Jazz Club

author: Alexandre Clérisse
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.83
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/30
date added: 2020/12/30
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Jazz Club' with story and art by Alexandre Clerisse is a werid graphic novel about a former saxophone player and the end of the world.

Norman was a good saxophone player until he is singled out and kidnapped to join a madman's jazz band to play out the new millennium in 30 years. In the following 30 years, Norman loses his ability to play, but that doesn't seem to stop people from appreciating his music.

This is a trippy story. I liked the sparseness of it and the odd characters. The art really fits the craziness of the whole thing.

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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Adventureman, Vol. 1: The End and Everything After

author: Matt Fraction
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/27
date added: 2020/12/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Adventureman, Vol. 1: The End and Everything After' by Matt Fraction with art by Terry Dodson is a graphic novel about a fictional team of heroes that may or may not be all that fictional.

Claire and her son are fans of Adventureman. They read and collect the adventures. Claire starts to find weird things happening to her and around her. Her lifelong hearing loss is suddenly healed, and now there is a building in the city that was never there before but looks very familiar.

When it was all said and done, I liked it, but it took over half for me to warm to it. Once I did, I enjoyed the ride. The art was a lot of fun and I really liked the perspectives and angles to it.

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


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Elton John

author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/27
date added: 2020/12/27
shelves: childrens, non-fiction
review:
'Elton John' by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Sophie Beer is the 50th volume in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series.

As a child, Elton John was a prodigy on the piano. This got him a scholarship study classical music, and while Elton was there, he liked writing rock and roll music. He learned he wasn't as good at the lyrics, but found a partner who was.

I liked this bright, colorful biography of Elton John. This is such a fun series, and the artist really did a great job with the illustrations. There are lots of fun details in the art.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Queen of the Sea

author: Dylan Meconis
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/26
date added: 2020/12/26
shelves: graphic-novels, young-adult
review:
'Queen of the Sea' with story and art by Dylan Meconis is a historical fiction graphic novel inspired somewhat by true events.

Margaret lives on an island in a convent. She has lived there since she was little and since she is a child, she is free to roam and discover the secrets of the island and its inhabitants. She learns that many of the women on the island are banished there by politics. The Queen Eleanor of Albion is banished the island, Margaret becomes friends with her, but then Margaret learns a secret about her ownself that may threaten Eleanor.

I liked this story of island life and political intrigue. The story is sprawling at 400 pages, some of them more packed with words, but the whole thing kept my interest. From the charming art, to the lettering. I liked how the art changed for Margaret's flashback and explanation sections.

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


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The Silent Invasion, Red Shadows

author: Larry Hancock
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.28
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/26
date added: 2020/12/26
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Silent Invasion: Red Shadows' by Larry Hancock with art by Michael Cherkas is a cult-classic graphic novel from a few decades past full of mystery and paranoia.

Matt Sinkage is a reporter in a town in the 1950s. He is intrigued by a woman in trouble, which leads him to a group of conspiring communists. His involvement with her leads to interest by the FBI, and he ends up being suspected of being a sympathizer. To add to the weirdness, there are UFOs and people that Matt knows who are just not acting normal.

Originally published in the late 1980s, I liked the vibe of the book. It was a good nostalgic look at the kind of comics I was sometimes reading. Does it hold up 30+ years later? Not so much. The story pace feels a bit sluggish, but the art has a cool 1980s look to it.

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


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B-Squad Volume 1: Conspiracy in Cambodia

author: Eben Burgoon
name: Wayne
average rating: 1.00
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2020/12/24
date added: 2020/12/24
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'B-Squad Volume 1: Conspiracy in Cambodia' by Eben Burgoon with art by Sean Sutter is a graphic novel with a group of mercenaries where no character is safe from getting killed.

The premise of this series is a rotating group of mercenaries that are expendable, so the reader better not get too familiar with. The premise is ridiculous as are the missions and cast of characters. It all seems like a possible winning idea.

Except it's not. It's hard to care about the characters or even what they are doing. I read it without really caring about anything that happened or even thinking it was all that clever.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Starburns Industries 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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Adventures in the Respiratory System

author: Alexander Lowe
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/24
date added: 2020/12/24
shelves: childrens, graphic-novels, non-fiction
review:
'Adventures in the Respiratory System' by Alexander Lowe with illustrations by Sebastian Kadlecik is another graphic novel adventure of the Bod Squad.

Sam breathes in some dust, which is going to make him sneeze, and the rest of the Bod Squad shrinks down to see how his respiratory sytem works. They learn how the bronchi work as well as the way the body filters out germs.

I like this fun series about kids learning how systems of the body work. There is a lot to learn and this is a good introductory method. The illustrations are fun and the books have extra information like further reading lists and glossaries of terms.

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


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