Home After Dark/ David Small/416 pages

Russell has been abandoned by his mother and forced to follow his father to California, where he promises to find a job. His father, an alcoholic, abandons him as well and Russell finds refuge with a Chinese immigrant couple. He struggles to maintain healthy friendships and finds himself doing things he wouldn't normally do to survive.

Wallace the Brave/Henry, Will/176 pages

                                                     Wallace the Brave is a funny graphic novel about a little boy named ffunny                                      Wallace, his friend Spud and their adventures.  They have very                                          active imaginations and nothing that occurs to them is too
                                                  dangerous to try.
                                                      I especially liked the panels featuring Wallace's laid back father
                                                  and his wild little brother.  The book covers everything from Wallace
                                                  moaning about wearing shoes when its time to go back to school
                                                  in September to when he really thought he was going to get a real
                                                  jet pack for Christmas!  The part where Wallace is feeding grass-
                                                  hoppers to his little brother only gets a "Don't do that--it will spoil
                                                  his appetite" from dear old dad but Mom goes crazy!
                                                       Quick and easy read--loved the characters and loved the author's
                                                  sense of humor!

                                                                                                                                    

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy / Noelle Stevenson / 128 pages

Having read Nimona by Noelle Stevenson for a Read Harder challenge category last year, I had high expectations for Lumberjanes. I have heard a lot of good things about it. However, my opinion is that it isn't good as I had expected. I feel like it was all over the place, and so I found myself a bit too confused and not nearly as interested as I had hoped.

Lumberjanes is a comic. The first volume is comprised of the first four issues. Five teenage female friends band together at a summer camp in the woods and end up coming across all sorts of mystical creatures including three-eyed foxes. There are also weird visions and secret caves. The mystery of what in the world is going on is the central part of the comic, but I suspect one would have to read more to really make sense of what is going on.

Giant Days, Vol. 1 / John Allison / 128 pages

Giant Days is about a trio of girls: Susan, Esther, and Daisy. They're all freshman in a British university and have come from completely different walks of life and experiences. But their experiences are about to get even more strange and confusing. There is some very odd stuff mixed in with the regular expectations of a college experience, and I really enjoyed this collection of single issues from BOOM!Box. Usually I read books with a college setting and think, “Okay, that was fun but not really similar to my experience.” Volume One was so much like my first two years of college! If Esther was more punk than goth and had a Russian name; my Daisy was taller than everyone and not so naive but just as shy; and I was a less angry and less ambitious (English Lit degree, not medical) Susan. Just the reprieve I needed from a busy life right now.

Deadpool: Soul Hunter / Gerry Duggan & Brian Posehn / 136 pages

"First: Flash back to Deadpool’s adventures of yesteryear with Iron Man! Then: A demon hires Deadpool to reclaim damned souls! And just in case you didn’t think he could get any stranger, Wade gets in touch with his feminine side! Plus: Deadpool targets a man with aquatic powers, and then teams up with your Superior Neighborhood Spider-Man! And we promise he kills one of those two! Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn’s hilarious, nonstop reinvention of the Merc With a Mouth continues here!"

I have a complicated relationship with Deadpool in the sense that I really want to like him but usually don’t. Soul Hunter is the second volume in Duggan's and Posehn's run with the character, a series about Deadpool that perfectly exemplifies my feelings toward him. There are a range of actions from mildly disgusting to despicable in this comic that disturb me about as much as the antihero's friends seem to be disturbed by him. And the first volume was just weird. But I’m curious to see where the overarching storyline goes. The authors are developing his character emotionally more than has been done in the past. Also, the art in this second volume is very good! So, I’ll continue reading the series and see where it goes!

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/).

Wonder Woman: Earth One, Volume 1 / Grant Morrison / 144 pgs

I have to admit that I don't read a lot of superhero graphic novels. There are a precious few that I consider to be the best and I tend to reread them a lot, like Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke" or Marvel's "Civil War" series. For the ReadHarder challenge this year, I just read "Wonder Woman: Earth One, Volume 1" which I am guessing is a retelling of the Wonder Woman origin story with very heavy Greek mythology overtones. My very limited knowledge tells me that the big reveal of how Princess Diana/Wonder Woman was conceived is a departure from previous iterations of Wonder Woman.

It was an interesting take, making Diana's sexual orientation quite overt, changing Steve Trevor to a modern-day African-American pilot, and piling on the Amazons' disgust of "man's world." I mean, seriously, there's a LOT of repetition there. If I read one more time how horrible "man's world" is, even going so far as taking an obese woman and blaming "man's world" on making her body "grotesque," I would have screamed.

*You know, I had the rating at 3 stars but I just dropped it down to 2 stars because as I'm writing my review, I'm getting more and more upset about how normal, everyday women are portrayed in this graphic novel*

Anyways, if anything saves "Wonder Woman: Earth One, Volume 1" is that the graphics are gorgeous. Paradise Island is lush and colorful. The outfits worn by the Amazons, and even the ones worn by the regular folk in "man's world," are detailed and rich. The writing may have been poor, but the artistry was not.

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. 

Superman, Wonderwoman (vol. 1) : Power Couple / Charles Soule / 192 pgs

Volume 1 of a new series that explores the question, "what if Superman and Wonder woman were in a relationship?".

I'm not sure how I feel about this comic; as it just throws the whole Clark Kent/Lois Lane relationship right out the window, pretending that it never happened.  I mean that's a pretty classic pairing, and to mess with it kind of makes this not a "superman" story.

But, I digress; IF Lois Land and Superman were never in a relationship and Superman hooks up with Wonder Woman, then this is actually a pretty interesting story line.  I like that in volume one, Wonder Woman deals with the same relationship problems as any other normal human goes through.  She doubts Superman's feelings, she wonders if he wants her to change her lifestyle for him, she hopes they can have a "normal" relationship even though they are famous superheroes.

There are a few superhero fighting sequences, but I was reading this for the relationship story-line.

Ghosts / Raina Telgemeier / 239 pgs

Very cute, kid-friendly graphic novel about two sisters who move to California, due to the younger sister's health issues.  The older sister Cat is bitter over the move and resentful of her sister; and is even less impressed with her new town when she learns from the locals that the town is rumored to be haunted.

The issues of family, moving, and friendship are nicely played out, as well as touching on deeper topics of illness, death, dying, and the afterlife.  Not treating nor scary makes this a good read for any elementary school age child and up.

Jane, the fox & me / Fanny Britt & Isabelle Arsenault / 101 pages

 A graphic novel disguised as a children's picture book is an interesting twist. A story of a young woman Helene who is bullied by her classmates. She finds solace in reading Jane Eyre. The class is given a surprise camping trip as a reward and Helene is forced to go. She places herself in a tent with other girls who don't fit in. While reading one evening a fox walks out of the forest. There is almost a connection and then a tent mate scares the animal away.  Soon after a young woman, Geraldine appears who has been kicked out of her tent. She immediately makes everyone feel comfortable and important. These two become the best of friends and Helene finds confidence in herself, leading to many more smiles aimed at the world.
 One of the interesting parts about this graphic novel is the art. There are colored pencils with dark lines when Helene is lost in the world of Jane Eyre. Lush scenes with vivid colors and fully drawn characters. But when Helene is thinking about her reality, the colors are dreary and pencil lines with little to no color. What a striking contrast! This is a perfect book to help children understand the effects of bullying and that one person can make all the difference. A New York Times Best Illustrated Book.

6 Degrees of Reading: Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, Advice to Little Girls by Mark Twain, The Dark by Lemony Snicket.

A Matter of Life / Jeffrey Brown / 93 pgs

A sweet autobiographical graphic novel, which shows snippets of Jeffery Brown's life growing up and his thoughts of the present being a husband and father.  Jeffery's father was a Minister, so the role of the religion and church plays a big part in his life and is therefore the main topic in this book. 
The book is a little bit disjointed as the sequence of the stories jump around from past to present and back with no real timeline order.  The thoughts and subjects also are in no particular order, more like stream of conscious writing.  I still felt this book was a very honest and open look at one person's life and experiences and I am glad that he shared it with me. 

Pride & Prejudice / Jane Austen Adapted by Nancy Butler / 120 pgs.

In the introduction to this Graphic Novel the author, Nancy Butler, flat out writes that Marvel Comics wanted a story that would appeal to girls and get them to buy more comic books.  I don't have a problem with that, nor am I opposed to the Austen classic that they chose.  I just wondered if it was some marketing ploy by Marvel Comics or just plain lack of imagination on the artist's part to make the main character, Lizzy, look exactly like Keira Knightley, who played the Lizzy in the 2005 movie version.


"Why, whatever do you mean?!  I look Absolutely
nothing like that comic book character."

Still, this really was a very nice Graphic Novel Adaption the classic "Pride & Prejudice".  I loved the movie and mini-series based on this novel, but I just could never bring myself to actually READ the 400 page tome.  I know that with only 120 pages, I am still missing a lot to the story, but it was nice to be able to slow down and read some of Austen's words.  In the movies the actors speak so quickly, I find it hard to catch everything they are trying to convey.  Clean, great story, great illustrations that add to the overall package. 

I would recommend this book to anybody that wants to try out a graphic novel and likes literary stories. 
  



Thor: The Mighty Avenger vol. 1/Roger Langridge/128 pages

I read this because it was listed as one of YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten - 2012) and a Top Ten Graphic Novel for Youth (Booklist) (2012).  In general, I am not a big fan of graphic novels or comics, but am attempting to broaden my reader's advisory of this genre.  The first graphic novel I read thusly did not endear me to the genre, but I think I might change my mind after reading Thor.   Having seen the recent movies, it was quite an entertaining read.  It tells of a re-imagined beginning for the hero Thor and Jane that parallels the main events from the movie, Thor.  The artwork was very good as well as the storyline.  An addition at the end of the graphic novel is the original 2 stories from the 1960s.  I got quite a giggle to see how far comics and graphic novels have come in the past 50 years.  Happy to say it was a big improvement.  It also made me think that I might be judging my like/dislike of the genre base on what was available when I was younger.  If that is the case, I am more than happy to give graphic novels another try.

Princess Princess vol. 1 / Mikiyo Tsuda / 168 pgs. / 1st in a Series

Tohru Kouno is a new transfer student to an elite all-boys boarding school.  Since he is very good looking he is chosen to join the most popular clique in school.  The catch is this group cross-dresses for special school events in order to provide an outlet and a touch of femininity for the frustrated, testosterone pumped male students. 

It weird and funny, but I am not sure how long this series can run without the gag getting stale.

Code Word: Geronimo / Captain Dale Dye / 74 pgs.

Again, not really sure why I read this, I really wanted the points and I seem to be on a roll this month.  :)
I was mostly curious as to why someone felt the need to make a graphic novel out of the raid and assassination of Osama Bin Laden.  Then again, I am still wondering why we made movies out of Flight 93, or Nicolas Cage in World Trade Center. 

This book is a play-by-play of the take down of Osama Bin Laden.  There are no background details or side stories, you don't learn about the players on the special forces teams.  If you like military jargon and want just the facts, or you are interested in what a military operation looks like, then this is the book for you.  The illustrations are in full color and not to gory even those there are several shootouts.  There is not much dialog and its all military speak, for example here is dialog from a random page, "Stalkers Heavies, Point Zulu.  Go to Stand-by Orbit.  No Lights, No Comms."

There was a nice few essays at the end of the book that gave a little more information about the political situation that we were in.  It addresses the controversy of using the codeword "Geronimo" for the mission and explains that it was not being used to compare Bin Laden to Geronimo, but was used to designate the 7th or "G" phase of the mission to find and eliminate bin Laden.  There is also a little background on bin Laden's life and activities and an essay on why this mission was important and necessary. 

Blue Bloods (Graphic Novel) / Venditti, Robert & Melissa De La Cruz / 110pgs.

For me Graphic Novels need to either have Beautifully drawn illustrations and an okay story; or an Excellent story and at least interesting artwork (aka Maus or Persepolis).  When the two come together like in Saga or Y: the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn or my all time favorite Series, Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore; then I am the happiest reader alive.  That being said, Blue Bloods has beautiful illustrations and a not very original, but entertaining story.  The real funny thing is I grabbed this book off the shelf because I thought the front cover looked so lovey and well drawn.  Turns out the cover was drawn by Graphic Artist, Fiona Staples, who draws the series Saga which is what I am currently obsessed with.

Anyway, Blue Bloods, is about a group of rich, elite, teenagers who live in New York City, who are coming into their powers as Vampires.  Think "Gossip Girl" meets "Twilight", because this book is full of cliques, fashion, high school drama, hot guys, and of course secret societies, mystery, and blood sucking demons.  After you roll your eyes and *groin* in pain at the cliche dialog, you can at least study the illustrations and see that, yes, there are still some comic book artist out there that know how to draw  well.

Blankets / Craig Thompson / 582 pages

This book is a memoir of Thompson’s growing up in a dysfunctional family, and the bond between brothers – from fighting over the blanket in bed to pretending the bed is a giant ship at sea. Interspersed with his reflections on growing up is the story of his first love, Raina. The two meet at church camp and Thompson goes to spend two weeks with her family in Michigan. The novel is sweetly told and the story is enhanced by the illustrations. In addition to family and love, Thompson also explores the topics of abuse (both sexual and child), faith, personality, coming-of-age, loss, and special needs adults.

I had never read a graphic novel before and was not sure I would enjoy it. This turned out to be a good choice for my first foray into the genre. The story is compelling and moving. I read through it quickly and was sorry to see it end.

5 Centimeters Per Second/Makoto Shinkai/460 pages

5 Centimeters Per Second was actually first released as a Japanese animated feature film, with the manga novel being released at a later date. There is no science fiction or fantasy element in this novel, instead it gives a realistic view of the struggles many face in their life: time, space, people, and love. The two main characters become close friends in elementary school and then have to move away from each other. They remain close at first, even making a trip to visit each other in middle school, but soon realize that they have begun to drift their separate ways. Unlike other manga series, this story begins and ends with one volume. We read this for manga club and watched the anime as well. Would recommend for teens, even those that don't typically read manga.

Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You (Vol. 1) / Karuho Shiina / 205 p.

Sawako nicknamed Sadako because she looks like a traditional ghost from Japanese horror movies (think the girl from the movie "The Ring"), is very introverted and socially inept.  However, things start to change when she becomes friends with the most popular boy in school.

There is really not much to this story, and in fact there is so little happening there is tons of filler.  Over and over we see Sawako trying to befriend people, but end up scaring them away.  And then there are many drawings of Sawako's confused/determined face close up, as she is marveling over and over about how nice the popular boy, Kazehaya, is.

Needless to say I got pretty bored with this book and I doubt I will continue with the series.