Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
The sequel to Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword picks up where the previous book left off — but in such a way that it stands alone perfectly well. Mirka is still 11 years old, still headstrong and determined and seeking meaning in her life she isn’t ready for yet. She has a sword, but since she’s grounded, she’s got no chance to use it. When she tries to bully the troll into teaching her more about sword-fighting, he summons […]
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Nathan Hale (artist of the recommended graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge) tells true tales of American history in the new Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, aimed at kids looking for excitement and humor. The publisher promises “history’s roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in the graphic novel format”, and that’s what Hale provides. The first, One Dead Spy, focuses on the author’s namesake, Nathan Hale, a Revolutionary War spy famous for the quote, “I regret that I have but one life to […]
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The third in the series of Mickey Mouse strip collections continues providing exciting adventure stories in serialized form. In the first story in Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: High Noon at Inferno Gulch, Mickey and Minnie pilot a plane to get food to a snowed-in mountain town, where they also discover a plot to steal the mine’s gold. The events are flat-out ridiculous at times — with a windmill rotor replacing the propeller and a plane launched from the top of […]
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Your kids missing the Olympic Games? This new graphic novel hardcover, tenth (!) in the Papercutz series, may be just the thing to remind them of the enjoyment of the competition. Geronimo Stilton Saves the Olympics was my first exposure to the popular mouse character, translated from Italian. It’s a lot of fun, with Geronimo, as an investigative journalist, having all kinds of excuses to get involved in adventure. Here, it’s a journey to 1896 and the founding of the […]
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Until the next full Princeless story comes out, continuing the tale of Adrienne and her battle to rescue her sisters, this two-issue limited series should fill the gap. In Princeless: Short Stories for Warrior Women #1, author Jeremy Whitley has created three short stories (well, two and a teaser) illustrated by three female artists. The comic can be ordered right now through Diamond with code JUL12 0704, but I think there’s some confusion. The catalog copy says it’s 40 pages; […]
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Although I enjoy each new Usagi Yojimbo volume just for the stories, I was particularly attracted to this latest collection due to the introduction. It’s by comic grand master Walter Simonson. As I would expect from such an insightful contributor, Simonson sums up beautifully the appeal of Sakai’s series: I have read this comic book, since its beginning, for all the right reasons. Regularly, like clockwork, it brings me the unalloyed joy of reading a well-told, well-drawn story, about characters […]
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I asked for a copy of this not-yet-published-in-the-US graphic novel because I thought it sounded like an intriguing take on chick lit in illustrated form. I was pleased by what I found, although Please God, Find Me a Husband! turned out to be something else altogether. This autobiographical tale begins with Simone Lia being dumped. She feels like a spinster, although she’d like to be in a relationship, so since she’s Catholic, she asks God for help. His answers — […]
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After vampires, fairies, and Frankensteinian monsters, this installment of the supernatural romance series gets back to the classics: ghosts. Nora and her family have moved into a new home that’s also a landmark, the prior home of a writer. Odd things start happening — the TV comes on by itself, small items go missing — until Nora sees Tom, a boy about her age who died over a century ago. He’s not the only ghost in the house, though, and […]
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