Diana: Princess of the Amazons (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

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

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Title: Diana: Princess of the Amazons
Author: Shannon Hale & Dean Hale
Illustrator: Victoria Ying
Release Date: January 7, 2020


Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Diana leads an idyllic life on the island of Themyscira. Cut off from the rest of the world, she's beginning to feel more and more isolated. Though she has a loving mother and many "aunties," she is an only child. THE only child child on the island, in fact.

After an escapade goes wrong, Diana gets in trouble for not living up to the Amazonian standard. She just can't seem to measure up no matter what she does. Every other person on the island is an adult proficient in their trade and mighty in body, while she is gangly, sometimes clumsy, and not particularly good at anything. She's not Wonder Woman ... yet. What Diana needs is a friend; someone her own age whom she can talk to. But when she decides to take matters into her own hands, she may just make a monster instead of a friend. 

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Review: This middle grade graphic novel finds Diana as a lonely only child. Literally, there are no other children in her society. This is many years before she takes on the role of Wonder Woman. Diana is at that stage of her life where she feels the pull of two worlds. Childhood is starting to disinterest her. Dolls have been left behind. 

Diana ends up finding a friend her own age, but her new pal is quite mischievous. It's new to Diana to have a peer. They're definitely going to get into trouble.

This is a cute simple story. The story works great for a middle grade audience and could even be read to younger fans. I give this book a 3.5/5.


--PAUL

Mera: Tidebreaker (graphic novel) by Danielle Paige - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from DC Ink 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: Mera: Tidebreaker
Author: Danielle Paige
Illustrator: Steven Byrne
Release Date: April 2, 2019

About Danielle Paige
Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series and the Stealing Snow series. In addition to writing young adult books, she has worked in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City.

About Stephen Byrne
Stephen Byrne was born in Dublin, Ireland, where he studied at the Irish School of Animation. He has worked in Ireland and the United States in the fields of animation, TV advertising, satirical newspaper cartoons, and video games. He now lives in London, where he works on his true passion, comics.

About DC Ink
DC Ink is a new young adult graphic novel line from DC. The line will introduce DC’s most iconic Super Heroes to a new generation of fans with stories told by some of the most successful authors from the young adult publishing space. DC Ink titles will be standalone stories, not part of DC’s ongoing continuity, and completely accessible to new readers who have no previous knowledge of DC characters. The line will launch in April 2019 with the release of Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige and Stephen Byrne, followed by Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle and Isaac Goodhart in May, Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo in July, and more titles to be announced.



Synopsis: Princess Mera is teenage royalty and heir to the throne of Xebel, a penal colony ruled by Atlantis. Her father and the entire kingdom are expecting her to marry and introduce a new king. But Mera is destined to wear a different crown.

When the Xebellian military plots to overthrow Atlantis and break free of its oppressive regime, Mera seizes the opportunity to take control of her own destiny by assassinating Arthur Curry—the long-lost prince and heir to the kingdom of Atlantis. But her mission gets sidetracked when Mera and Arthur unexpectedly fall in love. Will Arthur Curry be the king at Mera’s side, or will he die under her blade as she attempts to free her people from persecution? Mera is forced to choose between following her heart and her mission to kill.

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Review: DC Ink is bringing Young Adult stories about DC characters to the graphic novel format! The first book is Mera: Tidebreaker written by Danielle Paige. Steven Bryne illustrates this story in mostly blue tones with highlights of orange for Mera's (and her father's) hair.

This graphic novel tells the story of a young princess trying to live up to the model left behind by her deceased mother who was both a queen and a warrior. The royal politics of the underwater world is at the forefront of this story. There are a lot of princess tropes that Paige plays with. It's like if The Little Mermaid was on a mission to kill Prince Eric. 

This is a fun "fish out of water" assassin princess story. Mera thinks she has it in her to kill the Atlantean Prince Arthur and bring his head back to her father, but is that really the type of person she is?

I give this book a 3.5/5. Paige merges classic tropes with empowering characters, but it could have had more of an original feel to it, in my opinion. I'm looking forward to the other DC Ink titles. I already have downloaded Raven's!


--PAUL

Justice League/Power Rangers (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from DC Comics in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Justice League/Power Rangers
Author: Tom Taylor
Illustrator: Stephen Byrne
Recent Release Date: December 12, 2017

Synopsis: Two of the most popular crime-fighting teams of all time collide for the first time when the Justice League faces the Power Rangers!

Something terrible has happened in Angel Grove! When the Command Center is breached and the teleporters are damaged, Zack is flung into another universe, where he's mistaken for a villain by a mysterious masked vigilante. Can the other Power Rangers get to their friend in time to save him from Batman? Co-published with BOOM! Studios and written by INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US best-selling author Tom Taylor, this book is the crossover event of the year! 

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Review: This is a super fun, super hero team crossover comic! The problem with crossover events like this that take two properties from two different worlds/franchises is that there can't be any actual growth or meaningful story. It's just fun to see these characters interacting with each other. 

This comic starts with a destroyed Angel Grove and Superman. This is just the first example of amazing combinations of things from my childhood. Batman is the comic relief in this comic and it works so well. I loved watching the members of the Justice League interacting with each of the Rangers. Zach often gets kicked to the sidelines, but in this story he really shines. I also liked that the Pterodactyl dinozord was the first one shown. Alpha 5 also gets to do some fun things. The Rangers have to wear some different suits at one point in this story and if you are a DC comic fan, you'll love it! 

The final panel really made me want a sequel. These crossover comics can be so creative. I loved the Star Trek/Green Lantern Corp one as well. They are just so unexpected and the combinations work so well. Overall, this was a fun comic story. There wasn't anything too deep or too exciting, but there's plenty of fun. I give this comic a 4/5 and recommend it to fans of both franchises, even if you are only familiar with one on a surface level. 


--PAUL

The Flintstones, Vol. 2 (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from DC Entertainment via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Flintstones, Vol. 2
Writer: Mark Russell
Illustrator: Steve Pugh
Upcoming Release Date: October 10, 2017

My REVIEW of The Flinstones, Vol.1

Synopsis:Fred and Barney reunite for Mark Russell’s modern take on Hanna-Barbera’s most famous stone-age family!

This second volume starring the first family of Bedrock (and civilization, really) tells the story of who we are and why we do what we do as if it all began with Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty and the rest of the citizens of Bedrock. Shining a light on humanity’s ancient customs and institutions in a funny origin story of human civilization, Mark Russell (PREZ) blends modern interpretations with Hanna-Barbera’s classic characters, bringing a breath of fresh stone-age air.

Hanna-Barbera has created some of the most recognizable animated characters of all time. As part of DC Comics’ reimagination of cartoons like SCOOBY-DOO, JOHNNY QUEST, SPACE GHOST and WACKY RACERS, these new series are infused with modern and contemporary concepts while keeping the heart and soul of the classic animation.

Collects THE FLINSTONES #7-12.

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Review: This second volume absolutely delivers! When I saw The End, I still wanted more! This series has taken classic characters and a setting everyone is familiar with and brought it to 2017. The political commentary in this volume is done so well. Humanity is shown fully, flaws and advantages. This series oddly pairs well with the nonfiction book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Each chapter has its own focus while still keeping the whole arc moving forward. The church story is great. Economics comes up in this volume. Wilma's mother and her transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer. The heart of this volume though, is in the appliances. I almost cried.

There's also great pop culture references. Stony Danza as a celebrity endorsement was hilarious. Pterodactyl drones attacking innocent people.

This whole series is a great commentary on humanity. There's only two volumes, so you might as well just buy them both! I give this volume a 5/5. It effectively uses a simple story to show complex ideas and makes you question everyday things.


--PAUL

Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors and IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War
Author: Mike Johnson
Illustrator: Angel Hernandez
Upcoming Release Date: March 29, 2016


Synopsis: Two iconic franchises collide for this blockbuster crossover event! The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise meets the Green Lantern Corps for the first time in an all-new adventure that spans the cosmos! Kirk and Spock make a most unusual discovery on a lost world... igniting events that will change the fate of empires!

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Review: I am a big fan of Star Trek. I grew up watching Voyager and I am very familiar with all things Trek. I've read some of the reboot film comics, but I haven't kept up with them. Green Lantern on the other hand, I know very little about. I've seen the film. I know some of the history of the Corp, but I am definitely just a casual consumer when it comes to Green Lantern. 

In this graphic novel, your really only need to be a casual consumer of either franchise. Anything that needs to be explained is explained. Obviously, you'll enjoy it more the more familiar you are with either franchise. 

The rings from the Green Lantern universe make their way into the Star Trek world. With them, comes some characters as well. When the rings arrive, they find new bearers. Many of the Enterprise crew get rings that match their personalities. Unfortunately, so do villains. General Klang the Klingon makes an appearance. There are also appearances from the classic Star Trek races Gorn and Romulan. 

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this comic. It is done really well. It's a fun, high energy story with great characters. I give this graphic novel a 4/5. If they continue this crossover series, I want to read the next volume! My favorite image was Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, sitting in the Captain's Chair of the Enterprise.   


--PAUL

Teen Titans Go! Volume 1: Party, Party! by Sholly Fisch, Lea Hernandez, Jorge Corona, & Ben Bates - Ashley's Review

*I received this comic as an eARC from DC Entertainment/DC Comics on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Teen Titans Go! Volume 1: Party, Party! 
Contributors: Sholly Fisch, Lea Hernandez (Illustrator), Jorge Corona (Illustrator), and Ben Bates (Illustrator)
Publication Date: March 10, 2015

Synopsis: JUSTICE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS MUCH FUN!

Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy are the Teen Titans the coolest teenage superhero team in the universe! Watch as they battle a pizza monster, a video game console that becomes alive, and a legion of incompetent super villains. The Teen Titans are always getting into crazy hijinks like destroying a superhero themed mini golf course, becoming CEOs of a Silicon Valley startup company, playing a deadly game of go fish, making intergalactic prank phone calls, or throwing a girls only superhero slumber party. Thru all the mayhem and zanynest these friends always come out victorious (most of the time.) 

TEEN TITANS GO! VOLUME 1: PARTY, PARTY! collects issues #1-6 of the fun filled series based on the hit cartoon show on Cartoon Network featuring work from an array of comic creators including Sholly Fisch, Lea Hernandez, Amy Wolfram, Jorge Corona, Ben Bates and many more!

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Review: I'm kind of familiar with the Teen Titans from the TV show that used to be on Cartoon Network before Teen Titans Go! I think that one was a little darker, and the animation was a little more harsh. But Teen Titans Go! is a lot of fun and I love that the illustrations in this comic match the new show so well! 

As far as the artwork goes, the colors are bright and fun and made me happy every time I sat down to read it. The illustrators capture the facial expressions of all of the characters perfectly. I could tell when Best Boy and Cyborg were about to do something that would get them in trouble, or when Starfire was confused, or when Raven was trying not to destroy the rest of the Teen Titans for being dumb and annoying. It added so much to this comic, since it allowed for fewer words. Just like a comic should be! 

All six stories are exactly what I hoped they would be, and even tough they could all stand alone, they go pretty well together as a whole too. They don't build off of each other or anything, except that you learn a little bit more about the personalities and the characteristics of each Teen Titan, and I thought it was neat to see them in different situations. Like who would have thought Raven would ever agree to an all-girls sleepover? I do think the prank calling one was my favorite though, mostly because I loved seeing how terrified Robin was of Batman and how they all managed to get themselves out of this predicament... this time. 

I would definitely recommend this volume to any fans of the Teen Titans! Even if you aren't really familiar with them, this would be a fun place to start. I think it's especially good for kids who like super heroes, and would be a great way to introduce them to comic books and graphic novels. It's not gory or scary or anything, and there are no big words that would be hard for kids to understand. It's still fun for grownups too, so it could be a great comic to read together! A 3/5. 


--Ashley

Harley Quinn Volume 1: Hot in the City - Ashley's Review

*I received this comic as an eARC from DC Comics on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Harley Quinn Volume 1: Hot in the City
Author: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, Stephane Roux, Alex Sinclair, Paul Mounts
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Synopsis: Fresh from BATMAN: DEATH OF THE FAMILY and SUICIDE SQUAD, Harley Quinn returns to her first solo series in the New 52! The writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti (ALL STAR WESTERN) and Amanda Conner (BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE) unleashed Harley on an unsuspecting DC Universe, as she encounters various heroes and villains ... and leaves no one unscathed in her wake! With art by Chad Hardin and a slew of comics' best artists including Darwyn Cooke, Sam Kieth, Tony S. Daniel, Paul Pope, Walter Simonson and Art Baltazar!

Collects HARLEY QUINN #0-8.

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Review: I'm not going to lie - I'm not really familiar with all the specifics of Harley Quinn's backstory. I mean, I know she used to treat the Joker and eventually fell in love with him and joined him in his criminal ways, and he often treats her like total crap, and she's pretty crazy herself. But other than that, I don't know all that much. I just know that I think she's hilarious and I always pick her first whenever I'm playing a video game that allows you to play as the villains. SO of course I jumped at the chance to read a comic that focuses solely on Harley! 

I think my favorite part of this comic was the beginning, where Harley is trying to decide on which artist to choose to draw her comic for her. She goes through all of these different art styles and situations and most of them are hilarious and totally not suited to her at all. She's pretty badass in other ones, and I think those were my favorite. I love when female characters, especially one as iconic and popular as Harley Quinn, get to kick some butt. Even if she isn't a hero and beats up on the "good guys".

As crazy as she is, I think Harley has some sane moments and is just willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She faces off against several heroes and villains (even Batman makes an appearance!), so that was really fun too. She's just trying to get by and please the Jokes, and sometimes she even is just doing things for herself. I loved learning more about her and what motivates her and I can't wait to learn more!

I would totally recommend this comic to anyone looking to learn more about Harley Quinn, especially since this is her New 52 appearance. There's still not much background, but it was a good place to jump in. You really only need to know the basics to understand this collection of comics. I'm really looking forward to the next volume! A 3/5 for this one.


--Ashley

Trillium by Jeff Lemire - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from DC Entertainment/Vertigo on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Trillium
Author: Jeff Lemire
Publication Date: August 12, 2014

Synopsis: Award-winning and fan favorite comics creator Jeff Lemire spins the tale of two star-crossed loved through space in time in Trillium!

It's the year 3797, and botanist Nika Temsmith is researching a strange species on a remote science station near the outermost rim of colonized space.

It's the year 1921, and renowned English explorer William Pike leads an expedition into the dense jungles of Peru in search of the fabled "Lost Temple of the Incas," an elusive sanctuary said to have strange healing properties.

Two disparate souls separated by thousands of years and hundreds of millions of miles. Yet they will fall in love and, as a result, bring about the end of the universe. Even though reality is unraveling all around them, nothing can pull them apart. This isn't just a love story, it's the LAST love story ever told.

Collects Trillium #1-8.

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Review: This comic sounds like it should be epic, right? Star-crossed lovers, space, a botanist researching a strange plant species in the future and an explorer in the jungle in the past? I mean, this sounds like it should be one of the most exciting comics I've ever read! But sadly... it just wasn't well executed in my opinion. 

The artwork is really interesting, and I think that was part of the reason that I kept reading even when the plot failed to hold my attention. The colors are often bold and eye-catching, and everything looks like a sketch. There are no really defined lines, and I think that that led to a really interesting effect. Especially since quite a bit of the store takes place in the jungle and space, which are typically pretty undefined spaces. I would be interested in looking in to more of Lemire's work just for the art. 

But then there's the plot. And if I hadn't read the synopsis, I honestly would have had very little idea about what was happening. It's not especially clear that Nika is a botanist - she just goes to this place on this planet and eats a flower and then things get crazy. I mean, she doesn't even understand half of what these strange blue people say, but she eats their flowers anyway! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to eat things handed to you by strangers?

I also was no feeling the romance and the star-crossed lovers at all. There's a point somewhere near the end where there's a mention about only knowing each other a few hours, but somehow we're still supposed to believe that Nika and William are in love and that their fates are intertwined? They're not even from the same time or place! I just couldn't get behind their love story, and I was really disappointed by that. 

Another thing that kind of bothered me, and maybe it's just because I was reading it on a computer, was that the frames were all over the place sometimes. Some would be sideways and others were upside down and it was really hard to read on my computer screen. There were also some frames that had SO many words. I felt like it was one of those bad PowerPoint presentations that have paragraphs of text on one slide and make everyone sitting through the presentation hate the whole thing. I think the art should tell the majority of the story in a comic book, and it was just so hard to get through all of the text.

I'm not really sure who to recommend this comic book too since I didn't really enjoy it. Maybe someone looking for interesting artwork? Or someone who enjoys stories about star-crossed lovers and space? Because even though this story wasn't for me, that's not to say that someone else - maybe you! - would enjoy it immensely. I think it had potential but just fell short, so I'd give it a 2/5.

--Ashley

Injustice: Gods Among Us Vol. 1 - Paul's REVIEW

***I was provided an ecopy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

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Title: Injustice: Gods Among Us Vol. 1
Author: Tom Taylor
Illustrations: Jheremy Raapack
Year Published: 2013

Upcoming Release Date: November 19, 2013

Synopsis: Things in the DC Universe have changed after Superman is tricked into destroying the one thing he loves the most. Now unwilling to let crime go unpunished, the heroes of our world must choose if they are with Superman or against him. But not every country will submit to his new world order and neither will Superman's greatest threat—Batman!

Review: This is a great comic book based off a video game. It doesn't feel like a video game. It feels like its own story. Although, there are a lot of awesome pairings and/or duels that I could tell are referencing the game. 

I liked that this story takes place in its own world. Big events happen. Characters change. The problem with characters like Superman and Batman is that its usually just the same tale told a little differently. This is a new story that puts Justice League members against each other. 

My favorite and the most hilarious pairing in this book is Harley Quinn and Green Arrow. I also liked Batman's protégés, Nightwing and Batman's own son, Robin. 

There are some epically badass battles in this book. I'm not a huge video gamer, but I would love to watch someone play this game just based off of reading this book. I'm definitely interested in reading the next volume. I give this book a 5/5.


-PAUL

The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice by Mike Carey & Peter Gross - Paul's Review

*I received this graphic novel as an eARC on NetGalley from Vertigo Comics in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice
Author: Mike Carey & Peter Gross
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: This exciting, original graphic novel explores the world of the Tommy Taylor novels in a visceral and direct way and is a great entry point for new readers.

Twenty-five years ago Tom’s father, Wilson Taylor, devised his subversive literary masterpiece. Now the blueprint of how a father gave his son vast power in order to accomplish a greater scheme is revealed. Partly told through Wilson’s own journal entries, juxtaposed with Tommy’s swashbuckling deep sea adventures with his trusty companions Peter and Sue, the story is at once a prequel and a parallel story to the ongoing series.


Review: I did not realize this was a prequel until after I started reading this. But, this did make me want to pick up the first volume of Unwritten. I'm sure there were many references I did not get, but here goes my review.

This story uses many tropes, cliches, and archetypes. But it uses them in a way that lets you know it knows its using them. There are also many references to popular works of fiction. These also seem to be done in a tongue and cheek way.

It feels like the story was supposed to come together fluidly like a Harry Potter book with clues interwoven throughout, but the solutions to later problems seemed very obvious and predictable.

There are two stories within this graphic novel. One of the author writing his book and one of the fictional story within the book. I found the author's story hard to read because it was written in cursive. I was reading this on a computer and the words blurred together. I'm sure the print copy won't have the same problem.

Overall, this was a fun story, but I don't think I could look at it the way a fan would enjoy it. If you are a fan of the Unwritten series, you will love this. It made me want to read the series. I'll give this graphic novel a 3/5, but remember I'm not familiar with the series.


--PAUL

Arrow Vol. 1 by Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, & Mike Grell - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from DC Comics on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Arrow Vol. 1
Author: Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Mark Grell (Illustrator)
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Spinning off directly from the hit CW television series ARROW comes the Emerald Archerer in these digital-first adventures! Show creators Andrew Kreisberg and Marc Guggenheim team with some of the industry's best artists, including Mike Grell (GREEN ARROW: THE LONGBOW HUNTERS), Phil Hester (GREEN ARROW: QUIVER) and others to fill in the gaps between episodes of one of TV's hottest new series.

Collects Arrow #1-6 and #1 Special edition

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Review: I was really excited when I saw that there was a comic series that was a direct spin-off of the CW television show, ARROW. I love the show, and have been anxiously waiting for its return this fall, and figured this would be enough to tide me over until then. I hoped that it would delve a little more into the background of some of the minor characters and give more context for the show. 

Although we do see some of the more notable characters (Moira, Laurel, Tommy, Diggle, etc), we don't really learn too much more about them. This collection gives a little background on characters like the white haired woman in the Triad, but kind of just throws the others in assuming you already know them well enough. It made it a little confusing at times, because I couldn't really tell who was supposed to be who or what was going on.

It was fun to see some of Oliver's other adventures, and to see him take on some villains that probably wouldn't have been "bad" enough to cover in the show. Or who do things that might be considered inappropriate for cable television (like human trafficking, etc). We don't learn too much about these bad guys, but Ollie sometimes has to be pretty creative to defeat them, and I think his martial arts skills are translated very well into pictures. 

This comic, like the show, is dark and gritty. I think the two are very reflective of each other, and I enjoyed that the comic was in the same style as the show. It helped to get into the world quickly, and allowed for fewer explanations as to what was happening. So if you've watched  the show, I would definitely recommend these comics. If you're looking to get into the world of ARROW though, I would suggest starting with the show and then going to the comics. And I would definitely not recommend these for a younger audience. A 3/5 from me.


--Ashley