Tag: Comic

Posted in Book Reviews, DC comics, Graphic Novels, Manga, Marvel Comics

Free Comic Book Day Review!

Posted on by elishasbookreview

So this year’s free comic book day was a good selection of graphic novels. My fiance and I mostly picked the ones rated Teen and Mature. I will list the titles in which order I read them, and hopefully, this will make sense.

Shibuya Goldfish by Hiroumi Aoi – This manga is about alien goldfish that invade Japan and start devouring the citizens. It is up to Hiro, to guide the others to safety. I first discovered this Manga through a Facebook group I casually follow. So, when they had a free preview of this I instantly grabbed it and couldn’t wait to read it. I found the preview to be interesting and definitely couldn’t wait to read more!

Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro – A cyborg soldier readies himself for battle against Alita and her friends. Who will come out of this match alive? This free preview of this manga caught my eye by the cover art. I am a country girl at heart. This issue was brief and I am curious to know more, but I wasn’t sold on the plot. I would recommend reading the whole story.

Aposimz by Tsutomu Nihei – In this futuristic dystopian land, the land is frozen solid, disease rampant, and it’s up to one small group of survivors to survive. I enjoyed this preview into this manga. I liked the art style, it brings how desolate and barren the world is. I will definitely be checking out this manga in full volume.

Frankenstein by Junji Ito – A re-imagining of the famous story by Mary Shelley, this is from one of the most famous horror manga writers, so get ready for this terrifying story! I personally enjoyed this preview. I haven’t read the original story by Mary Shelley, so I can’t compare the two. However, I did enjoy this and I would recommend this for sure!

Jughead: The Hunger #1 by Frank Tieri – In this Archie Madhouse Comic Spinoff Series, beloved character Jughead Jones discovers his family’s curse, and is on the run. Betty: Werewolf Hunter along with Archie is hot on Jughead’s trail to stop the destruction their friend is causing. I’m not familiar with the Archie Comic Universe, however, I enjoyed this horror take on a classic and beloved series. Seeing Jughead handle the consequences of running away is heartbreaking. I would definitely recommend checking out this series.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1953 #1: Phantom Hand and Kelpie by Mike Mignola – Hellboy is in the 1950’s with his friend and the owner of the mansion. The supernatural goings-on has killed and maimed the guests of the mansion, and it’s up to Hellboy to destroy whatever is causing this mayhem. I am not familiar with the Hellboy comic series. However, I found that this comic gave me a good idea about what Hellboy is all about. He fights paranormal evil.

John Constantine: The Hellblazer #1 by Neil Gaiman – This issue starts off with a dead homeless man wandering through the London underground. Meanwhile, John Constantine has his own problems to sort through. I love John Constantine. He is an awesome character that fights the monsters that go bump in the night as well as help others. I will definitely be reading more Constantine graphic novels in the future.

So, in conclusion, here are the graphic novels I’m going to be reading in the future!

  • Shibuya Goldfish by Hiroumi Aoi
  • Aposimz by Tsutomu Nihei
  • Jughead: The Hunger by Frank Tieri
  • John Constantine
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Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels, Marvel Comics

REVIEW: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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*No Major Spoilers*

Who is the Inventor, and what does he want with the all-new Ms. Marvel and all her friends? Maybe Wolverine can help! If Kamala can stop fangirling out about meeting her favorite superhero, that is. Then, Kamala crosses paths with Inhumanity — by meeting the royal dog, Lockjaw! But why is Lockjaw really with Kamala? As Ms. Marvel discovers more about her past, the Inventor continues to threaten her future. Kamala bands together with some unlikely heroes to stop the maniacal villain before he does real damage, but has she taken on more than she can handle? And how much longer can Ms. Marvel’s life take over Kamala Khan’s?

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I have been wanting to start delving into the Ms. Marvel series for a while. I love that she’s a minority in the fact that she is Middle Eastern and Muslim. It is nice to see Marvel making their heroes into minorities. I feel like this is a step in the right direction for equality in the Superhero world.

The story is good, Ms. Marvel is still trying to figure out who she is. Is she a mutant? An Inhuman? She is on a journey to find herself. She is also struggling to balance family life and her superhero one.

Favorite character, hands down, is Lockjaw! He’s a member of the Royal Family of Inhumans. He is sent to look after Ms. Marvel by Medusa. He has amazing teleportation powers that he uses throughout the graphic novel. Being a dog lover myself, but never being around large dogs, I’m not sure how I would react if I met Lockjaw in real life!

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I’d recommend this to fans of Ms. Marvel, the Inhumans, and stories with a minority protagonist.

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels

REVIEW: Blacksad (Blacksad #1-3) by Juan Diaz Canales

Posted on by elishasbookreview

9781595823939*No Spoilers*

Private investigator John Blacksad is up to his feline ears in mystery, digging into the backstories behind murders, child abductions, and nuclear secrets. Whether John Blacksad is falling for dangerous women or getting beaten to within an inch of his life, his stories are, simply put, unforgettable.

If you are looking for a good crime noir, you have found your book.  Blacksad is a private investigator trying to navigate his way through the Cold War era America. With racial tensions and political tensions at their highest, it makes Blacksad’s life even more complicated.

This is rated M for Mature for nudity, language, and some violence. I just thought this needed to be stated just to be on the safe side.

I can relate to Blacksad in the fact that he’s just trying to live a decent life and maybe one day write a memoir that will be turned into a fiction novel. He is jaded by the world around him but is still open to having a serious relationship in his life.

This graphic novel demonstrates how high the communist threat actually was. It paints a grim picture of the past, and also possible future. Public hangings just on the slight suspicions of them having communist ties. This paints the story into a very dark tone.

I am not going to spoil anything because you need to read this book in order to fully enjoy it! The stories go along nicely and the artwork is fantastic!

I would highly recommend this for graphic novel readers as well as readers of Cold War era fiction. I would be very interested in reading the next volume of this series. I haven’t decided whether I’m going to review it or just read it for my personal enjoyment. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels, Marvel Comics

REVIEW: She-Hulk: Law and Disorder (She-Hulk Vol.1) by Charles Soule

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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*No Major Spoilers*

Jennifer Walters is a lawyer by day and a superhero when she’s away from the courtroom. In this graphic novel, she leaves her job at one of the big law firms and starts her own private practice.  Her first client? The son of Doctor Doom, she has to help him with getting asylum in the state of New York. As the case wraps up a much larger case comes along to unfold that has conspiracy and magic written all over it. Will Jennifer and her friends make it out alive?

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The first thing I want to touch on that I didn’t really like was the artwork, I didn’t really like how they made her look like a monster because in other comics about her she looks like a tall, green babe, so the consistency wasn’t there for me.

The story, on the other hand, I really did like because of any story involving Doctor Doom is more interesting than any of the Fantastic 4 movies so far. In the story without giving too much away, She-Hulk traveled to Latvaria to fight some of Doctor Doom’s Doombots. She succeeded by destroying Doombot after Doombot and then coming upon Doctor Doom himself and reasoned with him about his son.

With this book taking place in the standard Marvel Universe, this is her own unique storyline that is a different take on the She-Hulk from most of what is out there.

In conclusion, I really did find this book enjoyable overall even though the artwork didn’t really catch my fancy. I would recommend this book to just about any Marvel fan. If you have an interest in the Marvel Universe and you’re more concerned with story than the artwork then this a good story to check out!

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels, Manga

REVIEW: Little Hero Vol. 1 by Wakasa

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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*No Major Spoilers*

One day after school, fifth-grader Sawa is suddenly enveloped by a bright light, and moments later an unfamiliar landscape straight from a fantasy novel stretches out before her. With no way to return to Earth, she’s forced to accept the role of the “Dawn Hero” and save the world from being devoured by the Witch’s mist.

Sawa quickly learns no one goes by their name in this new world–only by their role in life. From then onward, she is known only as Hero. She is accompanied by Servant, Dagger, and Lady Knight on her adventure to fulfill her role as the hero who will save the world! Will this little hero be able to live up to the role forced upon her? Will she ever return home?

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book. A fifth-grader sent to save an unfamiliar world? This book definitely delivered. With dangerous turns at every corner, how can Hero defend herself?

I liked the character development in this manga. Each character has depth and their own personal reason for doing what they do. For example, Hero begins as a shy person questioning the things around her only to grow and become better to protect her friends as the story progresses.

My favorite character, besides Hero, was Dagger. He starts off as a pickpocketing street urchin and becomes part of something greater, he’s one of those pretender types where he plays as a punk, but in reality, he’s just a big softy.

I really liked this book and I’m sure if you’re into Fantasy manga with a unique take on a story, then this is a great book for you!