Imagine Wanting Only This / Kristen Radtke / 278 pgs

Very few books make me want to throw it across the room, burn it, then throw it again. Usually, if I don't like a book, it's because the book is boring or just not that well written. This one made me furious. The only redeeming quality it has is that the artist/author is really good at drawing. It was depressing, navel-gazing, and self-serving. It's autobiographical, and the author chose to capitalize on a sad tale of a man who died tragically, a stranger she didn't even know, without consulting the family of the deceased man to make sure it was okay. Let's just say I won't shed a tear the moment this awful graphic novel is taken out of circulation at my library.

However, if all what I said before doesn't deter you from this book, or has now made you almost morbidly curious, here's a summary of what it is about:

College girl loses her favorite uncle at a young age due to a genetic heart condition that runs in the family. She begins a years-long obsession with ruins, whether they be the ruins of a theater in a dying town, like Gary, Indiana, or Ancient Greek ruins all the way in Europe. Meanwhile, her increasing depression makes her break off an engagement and stop finding meaning in anything in her life, because all of life is just dust and future ruins, doncha know? Interspersed are historical stories that have nothing to do with the author's own life other than to just illustrate the futility of life.

One of my favorite quotes is from Doctor Who, "Sad is happy for deep people." Well, I guess I'm more shallow than I thought because the author's kind of depression was too much for me.

Jericho Season 4 / Kalinda Vazquez / 120 pgs

Aw man! This thing ended on a cliffhanger and there's no Season 5 published yet! What am I going to do? Why does this series keep me dangling even ten years later? If you noticed, I did post a review on Season 4 yesterday, and my thoughts are pretty much the same. The only changes I would say from that review is that there was an artist who did one of the chapters' graphics, who decided to make the heads look way too big for the bodies, and I wasn't too keen on that. However, the story was very well done. We learned more about the reasons for the original nuclear attacks, got some great action in there, and even a possible death. I was pleased with the direction the story is going, and very invested in the characters, especially Jake and Robert, who are on par with other great action duos like Sherlock and Watson, Starsky and Hutch, and Murtaugh and Riggs. Recommended for fans of the original TV series.

Jericho Season 3 / Dan Shotz, et al. / 140 pgs

While mentioning the old TV show Jericho to a librarian friend a couple of weeks ago, she informed me that two graphic novels have been published in the last couple of years. Both continue the story of the show, and are very well done. I was very pleased to see that the characters are nicely drawn. The story moves along at a good pace and the politics between the three countries that now take up the lower 48 states are as interesting as ever.

For a refresher, since a group of nuclear bombs destroyed many of America's major cities, the country is now divided with the government of the United States in Columbus, Ohio, and the government of the Allied States in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The dividing line between both countries is the Mississippi River. In the middle is the newly independent Republic of Texas. Jake Green and Robert Hawkins are still on mission to take what they know about the origination of the nuclear attacks to Texas in an effort to get them to fight for the right side. I recommend Jericho Season 3, but only to those who have already watched and enjoyed the two televised seasons.

Mockingbird, Vol. 1: I Can Explain / Chelsea Cain / 136 pgs

I'm not really into superhero comics, but was excited to see a new female superhero.  Also, it was written by Chelsea Cain, who writes the bestselling Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series.  If you have not read this series you I'll let you know it's about a psychopathic female serial killer.    So basically "Mockingbird" is about S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and former Avenger, Bobbi Morse, as she goes on a few missions, from deep sea diving to uncover a secret nuclear facility, to saving her current boyfriend from an underground gang.  Bobbi has super powers because she is part of a government experiment which is also causing her mind to hallucinate.

The story-line was fair, but again I'm not really into superheros fighting bad guys page after page.  I do like that she is a strong female heroine with personal and mental issues like everyone else.
The writer Chelsea Cain cancelled her twitter account after receiving a lot of harassing tweets from male comic book "fans" commenting on her pro-feminist stance, which really only makes me want to recommend this book even more!    (http://www.comicsbeat.com/bestselling-author-chelsea-cain-driven-off-twitter-by-harassment-from-comics-fans/).

Orange : The Complete Collection (vols. 1&2) / Takano, Ichigo / 384 pgs.

On the first day of 11th grade, Naho, receives a letter from her future twenty-seven-year-old self.  At first she believes it to be a joke, but as events describe in the letter start happening in front of her, she starts to take the letter more seriously.  One major detail in the letter is asking the younger Naho, to look after the new transfer student, a boy named Kakeru, and help keep him from a terrible future. 

If you could go back in time to fix a regret in your life, would you?  Do you think it could change things?  A very interesting concept to explore and to remind younger teen readers some truths about human nature.  For example, everyone has things going on in their life that you may not know about, but it affects their behavior. 

Fight Club 2 / Chuck Palahniuk / 256 pgs

Ten years after the events in the first novel, the protagonist (aka Jack/Travis/Tyler), is now married to Marla and has a regular job and a kid.  He lives a mundane life and keeps his alter-ego/split personality (Tyler Durden) at bay through heavy medication.  However, Tyler is starting to resurface, and Project Mayhem is ramping up again.  This is a revisit to Tyler's crazy fight club world, which is a sarcastic, satirical look at our materialistic world.  Being a graphic novel only visually highlights the bizarre images and situations that Palahniuk describes in his books.       Fans of the first book (and/or movie) will enjoy this continuation; the rest will probably feel out of the loop and lost reading this strange, winding story. 

Adulthood is a Myth: A "Sarah's Scribbles" Collection / Sarah Andersen / 109 pgs

Sarah's Scribbles are just that, a lot of fun, funny, and so-true-it-hurts scribbles about her daily challenges is a young adult. The main character, who I assume is Sarah, is introverted, and painfully self-aware. She struggles with the difficulty of speaking in public, of loving your body (hairy legs and all), with connecting with me, and with trying to be professional and put-together when all she wants to do is wear ratty sweaters, curl up in blankets, and read.  She is me. I'm only sad that my favorite of Sarah Andersen's strips did not make it into this book, but I hope it makes it into the next one. Here it is below:

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons / Robbie Morrison / 128 pgs

I saw that Doctor Who has come out with some new 10th Doctor adventures featuring a new companion from NYC and was intrigued, so I checked out KL's copy. I ended up reading the 2nd volume first, but had no problem following the story line. I feel that World War I has been overdone a bit in the Whoniverse, but I also know that WWI just seems to be a bigger deal for most Brits than it is for Americans, but that would be my only complaint for the story. I do like that the Angels are back to sending people to the past. One of my biggest complaints about Season 5 of Doctor Who was how the Angels were all of a sudden killing people rather than feeding off the energy of their victims' "would have beens". Some have said that you don't necessarily need to have watched a bunch of Doctor Who episodes to understand the plot of this graphic novel. Not having read the first volume of this graphic novel yet, that might be true. The Doctor does go into a lot of detail about the Weeping Angels in this second volume, but I'm unsure how explanatory the first volume is on who the Doctor is, where he comes from, etc.

Wytches (vol. 1) / Scott Synder / 200 pgs.

This graphic novel is everything you are looking for in a Horror comic.  It's bloody, cryptic, creepily atmospheric, and leaving the read with a sense that something really bad is going to occur at any

moment.

The story is about a family that had some untold past tragedy and are moving to a remote, little town in order to start over.  Of course, this pleasantville-esque town holds secrets and a sordid past.  There is something in the woods, and it needs to be fed....

Rat Queens: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'Rygoth (Vol. 2) / Kurtis J. Wiebe / 112 pgs

Love this series!  If you like strong female lead characters, this comic is chock-full of feminine bad-assery.  In volume two, the town is under attack by three demons that warp the characters sense of time and reality.  This causes the the main leads to flash back in time giving the reader a chance to explore a little more of their backstories.  Not surprisingly, they are all dealing with past hurts and identity issues.

A great followup to the first book, and I can't wait to read more!

Rat Queens (Vol. 1) : Sass and Sorcery / Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch / 108 pgs.

Not even sure where to start with this one.  So, "The Rat Queens" is a pack made up of four tough-as-nails, rude, loud-mouthed, booze-guzzling, bar fighting, female warriors; who live on the fringe of society and are paid to help keep even worse elements out of the town.  There is Hannah the Elven Mage and pack leader, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief.  In this introductory story, someone is killing off the gangs that are protecting the town.  Will the Rat Queens discover and stop the assassin in time? and who is really behind this plot to oust the gangs?

What you get with this comic is something sassy, funny, rude, irreverent with strong Female lead characters and a lot of gore and violence.  I really enjoyed this new series and if you don't mind language, violence, drug humor, and adult situations in your graphic novels then this is one to pick up!!

Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic/Alison Bechdel/232 pgs.

This is the first graphic novel I have read. I chose this particular one since it recently caused controversy on the Duke University campus when it appeared on the suggested reading list for the freshmen students. It is Bechdel's story of her family, the "fun home"--the family funeral parlor, and her father's death. It is her story of her developing sexuality, and family secrets. It is quite "graphic" and an interesting format to depict her growth, and her family life. Since she is a comic artist, it makes sense that this is the format she chose.

Brass Sun: The Wheel of Worlds / Ian Edginton & I.N.J. Culbard / 208 pages

 Honestly how does one review a graphic novel? You can exclaim over the story, character development but really isn't it all about the pictures, right??! I have read graphic novels over the years and have my favorite illustrators and storyboarders, but this one was recommended by a comic strip! Unshelved does a very cool installment on Fridays where they do a large panel illustration of a book and talk it up. Great for Readers' Advisory. I was intrigued and lo! the District owned the volume.
  We meet Wren who lives with her grandfather. She is given his journal and a key and told she must leave to save herself and their world. Wren is told the ice is encroaching and slowly killing her universe and she must somehow restart the sun. She leaves on her quest somehow knowing she will never see her grandfather again. We follow her on a wonderful and quixotic journey through the clockwork solar system. Do you remember the brass model of a solar system with all the planets connected by long thin arms? That is the world Wren has been brought up in. The arms are traveling tubes to each of the distant worlds. What a cool concept right??!!
  This is the first volume in the series and you want to read it quickly. Don't do that. Read it slowly and savor the adventure as it will come to an end all too soon. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it to anyone who likes steampunk, adventure/quest stories, or strong heroine characters. You will be rewarded.

Six Degrees of Reading: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll, Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by I.N.J. Culbard.

Revival: Live like you mean it (vol. 2) / Tim Seeley / 128 pgs

Time has passed, and the residents of the small rural town in Wisconsin are trying to get back to normal after the events of "Revival Day".  The dead that came back to life on "Revival Day" are returning to their former jobs and families while dealing with the mixed feelings of their neighbors.  Officer Dana Cypress is still trying to piece together the event of Revival Day, as well as investigating several murders (including the attempted murder of her sister), all the while trying to keep the peace in the small town that is being overrun by the media, religious zealots, the government, and paranoid townspeople.

An interesting mystery where each page give a little more information while at the same time adds another layer to the story.  Beautiful artwork and in full color!  Recommend for Older teens and adults, due to violence, lots of blood and guts shown, some cursing.

Fables: Wolves (vol. 8) / Bill Willingham / 160 pgs. / 5 Golden Rings X-Mas Challenge

This volume finds Bigby Wolf (former sheriff of Fabletown) hiding out deep in the
wilderness.  He lays around and drinks heavily in an attempt to forget Snow White, their children, and how miserable he is.  Luckily, the Mayor of Fabletown has found a loop-hole in their laws that will allow Bigby to be able to come back and join their society.  The catch is, first they have to find Bigby, and then convince him to go on a dangerous mission to deliver a message to Fabletown's worst enemy, "the Adversary".
I enjoy reading this series for the beautiful artwork and the right mix of humor and action in the story line. 

Saga Vol. 3 / Brian K. Vaughn / 144 pgs.

I love this series!  The artwork is beautifully drawn by Fiona Staples, and the characters are varied with their own complete back story and motives. In this volume (#3), the protagonists Marko and Alana are still on the run and not sure where to go next.  Therefore, they decide to track down the author of the book that "changed their lives" and see if he has any more sage advise to direct them.  Unfortunately, the people chasing after them, an Army Commander, an Assassin, and Marko's ex-fiance, are right on their tails.

This series has images of graphic violence and sexual situations, so use caution when recommending.

SANTA VERSUS DRACULA / Melissa Dejesus and Ed Power / 167 Pages

How could I resist a graphic novel with the title SANTA VERSUS DRACULA! Dejesus (artwork) and Power (story) have created a hilarious, beautifully illustrated tale where the symbols of Christmas (quite literally) face off against famous fictional monsters.

When Dracula invades the North Pole, who do you think will win in the match-ups? Jack Frost versus the Invisible Man? Wintry the Snowman versus Frankenstein's Monster? Mrs. Clause (not the one you might expect) versus the Hunchback? Rumspringer the Reindeer versus Mr. Hyde? And last but hardly least (especially with a twist ending) Santa versus Dracula?

Read at your own risk, you may die laughing but you just might like it! :-)

Saga, Vol. 2 / Brian K. Vaughan / 144 pgs. / Dec. Challenge - Geese-a-Laying

Star-Crossed parents Alana & Marko are on the run with their newborn Hazel.  Prince Robot IV as well as
Bounty Hunter "The Will" are still hot on their trail.  In this volume, Marko's parents join up with the runaways, which lead to heated discussions and lots of family drama!

I love, love, LOVE this series.  Exciting, thoughtful, and the artwork is gorgeous.  But due to adult content, this is a series for mature readers.  

Assassin's Creed: Desmond (Vol. 1) / Corbeyran / 48 pgs.

I've never played the video game, but I know that its super popular.  However, not knowing the storyline from the video game made me feel like I was missing part of the plot of this book.  From what I understand, there is a secret war, that has been going on for ages, between the Templars and "The Order".  The two groups are looking for something that will ultimately give them control of the entire world.  In order to find this "thing" the Templars created a machine called the Animus, which takes people back in time so they can relive events that happened in their ancestors' lives.  Of course, there are some unfortunate side-effects to using the Animus, one of which causes the user to go insane.

I think the video game fans will enjoy this series, the rest might give it a try if they like reading stories about secret organizations and conspiracy theories.

Revival : You're Among Friends (vol. 1) / Tim Seeley & Mike Norton / 128 pgs. / 1st in a Series Challenge!

One day, in a little rural town in central Wisconsin, the recently deceased came back to life.  Quickly, this sleepy town went from the quiet life to instant international scrutiny as the government, the CDC, reporters, religious zealots, and other nutcases try to pry into the townspeople while they are trapped there in quarantine.  No one knows why the 20 or so people have come back to life and there are questions to the "revivers" sanity, health, and if they present a danger to the community. 

The book feels like someone is poking a caged, wild animal with a stick and you are just waiting for something (it) to snap.  The mystery is intriguing; what caused this event? is it the end times? some medical breakthrough?  The story focuses on the people of the town as they put one step in front of the other through this stressful time.

Warning: This book is a Horror novel and is rated Mature.  It is very bloody, and not recommended for those with a weak stomach.