Category: Book Reviews
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East of West by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta – A Book Review
I recently checked out a batch of graphic novels in search of a few must-reads. I’m a collector by nature, and I enjoy having a series (or twelve) to follow. East of West could be counted among the batch, but honestly, I picked it up only because it was available. I didn’t particularly like the…
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Black Science: How To Fall Forever by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera – A Book Review
I saw this book earned a little buzz so I thought I’d check it out. The premise is Grant McKay and his team have broken through the barrier between infinite dimensions. The machine making this capable, The Pillar, got damaged though, so they only have a little time before they jump to another world, and…
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Zero: An Emergency by Ales Kot – A Book Review
Zero has gained a lot of buzz during the last several months. It’s typically described as a spy story with ruthless violence and a cold, detached protagonist. Its main claim to fame is that it features a different artist with each new issue. I’ll be honest. I’m not much for spy stories, but the book…
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Pretty Deadly: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios – A Book Review
This is a strange book and I mean that as a total compliment. Strange is good. Unique is appreciated. Original is commendable. Pretty Deadly is all of those things, and more. Pretty Deadly is not a linear story. Meaning, it doesn’t start at an origin, then progress to a conclusion. It sort of begins in…
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Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke: A Graphic Novel I Feel Good About Sharing With My Daughter
I have loved comic books since the age of three. I still remember my first comic, an issue of World’s Finest featuring Batman and Superman. I still love comic books, but unfortunately have trouble finding appropriate ones to share with my six-year-old daughter. You see, even though I’m now thirty-seven, most Batman and Superman comic…
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Manifest Destiny: Flora & Fauna by Chris Dingess and Matthew Roberts – A Book Review
It’s been a long time since I read a graphic novel that excited me as much as Manifest Destiny. I’m going to say it now: this is a must-read book. The premise is outrageous. It follows Lewis and Clark’s expedition through the American frontier in 1804. But they are not only charged with charting the…
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The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew – A Book Review
The Shadow Hero is an interesting graphic novel for several reasons. The first is that it takes an obscure hero from the Golden Age of comic books—the Green Turtle—and gives him an origin for the first time in seventy years. It’s also interesting because it’s largely believed that the Green Turtle is the first Asian…
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Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself Illustrated by Allen Crawford – A Book Review
I firmly believe the publishing world must always adapt, evolve, and break new ground. This book does just that. Yes, it is Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, unaltered and unabridged. However, Allen Crawford blended art and text to create something entirely new, all while still honoring the original poem. Each page progresses the poem and…
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Super Graphic by Tim Leong – A Book Review
When I learned of this book, I knew I had to have it. Super Graphic is a series of graphs—an entire books’ worth, in fact—that deal only with comic books. Each graph is typically quite clever in depicting an image along with information. Of course, this is a poplar medium at the moment called “infographics.”…
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Earth 2: The Tower Of Fate by James Robinson and Nicola Scott – A Book Review
There are two things I love in my graphic novels: world building and a true sense of danger. Earth 2 has both in droves. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of Earth 2, it is an earth much like our own, but it’s just a little bit different. In the “silver” age of comic books,…
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