Tag: Graphic Novel

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Lady Mechanika: The Clockwork Assassin by M M Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel & Beth Sotelo

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I have enjoyed each volume of Lady Mechanika so far, but must admit to also being a little disappointed that, after the first two lovely chunky volumes, the following episodes have been shorter and very much monster-of-the-week in content. Mostly my disappointment has been focused on the fact that there didn’t appear to be more than seven volumes published (I went ahead and ordered everything I could find when I finished The Lost Boys of West Abbey), which is definitely not enough space in which to conclude everything that’s been started. I’ve basically been anticipating the disappointment of an incomplete, … Continue reading Lady Mechanika: The Clockwork Assassin by M M Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel & Beth Sotelo

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Monstress: Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

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I really am just throwing this up on the blog whilst running past – there’s a lot going on IRL right now that’s totally cutting into my bloggy time. As a result I haven’t been able to keep up with blog post reading or commenting either, for which I am truly sorry. I think I’m just going to have make a clean break and start again when this busy spot is done with. The guilt and dread I’m feeling over the ever-increasing stack of unread posts in my saved list isn’t helping right now. I can only apologise once again. … Continue reading Monstress: Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

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I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young

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  Welcome to Fairyland. It’s a candy-coloured, bat-crackers world where all your dreams can come true … And who’s that coming over the brow of the hill? Why, it’s Gertrude! She’s six-years-old, an adorable little dot with bright green hair and a pretty pink dress. Fairyland’s latest guest. And alongside her? Larrigon Wentsworth III, Gertrude’s trusty guide to Fairyland, possessor of the map and a hat more impressive than Mary Poppins’ carpet bag. Here they come now, let’s see if we can grab a word with th… ERK! Skottie Young’s four-volume comic series I Hate Fairyland is one that has … Continue reading I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young

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Lady Mechanika: The Lost Boys of West Abbey by M M Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel & Peter Steigerwald

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Considering this is a fairly short and straightforward episode in the continuing Lady Mechanika series I had a ton of fun with it. We’re back in Mechanika City and Nika, Mr Lewis and the wonderful Winifred (who I was chuffed to see back and now consider a fixture) are investigating the deaths of a number of street children. We are also introduced to the rather delectable Inspector Singh and while (thankfully) there’s no suggestions of romance between him and Nika, they do look awfully pretty together on the page *sigh*. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say much about this very slim … Continue reading Lady Mechanika: The Lost Boys of West Abbey by M M Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel & Peter Steigerwald

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Lady Mechanika: The Tablet of Destinies by M M Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel & Mike Garcia

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If the first volume of Lady Mechanika’s adventures The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse had Sherlock Holmesian undertones, this second volume is channelling Lara Croft in a big way. Returning from a hunting trip, Lady Mechanika finds a young friend of hers, Winifred, waiting with news of unusual goings-on that have her worried for the safety of her Grandfather, Professor Henry Thomsen, who is currently on an expedition in Africa. No sooner has the continent been mentioned than Nika and Fred are making their way there with the help of the mysterious Mr Jabir. Adventure ensues. This story has some … Continue reading Lady Mechanika: The Tablet of Destinies by M M Chen, Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel & Mike Garcia

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Lady Mechanika: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez & Peter Steigerwald

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  Just take a look at the cover of this graphic novel for a moment. The kind of overt femininity seen here usually puts me right off, (mostly, it’s the boobs. I am suspicious of boobs). So when my husband received the first two volumes of Lady Mechanika as a Christmas gift I was absolutely uninterested. Took one look at the covers and made all sorts of judgements, the conclusion of which was that this series would not be for me. However, during lockdown, when I was struggling to read, I went foraging through our comics shelves and dug out … Continue reading Lady Mechanika: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez & Peter Steigerwald

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Saga, volume 2 by Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

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So I’m trying to space out my reading of Saga because I think it would be all too easy to binge the nine currently published volumes of this awesome series and then pout, sulk and bemoan the lack of new chapters. Still, reading this has just gone and reawakened all my enthusiasm for this story and the family at its heart. At the very end of volume one Alana, Marko, baby Hazel and Izabel had just received a surprise visit from Marko’s parents, and this volume picks right up where it left off.   What struck me most reading this second … Continue reading Saga, volume 2 by Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

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Monstress: The Blood by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

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Holy cow! Just … … yeah … … wow. I think I made it pretty clear when I wrote about the first volume of Monstress here just how impressed I was with both the incredible artwork by Sana Takeda and with the pulls-no-punches story by Marjorie Liu. If it’s possible, I am even more invested now. This second volume has fewer light moments (and there weren’t that many in Awakening) and continues its descent into the way-dark pasts of both Maika Halfwolf and her world, but, like some sort of complex puzzle box, the story keeps opening out in a … Continue reading Monstress: The Blood by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

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In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang

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Before I begin: This is the last of my pre-prepared posts (because The Slump is nowhere near over … *sigh*) which I wrote back in August. After this anything I post will be me winging it – for which I apologise in advance!   Even if you were to glance at this and think it’s not your kind of thing, I can recommend reading Doctorow’s introduction. In it he talks about economics, how the internet is changing ways of doing things, the importance of knowing where your stuff comes from and the power of protest. In the story that then … Continue reading In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang

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Saga, volume 1 Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples

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Oh the glee! Don’t you just love that feeling when you read (or watch) the first in a series, enjoy yourself thoroughly and get to anticipate everything you have still to read (or watch)? I’m wallowing in that feeling right now. After finally buying volume one of Saga at the end of last year (thanks to Dragons and Zombies making it sound exactly like something I’d want to read – you can read her thoughts here, here and here on the first three volumes) and being all in a hurry to get on with it, I only picked it up … Continue reading Saga, volume 1 Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples