Tag: Graphic Novel

Posted in Bite-Sized Reviews, Book Reviews, Manga, Marvel Comics, Novels, Personal Blogs

Better Late Than Never: the books I read in 2023 so far

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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I know it’s been awhile since I posted a review or even an update. I have been struggling with writing the blog posts. I would get the spark and type out a couple of paragraphs and as I’m rereading it to check for mistakes I would have negative thoughts about what I just wrote. It’s frustrating and discouraging.

Well I’ve been keeping a notebook full of the books I’ve read, how I rated the books, some brief thoughts, and finally how long it took me to finish the book. Now I would like to share my five star reads of the year so far.

  • The Flintstones: The Deluxe Edition by Mark Russell – this graphic novel gives us a new take on the classic cartoon. I heard about this from one of the YouTubers I watch, and I’m glad I checked this collection out.
  • Black Panther vs. Deadpool by Multiple Authors – I loved the art style of this comic, each panel looked like it came off a storyboard. Black Panther and Deadpool are polar opposites of each other when it comes to their sense of what’s right and wrong. I actually found their philosophy discussions entertaining, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
  • Cat Massage Therapy Vol. 2 by Haru Hisakawa – I don’t care that there’s barely any plot in these books, it’s a story about cats who run a massage parlor in Japan and the friends and clients they meet. Even as I’m typing this I have the next volume on my nightstand ready to be devoured.
  • Strange Vol. 1: I Belong to Death by Jed McKay – This is a follow-up to the Death of Doctor Strange story where Doctor Strange’s wife Clea takes over as the Sorcerer Supreme for Earth even though she is already the Sorcerer Supreme for the dark dimension. I loved how relatable Clea is, she is dedicated to her deceased husband’s wishes as well as how protective she is over the areas she’s meant to protect. Can’t wait to read volume 2 which is also on my nightstand.

Well, that’s my list of 5 star reads so far for 2023. I hope to be posting more reviews and updates as the year goes on. Hope you have a great day!

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Posted in Bite-Sized Reviews, Book Reviews, Discussions, Personal Blogs, Rapid Reviews

2022 in Review

Posted on by elishasbookreview
Photo by ready made on Pexels.com

I don’t know if anyone else had a rough year, but for me and my household, it was a rough year. We had to kick out a roommate who had been causing a lot of headache and trouble. I was out of work, and we struggled up until I finally got hired back to a company I’ve worked for previously,

Now enough of real world stuff, let’s get into some book stats!

Overall of 2022, I read 82 books! That broke my record of any count of most read books per year! All the way back in 2018 I read 72 books. So I’m looking forward to destroying this goal in the coming year!

Now, let’s talk about top books/series I read this year. I kind of hit a hard dry spell in the last few months when it came to posting a reviewing books. However, I plan on coming to 2023 in full force! At least, that’s the goal anyway. So now for the favorites list!

  • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldtree- This was a cute and fun adventure that didn’t involve fighting dragons, or chasing after a mad wizard. The most difficult thing they do is start a café in a town that didn’t know what coffee was.
  • Doctor Who: Scratchman by Tom Baker and James Goss- I would recommend this Doctor Who spinoff for both Classic and New Doctor Who fans. When the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Harry land on a strange farm, and things aren’t quite right, it’s up to The Doctor and his companions to get down to the truth.
  • The Last One by Alexandra Oliva- I found this on a recommendation list for survival stories. This one sounded unique so I decided to check it out, and even though it might not be as gruesome as The Troop by Nick Cutter, but I still think about The Last One from time to time. This a fantastic take on survival horror that doesn’t depend on gruesome details to keep you on the edge of your seat. All you need is a girl lost in the woods with broken glasses, and there’s your intro to The Last One.
  • Sakamoto Days Vol 1-4 by Yuto Suzuki- Now, I will admit this isn’t a new trope we’ve seen in manga. Way of the Househusband is the first to come to mind that uses this trope. However, what makes Sakamoto Days different is how Mr. Sakamoto got fat after retiring from the assassin world. However, even though we weighs an extra 100 pounds or so, he still knows how to kick butt like nobody’s business! This series is full of heart and humor, so this comes as a high recommendation for manga fans.
  • Rooster Fighter Vol 1-2 by Shu Sakuratani- I found this manga series from browsing Amazon, and it has quickly become one of my favorites manga series this year. It’s about a lone rooster who’s fighting kaiju not only to save the humans in harm’s way, but to seek out the kaiju that killed his sister. He makes friends along the way, and whether he admits or not he appreciates his friends dearly. Volume 3 is coming out next month and I’m hoping to read it as soon as it comes out! This series is funny and action packed.

That’s my favorite reads of 2022 in no particular order, of course out of all the books I read last year I struggled with picking just five books/series. Let’s hope 2023 is filled with more to read other than just graphic novels.

Hope you had a safe and fun celebration, here’s to 2023!

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

COMBO REVIEW: Star Wars Edition

Posted on by elishasbookreview

Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I feel like I really became a fan of Star Wars when I started watching the Clone Wars series on Netflix. I think they did an excellent job making it a good entry point for casual and hardcore fans. This story picks up shortly after that show leaves off. Ahsoka is left in the aftermath of Order 66, everyone she’s ever known is dead. So, she starts hopping from planet to planet trying to keep a low profile and hide from the Empire. However, she finds herself staying on this tiny moon and teaching farmers how to defend themselves against Stormtroopers and their battle droids.

Master Yoda had taught her that sometimes you found things you weren’t expecting, and it only made sense to use them when you did.

E.K. Johnston; Ahsoka

I enjoyed this novel. Ahsoka is one of my favorite characters from the Clone Wars era, and it was nice seeing what she gets up to after that tragic moment in Star Wars lore. I would recommend you watch the Clone Wars show before jumping into this story, although I think Ahsoka stands on its own as well.

Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Now, let’s say you like the Clone Wars, but was annoyed by Ahsoka. This is the prequel book for you. This takes place shortly after Anakin becomes a Jedi Knight and is no longer a Padawan under Obi-Wan. Shortly after the ceremony, a neutral planet has just been struck by a terrorist attack. The Jedi Council send Obi-Wan on a solo mission to secure the planetary leaders to trust the Republic/Jedi and not trust what the Separatists/Sith are saying about the attack.

“This was Skywalker and Kenobi as they should be: a team built on emotion and intellect, bravado and control, fire and ice. And despite no longer having the formal bond of Master and apprentice, they would always be connected. In fact, they were better this way.”

Mike Chen; Star Wars: Brotherhood

I also enjoyed Brotherhood. It was action-packed, filled with espionage, and a dash of soapy romance. I liked seeing the events not only from Obi-Wan and Anakin’s perspective, but their new found companions too.

Anakin forms a bond with a youngling who has Force abilities, but she feels others emotions so intensely that it causes her emotional distress. After talking with Anakin about how she feels differently than her fellow younglings regarding becoming a Jedi, she decides to learn how to use her abilities in healing and medical training. I am glad that the Jedi Council was understanding and accepting of her differences.

I would recommend Brotherhood for fans of Star Wars, and even for people not so familiar with the franchise. This novel stands on its own really well, just like Ahsoka, and I think it’s fun to read them back-to-back.

Vader by Kieron Gillen

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This comic takes place shortly after the Death Star has been destroyed. Emperor Palpatine is disappointed that Vader couldn’t handle a handful of rebels. So, Vader sets off to gather intel about who the rebels are and if they’re a real threat to the Empire’s missions and goals.

Along the way he meets this renegade droid repairperson called Doctor Aphra and Vader uses her droids and tech for nefarious deeds. I liked Doctor Aphra. She is independent and she’s not afraid to do what she thinks is the right thing. Even when Vader is using her talents, she’s cracking jokes and being friendly with Vader even she knows he’ll kill her as soon as he’s finished with her.

Overall, I think this was a great start to this storyline, I hope I can continue this series in the future. I am a fan of Darth Vader, and I enjoy seeing him have depth and not just be this evil guy who kills everyone in his path.

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.