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What are you reading right now? (November 2024)
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Last week's adventures in comics.The Terrifying Tales of Vivian Vance: A Graphic Novel ★★★
Not a bad monster story for junior high age kids. The backstory could be fleshed out more and there were numerous spelling mistakes which drove me nuts. But not bad. It's about a Veronica Mars type, who finds out these flesh-takers have infiltrated the community. There's some light body horror but nothing too gross.
Doctor Strange Epic Collection, Vol. 3: A Separate Reality ★★★
This starts off very strong with some great stories from Roy Thomas and Gene Colan. Colan's art is really inventive, especially the panelling giving the book a feeling that is weird and magical. Then the title ends and there's some odds and ends. Dr. Strange returns in Marvel Premiere and it's awful. I was surprised how terrible it was considering Gardner Fox wrote it. It's a knockoff of the C'Thullu mythos. The dialogue is mindnumbingly bad. It gets better towards the end when Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner take over, bringing in Baron Mordo and Silver Dagger as villains.
Swamp Thing, Vol. 3: The Curse ★★★★★
After the Nukeface story based on the real town of Centralia, PA where the fires are still supposed to be burning underground, we get the introduction of John Constantine. Hells yes! Constantine is one of my all time favorite characters in the DC canon. Here, he keeps randomly popping up, stringing Swamp Thing along and growing his powers as the coming apocalypse gets closer. Swamp Thing is running around the country dealing with the issues of the day with a horror spin on them. It's all just great stuff. So is the art.
Swamp Thing, Vol. 4: A Murder of Crows ★★★★★
The story with John Constantine continues and reaches its conclusion. It's very good. I loved the Parliament of Trees. Such a neat idea. You'd think tying this into Crisis for an issue would be really odd, but Moore makes it work pretty easily. I wouldn't think these big world changing stories would work well with Swamp Thing but instead it works surprisingly well. The art continues to be fantastic. I love how Swamp Thing's look changes with the environment around him.
Swamp Thing, Vol. 5: Earth to Earth ★★★★★
The world finds out about Abby and the Swamp Thing charging her with sex crimes. It seems weird as Hell but Moore makes it work with ease. Then they all wind up in Gotham and what you'd think might be a dumb confrontation with Batman is pretty much genius instead. It's astounding how Moore can take something that sounds dumb at the outset into something so fantastic. Just terrific stuff.
Swamp Thing, Vol. 6: Reunion ★★★
Swamp Thing floats around in space for most of this, hopping from planet to planet. It gets really esoteric and some of it lands like a thud. Issue #60, I'm talking to you. God, that issue was just awful. Still, overall we're talking one of the iconic DC runs of all time.
Blacking Out ★★★
That sure does look like Keanu Reeves on the cover. He's nowhere to be found inside though and that's a good thing. This is a really dark book. It's about a washed up drunk former cop investigating the murder of a girl in a small Californian town. That ending. God! It certainly went down the darkest timeline. Works well as crime fiction.
Space Ghost Vol. 1: With Only Ghosts to Comfort Us ★★★★
Pepose plays it straight in this new Space Ghost comic. Jan and Jace see their parents die and Space Ghost takes them in as they fight all the bad guys you remember from the fantastic cartoon. It's exactly what I wanted if you're a fan of the Alex Toth designed TV show.
Star Wars: Vader's Castle - The Deluxe Library Collection ★★★
Star Wars gets spooky with these Halloween tales for kids. The larger story revolves around some Rebels who wind up in Vader's castle on Mustafar. A story gets told each issue while the framing story progresses. There's nothing too scary here so it's an easy one for the kids to read at Halloween. There's enough fun stuff there for Star Wars fans of all ages though.
Magic Book One ★★★★
Some of this was intriguing, some of it confusing. Mackay could have done a better job of introducing this world. I mean it's based on a card game, you can't expect everyone to know the worldbuilding and history aspects of the game. (Yes, I know there are some novels and comics that were published elsewhere.) The sign of a good comic based on an existing property means I don't have to have read anything else to enjoy this and this doesn't do the best job of that. I did enjoy Ig Guara's art quite a bit. I did enjoy this more the second go around.
Lore Olympus: Volume Seven ★★★
Finally! We get to Persephone's trial at the end of this. But of course it ends without a resolution because this series is nothing if not ridiculously drawn out. I still have a problem with how many side characters there are and the character designs aren't different enough to remember who they are when they pop back up. This would be a lot better if they had their names hovering above them like an avatar when they pop up again after dozens of chapters. I'm sure it's fine if you read the webtoon where you can read it all at once, but when you get a physical book only once every 6 months it's an issue.
Book of Evil ★★★
When I saw Scott Snyder and Jock were working together again, I thought "Great, we're finally getting that long delayed sequel to Wytches." It's even put out by a comic book company, first on Comixology, then in print from Dark Horse. But nope. This isn't even a comic. It's prose, written like a journal, with illustrations from Jock.
It's about a dystopian future where 92% of people turn into psychopaths when they hit puberty. All of the kids work in a special part of the city that's cordoned off until they become "adults" and join the rest of the population. There's a group of 5 kids who yearn to escape and join a mythical place where there is a cure. The 2nd half of this the pacing feels off. Every time they get somewhere something immediately happens and they have to run again. Plus I didn't think the ending was very good. Again it felt very rushed without a real ending at all. Still, if you're a Scott Snyder fan it's not a bad read.
Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 3: Gotham Nocturne: Act II ★★
I found this kind of incoherent, especially the flashbacks that aren't indicated very well. To me it reads like a comic book written by 3 different authors which is what it is. These backup stories kill any kind of momentum. If you're going to increase the page count so you can charge more money, you need to still tell just one longer story instead of adding filler.
Where Monsters Lie ★★★
Ever wondered what movie killers do between killing sprees? Apparently they live in this gated community. Things go awry when one of them starts capturing and killing off boys at home and one gets away. Enter a nonstop gory killfest when the police are called in. There are analogues for most of your famous villains, Jason, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Chucky, etc. It does end in a nice twist for a volume 2. Dark Horse's insistence on 4 issue miniseries keeps this from being better than it could be though.
Just got done reading Volume 1 of Greg Rucka's take on The Punisher.
Now starting on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. Not the biggest TMNT fan, but I've heard this story is phenomenal so going to give it a read.
I really liked the Last Ronin. The sequels are cash grabs though.Rucka's Punisher run is pretty good too.
Mod
Here's what folks read this week:
- Mike: Léviathan, tome 1
- Paloma: Dog Days
- Asia: The Principles of Necromancy, Volume 1
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.simplecast.com/ep...
Find Asia Simone online:
https://www.asiaillustration.com/
https://www.instagram.com/asia_simone...
Check out Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Wreck and Roll!: https://scholasticlibrary.digital.sch...
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Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3 ★★★★★
This series continues to be a cozy delight. We meet a few new characters in this volume. Alpha goes on a trip to see more of the land. I liked seeing more people and how they make a life.
Noir is the New Black ★★★★
In the way of anthologies, there are some stories in this I really enjoyed and others that I couldn't get into. The last story in this anthology is prose with a few illustrations and I also struggled to get into that, partially because the text was so small.
Rust Vol. 3: Death of the Rocket Boy ★★★★★
I'm constantly impressed by how well-paced this story is. The character motivations and relationships, the farm, the threat of the machines, and Jet's health are all on a clock that is slowly counting down. This volume ends on a cliffhanger that makes me very glad that I have volume 4 ready.
Rust Vol. 4: Soul in the Machine ★★★★
A bittersweet ending that seems short and quick compared to the three volume build up.
I really wish there were more volumes of Rust. It's such a terrific series.
This week's trip to my LCS. I was on vacation so it's 2 week's worth of comics.Black Lightning #1
Feral #7
X-Force #5
Aliens Vs. Avengers #2
Ultimates #6
X-Men #7
Birds of Prey #15
X-Factor #4
JSA #1
Avengers #20
Something Is Killing the Children #0
Batman: Dark Age #6
GI Joe #1
Captain America #15
Spectacular Spider-Men #9
Transformers #14
Uncanny X-Men #5
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: X-O Manowar
Gatchaman Jun
Gatchaman Ken
Absolute Batman #2
Absolute Superman #1
Mod
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.simplecast.com/ep...
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Under the Oak Tree: The Comic, Vol. 1 ★★★★
This is a print edition of a very popular web comic that's based on a light novel. This book is actually #7 on the NYT Fiction bestseller list right now, which almost never happens with comics! There's a lot of tropes in this book but the uncertain budding romance and repressed characters have a lot of potential, and those arcs have a solid beginning in this volume.
Run: Book One ★★★★
If you want more of March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell this is a solid follow-up. With Lewis's death at the end of the planning stages of this book I'm unclear if there will be more in this series. This book ends on a low point and a bit of a cliffhanger. There's a very useful glossary in the rear matter.
The Pirate Princess ★★★
This is about a girl born to pirates and raised by different pirates. She's trying to figure out what role she wants to play in the pirate world. The art style is beautifully stylized but it was sometimes difficult to follow what was happening, particularly in the important fight scenes. I liked the main character and the story.
Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 1 ★★★★★
This manga is by the creator of Queen's Quality/QQ Sweeper. It's about a high school girl who's dealing with grief from her brother's death and has a guardian angel she only communicates with through text. In vol. 1 the reader learns who that is and why they're hiding their identity from her. This story seems like it should feel contrived but the creator is great at making plot points meaningful and understandable.
Went to Mexico last week so here are the last 2 weeks of my adventures in comics.Cagaster Vol 1 ★★★
This was OK. It's a manga set in a dystopian future. One in a thousand people turn into giant bugs and start eating people. Those left live in desert cities. Exterminators are basically bounty hunters taking out the remaining giant bugs. The main characters are a surly bounty hunter and a young woman that he saves. There's a lot of your standard tropes here and the plot doesn't get very far in these 200 pages.
The Zombies that Ate the World Vol. 1: An Unbearable Smell ! ★★
I like Guy Davis's art. The stories though were just stupid. People have come back from the dead but they mainly just sit there like they are still just dead bodies for the most part. Then there's this messed up brother and sister that help people who want to get rid of zombies because it's illegal. None of this makes a lot of sense or is well established.
Archie Horror Presents: Chilling Adventures ★★★
This works best when the stories are feature length. The Madame Satan stuff is pretty good. The rest though, the stories are so short that they rarely have time to develop. Just more of things to flip through quickly than enjoy.
Absolute Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Vol. 3 ★★★★
The first half of this I find to be terrific. Swamp Thing and Abby's relationship becomes public and she suffers some pretty big repercussions from it. It could have been pretty silly in other hands with what happened but Moore handles it perfectly. I like the Batman appearance as well. Then Swamp Thing tours the universe and that's where it kind of loses me. Don't get me wrong, parts are still great like the couple of issues on Rann. But parts of it also get really esoteric like issue #60 and it's awful. I give the entire run other than the 2nd half of this one 5 stars. Overall it's a very iconic run and one of DC's first forays into making comics for adults. I also really like the new coloring by Steve Oliff with modern coloring techniques.
Sorceline ★★★★
An interesting comic for kids. It's Harry Potter for magical creatures. Sorceline and the other students she meets are learning how to take care of magical creatures on an island. There's a mystery involved as well. The art is excellent. The complete opposite of what you'd find in a manga with fully realized and gorgeous panels full of colors that pop. There's zero corners cuts in the art department here.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Volume 1 ★★★
Kind of a Japanese version of Scooby Doo. Five volunteers (who just happen to all have specialties that can help) find dead bodies and help put them at peace. One of them can talk to the dead so they can figure out what they need to do and they are constantly carrying corpses in bags all over Japan without anyone saying a word. It's like a nonstop Weekend at Bernies if Bernie was carried around in a body bag. Somehow they try and turn this into a cash business as well, by lucking out with lottery tickets and the like, because of karma.
GUMAA: The Beginning of Her ★★★
Really dark urban fantasy about a woman forced into prostitution. She discovers a magical dagger that gives her magical powers. Years later a young girl tries to stop her and her growing cult. There's a lot here for a great series but it's missing the connective tissue to tie it all together properly. The art is very good as well.
Anfield Road ★★★★
Really good. It's about a teenager from Liverpool in the 80's. He's living with his grandmother after his parents abandoned him when he was a kid. His grandmother is really overbearing and he refers her as the Ogre. The city is obsessed with football even though he's never been to a game. All he wants to do is get into art school in London. It's a slice of life comic about growing up poor in the U.K. 30 years ago.
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin ★★★
Dresden heads to small town Missouri to help a cursed family whose members are being murdered. It never gets heavily into why things are happening. It's pretty clear as to the division of writing. Butcher came up with the scenario and plot and Powers actually wrote the comic. And there's where it's not as good as the books. Powers completely wiffs on Dresden's humor and snark that make the books so much fun. It all feels a bit generic because of it.
Killtopia: The Complete Collection ★★★
Even though there's a forward here by the author that he wanted to break some of the cliches of cyberpunk with this, I felt like it followed a lot of the same cliches. It's got all of the standard poor getting tromped on by the ultra rich here, kept in line by the hope of making it big in Killtopia where the winner of the battle royale strikes it rich while everyone else dies. There's also a robot faction that is being killed off due to a plague they unwittingly released on humans. It's not bad, but there's nothing new here either.
Leviathan Volume 1 ★★★
Lord of the Flies / Battle Royale in space. A class trip on a space liner goes awry when asteroids strike it and kill all of the adults, leaving the kids to fight over one cryopod. The art does a nice job of setting the mood.
Manhole Volume 1 ★★★
A parasitic disease is unleashed in Japan leading a pair of police detectives to stop it. There’s body horror as this worm travels under the skin to your eye then causing the brain to explode. This was actually not bad.
Dune: House Harkonnen, Volume Three ★★★
These Dune prequels are surprisingly good. Even though this is called House Harkonnen it's more of an ensemble of all of the older characters in Dune as they grow into their roles to come.
Breakdown (The Reckoner Rises, #1) ★★★
I haven't read the YA series that this continues. That's the problem with switching media. However, this seemed to be your standard experimenting on teenagers and giving them superheroes schtick, just in Canada with indigenous people. The main character is having hallucinations and that's where things got confusing. The art was good but it got super confusing with these visions about what was real and what wasn't.
Star Trek: Defiant, Vol. 2: Another Piece of the Action ★★★
This new story taking place after the inclusion of the Day of Blood crossover feels like a prelude to something else. Worf and the crew of the Defiant are kicked out of Starfleet officially but operating in secret, going after characters seen across episodes of the various series. They are operating as bounty hunters in places where the Federation can't officially interfere. My issue is that they kind of just seem to be collecting characters instead of having any growth. It feels a bit stagnant.
Conan the Barbarian Vol. 3: The Age Unconquered ★★★
Conan gets thrown back in time where he meets up with Kull. Kull seems very bland and without a whole lot of characterization even though he's another Robert E. Howard creation. I'm not digging this run as much as Zub's time on Conan while at Marvel.
Star Trek, Vol. 3: Glass and Bone ★★★
Even though it's still an all-star crew of Star Trek characters, this is very much the Benjamin Sisko show. The crew of the Theseus gets stuck in the middle of this new race descended from dinosaurs and the Romulans. It all feels very cookie cutter Star Trek for the most part though. Like most things from Kelly and Lanzing, it's just OK.
Bristlemouth: A Cove Horror ★
Man, this was filled with filler. It was about one issue of comic worth of content stretched out to four 44 page issues. It's about these nurses who go out camping to relieve the stress of their jobs. Some weird creature starts biting them and turning them into creatures like itself. Much of it didn't make sense. The art was really bad and made it hard to follow as well. I couldn't tell what was happening a lot of the time.
Grim Vol. 4 ★★★★
More character backstories while the main plot begins to coalesce in the background. Flaviano and Rico Renzi's art is just perfect. I'm really curious to see what happens in this. Plus Jess's parents had a messed up relationship.
Absolute Power ★★★
This was a cool idea, setting up Amanda Waller as the villain, trying to take out all of the metas, good or bad. But it's spread out across too many titles, making this core event feel very disjointed. Read as a whole it's probably really good. Reading this alone, it's just OK. Which is a shame when you have Mark Waid and Dan Mora on it and they are both terrific.
DC All In Special #1 ★★★★
The kickoff for DC's new initiative "All In". All of the books are getting new jumping on points along with new titles and the Absolute universe begins in this as well. I thought this was well done and I'm all in as well. Plus, the return of the Justice League and a cool spin on the Legion.
Lotus Land ★★★
An OK future noir. It seems to get pretty dark but it's also very confusing as to why things were happening. Almost everything is left unexplained along the way. I was fine with the ambiguous ending but there were several other things I had questions about along the way. It often felt like they were pages or scenes missing.
Dune: House Corrino, Volume One ★★★
The last of the Dune prequels begins. Even though it's about House Corrino, it's also about House Atreides and Harkonnen as we march towards the original Dune. The art's not bad, but not as good as Fran Galan or Michael Shelfer in the previous adaptations.
Magic, Volume Three ★★★★
Some new Planeswalkers take center stage when the three from the first two arcs are trapped on Ravnica. Chandra Nalaar is blocked repeatedly from crossing the plane to Ravnica and the three go on a quest to stop the larger plot of a Planeswalker trying to conquer the multiverse. It's good stuff, but what else would you expect from Jed Mackay.
Magic Volume Four ★★★
The story of the first three volumes ends here as the confrontation with Tesseret comes to a head. The multiple artists and color artists make the last couple of issues a very mixed bag. Some of the pages are terrible. Still I like the story overall.
Today's trip to my LCS.Storm #2
House of Slaughter #27
Geiger #8
Batman - Superman / World's Finest #33
Exceptional X-Men #3
Immortal Thor #17
Ultimate Spider-Man #11
Space Ghost #7
Jonny Quest #4
Rocketfellers #1
Predator Versus Black Panther #4
Mod
Here's what folks read this week:
- Mike: We Called Them Giants
- Kait: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3
- Danny: Jill and the Killers
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.simplecast.com/ep...
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Across a Field of Starlight ★★★★★
I really enjoyed this and have been continually impressed by Delliquanti's work. The general worldbuilding of empire vs. resistance has certainly been done before but I really enjoyed the reinterpretation of showing two very different resistances and making both their work important for the final outcome.
There are a lot of real world ideas scattered through this story: Different perspectives for how to respond to colonists/immigrants and their descendants; Staunch capitalism vs. a gift economy; Practical use for AI and the recognition that it could outgrow its directives; accessibility and different cultural responses to injured people. I really appreciated the variety of body types, relationships, and identities in this book.
A Chinese Fantasy: The Dragon King's Daughter Book 1 ★★★★★
This is an anthology where the first half of the volume is one story. I really enjoyed the art for the dragon characters in The Dragon King's Daughter. The other stories were so short I would only just start getting into them and they would end. I like the variety of the short stories in any case.
Last week's adventures in comics.X-Men Epic Collection, Vol. 23: Fatal Attractions ★★★★
This volume has some key moments in it, mostly depressing ones. The Legacy virus takes its first victim. Colossus goes into a downward spiral, joining the Acolytes. Gambit's first miniseries. Magneto pulls the adamantium out of Wolverine's skeleton. Magneto gets turned into a vegetable. Fatal Attractions was a bunch of extra thick issues with holograms on the cover for the 30th anniversary of the X-Men. There's a lot to like here. I will warn you that 90s comics are very verbose.
Gambit ★★★
Gambit heads to New Orleans after his brother is murdered. There his past catches up to him and he gets embroiled is a power struggle between the Thieves and Assassins Guilds. Rogue tags along and accidentally steals some of Bella Donna's memories. The plot is convoluted and motivations sometimes don't make sense. Lee Weeks provides artwork reminiscent of Joe Kubert.
Dune: House Corrino Vol. 2 ★★
The art seems to be getting worse in these adaptations as it goes along. Maybe Boom is looking to save some money towards the end of these? Anyway, it's still houses Atreides and Harkonnen going at it with one another with the Emperor doing real shady stuff behind the scenes. I'm suddenly glad it's almost over as it's losing my interest.
Transformers: Infiltration ★★★
This is OK. It's a tad bit confusing as to what's going on here as not enough info is doled out. The autobots and decepticons are lurking in plain sight. Three humans happen upon them while holding onto a macguffin that's not explained.
Transformers: Escalation ★★
The story is pretty simple at this point. The Decepticons are trying to start a war and the Autobots are trying to stop them. The subplots though get started and then forgotten about, like the capture of Sunstreaker and one of the humans. Not the best writing overall.
Transformers: Devastation ★★
Whew! this is a lot to follow. A ton of new elements get thrown into the mix including some dumb ones like bringing the headmasters back. I thought those were dumb even as a kid. Then there's stuff with Galvatron and the Reavers. It's a whole lot to keep track of in the background while the main thrust is Sixshot kicking the crap out of the Autobots. This isn't a series that you get eased into. If you don't have instant recollection of the 80's cartoon, there's a good chance you'll be lost.
Barda ★★★
This is OK. I was impressed that Ukazu was able to update the New Gods story in a relatable way without really changing it. But this is also a dumbed down version for kids. Some of it didn't quite fit together almost as if pages were in the wrong order. The art's not very good and that's compounded with zero backgrounds. Still it's not bad for a simplified version of the Big Barda and Scott Free story.
Magic Book Two ★★★★
I like that you don't need to know anything about the Magic card game to enjoy this. It's just straight up fantasy, concentrating on the Planeswalkers. It does pick up from Book One, even though the main characters in this one are three different planeswalkers. They are trying to get back to Ravnica which their access has been blocked. The big bad is revealed and a big confrontation happens as this story ends and another one is alluded to.
Braba: A Brazilian Comics Anthology ★★★
An anthology of short comics from Brazilian creators. Some are pretty good, some not so much. I like the ones that tell an actual story as opposed to getting esoteric.
Star Wars: Purge ★★★★
These series of one shots set after Order 66 are surprisingly pretty good. Most of them are about Darth Vader hunting down the remaining Jedi. The final one, The Tyrant's Fist was really interesting in how Vader undercut the Jedi's influence on a planet.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command ★★★
This is set between Episode III and IV. Darth Vader is sent on a mission with another Captain when Admiral Tarkin's son goes missing. They go to a system where no one speaks basic looking for Tarkin Jr. while murdering everyone left and right. While there some Lady offers to help them if they make her queen of the system. Honestly, this isn't written the best, especially towards the end. Nothing feels earned, particularly all the double crossing.
Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol. 1: Path to Nowhere ★★★★
The Empire has newly risen. Most of the Jedi have died from Order 66. It is the dark times. This first arc follows Jedi Dass Jennir from Star Wars Republic #79-80 as he tries to help his friend save his family from slavers. It's MUCH darker than your typical Star Wars story but I thought it was really good. Dark Horse editor Randy Stradley actually wrote this series under two ghost names, Welles Hartley and Mick Harrison.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 1: Commencement ★★★★★
Well, that end of the first issue is a real stunner. I never expected to see that in a Star Wars comic. Zayne Carrick is a padawan and he's also a screw up. Anything that can go wrong for him, will. He and the other padawans on this planet are about to become knights. That's when the record scratch happens and this all veers askew. Just great stuff. Can't wait to read the rest of this.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 2: Flashpoint ★★★★
Zayne and his team of rogues are hiding out from the rogue Jedi that framed them. I'm still really curious the deal with these guys as they are certainly acting like the end justifies the means of straight up killing people when they are supposed to be Jedi. They don't seem at all conflicted about it. Anyway the actual good guys meet a bunch of Mandalorians in the main story. Then they go to a bank planet to get Camper's money from his accounts. They run afoul of these dummy hammerhead brothers that are both idiots and hilarious. I'm really enjoying this series. It's way better than the current Star Wars comics Marvel is putting out.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 3: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger ★★★★
We split into two separate storylines as our group splits into two. One going off to fight in the war with Mandalor and in the other we finally see what Jareal and Camper have been hiding from on their home planet. It's all great stuff. The art is really good too, rotating between Brian Ching, Dustin Weaver and Harvey Taliboa. I'd forgotten how much better the Star Wars comics were at Dark Horse than they are now at Marvel.
Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire, Vol. 1 ★★★★
A bunch of the Dark Horse stories set right after Order 66 was given wiping out most of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire.
Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Old Republic, Vol. 1 ★★★★★
So this is set around the Knights of the Old Republic video game. It is its own thing though. Just set in the same time frame and the characters cross over at times. This was terrific. The setup for that first issue is just the best. It's about a screw up Padawan who keeps trying to catch this one roguish character. Then we get to the end of the issue where he's supposed to meet the Jedi and other padawans for a Jedi Knight ceremony and you can hear the actual needle scratch occur in your head as things completely change. I almost don't even want to say anymore. Just that Zayne is now on the run, being chased across the galaxy. Meanwhile the Mandalorians are the big threat in the galaxy at this time. This thing is just packed with good stories and good art. It collects the first 3 trades of the series. Just toss aside the current Marvel Star Wars comics. These puppies are where the real good stuff is hidden.
Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine ★★★
Another Comixology Original from Scott Snyder. One thing I'll give him, he has no shortage of ideas. This one is an all ages story about the power of ideas. Dudley Datson is a teenage inventor who meets up with a talking dog and has to go on the run from an alien race that wants to enslave humanity.
Discipline ★
Shaw took actual correspondence from the Civil War and built this out of it. It's the story of a Quaker boy who sneaks away from home and signs on with the Union army. All of the story is correspondence between him and his sister. The pages tell the story wordlessly of what is actually happening.
I had two large problems with this. One, all of the writing is in cursive and I detest cursive in my comics. It's so difficult to read. The second is that Shaw refuses to use any kind of panels. It looks like a book of sketches instead and that's what it reads like at times too. It's really difficult to write a wordless story that works. It's even harder when there's no structure to it. Comics need structure or they aren't really comics, just artwork.
Dog Days ★★★
The story of a Korean couple who adopts a dog. They decide to move outside of Seoul to the countryside where dogs are often treated quite differently. Frequently neglected, sometimes much worse. I was pretty shocked when she met someone who butchered dogs like livestock. Thankfully, she mentions in the afterword that those laws have changed as of 2024, no longer allowing it.
Mod
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.simplecast.com/ep...
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The Marble Queen ★★★★★
I loved this book and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I came for the beautiful cover and stayed for the beautiful story. The main character has a strong arc from the beginning to the end. I love the slow burn romance that builds alongside trust, respect, and loyalty. This feels like only the first part of a story. There are some subplots that are not resolved. The art style is occasionally a bit rough but then occasionally stunning.
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 ★★★
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 2 ★★
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 3 ★★★
A friend let me borrow these. Normally we're into the same kind of manga but I couldn't get invested in this one. There are a lot of characters and a lot of chaos. There are a few subplots I'd like to follow but it's a lot of content for just a few things I like.
The Jellyfish ★★★★★
This book is about someone slowly going blind so it feels weird to give a rating to it. The relationships depicted in this story were all relatable from living through early adulthood. I appreciated the way the jellyfish were included or intentionally omitted from panels with the main character--it made it very clear how present the jellyfish were in every moment of their life. I also appreciated the focus on Odette's story and experience and how Odette was just casually nonbinary and no one made a big deal about it.
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Volume 4 ★★★
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Volume 5 ★★★★★
I feel like my enjoyment of this series is dependent on how character focused it is vs. how food focused. There were a lot of new terms in vol. 4 using the mix of Japanese, German, and the in-universe language and it was a lot to keep up with. In general, the world of this story is expanded a little at a time but it stays balanced with appearances of regulars.
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I Read Comic Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 2 (other topics)Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 (other topics)
Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, Volume 5 (other topics)
The Marble Queen (other topics)
Transformers, Vol. 1: Robots in Disguise (other topics)
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