Short & Sweet Reviews: Graphic Novel Edition #11

Descender Vol 1: Tin Stars
Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen, Steve Wands

The second volume of this series was nominated in the Booktube SSF Awards so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about and picked up the first volume. I did really enjoy this book, and found the conflict to be very compelling. The art style in this one was kind of hard to get used too but after the first issue I was really into it. I recommend if you want a science fiction comic.

4 out of 5 Stars

Ms. Marvel Vol 5: Super Famous
 G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona, Nico Leon

I forgot how much I adore this series! I didn't realize how much I missed Kamala until I started reading this volume. Mr. Marvel is a full Avenger now and is trying to balance everything. This is another fantastic volume in this series and if you haven't already check out Ms. Marvel, I highly recommend.

4 out of 5 Stars

The March of the Crabs Vol 1: The Crabby Condition
Arthur de Pins

I received a copy of this book from Boom! for an honest review. This is a quirky book. It follows a group of crabs that cannot change direction. This is a funny little book and I haven't read anything else like it. I enjoyed the characters, I could put myself in their shoes and realize how mundane their lives would be. As a biologist, I definitely giggled while reading it. If you're looking for something completely different, check this one out.

3 out of 5 Stars

 Lumberjanes Vol 4: Out of Time
 Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Brooke Allen, Grace  Ellis , Maarta  Laiho, Aubrey Aiese

I love this series! It's hard for me to say a lot about this volume because spoilers BUT it was fantastic as always. I liked learning more about the history of the camp and the adventure in this volume was pretty crazy. The characters in this series are absolutely amazing. Read it!

5 out of 5 Stars

Beginner's Guild to Comics

Comics have been picking up popularity around the book world and over the last year I have been reading a lot more. I have always loved any form of storytelling so I decided that I wanted to get into comics. I am by no means an expert but I have picked up some things that I think might be helpful for someone who is trying to get into comics. 

1. Graphic Novel vs. Comics

This one can be a confusing one when you start in the comic world and a lot of people have strong opinions on when the term graphic novel applies. However, all graphic novels are comics. Typically, graphic novels refers to a story that is contained in one book and wasn't released serially. If the story came out in single issues, it is often put into a bind up of 5-6 issues called a Trade Paperback. But a lot of us (including me) use the words interchangeably so don't worry about it.

2. Best Way To Read

This is up to you. I am currently reading both single issues or trade paperbacks. I find it's easier to read Trades because there is is often a whole story arch in one book so that you aren't waiting for the next issue. When I read Singles, I read them digitally on an app called Comicology. You can also buy and read Trades there as well, but I often get mine from the library or buy a physical copy. I highly recommend checking out what your library has to get started. 

3. But I Don't Like Super Heroes...

 There are lots of comics that aren't about superheroes. Often there is so much lore and history involved in superheroes that it's intimating to get into. Luckily, there is a lot more out there than just superheroes. There are comics of all different genres that are super easy to just jump right into. If you can think of a genre, there is a comic for it.

My Recommendations:

  

If you have read other comics that you think would be good for beginners, leave a comment. I have only been reading comics for a year, so I still have a lot more to explore.

Short and Sweet Reviews: Graphic Novel Edition #5

Star Wars: Lando
Charles Soule & Alex Maleev

As a huge Star Wars fan, I decided it was time I investigated the extended universe. However, I don't know if this was the best place to start for me. Lando is an interesting and very suave character, so it was really cool to see some of his backstory. I found I was confused during the first 2 issues in this trade but the last 3 were much more engaging and fast paced. I recommend this to any Star Wars fans out there, especially if you want to know more about Lando and already have some knowledge of his character.

3 out of 5 Stars

Wytches Vol 1
Scott Snyder & Jock


This was dark... very very dark. I very much enjoyed this book, especially the story. The story is what I loved about this book the most. I think that it showed a strong father daughter relationship, and it gave us a realistic insight into anxiety. What I didn't really like was the art work. It was extremely dark and had weird overlays which made it really hard to see what was going on. This book was really scary, and I could see it becoming a horror movie. Thumbs up.

4 out of 5 Stars 

Chew Vol 5: Major League Chew
John Layman & Rob Guillory

Chew is hands down my favourite comic series. These books are genius! This volume definitely picks up the pace and gets even more weird and disgusting. This is the most unique series I have ever read and this volume is one of my favourites so far. I can't say too much because it's Volume 5 but things are dark and hilarious. If you are into comics, you have to check out Chew. Do it!

5 out of 5 Stars 

Pull List - 01/13/2016

Another Wednesday, that means it's new comic day! This is a pretty good week, as you can tell I am still very new to this community but I am highly enjoying myself. As you will see, I am picking up a lot of new series and I am excited to get into these.

  

Kennel Block Blues Issue 2 & 3
I just read the first issue of this series and it was AWESOME. Issue #3 came out this week and I picked up both issue 2 and 3. This series is genius, it's about dogs that are in jail. It's fantastic and if you want to read a non-super hero comic, check this series out.

Goldie Vance Issue #1
This one looks really interesting. It follows Goldie Vance who is a new sleuth. It's compared to Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars. I have high hopes for this book and I can't wait to read it.

Star Wars: C-3PO Special 
This is a one off, following one of our favourite droids. This book gives us a glimpse into C-3PO's story before the Force Awakens. What would a pull list be without a Star Wars book? Now I just need to catch up on both Star Wars and Darth Vader series.

Short and Sweet Reviews: Graphic Novel Edition #4

Gotham Academy Vol 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy
 Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl

This was an awesome book. I loved that it was kind of a mystery ghost story, and at some points it even reminded me of Scooby-Doo. The art in this was very well done and I really enjoyed the start of this series. There is still a lot to learn about the characters and the school and I am excited for the second volume to come out. 

4 out of 5 Stars

Chew Vol 4: Flambe
John Layman

I love this series, it's so unique. The story keeps taking weird and hilarious turns. There is always hidden gems in the art work that plays homage to pop culture. Some of the side characters play a bigger role in this one and it was awesome. I can't wait to pick up the next volume! I don't know why I haven't yet.

4 out of 5 Stars 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 1: Squirrel Power
Ryan North & Erica Henderson

This is going to be am amazing series. This is has been recommended to me by a lot of comic book readers and it was perfectly up my alley. A badass women superhero that is part squirrel and who has an equally badass squirrel as a pet, now that's an awesome comic. I highly recommend this series to anyone who wants a fresh superhero, this is funny, adorable and awesome.

5 out of 5 Stars 

Ms. Marvel Vol 4: Last Days
G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona 

This might be my favourite series right now. It's awesome and it has heart. I had the silliest smile on my face the entire time I was reading this book. It was exciting and I am actually connected to all the characters. I absolutely love the family dynamic and the possibility of romance. If you aren't reading this series, do it! On a side note, this book has 2 issues of Spiderman at the end which I didn't enjoy as much. However, I am not including it in my rating because it's not part of the series.

5 out of 5 Stars 

Pull List - 02/10/2015

Recently, I have wanted to get into reading more comics and I was looking around for the best way to do it. For me, I decided I was going to read single issues digitally on the app ComiXology. I am very new to this world, so I haven't decided how or if I am going to review single issues but I will keep up with my sort and sweet trade/graphic novel reviews. Now on to the books I picked up this week:

Moon Girl and the Devil Dinosaur #1 
Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos

I picked up a back issue of this book because it seems right up my alley. A girl with a T-Rex friend, that sounds absolutely awesome. I am excited to read this soon. Maybe right after I am done this post...

Rocket Raccoon and Groot #1

Skottie Young, Filipe Andrade 

Rocket Raccoon and Groot are some of my all time favourite comic book characters so when I saw this book come out I was like yes please. I also really want to read Groot's stand alone series, but I'll get to it eventually. 

Obi-Wan & Anakin #2 

Charles Soule, Marco Checchetto 

I love Star Wars, so I could pass up these books. They follow Obi-Wan and Anakin before the movie Attack of the Clones. It's really interesting to see, especially if you are not a fan of the prequel movies. This series can give you some more insight into Anakin before he became Darth Vader.

Kennel Block Blues #1

 Ryan Ferrier, Daniel Bayliss

This seems a bit strange but it's about dogs going to prison. Is this a weird metaphor for kill shelters, I don't know. But I have heard it's awesome and I love dogs so that just sounds awesome. 

Short and Sweet Reviews: Graphic Novel Edition {3}

Saga: Volume One
By: Brian K.Vaughan and Fiona Staples

This was a really good graphic novel. The world is interesting and the characters were great. I really like the forbidden romance and the banter between characters. It is definitely a bit weird, but I got used to it pretty quick. Weird is cool. It is kind of graphic but I'm an adult and I can appreciate it. I accidentally was reading this in public at the library so I had to like hide in the corner to not expose any graphic content to any unsuspecting individuals. I will be picking up the next volume soon.

4 out of 5 Stars

Chew Volume 3: Just Desserts

By: John Layman and Robert Guillory

I am obsessed with this series. It's just so cleaver and unique. I really enjoy the arch in this volume and there were certainly some surprises! I can't wait to see what kind of role some of the new characters introduced play in future volumes.  I highly recommend this series. If you are looking for an awesome comic book series, check out Chew!

4 out of 5 Stars

Captain Marvel Volume 2: Stay Fly

By. Kelly Sue DeConnick, Marcio Takara and David Lopez

This was just super weird. I really wasn't into the plot, it kept taking super strange turns and I wasn't feeling it. Captain Marvel is an interesting character and I really want to love her but I am not enjoying this run. However, at the moment there is only 1 more volume and I am pretty certain that it's the last one for this run so I am planning to finish it, maybe. I really really want to like these. Sigh.

2 out of 5 Stars