Tag: comic books

Posted in Discussions, Personal Blogs

My Experience in the Comic Book Universe

Posted on by elishasbookreview
Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels.com

I’ve been thinking about writing a post like this for a long time. I want to share my experiences with the comic book universe and how I observe the movies/TV shows compared to how I read their source material. I feel like I have a lot of unique opinions on the matter; it’s just been a question of “who cares?”

Growing up in small-town USA, I didn’t know comic books existed, really. I never knew of a place where I could get them or read the comics. My earliest memories are of watching Batman and Justice League on TV. I dressed up as Batman for Halloween one year, despite the fact that I was a little girl. I guess that was an early sign of the years to come.

It wasn’t until the whole comic book/manga thing became more mainstream that I started seeing them at my local library. I fell in love with the medium, and I’m not ashamed of that anymore. I don’t care what “reader purists” say; I believe reading comics, manga, and graphic novels is just as valid as reading the Harlequin novels I see strewn about at Goodwill.

With the movies and TV shows being so self-contained, it makes team-ups seem extra special. For example, getting to see Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up was a remarkable moment in my mind. In the comics, it’s common to see heroes team up, but it’s just weird for me to witness, although it’s taken some time to become accustomed to seeing all the teamwork.

However, in the comics, Spider-Man is everyone’s BFF, more or less. He shows up to help any of the other heroes, no matter their expertise or neighborhood. He’s also not afraid to ask for help when he needs it; he’s sometimes seen seeking Doctor Strange for help or advice when the adversary belongs to a different dimension or has magical abilities.

Overall, I’m fascinated with this new universe and I hope to enjoy it for many more years to come. Even though I’m feeling a bit burnt out on how much content we’ve been getting, it’s great nonetheless. I can jump back in when I’m ready to and just as easily dip out or change to a different comic book. The world has become my oyster so to say.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Rapid Reviews

RAPID REVIEW: The Blue Flame: The Complete Series by Christopher Cantwell

Posted on by elishasbookreview

A cosmic action adventure for fans and readers of Watchmen, Strange Adventures, and Hawkeye, The Blue Flame tells the story of a blue collar working man/DIY vigilante/cosmic hero, who must defend Earth with an answer to the “Is humanity worth saving?” Repairman. Vigilante. Cosmic Hero. The Blue Flame is a cosmic hero. The Blue Flame is a DIY vigilante that fights crime on the streets of Milwaukee. The Blue Flame is a blue collar HVAC repairman named Sam Brausam. In the wake of a horrific tragedy, the boundaries of the Blue Flame’s identity blur even further. Now, before a universal trial, the Blue Flame must prove that humanity is worth saving. But in order to do that, Sam Brausam has to save himself. Can he? An odyssey for answers at the heart of the universe. Collects the entire series.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I discovered this graphic novel on my virtual library section called “Waiting on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and I thought I’d check this out. So let’s heat up this review of The Blue Flame.

I guess I can see the similarities between Blue Flame’s Night Brigade and The Guardians. Sam aka Blue Flame reminds me a lot of Peter Quill who is the leader of the Guardians. They both have this idealistic view of humanity, while both characters have problematic qualities.

For example, after the tragedy, Sam falls into a deep depression and gets addicted to alcohol and his pain meds. When his brother-in-law gets arrested by ICE because he was in the US illegally, Sam goes to the person who tipped off ICE and beats him up which lands him in trouble with the law.

All of this on top of trying to defend Earth from being obliterated. Then it becomes more of a philosophical debate rather than a traditional superhero comic. There’s even moments of religious verbiage, and I was surprised to see that in a comic book.

Overall this comic was solid, I liked seeing the debates that Sam and the alien prosecutor got into, but it quickly got old. I’m not sure who I’d recommend this comic to, but if you’re looking for an action-packed comic adventure, I’d give this one a pass.

Posted in Book Reviews, DC comics, Graphic Novels

REVIEW: Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

Harleen is a tough, outspoken, rebellious kid who lives in a ramshackle apartment above a karaoke cabaret owned by a drag queen named Mama. Ever since Harleen’s parents split, Mama has been her only family. When the cabaret becomes the next victim in the wave of gentrification that’s taking over the neighborhood, Harleen gets mad.

When Harleen decides to turn her anger into action, she is faced with two choices: join Ivy, who’s campaigning to make the neighborhood a better place to live, or join The Joker, who plans to take down Gotham one corporation at a time.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This graphic novel caught my eye at the library, and I thought I’d give it a try. I do like Harley Quinn as a character and since this was going to be a new take on her origin story I thought this deserved my attention. So let’s shatter this review of Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass!

First off, I love the diverse cast of characters involved. Ivy is African American and even though her parents are an active part of the community they still struggle with fighting the gentrification of the neighborhood. Ivy spends a lot of her high school days protesting the school’s film club’s non-diverse movie club. I think seeing her fight for justice as a whole and not just environmental issues makes her a more relatable character.

Harley is as chaotic as always. She’s picking fights with boys she calls ‘boogers’ and teaches them a valuable lesson about not messing with her or her family. She behaves like she’s in middle school and not in high school, which got on my nerves a bit. Harley quickly falls in love with her found family and seeing her defend them was heartwarming.

I was glad this novel wasn’t 100% focused on Harley and Joker. I do enjoy seeing the friendship dynamic between Harley and Ivy no matter what story or universe. Joker is more of a background character up until the final climax. He is still somewhat rational, and Harley even sees that eventually.

I don’t really have any major gripes with this story except Harley’s immaturity and the overuse of the word ‘booger’. Again, this is supposed to take place during high school not middle or elementary school. Just a small nitpick on my part.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fun graphic novel. It was a fresh take on Harley Quinn’s backstory and I thought this was a great found family story also. Even though Harley’s insults toward boys could’ve been more diverse, I think this suits Harley as well.

Posted in Bite-Sized Reviews, Book Reviews, DC comics, Graphic Novels

COMBO REVIEW: Comic Book Edition

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

Batman vs Bigby: A Wolf in Gotham by Bill Willingham

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I like the video game, A Wolf Among Us and I think it was interesting to see two great detectives go head to head on a case. Small learning curve is involved because of the video game being mentioned, but I think the comic explains itself pretty well. There are a lot of literary references scattered throughout the story and I enjoyed the Easter Eggs.

The Death of Doctor Strange by Jed Mackay and Lee Garbett

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I like how the comics and movies aren’t carbon copies of each other. The comics and the movies are their own separate universes. But enough about that. I have read different eras of Doctor Strange and I loved the character before I saw Benedict Cumberbatch’s interpretation of the Sorcerer Supreme. After I finished the story, I watched a video that explains the story just to make sure I understood it. The narrator seemed ‘meh’ on the story, but I thought it was fantastic. Not too much of a learning curve if you have basic knowledge of Doctor Strange, and what I didn’t know about the character was explained well in the story itself.

Lady Mechanika Vol 1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I received this comic from 2019’s Free Comic Friday, and I never got around to reading the issue at the time. I get easily distracted by other books, so it’s difficult for me to stick to a regiment of reading. Nonetheless, the world of Lady Mechanika is terrifying yet fascinating. In the story, there was a cirque visiting the outskirts of the town, and even though they were involved in the mystery, I would’ve like to see their show.

D.C. Bombshells Vol 1: Enlisted by Marguerite Bennett

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I liked having a women-driven story. Seeing Batwoman play baseball, and deal with haters makes it seem like not much has changed between WWII and today. Learning that in this story Batwoman is Jewish and part of the LGBT+ community made her a relatable character in my opinion. I like how no matter the story, Harley Quinn will always find Poison Ivy, just like how Harley always finds the Joker.

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels, Rapid Reviews

RAPID REVIEW: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Mooncakes has been making it’s way around social media, and I have finally gotten the appetite for some desserts. So let’s dine on this review of Mooncakes.

This graphic novel reminds me a lot of These Witches Don’t Burn. They both have cute witches, and magic, but Mooncakes doesn’t have any relationship drama. I like that the romance between Nova and Tam feels natural and it’s of the popular trope, friends to lovers.

One thing I loved about the story was how Nova is deaf and wears a hearing aid. It was nice seeing disability being represented here in a positive way. Also, for Nova and her family treating Tam like she’s family even though she’s a werewolf.

One small gripe I have is how jarring some of the panels progress. One of the grandmas would tell Nova that her friend is coming over soon, and in the next panel she’s next to Nova talking like she didn’t teleport. Maybe it’s just my imagination though.

Overall, I enjoyed Mooncakes. It was cute and colorful, and even when the story gets dark, it’s still bright and colorful. I would recommend this novel for people who are undecided on whether to read it or not. As well as fans of witches, werewolves, and magic potions.