Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I had high hopes due to the premise — teenage blogger can’t cope with mom’s new boyfriend — and the co-writer, Louise Carey, who is an actual 15-year-old girl and daughter of established writer Mike Carey. I was sadly disappointed with Confessions of a Blabbermouth. And to tell you why, I have to spoil the book, so if you don’t wanna, skip to the next post. The book starts in a very cartoony fashion, with Tasha, our Teenage Heroine, throwing […]
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The every-other-book-is-good Minx pattern continues. Good as Lily is not the best book in the line (that would be Re-Gifters), but it’s a close second. Derek Kirk Kim (Same Difference and Other Stories) writes and Jesse Hamm draws this story of Grace, a girl just turning 18 who magically encounters herself at the ages of 6, 29, and 70. Why now? Because Grace is unsure of where her life is going to take her, and her other selves aren’t very […]
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I’ve been remiss in keeping up with this young adult series, adapted and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier based on the books by Ann M. Martin. I very much enjoyed the first book, and now the third’s already been out for two months and I haven’t talked about it. The first volume featured the founder of the baby-sitters club, Kristy, and each subsequent book focuses on another of the girls, which is a nice way to get to know the characters […]
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I broke my iron-clad “no zombies” rule to read Eating Steve when sent a review copy, only because I so very much enjoyed J. Marc Schmidt’s previous graphic novel, Egg Story. I shouldn’t have bothered. Not because of the subject matter, but because it’s not very good. It’s not really about zombies — it’s about a young woman finding herself after the abrupt end of her relationship and life to date. Schmidt postulates a disease that causes people to suddenly […]
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Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 is a beautifully illustrated fantasy story by David Petersen about mice soldiers attempting to quash a traitorous plot. The mouse guard was formed to protect the species against the many predators who want to destroy them. There are a variety of territories, and travel among them requires protection and guides for the traders who must take those paths. When one mouse disappears, three of the best fighters are sent to find out what happened, but their […]
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Warren Ellis’ latest triumph is Fell: Feral City, tight little tales of freaks in a creepy city called Snowtown. It’s a new-style detective comic, one featuring short, satisfyingly dense stories with a distinctive look courtesy of Ben Templesmith. The use of a strict nine-panel grid packs plenty of plot into a small space. It also gives the comic the feel of one of the procedural TV shows, one where the events matter more than the staging or set design. The […]
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Re-Gifters is an involving coming-of-age story with a distinct sense of place. Writer Mike Carey introduces the elements of his story quickly, beginning with a sparring match. Dik Seong Jen — better known as “Dixie” — is a promising hapkido student preparing for an upcoming tournament, but she’s distracted by her crush on classmate Adam, which leads her to make stupid decisions, both financially and emotionally. The art is by Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel. With Carey, the three previously […]
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Jane’s World Volume 7 is something of a departure for Paige Braddock. Previous volumes in the series have been reworked collections of comic strips, with emphasis on soap opera and daily life observations of the title character. This is the first lengthy storyline developed as such from the beginning, and it incorporates more drama and suspense. Jane, who’s usually unlucky in love, is currently being pursued by two women. As the story begins, the three of them are finishing up […]
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