February 25, 2008
Runaways, vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan & Adrian Alphona, 3 1/2
Book description: In Pride & Joy, six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains! Finding strength in one another, the shocked teens run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy. In Teenage Wasteland, the Runaways find a kindred spirit in a daring young stranger and welcome him into their fold. But will this dashing young man help the teenagers defeat their villainous parents... or tear them apart? Plus: who do you send to catch a group of missing, runaway teenage super-heroes? Marvel's original teen runaway crimefighters, Cloak and Dagger, make their first major appearance in years! In The Good Die Young, the world as we know it is about to end, and the Runaways are the only hope to prevent it! Our fledgling teenage heroes have learned how their parents' criminal organization began, and now they must decide how it should end. As the Runaways' epic battle against their evil parents reaches its shocking conclusion, the team's mole stands revealed, and blood must be shed. Which kids will still be standing when the smoke finally clears?
Review: Runaways has a simple but interesting premise that kept me interested through out the first volume. Some of the characters are instantly likable but it took me a while to warm up to all of them. The art was well done and fit the tone of the comic. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming. Runaways is a well done super hero comic suitable for all ages.
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December 10, 2007
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 1: The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon, 5
Book description: Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers - newly legion - have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own. Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues #1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.
Review: The Buffy season 8 comics are almost as good as the actual TV series. The storylines and art feel like Buffy. The story is very fast paced but that fits the comic book format well. I particularly liked that last issue in this volume. It proves that a slayer other than Buffy and Faith can be interesting. I read this comic a few months ago and that is the story that has stayed in my mind the longest. I can’t wait to see where this comic goes so I’ll be picking up volume two.
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July 23, 2007
The Professor's Daughter by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert, 4
Book description: Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert bring the true spirit of Victorian London to life in this witty, engaging, sepia-colored tale of a proper but mischievous young girl and the mummy who opens his eyes for the first time in 3,000 years and instantly falls in love with her.Will the love between Lillian and Imhotep IV survive when their fathers, the London police, and even the Royal Archeological Society are all determined to keep them apart?
Review: The Professor’s Daughter is a charming, quick read. The plot is really fun and very different. The watercolor art work was beautiful as well. Read this if you get the chance.
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June 11, 2006
Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2: Dangerous by Joss Whedon & John Cassady, 3 1/2
Book description: A tragic death at the Xavier Institute reveals a powerful enemy living among the X-Men that they could never have suspected - and no, it's not Magneto. Things heat up in a way none of the X-Men ever dreamed, but will teamwork save the day when they can't even depend on themselves? Collects Astonishing X-Men #7-12.
Review: I needed to erase the suck that was X-Men 3 from my mind so I figured it was about time that I read this. There are things about this series that I love and things I’m not that fond of. I love the dialogue and the plot in this volume was really interesting. I did not like the pointless Fantastic 4 cameo and I’m still not enthusiastic about the overall plot of this story arc. I love Joss Whedon’s writing so I’ll be sticking with this series.
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January 10, 2006
The Walking Dead Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman, 
Life in the prison starts to get interesting for Rick Grimes and the rest of our survivors. Relationships heat up, fizzle out, and change entirely almost overnight. By the end of this volume, relationships between key characters are radically changed, setting the stage for future events in TheWalking Dead.
This volume focuses more on the human interaction a little more than the others. People are shooting and cheating on each other and just going nuts left and right. It felt like a lot of set up for future volumes. Volume four was still good but I miss the zombie stuff.
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January 09, 2006
The Walking Dead Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman, 
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: there is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living. This volume follows our band of survivors as they set up a permanent camp inside a prison. Relationships change, characters die, and our team of survivors learn there's something far more deadly than zombies out there: each other.
This series is consistently amazing. Volume 3 focuses on the survivors setting up camp in a prison. However, the zombies inside aren’t their biggest problem. A few inmates have survived and there’s friction as both groups try and form a new society. Desperation and depression have also become major enemies. And we see the first hints of just how much Rick, the hero, is going to change over the course of the series. This is the best American comic series I’ve ever read. I encourage all comic fans to try it.
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January 06, 2006
The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman,
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living. This volume follows our band of survivors on their tragic journey in search of shelter. Characters live and die as they brave a treacherous landscape littered with packs of the walking dead.
I am really enjoying this series. It has all I could ever want in a zombie story. I’ve gotten to know the human characters so I feel for them when they get randomly munched on. This volume continues to drive home the idea that the survivors are in just as much danger from each other as they are from the zombies. People also start coupling up and you get the feeling that it’s not going to end well for any of these couples. The artist has changed since the first volume and I don’t like the new art that much. Too much heavy inking. But it doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the series. This series is a must read for all zombie fans.
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December 27, 2005
The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore,
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living.
I adore zombie movies but there is a lack of good zombie stories in print form. That’s why I’m so glad I found The Walking Dead. This comic tells a George A. Romero kind of zombie story, focusing more on character interaction than on gore. The black and white art is amazing, particularly the shading. I can’t wait to see where the characters end up in this one so I’ll definitely be reading future volumes.
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November 26, 2005
Astonishing X-Men: Gifted by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, 
Book description: Cyclops and Emma Frost re-form the X-Men with the express purpose of "astonishing" the world. But when breaking news regarding the mutant gene unexpectedly hits the airwaves, will it derail their new plans before they even get started? As demand for the "mutant cure" reaches near-riot levels, the X-Men go head-to-head with the enigmatic Ord, with an unexpected ally - and some unexpected adversaries - tipping the scales! Collects Astonishing X-Men #1-6.
Review: X-Men has always been my favorite of the major super hero comics. I watched the cartoon obsessively as a child and I even read the comics for a bit in the mid 90's. So when I heard that Joss Whedon would be writing a new X-Men comic I was thrilled. Astonishing X-Men showcases Whedon’s humor and character development while staying true to the source material. The existence of a mutant cure is simple but the ripple effect it has on the X-Men, particularly Beast, is the most interesting part of this comic. However, I could have done without some of the plot twists. The art is alright but isn’t really my taste. I’ll continue to read the graphic novels.
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June 10, 2005
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore,
Book Description: In this amazingly imaginative tale, literary figures from throughout time and various bodies of work are brought together to face any and all threats to Britain. Allan Quartermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde and Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man, form a remarkable legion of intellectual aptitude and physical prowess. Presented in this trade paperback is the League's first adventure together, from their initial recruitment to their heroic victory. Also included in this volume is the illustrator's masterful sketchbook, which gives unique behind-the-scenes insight to the artistic process.
Review: I adore the idea behind this comic. Taking a collection of characters from classic literature and forming them into a crime fighting group is brilliant. All of the characters themselves are very flawed making this an even more interesting read. This volume was a good start to the series and I can’t wait to read more.
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April 03, 2005
The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
Book Description: Dream of the Endless, also known as the Sandman, had been imprisoned for 70 years. After his escape, the Sandman must reclaim his realm, The Dreaming, as well has his articles of power.
Review: I’ve read a few of Neil Gaiman’s novels in the past. They were good but didn’t inspire me to go out and buy more. I suppose I like him more as a comic book writer because this was fantastic! The graphic novel is set up and a series of connected short stories. I enjoyed the overall plot and characters but one of the stories really stood out. 24 Hours tells the story of a madman watching the insanity he created take hold of the patrons of a small diner. It’s a terrific piece of horror fiction and is alone worth reading the graphic novel for. There are also a few references to other comic series here. I’m thankful that these crossovers were not done in a why that would not confuse people, like myself, who don’t read a lot of comics. The art didn’t really appeal to me but it improved as the story went on and the inking was great. I liked the beginning of this series so much that I ordered the next one immediately after I finished. Fans of horror and urban fantasy will enjoy this graphic novel even if they don’t usually read comics.
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September 28, 2004
Witchblade: Origins by Christina Z. Wohl, David Wohl, Michael Turner, 6 1/2
Book Description: Officer Sara Pezzini is mortally wounded in a Mafia raid at an abandoned theater. As she feels death coming over her, the Witchblade reaches out to her, healing her and attacking everyone else in the theater. Sara awakens in a hospital to learn that her partner has died along with most of the men at the scene. But one man, Kenneth Irons, will do whatever it takes to control the one who possesses the Witchblade.
Review: There’s a lot to like about this comic. The art is lovely and the plot and secondary characters are truly interesting. I really only have one problem with this but it’s a major one. The main character, Sara Pezzini, seems like she should be a strong and smart heroine but she’s not. There’s actually a scene where she’s down on the floor begging the obvious villain to forgiver her for something that wasn’t even her fault. While I am interested in finding out what happens next, I refuse to spend money on a series where I can’t stand the main character.
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