September 22, 2013 Johanna Books About Comics Leave a comment

The She-Hulk Diaries

The She-Hulk Diaries by Marta Acosta is fun, frothy, chick lit in the diary format made popular by Bridget Jones. Jennifer Walters keeps a journal about being the one left cleaning up after a party-girl celeb-chasing thoughtless roommate. Only the roomie is her alternate personality, She-Hulk, and they share the same body, not just the same living space. “Shulky” and her lack of accountability are responsible for Jen needing to look for a job. Most of the law firms in […]

September 22, 2013 Johanna Books About Comics One comment

Rogue Touch

I was cynical when the Marvel novels were announced, but Rogue Touch isn’t a bad read for a teen paranormal romance. I recommend removing your preconceptions going in, though, since it has little to do with the version of the character you might know. It’s a literal take on adolescent alienation. Like any teen, Anna Marie longs to belong, to touch and be touched by others, but her condition prevents it. The details make the book, with cogent observations about […]

September 22, 2013 Johanna Other Prose Leave a comment

The Doctor Who Franchise: American Influence, Fan Culture and the Spinoffs

Written in preparation for Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary this year, Lynnette Porter’s book The Doctor Who Franchise: American Influence, Fan Culture and the Spinoffs explores the question of how, if any, the show has become “Americanized” in its current incarnation, with specific focus on the Torchwood: Miracle Day Starz co-production (now airing on BBC America) and its lead, the “American” Captain Jack. Where the Doctor is part of the cultural fabric in the UK, here in the US, he’s a […]

September 20, 2013 Johanna First Second 2 comments

The Cute Girl Network

The Cute Girl Network looks like a modern romance novel, but there’s more to it than just a love story. Jane and Jack meet when she wipes out in front of him in a hipster-stocked town. Jack is something of a clumsy loser, selling soup from a food cart. Jane has recently moved to town, working at a skateboard shop and putting up with stupid guys who think she can’t skate because she’s a girl. The two slowly grow on […]

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic book 1 cover

September 15, 2013 Johanna IDW / Top Shelf 2 comments

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Books 1 and 2

I never would have thought I’d be reading, let alone recommending, a My Little Pony comic. (Thanks, review copies.) I’ve never seen the show, but these stories are fun and entertaining. I occasionally wonder about how horses, with their hooves, manage to do everything we see, but as long as I can suspend my disbelief, I enjoy the character interactions and humor. Both volumes are written by Katie Cook, with book 1 art by Andy Price and book 2 art […]

September 14, 2013 Johanna Marvel One comment

Goodbye, X-Factor — Series Ends With #262

Peter David’s run — and the title itself — ends on X-Factor with the recent #262. I found the series an entertaining read, combining heroics with old-school soap operatic complications as a diverse group of characters tried to work together in a superhuman detective agency. I particularly liked the personalities David gave the cast. I didn’t talk much about the recent storylines, because once you get into demonic wars and such, it’s hard to identify a good starting point, and […]

September 13, 2013 Johanna Comic News 3 comments

Illustrated Diaries Are Not Comics!

It’s a pet peeve of mine when people consider things like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries graphic novels. I know kids love reading them, and that’s great. They’re fun and entertaining. They’re just not comics. That distinction may not matter, or I may be being pedantic in harping on it, but I’m glad to see that Amazon, at least, now agrees with me, as reported by Dave Carter. He regularly puts together a list of the Top […]

September 11, 2013 Johanna Other Publishers Leave a comment

Blue Is the Warmest Color (Guest Review)

This review is by Kristine Downing, an old friend of mine who doesn’t typically read comics. When she last visited me, she noticed my copy of Blue Is the Warmest Color and expressed interest in reading it. I asked her to share her thoughts, and she sent the below. Blue Is the Warmest Color by author and illustrator Julie Maroh is a graphic novel first published in French in 2010 by Glenat as “Le bleu est une couleur chaude”. The […]

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