Crazy On You

Published:  March 3rd, 2015

Rocket Raccoon, Vol. 1: A Chasing Tale

By: Skottie Young

Marvel

ISBN-13:  9780785193890

Rocket Raccoon has been a hero to the weak, a champion of good, a heartthrob to many intergalactic females, but his high-flying life of adventure may be a thing of the past when he's framed for murder -- and the authorities aren't the only one on his tail!  (Get it?  Tail?)  The real killer is an imposter who seems to be one step ahead of Rocket at every turn...now it's up to our hero and his best pal Groot to find the truth!  With Macho Gomez and the Ex-Terminators tracking him, can Rocket make it out alive and clear his name?

Review

       If there's any comic that I can get behing whimsical, unrealistic-in-every-way artwork, it would be a comic starring Rocket Raccoon and his ever present buddy, Groot.  So this time, it wasn't the art that got on my nerves.  In fact there really wasn't much of anything that got on my nerves, so to speak.  It was yet another case of the "mehs" for me with this book.  I really enjoyed the first few issues, but I felt like it ran out of steam and I must be the only one who read this that DIDN'T enjoy the issue that was all "I Am Groot"s and pretty artwork.  This whole book starts with Rocket on a quest to find the surviving member(s) of his race, that he found out about recently.  Oh, and to clear his name of murder.  Not that he hasn't committed murder before, but this rap sheet doesn't actually belong to him.  So, it has to be another from his race, right?  Then there's also the matter of all the ex-girlfriends that are trying to kill Rocket, for overall being a womanizing douchebag!

       As soon as the story arc from the first three issues was tidied up, I felt like the last half of the "story" was just filler.  And I think that's half of my problem with reading Marvel comics over DC.  No matter which publisher, there's a 50/50 shot as to whether or not it's going to be any good, no matter what.  But when you look at the pros and cons, I usually choose DC over Marvel.  It tends to be because Marvels trade volumes are about 20-30 pages shorter (2 issues, give or take).  Also, the story arcs, at least from the trades that I've read, seem to be more pointless/used to less effect.  About half the volume is filler, unlike DC where even if it's shitty, all of it's pertinent.  I guess what I've been learning from reading Marvel, and what I learned from reading Rocket Raccoon in particular, is that I'm old and a fun-sucker.  Which, y'know, doesn't make me Marvel's ideal audience.  In other words, I'm the perfect DC fan (to my DC-fan friends, just admit it to yourself).

VERDICT:  3/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Lurking Around the Corner

Published:  January 28th, 2014

Will O' The Wisp

By: Tom Hammock (Author), Megan Hutchison (Illustrator)

Archaia Entertainment

ISBN-13:  9781936393787

After her parents' accidental death by mushroom poisoning, young Aurora Grimeon is sent to live with her estranged grandfather on Ossuary Isle, deep in the southern swamps.  Joined by her grandfather's pet raccoon Missy, Aurora explores the fog-covered island of graves.  Along the way she meets its sinister residents who care for the tombstones and mausoleums, living out their lives by the strange rules of Hoodoo magic.  When ghostly things start happening out in the swamp and island residents start disappearing, Aurora thrusts herself into the middle of the mystery, uncovering secrets that might be better left buried.

Review

     When Aurora Grimeon's parents die from eating poisonous mushrooms, she is sent to live with the Grandfather she has never met (the only living relative she has), deep in the swamps of the South, on an isolated track of islands.  Aurora feels lonely, with her Grandfather immersed in his research and only a pet raccoon named Missy for company, other than the suspicious and superstitious natives.  She begins to take comfort in the hoodoo rituals of the locals, striking up a relationship with the local Priestess, Mama Noonie, and becomes friends with a local boy as well (possibly more).  However, Aurora's sense of belonging is interrupted by violent, unexplained deaths taking place.  With a connection to the past and surprisingly to her Grandfather's own tragic history, its up to Aurora and Mama Noonie to solve the mystery of who the killer is and how to get rid of him - once and for all.  But can they do it before its too late?

     This whole graphic novel has a very Southern Gothic-style to its artwork, story and overall feel.  I very much enjoyed it and it kept me reading straight from the beginning to the end!  I think what I really enjoyed was how dark and creepy this one was.  The style definitively matched to tone and the plot completely.  The story wasn't the most original of the bunch, with a ghost of a killer being the culprit of the present day murders, but it made sense for this particular book.  Also, I enjoyed the journey to put a stop to his spirit walking the earth and the scenes that showed him talking with the Devil himself.  Probably my biggest regret is that we never do find out if Aurora's young friend (verging on boyfriend), and his family, survive the burning of their home by the spirit.  We see everyone wondering, but then the story skips on to the next point of interest.  Other than that, and an unfinished feeling I had at the end of the book, I really enjoyed myself.  It's one that I think teenagers and people with a slightly morbid streak will appreciate.  

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received this book from Diamond Book Distributors, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on January 28th, 2014.*

Got No Strings To Hold Him Down

 

Expected Publication:  October 23rd, 2013

Hellboy: The Midnight Circus

By: Mike Mignola (Story) & Duncan Fegredo (Illustrator) & Dave Stewart (Colorist)

Dark Horse Comics

ISBN-13:  9781616552381

 

Young Hellboy runs away from the B.R.P.D. only to stumble upon a weird and fantastical circus and the few demons from Hell who inhabit it.

 

Review

 

     The synopsis is really brief on this particular graphic novel, which makes sense as it's only 58 pages long on the whole.  I myself have a favorite superhero and Hellboy is that superhero.  I like that he came from the pits of Hell, but was raised to be a force for good.  The backstory of Hellboy's life and world is some of the best stuff Dark Horse has published in my opinion.  I have a serious soft spot for young Hellboy, so I was bouncing off the walls when I saw this available for request on NetGalley!  Young Hellboy is feeling like he doesn't really fit in at the B.R.P.D. and everyone treats him like a child.  They won't let him do anything, Professor Broom is never around AND one of his babysitters has just made Hellboy read Pinocchio instead of his favorite comic.  This makes Hellboy think about whether or not he's a real boy and what his place in the world is.  So Hellboy decides that he'll leave and find somewhere else he can be useful; somewhere he can do something.  Running away, he finds a circus that sets up between midnight and one a.m.  Of course it happens to be staffed by demons, who must decide whether or not to take Hellboy as one of their own or leave him to fate.  Also, Hellboy has a run in with the ghosts of some 1930s child murderers.  Will he make it back to Professor Broom?

     I absolutely LOVED that this story was written by Mignola (even if the artwork wasn't his, it was in his style as well) and the note before the start of the book tells us where the idea came from, and why he contrasts Hellboy with Pinocchio.  I never really made a comparison between the two myself, but after reading this I could definitely see the parallels in their lives/experiences.  The circus and its demons were absolutely creepy and the sinister silence of that hour was wonderfully illustrated.  The animals in cages were particularly memorable for me.  I liked that even when Hellboy decides to go back to the B.R.P.D. he runs into trouble with the child murderer ghosts near the train tracks.  But my favorite part (other than Hellboy protesting the thought of reading something other than his comic! :) is the moment between Hellboy and Professor Broom at the end, who are so deeply entwined as Father and Son that their relationship is entirely beautiful.  The comforting embrace at the end coveys that depth of feeling.  Overall, my only real complaint with this one is the length.  I would love to own a copy for myself when it's released but wish that it had been at least twice as long.  The allusions to Hellboy's future destiny might confuse new readers, but I recommend this to older fans who miss the days when Mignola had the reigns.  It was good to be thrown back, even for just fifty pages, into the golden era.

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is October 23rd, 2013.*



Hell Yeah, Bring It On!

 

Published:  October 16th, 2012

Hell Yeah!  Volume 1: Last Days On Earth



By: Joe Keatinge and Andre Szymanowicz (Illustrator)

Image Comics

ISBN-13:  9781607066071

 

Today is the worst day of Benjamin Day's life. He's the poster child for the first generation raised in a world where superheroes exist, but he wants nothing to do with super-anything. When versions of himself from throughout the multiverse show up dead, this one-man crisis of infinite selves tears open twenty-year-old secrets. Ben's now forced into the super-society he's long denied. Eisner award-winner and writer Joe Keatinge and illustrator Andre Szymanowicz team to bring the comic described by Third Eye Comics' Steve Anderson as "Watchmen for the Kick-Ass Generation." Features an introduction by the acclaimed creator of Madman and iZOMBIE, Michael Allred.

 

Review

 

     Benjamin Day has grown up in a world where superheroes and villains are a reality.  All he wants is to lead a normal existence as a regular guy/college student.  But when he goes out with his best friend and is hijacked by the band they saw play, things turn really weird.  One of the girls in the band has dated Ben - just in an alternate universe!  That Ben Day was murdered and someone is killing off all of Ben's alternate reality counterparts.  Can he help figure out why and stop the killer before he's next?  And is the answer closer to home than Ben ever could have imagined?

     So, this comic had lots of my favorite things in it - alternate dimensions, parallel selves and the like.  I adore things like that in a book, comic or not.  Ben Day is seemingly nothing special and while nothing was ever concretely nailed down as to why he's so special, there were some hints.  It was basically his origin story and that's a concept that I am familiar with and when done right, it's what I enjoy the most about comics in general (especially superhero ones).  The people coming through from other dimensions, all looking for Ben Day, created some hilarious situations and some rather horrifying ones too.  My favorite character besides Ben was actually one of the superheroes from another dimension, a woman who is on a mission to find and kill Ben (being away from her wife and kids to do it).  She was a bad-ass with a seemingly harsh view of things.  But there were moments, especially with her fellow superheroes, that you could see something more.  The change in Ben by the end of the comic was an interesting one and with the way things ended I'm eager to see where the author takes the story.  I did enjoy the artwork, but while it was good I did feel like it was a little too classic comic mashed together with a noir-esque graphic novel.  It was a little stylistically confused to my eyes, but what do I know?  All in all, a good origin story and I would recommend it to fans of superhero comics looking for a new mythology to deconstruct and analyze.  A good read that I don't regret spending time with, if a little incoherent at times.

 

VERDICT:  4.25/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published October 16th, 2012.*

The Lone Ranger Rides Again!

Expected Publication:  July 9th, 2013
The Lone Ranger Omnibus, Volume 1
By: Brett Matthews (Story), Sergio Cariello (Illustrator) and Paul Pope (Illustrator)
Dynamite Entertainment
ISBN-13:  9781606903520

Dynamite's The Lone Ranger series - written by Brett Matthews and expertly rendered by Sergio Cariello and Paul Pope, with incredible covers by the amazing John Cassaday - is a must-read for long-time fans of America's favorite hero of the Wild West! Now for the first time ever, all 25 issues, plus The Lone Ranger: Creed #0 FCBD story, are available in one-amazing collection! The Lone Ranger Omnibus Volume 1 features 632-pages of this classic Eisner Nominated series, as well as a complete cover gallery! Read the entire story of how John Reid was transformed into The Lone Ranger, and, along with his partner Tonto, set a new standard of justice in the Old West!

Review

 

     I have heard of Lone Ranger before and know about the T.V. show from the 50s, the comic books and even the racist stereotypes of the character Tonto, his Native American companion.  Never have I experience any of these things firsthand before now.  What the hell took me so long???  Seeing as this was a review copy, only the first hundred pages or so was collected in it, instead of the 600 and some in the full volume that will be released in July.  But the first hundred pages held more than enough adventure, tragic backstory and hero origins to make any comic book proud.  I loved the balance between dark and light in the artwork.  It had splashes of major color, like the real Old West but also represented the darkness in Lone Ranger's life and it's evolution while dealing with the massacre of his family, all the while not trivializing it or making it into 'statement' art like so many graphic novels become.  I loved the depiction of Tonto as his friend, equal and mentor in revenge, avoiding stereotypes for the most part except for a depiction of him carrying come scalps, but to say that no Native American ever scalped anyone would be PC rewriting history, so it didn't bother me all that much as a reader.  This comic managed to represent copious amounts of violence without becoming an exercise in unnecessary gore like another I read fairly recently, a retelling of Sleepy Hollow which could have taken lessons in tasteful violence from the newest incarnation of the Ranger.  As a fan of Westerns such as Young Guns, The Angel and the Badman, Dances With Wolves, Lonesome Dove (book and film), and the miniseries Into The West, this had an apprehensive start for me.  I knew I would enjoy it in some capacity, but was unsure quite how much - I was rewarded for my faith with a comic that I really loved.   My copy left off with a cliffhanger and I want to know if the Lone Ranger ever has a showdown with Butch Cavendish, the main villain of this rebooted series! :)  I guess I will have to get my hands on a full copy when it's published.  All I can say is that this comic managed to avoid some of the traps that comics trying TOO hard often fall into - lurid or sparse artwork, too much text, clichéd action sequences - and it definitely impressed me as a reader.  I don't know if I'll be seeing the upcoming film, but I'm a definite fan of the upcoming graphic novel!  Recommended for fans of Western novels and films, who like the tragic hero stories and have a thirst for justice.  I don't know how fans of the original comics will feel, but I'd like to think they'll enjoy it.

 

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Netgalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is July 9th, 2013.*

My Bloody Valentine

Published:  April 9th, 2013
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Sleepy Hollow
By: Dan Wickline
Zenescope Entertainment
ISBN-13:  9781937068813

A legend is about to become all-too real! When a prank goes deadly wrong, those responsible will learn the truth behind the legend as the Headless Horseman returns to exact a horrifying vengeance none will never forget! From the writer of Salem's Daughter: The Haunting comes a tale of horror and terror that will leave you on the edge of your seats. Hold on to your hats...and your head!

Review

 

     This story is yet another version of the ever infamous American folk-tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.  In this one, it was fiction but based upon true events involving the ancestor of the protagonist.  A soldier was led out to a ditch and beheaded by some traitors from his regiment.  He became the headless horseman.  The horseman's descendant is Craig, an avid history student at the local college, who is kidnapped by the basketball team who want him to give the answers to a test so one of the players can keep his scholarship.  When Craig refuses, they tie him to what they think are abandoned train tracks.  So of course he gets beheaded by an oncoming train.  The team covers up the incident, but when they begin to be picked off one-by-one, in brutal beheadings they're forced to admit that maybe The Legend of Sleepy Hollow isn't such a legend after all.  I absolutely LOVED the historical aspect of this that explained the 'true' story of Ichabod Crane and Brom von Brunt.  It was a plausible story of what the truth could be, if Sleepy Hollow was based on some factual events/people.  And the artwork for those panels was wonderful, with just the right combination of creepy and colorful.  The plot set in the present day was very clichéd and predictable.  Not necessarily in a bad way, but also not in a really good way either.  It was a very horror movie of the month story.  The main character is betrayed by people close to him and comes back for revenger a killer with powers from Hell itself.  I did enjoy it all the same, but the ending left me feeling very ambivalent in general.  I prefer to be wowed by a book, rather than to just like it in an 'okay' way.  The artwork throughout was very well done and even though there was a lot of violence and gore (almost gratuitous) but with a Headless Horseman as the killer that's no surprise.  Plus the author has written for the 30 Days of Night series.  Enough said right there.  Overall, a graphic novel/comic that had great potential and I feel that it only partially achieved what it was capable of.  A fun quick read, but don't be expecting a complicated or involved plotline.  All the same, I'd recommend it for any Sleepy Hollow fan. 

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published April 9th, 2013.*

Never Happily Ever After

 

Expected Publication:  October 6th, 2009

Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 (Fables Deluxe Editions #1)

By: Bill Willingham

Vertigo

ISBN-13:  9781401224271

 

 

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile.

Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their own secret society-within an exclusive luxury apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side-called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Bigby, Fabletown's sheriff, and a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the culprit is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

 

 

Review

 

     Snow White is the Deputy Mayor of Fabletown, a community made up of the fairy tale creatures and people, who were driven into our world from their own by a great, destructive evil force (the Adversary).  Not all of the Fables are happy with this arrangement and its up to Snow White and Old King Cole (mayor) to keep the peace, whatever that entails.  But when it appears that her wild younger sister Rose Red may have been murdered, Snow will do anything to find out what really happened.  When it leads to some unexpected answers, what will Snow do with the truth?  Also, can she prevent a rather violent uprising of Fables out on the farm, where they keep their less townspeople?  Can everyone make it out of the situation alive, or will someone have to pay the price?  This was definitely up my alley from the start.  A graphic novel retelling of fairy tales, fables and folklore?  Count me in!  The artwork was wonderfully detailed and very dark, which made it more interesting than the average bubblegum fairy tale comics, etc.  I liked the complexities of the relationship between Snow and her sister, Red.  There was general feeling of an old film noir during the first story arc, and Bigby Wolf acting as detective for the fables was an interesting twist on perspectives of good vs. evil.  The second story arc, with rebellion on the farm, was very much like Animal Farm by George Orwell (the book it was modeled after).  The politics and usage of Goldilocks' relationship with the three bears was kind of disgusting, but a well drawn plot device.  The plots weren't necessarily unpredictable, but I very much enjoyed them all the same.   Highly recommended to fans of fairy tales, myths, legends and fables who don't mind a little bit of mature content.

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

That Evil Woman Better Change Her Evil Ways

Expected Publication: October 2nd, 2012

Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson

By: Mark Siegel

First Second

ISBN-13: 9781596436367

One hundred years ago. On the foggy Hudson River, a riverboat captain rescues an injured mermaid from the waters of the busiest port in the United States. A wildly popular--and notoriously reclusive--author makes a public debut. A French nobleman seeks a remedy for a curse. As three lives twine together and race to an unexpected collision, the mystery of the Mermaid of the Hudson deepens.

A mysterious and beguiling love story with elements of Poe, Twain, Hemingway, and Greek mythology, drawn in moody black-and-white charcoal, Sailor Twain is a study in romance, atmosphere, and suspense.

Review

   Twain is a riverboat captain who thinks that he has the difference between right and wrong fairly well figured out.  He's faithful to his sick wife while at sea and tries to keep a reputable ship, with a hard-working crew.  Therefore it's not such a big surprise that he's at odds with Lafayette, a French nobleman who is a passenger on his ship.  He is obsessed with having 'seven loves' at the same time.  It may not be for the reasons Twain thinks though - Lafayette has been afflicted by a mermaid's call.  He is fighting the urge to go under the water and not resurface again.  Meanwhile, Twain has saved an injured mermaid from the Hudson River and is hiding her from his crew while she recovers.  In spite of her promise never to sing to him, Twain feels himself coming under her spell just the same.  Will all be lost to the mermaid's song or will Sailor Twain be able to defeat her curse?  At first I didn't quite get what was going on (as I had missed the second part of the book's title).  I was still intrigued, so despite confusion I soldiered on.  I ended up falling in love with the illustrations in the graphic novel (which I also did not know this happened to be a GN before I began reading).  Their black and white splendor, with an almost obsessive attention to detail was beautiful.  I liked that they were cartoon style rather than realistically drawn.  It lent to the feel of the story as an American myth.  I felt as though I were reading a book written by a Victorian author and I loved every minute of it.  The characters were multi-dimensional and the story was so layered I could swim in it for days.  I loved the ending and the way the plot unfolded in general.  You could tell that Mr. Siegel has done a LOT of research and it certainly payed off.  If you are a fan of historical fiction, suspense and romance this is the book for you  - even if Graphic Novels aren't your thing you should give it chance.  You'll be pleasantly surprised.

VERDICT:  5/5  stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is October 2, 2012.*