East of West, Vol. 1: The Promise

author: Jonathan Hickman

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.99

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/11/09

date added: 2013/11/09

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

East of West Volume 1 collects the first 5 issues of the series by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. It's best described as a Weird West tale in an alternate future where cosmic forces are battling each other.



In an alternate future, the US is divided into territories owned by different factions. The West coast is founded by Mao (not Chairman Mao) and the Golden Gate Bridge is conceived very differently. There are cities in canyons and towering spires and lots of desert. Into this rides Death with his 2 companions known as Wolf and Crow. He is being pursued by the other three members of the apocalyptic group (war, famine and pestilence) which are portrayed as children. Along the way, Death's wife makes an appearance.



To be honest, I was a bit lost at first. It's a volume 1, but it took me a bit to pick up the story thread. The story is so epic and the casualties so immense, that it lost some meaning for me, and the story does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. It's an interesting setup and I would like to see where they go with it. And the artwork by Nick Dragotta is really cool. I loved Death, Wolf and especially Crow as they were portrayed. He's created some iconic characters that I'd like to see more of.



I received this review copy from Image Comics and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/757117305?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

True Blood Volume 1: All Together Now

author: Alan Ball

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.58

book published: 2011

rating: 3

read at: 2013/07/04

date added: 2013/10/15

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

One night down at Merlotte's in Bon Temps, everyone in the restaurant is trapped by a creepy, tentacled imp spirit who feeds on shame. The spirit won't release everyone until they all tell a shameful recollection from their past. Since this is based on True Blood, the stories include those of vampires and shapeshifters.



The comic is based on the television series, which is based on the book series. The art used is a sort of vector stylized photo cartoon style, sort of like you can do to your Facebook profile photo. The result is that the characters look much like the actors they portray on the show. This works, but seems a little distracting to the ongoing story. That's probably just me, though.



The story works well as back story to some of the characters, and it's suggested by an idea from series writer Alan Ball. I don't know if these were separate issues before they became a graphic novel, but the chapters divide up by just ending, not building to a cliffhanger. It makes for a kind of broken reading experience to then flip through a few pages of issue cover art to get back into the story.



Most of the stories were interesting. A couple were less so. The imp shaloop character was well created and drawn, with tentacles shooting out of his coat and capturing people near him. The ending hints at a sequel.





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Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster--the Creators of Superman

author: Brad Ricca

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.51

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/11/07

date added: 2013/11/07

shelves: non-fiction

review:

Super Boys is the culmination of 10 years research by Brad Ricca. The result is an excellent biography about the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The book includes rare early artwork and stories from their days in high school. Through these, you can see the evolution of Superman.



Jerry just tried wanted to fit in. He wrote for the school newspaper under aliases. He wrote stories about the girls he liked. He wrote letters to the early science fiction magazines and he schemed to get rich writing. When he met Joe Shuster, he found someone who could illustrate his stories. The result, eventually, was Superman. It seems like the ultimate rags to riches story, and it was. Just not for Jerry and Joe. They gave away the creation through errors and spent years trying to get it back.



The book covers the hard years, with Joe working drawing less than admirable things, and Jerry working as a non-credited writer in comics. Towards the end of their lives they began to receive the recognition they so desperately wanted, but the money never rolled in like they dreamed. As the book closes, the family is still in the process of getting some of the rights back.



It's a great story about 2 guys living in Cleveland who create something so beyond them. Something that was breathed out of their fantasies and into ours. Very enjoyable and melancholy.



I received a review copy from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.









via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/614288043?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

Cyborg 009

author: F.J. DeSanto

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.71

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/11/05

date added: 2013/11/05

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Cyborg 009 is a reboot of the 1964 series by Shotaro Ishinomori that has a great modern sensibility while still honoring the past. A diverse group of cyborgs is created by the Black Ghost and they all have different strengths to bring to the team.



The newest member, Cyborg 009, discovers that his name was Joe and that he was in love with a girl. He breaks from the group and almost dies, but uncovers a plot by Sekar to build an army of cyborgs to take over the planet. Can Cyborg 009 (and 001-008) stop him in time?



It's all a lot of fun and I loved how unique each cyborg character was. The art by Marcus To and Ian Herring is a colorful western style that nods towards manga. The story by F. J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp is one about what it means to be human and have friends to rely on. Nicely done.



I was given a review copy of this book by Archaia Entertainment and Netgalley in exchange for and honest review. Thank you for letting me review this.













via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/634556696?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

Man v. Liver

author: Neil Hinson

name: Wayne

average rating: 2.03

book published: 2013

rating: 1

read at: 2013/11/04

date added: 2013/11/04

shelves:

review:







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Arrow Vol. 1

author: Marc Guggenheim

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.73

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2013/11/02

date added: 2013/11/02

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

Arrow Volume 1 is a tie in to the WB show Arrow that features the Green Arrow. The book features a number of mini-comics that tie in to episodes on the show. As such, there isn't really a cohesive storyline to this book since the comics are either prologues or add extra information to the individual episodes.



If you are a fan of the show, this book would probably go well with watching the episodes on dvd or on a streaming service. As a straight read this book doesn't make a lot of sense. It should be advertised as a companion piece. It's not a stand alone.



The art is good. It's nice to see Mike Grell's work again amongst the other artists in the book. I was a big fan of Jon Sable and this work shows the same gritty sensibility. The Marc Guggenheim scripts are good and tie right in to the show. I have seen most of the episodes that these stories tie into so it was nice to see some backstory that I know wasn't in the episodes. Think of it more like a dvd extra or cut scenes and you might enjoy it.



I was given an advanced reading copy by DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book for you.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/689548273?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss

The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World

author: Greg King

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.04

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2013/11/01

date added: 2013/11/01

shelves: non-fiction

review:

With the 100th anniversary of the tragic assassination that some claim led to the First World War, this is a new look at the archduke and his wife from some recently uncovered sources. Traditional sources have told that Franz Ferdinand was miserly, standoffish and dark. This book, which is written with his descendants blessings may have a different agenda, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.



Franz Ferdinand was nephew to Habsburg emperor Franz Joseph. When Franz Joseph's son Rudolph committed suicide and Franz Ferdinand's father renounced his claim on the throne, this left Franz in line for the throne. Complicating this was his marriage to Sophie Chotek, who was not his royal equal, creating a morganatic marriage. This inequality was never accepted by the emperor and Franz Ferdinand was riled by it. He made royal friends in other countries where she was accepted as equal, but not in Austria. They had 3 children and spent much of their time away from Vienna and the rest of the royal family.



The journey to Sarajevo and it's aftermath are discussed, as well as the fates of the three orphaned children, who suffered the loss of their parents, but the misfortunes of World War II. I've been to the military history museum in Vienna where many of the artifacts of the assassination are on display. The slashed and bloodstained uniform Franz Ferdinand wore, the couch he was laid on after he was shot and the automobile he and Sophie were riding in, among other things. It's a somber display, but with the distance of history, events can seem blurry and out of focus. This book humanized the victims of that assassination in a new way. It's a well written book about an event that may have been the most tragic of the 20th Century.



I was given a review copy by St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me read this fine book.





via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/705849781?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss