Little Bird: The Fight for Elder's Hope (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Image Comic via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Little Bird: The Fight for Elder's Hope
Author:  Darcy Van Poelgeest
Illustrator: Ian Bertram
Upcoming Release Date: November 26, 2019


Synopsis: Award-winning filmmaker Darcy Van Poelgeest teams up with Angoulême nominated artist Ian Bertram to bring you the highly acclaimed dystopian sci-fi, Little Bird.

With the same limitless scope as Star Wars, and the social-political explorations of A Handmaid's Tale, Little Bird tells the story of a young resistance fighter battling against an oppressive American Empire while searching for her own identity in a world on fire. A gorgeously illustrated epic where one girl risks everything to save her people, their land, and the freedom they so desperately deserve.

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Review: The description of this book has everything. It's an epic with social-political exploration. There's a young heroine fighting for what she thinks is right. I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I could not get into it.

The art is very unique. There's grotesque elements and disproportion to emphasis the strangeness. This is a future with an uber-religious USA, genetically modified human beings, and something called a resurrection gene. The world seems massive, but it was too much for me to grasp. 

I was hoping to enjoy this book, but it ended up being a DNF for me. The artwork is unnerving, but excellently fits with the story. There's a lot going on. A big world. I think I might have just not been in the right head space for this type of book. I give this book a 2/5.


--PAUL

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artists: Will Sliney, Dono Sanchez-Almara, & Protobunker
Recent Release Date: November 5, 2019


Synopsis: A thrilling call to adventure on the very edge of the galaxy! Black Spire Outpost has long been frequented by smugglers, merchants and travelers from every system looking to make their score on the infamous black market - or experience exotic thrills only the remote world of Batuu has to offer. Beings like the infamous Dok-Ondar, proprietor of rare antiquities, thrive on the unique opportunities that abound on this lawless outpost at the edge of Wild Space. But the First Order has come to Batuu - and now its survival is at stake! The road to Black Spire's salvation begins in the past...with a job that Han Solo and Chewbacca once pulled for Dok-Ondar. The newest chapter of the growing Star Wars saga begins with this riveting comic adventure tie-in to the theme park!

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Review: Welcome to the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu! I haven't been yet, but you may have if you've recently visited Disney World or Disney Land. There's obviously a lot of references to how the actual park looks. The cover featured the Millenium Falcon just like the actual attraction. 

This graphic novel tells one story focusing on one of the original characters made for the parks: Dok-Ondar. Within the big story there are four smaller tales being retold. Han Solo deals with a baby sarlacc. Greedo's ego is showcased. Hando comes in contact with the Guardians of the Whills. And, Doctor Aphra travels to the Sith Homeworld of Moraband. Each of these stories show off different aspects of the park that you can see for yourself if you go in person. This is what Star Wars does so well, making connections and building a big lived-in world.

There are plenty of wonderful references. Ki-Adi-Mundi and Chirrut are just two of my favorites. Dok-Ondar is the true star of this book. He's an underworld mastermind.

I give this book a 3.5/5. It's full of fun stories with connections to the park and featured characters from different eras. This definitely is a tie-in story, though. 


--PAUL

Topside (graphic novel) by J. N. Monk - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley from Lerner Publishing Group. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Topside
Author: J. N. Monk
Illustrator: Harry Bogosian
Recent Release Date: October 1, 2019


Synopsis: A wild outer-space fantasy about fixing your mistakes and the friends you meet along the way.

When Jo, a headstrong maintenance technician, makes an error that destabilizes her planet's core, she only knows one way to fix things: leaving her underground home for a trip to the planet's dangerous, unruly surface. Soon she's wandering through deserts, riding on the back of giant beasts, and cutting deals with con artists and bounty hunters. Meanwhile, agents of the core are in hot pursuit. J. N. Monk and Harry Bogosian (co-creators of the web-comic StarHammer) present a wild outer-space fantasy about fixing your mistakes and the friends you meet along the way. 

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Review: This graphic novel shows a group of misfits working together in a strange, and elaborate world. The whole book is colorful with great designs of characters. There are aliens, weird creatures, and detailed backgrounds. I love world building that is just there in the background without explicit explanations. It is an intricate and bizarre world. I enjoyed the comical take on bureaucracy. 

This book was a fun, easy read about finding your own path and diverting from the assigned path. I give this book a 4/5.


--PAUL