her she is having fits and her aunt doesn't know what to do with her. A boy who lives nearby becomes her friend and they go exploring.

They find an old crumbling church nearby and a large graveyard. They end up getting tasked with entering each grave and freeing the spirits that live there. It's not an easy task. There are puzzles to solve just to get things to open up, and sometimes the ghosts don't want to exactly cooperate. They find unusual help along the way.

There are three volumes here and it's an ongoing story. There is an afterword from the author and illustrator on the evolution of the series to this point. And it does evolve in art and story quality as it goes along. There were times that it felt like the story veered off into weird areas, and it kind of lost me, but the stuff with freeing the ghosts was all good.

I received a review copy of this manga from Tokyopop, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.


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Grumpy Cat And Pokey: Grumpus (Grumpy Cat And Pokey Vol. 2)

author: Ben McCool
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/22
date added: 2017/01/22
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'Grumpy Cat: Grumpus' is another graphic novel collection of stories starring Grumpy and Pokey. Grumpy is surly, and Pokey is energetic and imaginative. Grumpy is not thrilled by this.

There are nine short stories in this volume with a variety of story-lines. Grumpy and Pokey play hide and seek and Grumpy finds a completely different annoying kitten. The circus comes to town and Grumpy is mistaken for one of the attractions in the sideshow. The title story is the story of how one of Santa's helpers became, well, Grumpus. There are encounters with witches and magic lamps. Humans disappear, and humans create killer robots.

The art styles vary by story, but they are all pretty good. The writing also varies, but it fits more seamlessly than the art. These are fun stories and young readers would probably get some decent laughs out of this collection. A bonus section at the end has a cover gallery. I like reading these Grumpy Cat stories and look forward to reading more.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Pirates in the Library

author: Nadia Ali
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.65
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/22
date added: 2017/01/22
shelves: children-s
review:
'Pirates in the Library' by Nadia Ali with art by Jake Tebbits is a fun book for young readers. It includes a treasure map to finding great books in the library.

When Ms. Benitez starts a new reading program by creating a treasure map for the kids, one inadvertently finds its way into the hands of pirates on the sea. Seizing any opportunity to find treasure, the pirates invade the local library. The librarian has posted a "No Squawking" sign so the pirates have to keep their parrot silent. The pirates learn that the compass rose on the map is actually a decoder for the Dewey Decimal System. The pirates find a different kind of treasure than they thought they would, but each of them finds something unique to their interests.

I liked the clever idea of incorporating the Dewey Decimal System into the compass rose of the treasure map. It's on the end papers of the book. There is also an appendix which expands the system out a bit more, so you can learn that Science and Math is 500, but Stars, Planets, Astronomy, Space is 520. It's a clever way to teach kids how to find treasure at their local library.

My review copy had a number of formatting errors in the text, where letters were missing from words, but I'm hoping that gets corrected for the final version.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Star Bright Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Boo the World's Cutest Dog, Volume 1

author: Kristen Deacon
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.89
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/22
date added: 2017/01/22
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'Boo The World's Cutest Dog' is a collection of short stories in graphic novel form about an internet phenomenon I was unaware of. The stories are short and cute and completely appropriate for a young audience.

There are nine stories that feature Boo, and the other two dogs in the house he lives in, Buddy and Bluebeary. In one story, Boo is received as a birthday present, then goes on to take all the attention away from the birthday girl. In another, the dogs' owner isn't feeling well, so the dogs feel like they have to get their own food from high over the kitchen counter. There are actually a few stories that have this similar theme. Boo becomes famous and has to appear for photo-shoots, and gets a movie role. The final story is done as a series of diary entries, and it's more text than illustration. Also included is a cover gallery for the issues here, including the alternate covers, some of which are photos of the real Boo.

They are cute enough stories and the art is fine. I'm not as much into the cutesy dog fad, so I liked the normal dog sort of stories over the dress up, celebrity fantasy ones. It's perfect for little animal lovers. The stories are short and varied for the most part. There were a lot of themes where food was the focus, but I guess that's what a dog thinks about a lot.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Far Out Fairy Tales

author: Louise Simonson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/04/07
date added: 2017/01/21
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Far Out Fairy Tales' is a collection of graphic novel stories for younger readers. The stories take strange twists on familiar fairy tales, so you get stories like Ninja-rella or Snow White and the Seven Robots or Hansel & Gretel & Zombies.

Ninja-rella doesn't want to marry the prince, she wants to become his awesome bodyguard. Red Riding Hood is a superhero who gets power from her hood. The Billy Goats Gruff have to go through a video game to find something to eat. You get the picture.

My favorite part of all of this is there is a summary page giving the history of the original tale, like when it was written or when famous variants got added to the story (the pumpkin carriage in Cinderella, for example). There is also a nice comparison on some stories of the original characters and their 'Far Out' personas.

The creators are all really good. From Louise Simonson (Power Pack) to Otis Frampton (Oddly Normal) and many others, these are writers familiar with writing good comics for kids. They deliver and it's even fun for grown ups like me to read.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Capstone, Stone Arch Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Looking Glass Wars: CrossFire

author: Frank Beddor
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/20
date added: 2017/01/20
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Looking Glass Wars: Crossfire' by Frank Beddor and Curtis Clark with art by Sami Makkonen is a graphic novel follow up to the Looking Glass Wars trilogy. I read the first book of that series, so I'm familiar with most of the characters and concept.

For those not familiar at all with the series, this is a fantasy series based on Alice in Wonderland. Alyss Heart of Wonderland is in charge, but the crown lies uneasy. There are people who would like to kill her. This leads to a mission to our world to recover a piece of the Heart Crystal, led by Ovid Grey. The Earth portion takes place in London and Venice. The finale takes place back in Wonderland when the Boarderlanders finally attack. They lead an army of mutant jabberwocky called Jabbers. The city is laid out like a chessboard and the citizens reconfigure it for an epic final battle.

After reading the first book in the series, I didn't feel compelled to read more, but I know the series has it's loyal fans. I can see why, and I did like this story a little better. The court intrigue, the spy mission, and the massive battle all appealed to me. What I wasn't crazy about was the artwork. It is a style that reminds me of sketches on storyboards. Drawn fast and loosely. Characters fade out at the appendages, or seem to float above the floor. Things don't seem fully formed. In spite of that, I was able to keep the characters separate, but it's just not a style that I was crazy about.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Letter Better Publishing Services, Automatic Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Black Magick, Volume 1: Awakening, Part One

author: Greg Rucka
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/20
date added: 2017/01/20
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Black Magick, Volume 1: Awakening, Part One' by Greg Rucka with art by Nicola Scott is a new series starring a cop with supernatural powers. She's leading a double life, because the cops don't seem to be aware of what she can do.

A hostage situation turns weird when Rowan Black, a cop with supernatural powers, is called out by the perpetrator. He knows her full name, which she is horrified to learn he knows her given name and her real name. Things get stranger when a known criminal is found drowned. When he is pulled out, he is missing a hand. Rowan suspects someone wants to make a hand of glory. Using both her cop knowledge and her witchcraft knowledge, she is on the trail of tracking down who it is.

Then the book ends. On a cliffhanger.

The art is two tone with some small amounts of color added in for dramatic effect, and it's good art. I like the shading and depth and the sparse use of color. The story is good for an urban fantasy. I hope we learn more about why Rowan needs to hide her supernatural abilities from the other cops. She's a good character with some good supporting characters. I liked it. Just not the abrupt ending.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Project Gemini

author: Eugen Reichl
name: Wayne
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/19
date added: 2017/01/19
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Project Gemini' by Eugen Reichl is a great look at the Gemini program. It's packed full of facts and photos of the two unmanned and ten manned missions that led directly into the Apollo program.

In the early 1960s, the US was in a race to space against the USSR. The feeling was that we were losing. The Gemini Program was supposed to test and lead the way to putting a man on the moon, a goal stated by President Kennedy. The book talks about prototypes and the kinds of problems that might be faced. Ideas that were tested and never came about like the Parawing are discussed. This was a deployable chute like a hang-glider that would bring the capsule safely back to Earth. The problem is that it never worked right. The problems with early space walks are discussed. Training on the ground didn't prepare for the strenuous conditions in space. The astronaut teams and backups are talked about. Of the 20 astronauts that flew in the Gemini program, 15 flew in the Apollo program.

What I see is the gradual testing and improvement. Things that didn't work got scrapped. Things that did work got improved or further tested. The bravery of these pilots to try this goes unstated, but is apparent when you think about being the first to step outside of a spaceship with not much tethering you to the capsule that is supposed to take you home.

The book has charts of stats for each mission: type of rocket, duration of mission, launch and landing sites, etc. Also included are wonderful photos of the people and machines. At only 144 pages, I'm amazed at how inclusive this felt. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Art of the Mural Volume 1: A Contemporary Global Movement

author: Shane Pomajambo
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/19
date added: 2017/01/19
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'The Art of the Mural Volume 1: A Contemporary Global Movement' by Shane Pomajambo with a foreword by Carlo McCormick is a survey of building murals from all over the world. This book is the first part of a 4 part series.

The 50 artists in this volume come from all over. Each artist, in alphabetical order, has a brief bio and examples from their work. There are also some thoughts from some of the artists. Some started as graffiti artists and others came at the artform from more traditional avenues. In order to be included, these artists had to be working as full time muralists.

The building styles present challenging canvases, and I'd love to have seen some of these in progress. Perhaps future books will do that. The styles are everything from thought provoking to whimsical. Most have figures, but some are just geometrical designs. The artist, title and city are listed for each mural, and the book has 400 examples of this work. I had a great time looking at all the details and odd things included in these murals.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko: A Novel

author: Scott Stambach
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/17
date added: 2017/01/17
shelves: young-adult
review:
'The Invisible Life of Ivan: Isaenko: A Novel' by Scott Stambach introduces an unusual narrator and a set of unfair and tragic circumstances. I quite liked Ivan.

Ivan is 17 and lives in the Mazyr Hospital for Gravely Ill Children in Belarus. He is a lifelong resident of the home and a prisoner in his own deformed body. His mind is keen and he observes and catalogues the things he sees around him. From an American doctor who brings him baseballs to his fellow residents to the nurses that work at the home, both cruel and kind. He is well read and incredibly cynical. Ivan sees many other patients come and go, but one day a girl named Polina shows up.

The story feels predictable in a lot of ways, but that doesn't make it any less poignant. Ivan is likeable and mean at the same time. He suffers more than he should because of who he is and the reactions that his sharp tongue causes. Ivan and Polina seem like pretty unlikely friends at first, but their relationship feels natural enough. My favorite character is Nurse Natalya who treats Ivan like a real person, and has all the compassion to go along with it. It's not a perfect book by any means, but I enjoyed reading it.

I received a review copy of this ebook from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Wolfie and Fly

author: Cary Fagan
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/16
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves: children-s
review:
'Wolfie and Fly' by Cary Fagan with illustrations by Zoe Si is a chapter book for young readers with lots of imagination and a couple really likeable main characters.

Renata Wolfman is a very imaginative young lady. She is also quite content to play all by herself. Her parents would like her to make friends with the next door neighbor Livingston Flott, but Renata would rather not. One day, when she is left alone, she decides to build a submarine out of a large cardboard box. Livingston shows up because he is looking for his brother's baseball, and it went under Renata's house. Before long, and thanks to a lot of imagination, he is going on an adventure with her under the sea in their new submarine. Renata is reluctant, but realizes that having someone else along just makes the journey more fun, even if Livingston has to write and sing songs along the way. They even use the nicknames for each other that people use for them at school. She is Wolfie, or Lone Wolf, because she likes being alone at recess. He is Fly because he buzzes around annoys people.

These characters were fun. I loved their imaginative play. I liked how they became friends, even though they don't seem to have much in common. I liked the illustrations too. This took me back to the days when I could take my own cardboard box on trips into outer space. I think young readers will love these two.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Klaus

author: Grant Morrison
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/16
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Klaus' by Grant Morrison with art by Dan Mora is a reimagining of the Santa Claus legend for the superhero age. Consider it "Santa Claus: Year One."

In a snowy ancient city ruled by a cruel Baron, he determines that all the toys should go to his bratty son, who only breaks things. Ex-inhabitant, and soldier, Klaus decides that the children need something in their lives, so with the help of unseen beings in the forest and his wolf Lilli, he sets out to deliver toys to the town. Meanwhile, the Baron is making the men of the city dig deeper and deeper in the mines. He is also hiding something evil in the mines that Klaus will have to battle.

As you can see on the cover, this is a Klaus with a sword and weapons. His muscular arms are the size of tree trunks. He leaps agilely from roof to roof like a character in Assassin's Creed. He battles soldiers and bests them. And yet, the Santa Claus we know and love is here. My favorite scene is when he breaks forth into his signature laugh. I had a great time reading this.


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Muirwood: The Lost Abbey Graphic Novel

author: Jeff Wheeler
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/30
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Muirwood: The Lost Abbey' is the first issue of a five issue Kindle serial. My review copy was only the first issue, so at 20+ pages, there isn't a lot to review without revealing spoilers.

Lady Marciana Soliven, aka Maia, is living in exile and locked inside a room when her father, the king, commands her to come see him. Apparently, he's learned something about his daughter and needs her to commit to a dangerous quest. The book then spends it's time with Maia debating the pros and cons of accepting the quest, but with 4 more issues due, we can already guess what her answer will be because 4 issues of Maia staring at the walls of her forced exile would be pretty unexciting.

The cover art is really good. The internal art is less so. Sometimes review copies have rough art or lower quality, so I'm hoping that's what happened here. There were definitely panels I liked better than others art-wise. The writing is not bad and the series is a tie-in with a series of novels.

I received a review copy of this single issue comic from Jet City Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this first issue.


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The Graveyard Book

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves: young-adult, children-s
review:



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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

author: Susanna Clarke
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves:
review:



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Stardust

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves:
review:



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The Stand

author: Stephen King
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1978
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2017/01/16
shelves:
review:



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Ariol #9: The Teeth of the Rabbit

author: Emmanuel Guibert
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/15
date added: 2017/01/15
shelves: graphic-novels, children-s
review:
'Ariol #9: The Teeth of the Rabbit' by Emmanuel Gulbert with art by Marc Boutavant is a series of 12 stories of these characters. I was unfamiliar with them, but I had absolutely no trouble reading this with no prior knowledge of the series.

All the characters are animals. Ariol is a donkey. His friend Bouncer is a rabbit. Ariol has a crush on Petula, the cow, but Bizzbilla, the fly has a crush on him. Ariol likes to pretend he is his fantasy hero Battleness (especially when he needs to be brave). The stories are all about the kind of situations that young children face or have fun with. They have to conquer their fear of heights, or decide if they are going to open the hidden presents they find. They trick their parents into taking them out for fast food, against their parents wishes, and generally play around with blanket forts and pretend.

I really liked these little characters and they way they get along and play. Ariol is kind of clumsy and silly, just like a real child. His friend Bouncer has way too much energy, just like some little kids. I think young readers would enjoy these characters, and maybe even see themselves in them.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Arson Plus and Other Stories: Collected Case Files of the Continental Op: The Early Years, Volume 1

author: Dashiell Hammett
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/12
date added: 2017/01/12
shelves:
review:
'Arson Plus and Other Stories: Collected Case Files of the Continental Op: The Early Years, Volume 1' by Dashiell Hammett is a book with three stories featuring the Continental Op.

Hammett was known for Sam Spade, but he started with these stories of a nameless detective and he wrote a bunch of them. His style of writing is economical and cinematic. The stories evoke a mood of someone trying to hide a crime and a relentless detective in pursuit of the answer. In 'Arson Plus', the first story featuring the Continental Op, a house has gone up in a fire, but what was the cause? There are plenty of suspects, to be sure.

'Crooked Souls' deals with a kidnapped heiress and 'Slippery Fingers' deals with a man found dead in his library. The money paid out of his account points to blackmail, but why?

I've been a Hammett fan for a long time, and it's great to see his work still in print. The Foreword and Introduction are interesting pieces on where these early work came from, and Hammett's inspiration for them (he worked for Pinkerton's National Detective Service for a while). There are only three stories here, but there are many other collections in the series. Check one out and enjoy a good mystery or three.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Mysterious Press.com, Open Road, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Camp Midnight

author: Steven T. Seagle
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/12
date added: 2017/01/12
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'Camp Midnight' by Steven T. Seagle with art by Jason Katzenstein is a story about how summer camp can be a nightmare. I really liked this story.

Skye lives with her mom and spends time with her dad and his new wife. This summer instead of spending time with her dad, she is being sent off to summer camp. When a bus mix-up gets her on the wrong bus, she finds herself at a very different camp. For one, the camp day starts after the sun has gone down. For another, the other campers look normal at first , but then things change. She soon finds herself surrounded by monsters. But along the way, Skye finds a way to make it work out. She meets a friend, gets good advice from a camp counselor, and other things happen.

I found the premise fun and the lessons learned along the way by Skye were really good. The art is kind of frenetic and I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, but it goes well enough with the story and the kind of jump out at you nature of the story. This is a fun one for young readers and tell a great story about triumphing as an outsider.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Battlestar Galactica: Six

author: J.T. Krul
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.29
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/08
date added: 2017/01/08
shelves: graphic-novels
review:



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The Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)

author: Daniel O'Malley
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/08
date added: 2017/01/08
shelves: sword-and-laser
review:
'The Rook' by Daniel O'Malley was the December pick for the Goodreads book club I am in, Sword and Laser. I enjoyed this pick.

Myfanwy Thomas wakes up with no memory of herself and surrounded by dead bodies all wearing latex gloves. She finds a series of notes from her pre-memory loss self that clue her in on who she is, or rather was. She works for a secret organization that fights darkness and she is a Rook in that organization, that seems to name high positions after chess pieces. Someone in the organization is responsible for her memory loss, and is a traitor. What they didn't count on is that Myfanwy is not the same person that lost her memory.

It's a fun ride: super powers, secret organizations, quips in the face of danger, etc. The characters are pretty interesting.

This sort of set up usually bothers me. Much of the story is told in letters from the past, so they feel to me somewhat like a prologue. I always feel like I'm waiting for the current story to begin. I felt that way for a bit in this book too, but eventually, I got over it and just enjoyed the ride. I did like how the character was so different before and after and even is referred to differently. It's a fun adventure and I wouldn't mind reading more in this universe.


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Pink Panther Vol. 1 (The Pink Panther)

author: S.A. Check
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/07
date added: 2017/01/07
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Pink Panther, Volume 1' is a series of short gags written and illustrated by lots of talented people. There are 14 stories, including one originally printed in Pink Panther #49 from January, 1978.

Pink Panther was one of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid, and it's great to say these feel just like those. They also include some Inspector Clouseau and Ant and Aardvark stories, but Pink Panther is the primary subject. Pink finds the hammer of Thor and decides to become a superhero with hilarious results. Pink Panther entertains at a child's birthday party and can't seem to make the young child happy. Pink Panther tries to con a restaurant out of a meal by putting a fly in the soup, but the fly ends up eating all the soup. And so on.

For the most part, Pink doesn't talk, but there are a few where Pink does, and those feel weird to me. But the humor rings true from what I remember. The humor is perfectly appropriate for younger readers. The art is great. It's good to have these characters back again.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from American Mythology, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Business Cat: Money, Power, Treats

author: Tom Fonder
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/07
date added: 2017/01/07
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Business Cat: Money, Power, Treats' by Tom Fonder is a series of comic strips about a company CEO who has a human body and a cat's head. It's hilarious on a couple different levels.

He may be mostly man with a cat's head, but he acts totally like a cat. Pushing his coffee cup off his desk, sending dead birds to prize employees, and lapping up alcohol out of a dish are all things that business cat does. He also acts inappropriate during important business meetings and has a litter box in his executive wash room. Being invited to his house for dinner is probably not a great idea, even if he is the boss. His biggest rival is business dog, and they have a bet for who will be the business pet of the year.

This book manages to skewer cat ownership and work at the same time. Having a cat for a leader would be ludicrous, but having a scratching post installed for employee morale is about on par for some of the things I've heard that have been done. I found it all really funny.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Trouble with Women

author: Jacky Fleming
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/07
date added: 2017/01/07
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Trouble with Women' by Jacky Fleming is a hilarious and tragic look at how women aren't in history books. It's very tongue-in-cheek and I found myself laughing quite a few times at the errors men (like me) have made.

I learned from the first page that in the Olden Days, there were no women, and that's why I didn't learn about them in history. It was just men and some of them were geniuses. Apparently women who learn become less attractive, and playing sports can lead to injuries where a woman can lose her virginity. Men like Darwin and Rousseau and Schopenhauer made stupid statements about the inferiority of women, and those statements get thrown out here to hilarious effect.

That the book remains so darn funny and never becomes preachy is a high point. It's certainly frustrating and angering that the contributions of women in history have been overlooked, but this approach makes the point beautifully. The drawings are at times hilarious too, with the chart of beards, and pictures of women with tiny heads. I enjoyed this book, and completely got the point.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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How to Speak Emoji

author: Fred Benenson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2015
rating: 1
read at: 2017/01/07
date added: 2017/01/07
shelves:
review:
'How to Speak Emoji' by Fred Benenson is a book filled with phrases in emoji. Kind of like an emoji phrase book. I found it pretty silly.

There is some explanation of what the emoji symbols are, along with some of the naughtier interpretations. Then the book spins into combining emojis into sayings and phrases, such as combining the emojis for frying egg + calendar to equal Friday. That's a simple one, but they get more complex. "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" uses 5. "A leopard can't change his spots" uses 9.

The author actually wrote an emoji version of Moby Dick, but that's not included here. Which is a pity. The cleverness wore out on my pretty quickly. These phrases would likely just frustrate your friends and family, unless they had a book to decode things. The brief history of emoji in the introduction was the most interesting part of the book, then it kind of went downhill for me.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Echoes

author: Joshua Hale Fialkov
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/06
date added: 2017/01/06
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Echoes' by Joshua Hale Fialkov with art by Rahsan Ekedal is a moody, paranoid-filled horror story that kept me turning pages. I like this kind of tightly confined story with a narrator that may not be totally trustworthy.

Brian Cohn is a man with schizophrenia and a device that reminds him to take his meds. He also has a dying father that he doesn't seem all that close to. When he gets a weird message from his father before he dies, Brian has to investigate. What he finds, leads him to believe his father was a serial killer. Brian starts to wonder if he has inherited this too. Add in a few missed medication times, and a very nosy cop, and that sends Brian on the run, away from his wife and soon to be newborn baby. Can he escape the past and find out what he has become?

The horror here is for all the victims, but it is also for Brian as he realizes that the monster may reside in him. The box of souvenirs he finds is chilling and creepy, as is the cop who seems to always be right there by Brian. The art fits the mood of the book. It's black and white with lots of shadows over eyes and faces. I don't think color would have worked, so this was a great choice in my mind.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Disney Graphic Novels #4: Great Parodies: Mickey's Inferno

author: Walt Disney Company
name: Wayne
average rating: 1.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/06
date added: 2017/01/06
shelves: graphic-novels
review:



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Breaking Cat News: Cats Reporting on the News that Matters to Cats

author: Georgia Dunn
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/05
date added: 2017/01/05
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Breaking Cat News: Cats Reporting on the News that Matters to Cats' by Georgia Dunn is a series of comic strips parodying life with cats and the nightly news.

Our three reporters are Elvis, Lupin, and Puck, and they are the author's real pets, but here they are wearing neckties and holding microphones. They report on all the unusual things that happen in the house. Breaking news includes fireworks, the outside, the noise of the vacuum cleaner, sleeping humans, and even a baby.

Of course, the humans are quite annoyed at times by cats that are doing what cats do, and that's where the humor is. Obviously, familiarity with living with a cat will only heighten the humor here. The drawings are cute, but the comics are adorable and often hysterical. Buy it for the cat fancier in your life.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Paper Girls, Vol. 1

author: Brian K. Vaughan
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/05
date added: 2017/01/05
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Paper Girls, Vol. 1' by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Cliff Chiang and Matthew Wilson is so good that it should be optioned into a tv series. I could see this as a series on Netflix.

The story takes place in 1988, and follows a tough group of paper girls who find odd happenings in their neighborhood on the day after Halloween. Erin is only 12 and out on her route when she is harassed by some boys. She is helped by other paper girls and joins up with them. She meets Mac who was one of the first female paper deliverers. Erin finds out these are tough talking girls with a rough side, but they might be in over their heads when a group of people that seem to be aliens show up in the neighborhood.

The tone of this book is so nostalgic without resorting to cheap pop culture references. The art by Cliff Chiang works so well with this story, and the color by Matthew Wilson is spot on for this story. The look of the book is perfect for the story being told. This collects issues 1-5 of the series, and is by no means a complete story on its own, but it's one heck of a ride. If you are a fan of 'Stranger Things' you should definitely check this out.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel


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Will I See?

author: David Alexander Robertson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/04
date added: 2017/01/04
shelves:
review:



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Good Morning, Superman!

author: Michael Dahl
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/04
date added: 2017/01/04
shelves: children-s
review:
'Good Morning, Superman' by Michael Dahl with illustrations by Omar Lozano is a compoanion book to the recently released 'Bedtime for Batman.' They are picture books for young children who also like superheroes.

The story, like the previous one, parallels a superhero and a young child. This time around, it's Superman and a little boy getting ready for the day. It shows Superman changing into his uniform as the little boy gets dressed. Superman fights off kryptonite as the boy has to brush his teeth with a kryptonite colored toothbrush. My favorite bit is when Supergirl and Krypto show up to help. The book ends with a morning checklist of all the things done to get ready for the day.

I really liked the first book, and I liked this one even more. The illustrations are great and the colors on the pages are bright. I like that a girl superhero got included this time around. This would be a really fun read with an energetic 3 or 4 year old.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Captstone Young Readers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Adventures of Basil and Moebius, Volume 4: The Fate of All Fools

author: Ryan Schifrin
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/02
date added: 2017/01/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Adventures of Basil and Moebius, Volume 4: The Fate of All Fools' by Ryan Schifrin and Richard Lee Byers is the last volume in the series.

In earlier volumes, Basil and Moebius were shown to be thieves that ended up working for The Collector. In the last volume, The Collector is revealed to be an alien being. This time around, all the stops have been taken off. Basil and Moebius and company (awesome fighting girlfriend, giant robot that might have Merlin inside, and two Aztec miniature fighter jets) are stuck with The Collector with a malfunctioning device that is transporting them to different worlds. Can they get back to their own world and finally be done with The Collector once and for all?

I've read three of the four volumes. I wasn't crazy about the first one, but the series has grown on me, a little. The stories are ludicrously over the top, so you just have to suspend your belief and go with the story. The art has never been my favorite, but it works for the story. At least Basil and Moebius seem to have lost the horrible habit of spouting every stereotypical bit of English slang, and the Spring Heel Jack suit is pretty cool. Overall, a solid pulp adventure that reminded my of Doc Savage and other serial pulp novels I've read. It concludes with things left open, but it does end.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Magentic Press/Red Circle Productions, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Beauty, Vol. 1

author: Jeremy Haun
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/02
date added: 2017/01/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Beauty, Vol. 1' by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley takes our obsession with beauty and makes a pretty interesting story out of it.

Where this story takes place, there is a contagious sexually transmitted disease. The side effects are immediate and visible. Along with some cold symptoms, the carrier becomes much more beautiful or handsome. People choose to contract the disease in order to be more physically attractive.

When a person with Beauty dies a horrible death on mass transit, two cops take the case. There are people who oppose a sexually transmitted disease or prey on the infected, so there are many possible suspects. There is another possibility. It turns out there are more side effects that happen over a longer period of time, but those who know this have kept it quiet.

It's a pretty good premise. That people would willingly infect themselves to become beautiful is something I could see happening. That others would oppose the beautiful because of how they achieved their looks is also believable. I liked this story and it's art.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Brigada

author: Enrique Fernández
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.15
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2017/01/01
date added: 2017/01/01
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Brigada' by Enrique Fernandez was a graphic novel that I found confusing. Both the art and the story made this a story that was hard to follow.

The story is about a bunch of violent dwarves. When they are preparing for a battle, they end up in a weird mist and all get separated. There are large fierce beasts in the forest, and witches and other creatures. There is a strange well. There is the chaos that happens during battles, and at the heart of the story is Ivro, who is just trying to get his party back together safely.

I alternated between liking and disliking the graphic style. The characters were very angular in nature, and I had a hard time sometimes distinguishing the dwarves. There is one human (?) character with a long distended chin. It kind of kept pulling me out of the story because it seemed a bit grotesque. I think the art is good, but it doesn't serve the story so well. The story was convoluted and confusing as well. There were a lot of times I could understand how Ivro felt, because I felt completely lost in a mist as well. Maybe I should try to read this again, and it might make more sense.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Magnetic Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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The Ukrainian and Russian Notebooks: Life and Death Under Soviet Rule

author: Igort
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/01/01
date added: 2017/01/01
shelves: graphic-novels, non-fiction
review:
'The Ukrainian and Russian Notebooks' by Igort with English translation by Jamie Richards is an excellent non-fiction graphic novel, but it's not one that is easy to read because of the subject matter.

It's really a two part story, with enough atrocity for both stories. The Ukrainian notebook is about something called the Holodomor that happened in the 1930s under Stalin. The events of that time are told as vignettes by survivors that the author has run across. Millions of people starved or were executed during this time. There are stories of people killing their horses, or hiding food, or eating things that are not true food to have something in their bellies. There was even cannibalism.
The Russian Notebook portion deals with more modern events in Chechnya and the death of a journalist. The author visits the building she lived in and recounts stories that she reported on. Increasingly, her life was threatened, so it is a tragic inevitability that her life should end. Individual stories in this section are by soldiers who were witness to, or participated in, atrocities.

The stories are not pleasant, but the tragic events of history need to be told so that they can never be repeated. I think a graphic novel works well to tell this sort of story because the violence is vivid and the stories are unflinching. A truly interesting work.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Simon & Schuster and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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