Bessie Stringfield: Tales of the Talented Tenth, no. 2

author: Joel Christian Gill
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/31
date added: 2018/03/31
shelves: graphic-novels, children-s
review:
'Bessie Stringfield' by Joel Christian Gill is the second entry in his Tales of the Talented Tenth series. This is my introduction to the series and I really liked this story aimed at younger readers.

We meet Bessie Smith late in her life, and hear her story from her. She immigrated to America from Jamaica and lost her father and mother in Boston. She adopted by a kind woman amd moved to Florida. Her interest in motorcycles led her to cross the United States 8 times. She served as a civilian courier for the US Army during World War II.

The story is fun and positive. The illustrations are colorful and the story, while having it's darker moments, never stays there, but show how Bessie overcame things. I especially love the image of her zooming away from a truck full of crow-headed racists.

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


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Awake: Escape from Gremon

author: Susan Beneville
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/12/26
date added: 2018/03/28
shelves: children-s, graphic-novels
review:
'Awake: Escape from Gremon' by Susan Beneville and Brian Hess is the second volume in the series and collects issues 5-8 of the series. I was not familiar with the series, but it's a pretty decent comic for younger readers.

In the previous stories, young Regin has healed the planet Gremon. The natural resources have healed, but not everyone is happy. The most unhappy is the ruler of the planet who was able to exploit the people due to the shortages of food and energy. Along for the ride are her brother, Picar, who seems to be a bit irresponsible. Initially, he is the target of the baron's wrath, but it's really Regin who wields the power.

There is good adventure, and some leassons to be learned along the way. The characters are humanoid and furry animal like creatures. I think middle grade readers would like this series. It was my introduction to the series and I can already think of a few young readers I would recommend it to.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Action Labs, 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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Dark Corridor Vol. 1

author: Rich Tommaso
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2017/03/11
date added: 2018/03/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Dark Corridor' by Rich Tommaso is about a town where nothing good ever seems to happen. This series of linked stories definitely falls into the definition of Dark.

A man named Peter lives in a town called Red Circle and is surprised one night by a bloody dog at his door. He follows the dog back to its owners and finds a crime scene. He finds some friends that can help rob the place, but he also runs across a woman who is a member of the Seven Deadly Daughters. Their stories weave throughout the book. There are snipers, bad cops, gangsters and more.

I really liked the art style. It's unique alternative style for this sort of story. I wished the stories had meshed a little better. It felt like some of the stories weren't quite complete. Still, I enjoyed my journey to Red Circle.

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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Tim'rous Beastie

author: Amanda Lafrenais
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/25
date added: 2018/03/25
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Tim'rous Beastie' is a graphic novel edited by Amanda Lafrenais. The stories are about animals that must find bravery in strange circumstances. The title is taken from a poem by Robert Burns called 'To a Mouse, on Turning Up in Her Nest With the Plough.' This poem is used as an inspiration for the stories.

The stories range all over the place. Some are funny. Many are more frightening. There is a mouse in a tea tin in the ocean who is rescued by a seagull. There is a pig being lowered into hell. There is a society run by mice that forces frogs to fight against toads in the gladiator arena. Some stories take place after men are gone. Some are on the edges of societies with men.

The art styles as well as the writing vary. There are stories I didn't like that much, but with 18 stories, it's easy enough to find something likeable.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


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Sometimes I Feel Sad

author: Tom Alexander
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.09
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/03/25
date added: 2018/03/25
shelves: children-s
review:
'Sometimes I Feel Sad' by Tom Alexander is a picture book to explain that sometimes everyone feels sad. The story is told with minimal words and illustrations.

The explanations and reasons for sadness vary. As do the remedies. Sometimes it helps to be around people, sometimes it doesn't. It can be difficult to talk about because the people in your life may not understand, but it's important to find someone who will just listen.

The illustrations are stick figures and simple shapes. The message is pretty basic, but a good one.

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


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Lydie

author: Jordi Lafebre
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2018/03/24
date added: 2018/03/24
shelves: favorites, graphic-novels
review:
'Lydie' by Zidrou with art by Jordi Lafebre is the kind of graphic novel I love to stumble upon. It's also the exact kind of evidence I would give to people who think graphic novels don't have rich, interesting stories to tell.

The story is told by the madonna statue that oversees the residents of a cul-de-sac named after a defaced billboard. A young woman gives birth to a stillborn baby. She lives with her father, and we never find out who the babies father is. Months later, she believes that her prayers have been answered and the baby lives. No one can see it but her. Initially, the residents think she is crazy, but they haven't the heart to tell her, so they play along. The life of this invisible child is told through the kindness and grace of the people of the neighborhood.

This story was so beautiful and had such rich emotions. The kindness of playing along shows such love to this young woman. We learn that she's probably not able to care for herself, so the way these people take her in is moving.

The art is really beautiful. The colors stay muted and the expressions on the characters faces run the gamut of emotion. I absolutely loved this story.

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


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The Coral Kingdom

author: Laura Knowles
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.73
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/24
date added: 2018/03/24
shelves: children-s, non-fiction
review:
'The Coral Kingdom' by Laura Knowles with illustrations by Jennie Webber is a beautifully illustrated picture book about coral reefs, as well as a pretty strong call to save them.

Told in a loose rhyming scheme, the reader is brought into the wonders of this undersea world. The watercolor pictures illustrate with beautiful colors of the reef and the life around it. There are lots of sea creatures to find as well as unusual things like boats that have become part of the reef over time. A call is made to save this beautiful space.

The book ends with some action ideas for sustaining the reef and how it is losing it's color. The message is clear, but I never felt like I was being beat over the head with it. The case is made gently and with beautiful art.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Here Comes Hercules (Hopeless Heroes, #1)

author: Stella Tarakson
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/24
date added: 2018/03/24
shelves: children-s
review:
'Here Comes Hercules' by Stella Tarakson is the first book in a new young reader series featuring hopeless heroes trying to help youngsters.

Tim Baker lives with his mom and tries to help out around the house. When he accidentally breaks her favorite Greek vase, he helps Hercules to escape. Rather than the kind of helpful hero that Tim would need, Hercules seems to make more messes than he cleans up. Added to that, Tim is the only one who can see Hercules, so the school bullies have even more to tease him about. Tim needs to find a way to get Hercules out of his life before things are even more out of control.

I thought it was a pretty cute story. There are fun illustrations, and I loved that Hercules looks like he would on a Greek vase. I think it's a good start to a series, and one I'd recommend to young readers.

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


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Limited Edition

author: Aude Picault
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2018/03/23
date added: 2018/03/23
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Limited Edition' by Aude Picault is a graphic novel about a young woman who feels discouraged by the relationships in her life. I really liked the story and art.

Claire is a neonatal nurse who, when we meet her, has had a series of boyfriends. Now that she is in her 30s, she is feeling the pressure of settling down. Her mother wants her to find someone and her friends are starting to have babies. When she meets Franck, it all seems to be perfect, but, as in any relationship, there are problems.

The story is quite good. I love the look at Claire's life in the hospital, as well as her insecurities as a person. The art is perfect for the story. The lettering is handwritten, and I had to really pay attention at times to figure out what the words were, but the style gave the book a unique charm. The book ends with a bibliography of feminist essays and studies about gender relations, which seems fitting after the story that is told.

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


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Secret Teachings Of A Comic Book Master: The Art Of Alfredo Alcala

author: Heidi MacDonald
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/01/30
date added: 2018/03/22
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Secret Teachings of a Comic Book Master: The Art of Alfredo Alcala' is like sitting over coffee with an amazing artist and having him tell you all his secrets.

The introductions alone should make you take notice. There are intros by Gil Kane and Roy Thomas, who are comics legends, and they express their deep respect of Alfredo. There is a more personal introduction by Phil Yeh that talks about travelling with Alfredo. The bulk of the book is called, The Art of Observation, and Alfredo's tips to young artists are to draw everything and pay attention to everything around you. The book finishes with a kind of artist's commentary to an unpublished Voltar story.

Throughout the book are examples of Alfredo's work here in the States and from his early years in the Philippines. He was an influential artist on Conan the Barbarian and his own book Voltar. His style is bold and action-oriented. His figures have muscular anatomy and are finely detailed. I really appreciated learning more about this artist and getting to understand how much work he puts into every panel.

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


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Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present

author: Jamia Wilson
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2018/03/17
date added: 2018/03/17
shelves: children-s
review:
'Young Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present' by Jamia Wilson with illustrations by Andrea Pippins gets it's title from the song by Nina Simone. It's colorful and creative and inspiring.

In a short foreword, the author explains where the title came from and the inspiration for writing this book. The book is written to encourage children to share their gifts with the world, and the book shows how these 52 people made their contributions. Most get a single page, but a few get double pages. There are entries for director Ava Duvernay, pilot Bessie Coleman, former president Barack Obama, sprinter Cathy Freeman and so many others.

I love that the book focuses on people with so many different talents. The message is really clear that the reader can be inspired to do anything. The illustrations are an explosion of wonderful color. The last couple pages of the book have a portrait gallery of all the people featured as well as a short glossary of terms. Read this and be inspired.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group, Wide Eyed Editions, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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New York: The Queen Of Coney Island (The Change #2)

author: Guy Adams
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/17
date added: 2018/03/17
shelves: young-adult
review:
'New York: The Queen of Coney Island (The Change #2)' by Guy Adams continues the series of short novels of a world gone weird. This one was a bit different from the first book, but I still like this series.

The world has changed and not for the better. Grace lives in New York and just wants to find her brother. She ends up teamed up with a guy who calls himself God. Her brother is on Riker's island, but she needs permission to travel from the Queen of Coney Island. The Queen gives them what seems like a simple task: to feed the babies in Dreamland. The old Dreamland burned to the ground, but somehow in this new strange world, it's back. It's also pretty lethal. Grace and God will need whatever help they can find, especially after the babies are accidentally released.

It's a different set of characters this time. Maybe they will all meet at some point in the future, although in a changed world, I'm not sure how people in New York would get to London or Paris. I liked this strangely funny story of the old Dreamland and the odd characters who find themselves there.

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


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Justice League, Vol. 5: Legacy

author: Bryan Hitch
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.52
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/17
date added: 2018/03/17
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Justice League, Vol. 5: Legacy' by Bryan Hitch collects Justice League #26-31 and has an interesting premise. It just doesn't hold up to much scrutiny. I still liked it though.

The children of the Justice League come from the future to try to save their present. Some are a mishmash of powers because of dual parenting, but they all have similar powers to the current Justice League. There is confusion on the Justice League's part and a bit of anger to be dealt with on the kid's part before the oncoming threat is addressed.

The ending felt like it got wrapped up a bit too easily, and the whole thing felt like a pretty tenuous concept, but I loved the idea of this group of kids from the future, and I kind of hope they show up again at some point. The art by Fernando Pasarin is pretty good with a few very cool shots throughout. I just wish the threat and resolution had been a bit more solid.

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


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The Summer of Irreverence: Part One (L'impertinence d'un été)

author: Denis Lapière
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.00
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2018/03/10
date added: 2018/03/10
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Summer of Irreverence: Part One' by Denis Lapiere with art by Ruben Pellejero is a story about artists living in Mexico in the 1920s.

Edward Weston is mourning the loss of his mistress Tina Modotti. He takes a cabbie to a bar and tells the story of how they met. There is also mention of his photography, and famous people like Diego Rivera, Xavier Guerrero and other artists in Mexcio at the time. There are oddly profound and disjointed statements about art that seem to come out of art critique books. The story comes to an end somewhere before we find out what led to Tina's death.

It sounded interesting when I requested a review copy, but it had a hard time keeping me interested in the story. The art had heavy lines, and felt a bit loose and disjointed in the way figures were presented. There was a lot of interesting things happening in Mexico at this time, and this story seems to only mention them in passing. If I'd been that taxi driver, I would have left the bar pretty quickly.

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


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Atar Gull

author: Fabien Nury
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/09
date added: 2018/03/09
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Atar Gull' by Fabien Nury with art by Brüno is an adaptation of an 1831 novel. It's a story of slow but certain revenge.

Atar Gull is the son of a king living his own life when he and many others are taken as slaves. When they original slave ship he is on is taken by pirates, Atar is spared because he is large and will fetch a decent price.

He ends up on a plantation in Jamaica. His owner appears to be decent, but beneath the surface he is not. Atar begins his plot of revenge. A plot that will take a long time for the unsuspecting to figure out.

I liked this story of revenge although it's odd to read a fictionalized story of slavery. What I did like is how the story stayed away from the typical stereotypes of this kind of story. The characters come across as pretty human. The art is unusual and works really well in the story. It doesn't sensationalize the horrors, but it doesn't shy away from them either.

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


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Again!! Vol. 1

author: Mitsurou Kubo
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/03
date added: 2018/03/03
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Again!!' by Mitsurou Kubo is a manga about school life. Usually these leave me uninterested, but this one had a unique twist.

It's Kinichiro's last day of school. He is an outcast who made it through school with no friends. He intends to graduate and get on with his life. Then a freak accident happens and he finds himself starting over as a freshman. This time, he knows what will happen. Will he do the same things or try to be more involved in the lives around him this time.

I really liked this story, and I especially liked the art. The story was unusual enough and even though I didn't know what Ouendan was, the story idea was so compelling that it pulled me along. I really liked this unusual high school story told in manga.

I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.


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The amazing adventures of Jules - Volume 1 - The Future Imperfect (Épatante aventure de Jules (Une))

author: Bravo
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/03/03
date added: 2018/03/03
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Amazing Adventures of Jules: 1. Future Imperfect' with script and art by Emile Bravo is a children's comic about a boy named Jules who gets an adventure that is more than he bargained for.

Jules lives with his mom and dad and his bratty little brother, who is intent on murdering his guinea pig. One night, a scientist arrives at the house and tells Jules that a computer has chosen him for a space journey to Alpha Centauri. The scientist tells Jules that the trip is only 8 weeks long. What Jules doesn't know is that 8 years will pass on Earth while he is gone.

Jules takes the trip with a strange crew of people. They find stranger alien life, and some of the humans react the way humans do. When Jules gets back to Earth, he finds that his younger bratty brother is now his older bratty brother.

This was kind of a silly story, and I think preteens would like the story. The art was good. Even though the story revolves around science, there isn't a lot of it explained here.

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


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In Command: Theodore Roosevelt and the American Military

author: Matthew Oyos
name: Wayne
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/03/02
shelves:
review:



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