Oh, I cried twice. First issue is just excellent. No dialog, no writing on the page, just a beautiful portrayal of grief. It's Batman losing4.25 stars
Oh, I cried twice. First issue is just excellent. No dialog, no writing on the page, just a beautiful portrayal of grief. It's Batman losing himself in the night, fighting his pain through violence and self-punishment. Damian's loss is beautifully illustrated by having mundane panels of him accompanying Batman, put together with the present ones of Batman lonely in the cave, driving the Batmobile alone and patrolling the streets of Gotham. Just a very touching and masterfully done issue that gets even better when you get the script as a bonus in the end of the volume.
All next five issues explore the stages of grief. Each of them have a member of the Batfamily (Red Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl, Catwoman and finally Nightwing) helping Batman's journey from trying to find a way to resuscitate Damian, to getting revenge on people that hunted Damian, and to finally make peace with his pain. Ugh, it was so good.
Though Bruce is desperate and lashing out constantly, isolating himself and pushing everyone away, his portrayal is heartbreaking. Tim, Babs and especially Jason get the short end of the stick and it's actually painful to see Bruce punishing them for ultimately being concerned about him. I loved the Catwoman issue. Not a surprise since I'm a sucker for Batcat. But it was the best issue to have before 'acceptance'. Seeing Bruce being tricked by Catwoman to team up with her for a rescue mission that ends up having Bruce rescuing a five year old girl and finally smiling for the first time was heartwarming.
The last issue of this collection was once again a tear-jerker. Bruce reliving the moment he loses Damian to see if he could've saved him and then at the end, Alfred using the same machine to have a heart to heart with this fake Damian absolutely broke my heart. Though the volume mostly focuses on Bruce's feelings, it's actually two fathers that are grieving and it's just great writing.
Though I have some tiny complaints, they mostly are about the nature of publishing and missing context/having to read other titles to get the complete experience. Sadly, something out of control of this team.
However, I'm so impressed with this volume. Such beautiful work, this run has been an amazing surprise from the start....more
It's been more than a decade and I'm still mad about the Batfamily titles having to interrupt their own solo stories to force in the tie-ins 3.5 stars
It's been more than a decade and I'm still mad about the Batfamily titles having to interrupt their own solo stories to force in the tie-ins to the Talons and then Death of the Family. It just cuts the flow of wonderful storytelling. So far, volume one is the best one. This one? My least favorite. A cute issue of Damian sending Bruce and Alfred to three different cities in Europe for a quest searching for meaningful places in the history of Thomas and Martha while he manages to stay in Gotham fighting crime alone. Then, the tie-ins with Damian trying to look for Alfred who has been kidnapped by the Joker. He follows some clues that leads him to the Gotham Zoo but Damian is quickly caught in the Joker's trap and he's drugged out and forced to fight "Batman". While he tries to wake up Bruce and confront the idea of either kill Batman or let himself die, the Joker monologues about the Batfamily being a weight on Batman's shoulders. They make him weak, they make him inferior. So the Joker plans to cut them off so his Batman can come back stronger. Last issue focuses on Bruce, Damian and Alfred and their nightmares following the events of Snyder's event.
This was a solid delivery. Good writing, creepy art, Damian is wonderfully written actually, but I also feel like the identity of this run is slowly losing itself and I also did not like Damian's villain in the first issue. And I also felt the last issue very lacking. Because of the event, there weren't many father and son scenes that I'm so enjoying from Bruce and Damian, however there was a lot on Damian and Alfred and I was pleasantly surprise by how much Damian cares for Pennyworth. He'd never say it, but his desperation was nice to read.
It was a good volume with some very weak elements. Still, I am enjoying it I just hope future volumes can come back to the basics of the father and son relationship.
This had some fantastic character moments that are sadly collected in a very disjointed trade. I forgot about new 52 and the talons tie-ins, 3.5 stars
This had some fantastic character moments that are sadly collected in a very disjointed trade. I forgot about new 52 and the talons tie-ins, plus death of the family. The joker is a threat at the end of this volume though he never really makes an appearance, still this volume suffers a lot from it.
I'll review this later, but I'm really enjoying Damian's portrayal, the fact that we got to see him interact with each of the Robins, plus issue zero is great storytelling. Showing us how Damian was always interested and fascinated by his father. The very last scene where is revealed why this volume is called Pearl had me felling all the emotions. It's a complicated relationship between Bruce and Damian, yet I enjoy the conflict so much, I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying Tomasi's writing of these two....more
Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for e-arc of Murder Kingdom.
3.25 stars
Oh this was fun, a very refreshing mystery/slasher taking place in a vThanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for e-arc of Murder Kingdom.
3.25 stars
Oh this was fun, a very refreshing mystery/slasher taking place in a very Disney-like theme park.
Tanith is a seventeen year old girl who dreams about designing and creating escape rooms. She finds her work at Storybook Kingdom very promising for her future career, as she enjoys the designs of it all, the way workers never break character and the audience is captivated in this fairy tale land. One day, an ex friend crashes out in front of the audience and she's fired. Tanith is quickly hired as the replacement of this role and she's soon filling in for the show of princess Briar-Rose. However, a short time after, Tanith finds the previous princess dead in a very gruesome scene inside the park. This is the first in a series of murders that mimic the demise of the characters in the original Grimm's fairy tales.
This started off really good. The art style is simple but very fun and colorful. The setting has a charm, the gowns and costumes are pretty, the fact that we get to learn how these themes park work behind the scenes was super interesting. The clear complaints and digs to Disney were funny too. I'd say I was really having fun the first two issues. When the murder spree started and Tanith was running around the park trying to solve the mystery of the killer was a bit underwhelming. It's in the nature of the story, not much time to develop characters gives way to a very rushed storyline that ends in an underwhelming reveal and final confrontation.
Still, I think it's a fun adventure that feels fresh. I liked the main character, she was brave and smart, knowing how to put the clues together as someone who loves escape rooms and puzzles. I liked the violent tone that clash with our childhood fairy tales. It had gruesome killings that made it feel like Tanith was really in danger. The little comments against corporate shenanigans were good too, interesting. But at the end, the pacing was a bit of a mess and it felt like the execution just needed more time to refine elements of the story. I d be interested in reading more from this author though. ...more
Wow this was surprisingly fun! A bit of a self-contained story with a villain that tests Bruce and Damian's relationship, a relationship that is alreadWow this was surprisingly fun! A bit of a self-contained story with a villain that tests Bruce and Damian's relationship, a relationship that is already fragile and strained.
I wanna review this better later, but I loved Damian's and Bruce's portrayal here, and I adored Alfred being the bridge between these two. As always, the voice of reason. As always the best father figure and the only one who seems to accept Damian for who he is. Not to say that Bruce doesn't try here, but in his very emotionally stunted ways he does much harm before getting it right. ...more
A dystopian tale set in Sweden. It's sad to say, but it is a timely story about oppression and silencing diverse voices. The plot is pretty str3 stars
A dystopian tale set in Sweden. It's sad to say, but it is a timely story about oppression and silencing diverse voices. The plot is pretty straightforward so I won't say much, just that we are following a girl in her twenties, struggling with depression and feeling lonely. Her mood quickly catches the eye of the peacekeepers, and she is soon forced to start therapy and put on aggressive meds. In here, she'll meet a mysterious girl, someone fighting against injustice and oppression.
First, the positives. I really enjoyed the art style. It's not a common style, the character design is not pretty per se, but it's original. I liked the masks the characters wear, they are a bit grotesque sometimes but makes the aesthetic something unique. As for the plot, I liked that this story centers a lot in mental health. I also feel like the pacing is good, balanced.
When you have read other dystopian stories, they feel quite predictable and Baby Blue is not the exception. It was a fine graphic novel, but nothing that I could truly call special. I appreciate the message, as always, and sadly with the current political landscape stories like these are quite important to have. So, if you feel like supporting an indie author that is trying to elevate the voices many people are tryng to silence today, you should give this a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for this advanced copy of the graphic novel.
Gonna review this better tomorrow but this 160 page collection has only one issue, one, that continues Danny's story. The other two issues, #8 and #15,Gonna review this better tomorrow but this 160 page collection has only one issue, one, that continues Danny's story. The other two issues, #8 and #15, are two one-shots of the lives of two former Iron Fists. Also collected here, an Orson Randall adventure and Danny's origin story and the first time he comes back to New York after abandoning K'un-Lun. Anyway, back to that special issue which is in my opinion the best so far and coincidently it is also the last thing Fraction and team wrote for this run. I knew the ending was coming but I did not expect that they would stop when the book was finally shifting its focus to Daniel and the personal struggles he's dealing with after finding out where his family fortune comes from and finding his place now that the tournament is over. Ugh, it was so promising. This sucks.
Also, this volume is getting three stars because that little glimpse of Daniel's personal struggles was that good. Cause I really ended up disliking the tales of the other Immortal Weapons. And I truly hated reading the special issue of Danny's origin story. Fraction was not the writer in either of the two parts and it was so long and repetitive and just dull all around. I won't even talk about the uneven artwork and how disappointing it was that Aja's art ended up lost in between so many other other styles. So, like I said, the last issue of this run was that good and save this entire volume....more
Oh this was fun! I loved having the main storyline with Danny competing in the tournament and protecting K'un-Lun from outside forces (Hydra an4 stars
Oh this was fun! I loved having the main storyline with Danny competing in the tournament and protecting K'un-Lun from outside forces (Hydra and Xao) and the inner corruption by the current Yu-Ti. But I also really enjoyed the flashbacks to Wendell Rand, Daniel's father, leaving Orson and making his own way to K'un-Lun, fighting for the chance of being the Iron Fist, while befriending and ultimately making an enemy of Davos, the Steel Serpent. It's a shame that such interesting characters like Wendell and Orson are dead, but their flashbacks gave so much meaning to what becoming and being the Iron Fist really entails. It's the weight of protecting a city stuck in its way, with empty rites and traditions, living short lives full of pain and sacrifice. It's sad seeing Orson lost to drugs, and Wendell being embittered by his choice at the end, blaming the man who raised him and suffering the loss of his closest friend. I like how in comparison Danny's life seems warmer. He has Luke, Misty and Colleen fighting off the cold and Hydra to help their friend without Danny even having to ask. He has the respect of Lei Kung, the Thunderer, in K'un-Lun and now the other Immortal Weapons to keep him company in New York. It was a really fun volume. This collection also includes the Annual with Danny reading about Orson's adventures and how against all the loneliness he did manage to find a little family, he wasn't always alone.
Now for the negatives, the art is all over the place in this one. It feels like Aja's work is barely there between many, many artists. And the quality is not always good. Particularly, I don't know what happened with Misty's design here but the whitewashing was awful. Gone is the afro and the dark skin and she truly looked like Colleen's twin in some pages. I liked the reveal of an eight city. People looking for revenge, however given that Davos was working for them and never truly suspecting the true motivations, denying their attack on K'un-Lun here and then redeeming himself so quickly, I found it very rushed, very flimsy. So, so far in the story I've found the villain/enemy characters to be the weakest part of this superhero story.
Oh, man, the beginning was so promising. I thought the first three issues (out of the six this volume collects) were setting up the story to be3 stars
Oh, man, the beginning was so promising. I thought the first three issues (out of the six this volume collects) were setting up the story to be an exploration of what being an Iron Fist means, of the cost and pain the person suffers being a living weapon. At the beginning we have Danny fighting Hydra while reminiscing of his father. Of how he should have been the one wearing this mantle yet he gave it away and it's now his responsibility. Danny's thoughts also reflect on how he knows one day he will die fighting and he hopes it's with honor. On the other hand, we also have Orson Randall. The last Iron Fist before Daniel. He's a veteran from Word War I, and he's hunted by his demons. Orson abandoned K'un-Lun and refused to fight as the Iron Fist after he returned from the Great War. He's now a drug addict and can't escape the blood and death from his war days. Between these two Iron Fists, we also have little scenes throughout time of different Iron Fists fighting to protect their people and sacrificing their lives for them. So, I was hoping this story to remain character-centric to explore the weight of being this protector. But the later part of it became your regular kind of superhero shenanigans. Though Hydra is the initial threat against Danny, the one hunting both him and Orson quickly reveals to be Davos, the Steel Serpent. He's sent to hunt both Iron Fists and get revenge.
First, I really liked the beginning. I forgot this was published just after Civil War so Danny is an unregistered hero, so he's fighting against the law, being in danger chased by former allies. I liked Luke's cameos here, kinda makes me want to read Heroes for Hire stuff. I liked the little moments of Danny being Danny, billionaire in charge of Rand Corporation, and so out of his depth there, it make him a more full rounded character. I liked the one issue of Danny and Orson working together and him learning a little of the lore and small techniques too like mind manipulation. See, there was A LOT I liked of the first half. Then, the Davos story? Yeah it killed it for me. Sadly, I have little context for this villain. The story gives you the details of his origin and the hatred he feels for Daniel, but all the Crane Mother stuff, the crane young women being consumed, the out of nowhere tournament that is coming next volume was too rushed, too strange, too much for what started as a more restrained story. The action and fighting at the end was a bit boring and the (view spoiler)[death of Orson really underwhelming. Just a rushed mess he could've taught Danny so much more. Just a waste of a great character. (hide spoiler)]
Still, I want to know more of K'un-Lun and the Capital Cities of Heaven. I wanna know more of the lore behind this character, so I'll continue reading this series....more
Oh my god, I kinda hated it most of it. As someone who absolutely loved book one, this was SO hard to finish, even though the audiobook's na2.75 stars
Oh my god, I kinda hated it most of it. As someone who absolutely loved book one, this was SO hard to finish, even though the audiobook's narrator is awesome. I just did not care how repetitive it was. How the pacing was so slow. How this book was written. I'm a little done with the variety of monsters and how many heroes/characters are introduced for like a paragraph. What I found absolutely charming in the first book, was a drag in this one. Also, I thought that the ending of the big battle was ballsy, yet the epilogue was SO disappointing and I've no idea how that happened. Anyway, this was not good at all but I did appreciate how every member of Fable was different and interesting, though at the end I did not care much for any of them....more
No you don't understand I know I'm YEARS late and everyone loves this book but I love it more. MAMORU the brightest boy, I love you so much. You guys No you don't understand I know I'm YEARS late and everyone loves this book but I love it more. MAMORU the brightest boy, I love you so much. You guys don't know how much I cried reading this. I was a mess. The fact that the Theonite saga is discontinued and that there won't be a sequel physically hurts me.
Anyway, I'll try to review this later but I'm a complete mess and I loved this book so much....more
Technically a soft reboot, Sensational She-Hulk: Jen-sational is the continuation of Rainbow Rowell's run. It collects five issues and two s3.25 stars
Technically a soft reboot, Sensational She-Hulk: Jen-sational is the continuation of Rainbow Rowell's run. It collects five issues and two short stories by different writers: One written by Jessica Gao about a guy shadowing She-Hulk at the wrong job, and the other written by Bobby Wilson featuring Jen's old lover Wyatt Wingfoot.
This volume though lighthearted and fun felt more like a filler. I like Rowell's slice of life vibes and low stakes, however this one entry in particular felt pointless. Though I really, really loved She-Hulk and the Hulk's dynamic here, especially their final conversation, I just felt like the overall volume was disappointing with a lack of development for characters and plot. ...more
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook.
2.5 stars Leigh is a writer at heart. A poet. However, she does not feelThanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook.
2.5 stars Leigh is a writer at heart. A poet. However, she does not feel like one. She hates straight, white male authors of the western canon. She prefers pop culture and Taylor Swift. She used to be in a creative writing class in high school but one negative comment from her high school crush shattered her confidence forever. In college, she preferred the sorority life instead of finding a place between the English students. At twenty-seven, her creativity has been stifled, writing ads for companies that only want plain direct words. To make things worse, her parents are about to divorce. That's when she is accepted to a prestigious MFA program for poets and fiction writers. This is her chance to find her voice again, except Will, her high school crush and reason for many insecurities in her life, has also been accepted.
Oh, this book, oh, this main female character. A mess. An irritating mess. I don't know how many times I read "straight, white male authors" and how Leigh hates them. Yet, she admits several times she has not read them cause they don't interest her. There are legitimately good reasons to criticise these authors, yet for Leigh is just "I found them boring and I don't understand their words". Leigh's poetry is a whole other thing. She wants to be a modern girl, one who writes interesting feminist issues through poems about Taylor Swift, famous celebrities and One Direction. Personally, if that's how these poems go, exploring Taylor Swift's sex life, I think I hate straight, white female swiftie authors.
I found Leigh to be an insecure self-sabotaging character. She's unsure of herself, so she's prejudiced against others. She is in a prestigious MFA program, yet she can't handle the smallest critique, lashing out and blocking everything. Whenever she has a moment with Will, a kiss, a hookup, she will mess it up by constantly doubting his intentions, even though they are literally hooking up. She creates unnecessary drama making this book drag so much. Leigh has severe trauma because her parents are splitting up so she now has to learn to live with that, separate holidays, two phone calls instead of one... and I don't want to sound insensitive but she is twenty-seven and reads like she is still in high school. Her behaviour is selfish and self-centered.
As for the romance, well, it does not get better. Though the premise of two writers crushing on each other since high school and reconnecting later in life sounds appealing, Will is a very dull character. Leigh, because she's insecure in her writing abilities, sees Will as arrogant, as a smug asshole because he was the best writer in her high school class, but he was a "traditional straight, white male author", so of course people would like his stuff. However, in this book, Will is a very bland, depressing character that has always liked Leigh so there's no build up to their relationship. It's so obvious they like each other, and it's only dragged out because Leigh keeps sabotaging any chance between them. Maybe I would have cared more if Will had pov chapters, if he had been fleshed out better, but through Leigh's eyes, it was just boring. Very repetitive scenes.
I wish the classes would have been more important. The internship at the end was promising yet it comes all too late and Leigh, who theoretically wants so bad to work with her favorite author, does not even read her poems the night of the showing. This was supposed to be Leigh's dream and the chance to never go back to work in copywriting, but she just ends up giving up. Once again, so disappointing.
As for the audiobook, it was okay. I liked the narrator performing female characters. However, I did not like what she did for Will. It wasn't terrible, but it felt lacking. She made him sound dull and moody. Still, I doubt I would have made it to the end if it wasn't for the audiobook. ...more
First, if you are interested in reading this book, I'd say go in blind. If you need a little more convincing then I'd tell you this is a mast4.5 stars
First, if you are interested in reading this book, I'd say go in blind. If you need a little more convincing then I'd tell you this is a masterful work that explores themes like colonialism, gender inequality, racism, classism, and abuse of power in a fantasy setting of a theocratic society. Faith and religion then play a key role in the nation of Tiran.
I'll say little of the plot. This book follows Sciona Freynan. A magic prodigy, an astute mind, and an ambitious woman. In Tiran's patriarchal world where the holy scriptures deem women inferior to men, emotionally, intelectually and biologically, Sciona has been against the odds her whole life. However, this is her time. Every ten years the High Mages of Tiran allow a woman to take their test. No woman has ever been accepted to their ranks, but Sciona is a prodigy. For twenty years she has worked for this, and under Archmage Bringham's recommendation and tutelage she is ready to show her expertise. [spoilers ahead] This book was not what I expected. The first chapter is brutal. It's the decimation of a tribe, it's the introduction of a supernatural blight. Then, we go to Tiran and it becomes the story of a woman fighting against prejudice, sexism, and every little disrespect she gets for trying to earn a place where women are not allowed to. It's dark academia and the magic system is so intriguing. We see Sciona study, investigate, practice and then there's a twist I would have expected way later in the story. Suddenly the book is not about surface-level sexism and racism, but about genocide, colonialism, and the justification under religious core beliefs. Tiranish believe themselves to be God's chosen people, so anything that benefits Tiran's safety, advancement and welfare is justified no matter the cost of life, abuse and destruction they take. And why would anyone care about the heretic, impure and inhuman people of the Kwen? This is the point where the story becomes something else because under M.L. Wang's hands, this story is heartbreakingly real. The parallels of an ethno-nationalist society that governs by the most brutally racist doctrines... It's such a heavy book. And Wang's portrayal of a society blinded and brainwashed and ultimately complicit, of a system rotten to the core, of a woman who becomes an ally when the circumstances are just right, it feels all too realistic. I liked that Sciona was not a perfect hero. She had been comfortable her whole life looking away from injustices and the effort of others, being complicit in the abuse of Tiran. Even when faced with it, she still defended their racist and religious doctrines. It was a process, that still ended with Sciona admitting that ego and ambition were her main motivators. I like that the Kwen were not perfect victims. Sciona did not anticipate their reaction coming because she still did not see them as people. Nowadays, empathy is rarely given to victims that fight back, that rage and hurt. And the Kwen, after finding out magic was the reason for years of genocide and abuse, of course they would fight back and retaliate, yet the common people of Tiran, the ones who had been abused too, showed no compassion, empathy nor understanding. It's so realistic. It's so depressing.
With a different writer, Sciona's actions and uncovering of the truth would have been the key scene for Tiran to change, for the people to show empathy, for the book to have been quickly resolved in a hopeful manner. But Wang's realistic approach hurt my heart because it shows the hopelessness of it all. Thomil's life and inner thoughts destroyed me the most. How he would say time and time again his life was never going to be a happy one. His life was for survival, to endure. To maybe help Carra, so she could then help others, so future generations could be luckier than them. It was a reflection that time and time again broke my heart. Yet, at the end of it all, Sciona's sacrifice, her actions bringing the system down, the light she turned on, she brought hope. A slimmer of hope for the distant future generations that things can be done differently. Thomil's words at the end reminded me how pointed every character, scene and the plot of this book was. How amazingly crafted. How talented of a writer M.L. Wang is. Time was precious, but Thomil took a moment of it to look back at the barrier. Wrapped in the icy arms of his homeland, he imagined that his sister, his parents, and all the Caldonnae watched from that light that had taken their lives. The twinkle of magic became the spring gleam in Sciona’s eyes. To hope. Sciona lifted her glass, and Thomil raised a fist in return. To hope, Highmage Freynan. ...more
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook.
The Broposal is the story of two best friends falling for each otherThank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook.
The Broposal is the story of two best friends falling for each other. Alejandro, or Han for his friends, has never been in love. Sure he's had girlfriends, but he's always had a fear of commitment. These relationships only last a few weeks and Han believes it's because he knows he can never truly commit. Han is undocumented, and he lives daily with the fear of having his whole life taken away from him. His best friend since childhood is Kenny. Kenny is kind. He's very easy going, he has a great relationship with his family and friends and he's Kenny's support. He's also bi. A fact that his girlfriend has always ignored. Though Kenny is a very open person, he'd never admit he is in an abusive relationship. However, Han can see the signs. When Han is even more fearful of his circumstances, Kenny offers an idea. Marrying each other so Han can stay. Though at first Han thinks it a joke, he finally accepts when he admits his situation to be worrying. And what's always been a friendship between them changes into something more when they realise what they really mean to each other.
This book was okay. I appreciate the fact that it doesn't shy away from very timely and dark themes, like immigration, racism, and abuse. The fact that this book explores a relationship with an abusive girlfriend is also quite important. Kenny has to go through so much to finally stop excusing her behaviour and realising he has been a victim for years. It's sad but written realistically.
I really liked the cast that surrounds these two main leads. Though as always with romance books, I wish we'd get more of these secondary characters as their own person and not only when they are necessary for the romantic plot to advance. It was a little disappointing how Han's cousin was really fleshed out at the beginning, but as the story progresses they're only there to be the character that forces Han and Kenny to communicate with one another.
All in all it was a good story though predictable and very slow paced. Though the fake engagement happens early in the story, the miscommunication and lack of romantic progress were what made me struggle with the story. Han has issues with communicating his true feelings and Kenny is so respectful that he never wants to confront their issues. So, this dynamic gave way to unnecessary problems and issues with the pacing, and all of it is resolved only at the very end.
As someone who usually loves Jeff Lemire's indie stuff this was a little underwhelming.
Frogcatchers tells the story of a man who wakes up in a strangeAs someone who usually loves Jeff Lemire's indie stuff this was a little underwhelming.
Frogcatchers tells the story of a man who wakes up in a strange hotel. There he meets a boy who catches the evil frogs that hunt this location. Alternating this adventure of escaping this mysterious place, there are scenes with the man ill in a hospital bed.
Though not my favorite work by Lemire, I have to say I enjoyed his art so much. One of the usual criticisms of his art style is that his character designs are quite similar title to title, yet this time around I felt his art style was special. All because of his use of colour. Though most of the story is done as rough pencil sketches, in certain locations and moments the artwork changes into watercolor and the illustrations feel polished and clean. This makes the ambiance and certain emotional beats feel defined and purposeful.
The reflective nature of grief, of looking back to your past and see your regrets. The fear of death and the belief of rebirth, of second chances and better choices, I liked the themes Frogcatchers explored. It's just that it was too short and too subtle for me. There are so many pages where there is little to no dialogue and, though I usually love how Lemire uses silence and absence in his work, this one felt lacking. Worst of all, it was all so predictable.
Still, it's Lemire. So if you enjoy his indie work I'd say don't skip this one, however I doubt it will end up one of your faves. ...more
Well, I'll be damned. I really loved this. The first volume was disappointing to me. I struggled with the art, I did not like the writing much either. Well, I'll be damned. I really loved this. The first volume was disappointing to me. I struggled with the art, I did not like the writing much either. I felt like the story so far missed quintessential elements of a She-Hulk story. Most of all, it lacked heart. This entry? I loved. It had fun and silly moments, a lot of lawyering, yet still time for superhero shenanigans and action pieces. And though this Jen is still a bit too serious for me, seeing her having issues with Patsy and struggling with her work, facing off Matt, made her more interesting to me. More fleshed out.
The first issue collected here was my favorite. A silly one-off adventure à la Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. She-Hulk, Hellcat and Hank Pym have to shrunk themselves to find one of the co-creators of a new tech called The Shrinko. Though quite similar to Pym particles, the Shrinko is a cheap, accessible way of miniaturization that will revolutionize the shipping industry. It's about to be sold to a mysterious buyer, but one of the two partners escaped with the Shrinko plans and went into hiding using the Shrinko on himself. This was so fun. It had many silly moments that made me laugh like Patsy trying to use Ant-Man's helmet. This was the lighthearted adventure I missed from She-Hulk.
Next three issues revolve around a suit against Captain America. A ninety year old man at death's door asks for a cop to make a dying confession, or rather, accusation. His children then take legal action against Steve Rogers for the wrongful death of their uncle. What follows is an intriguing story from Steve's old Brooklyn days back in the 40s. This is a courtroom drama in L.A., and it's fun.
Last two issues resolve the Blue File case that volume one introduced. There's an issue that is pretty much action scenes and fights between She-Hulk and Titania. An amazing use of composition by the artist, I really loved how dynamic the minimalist style of art felt in this issue. How fun it looked. Which leads me to another one of my positives: the art.
Javier Pulido's art style really bugged me in the beginning of this run, however, this time around the creative layouts had me enjoying his work so much. The coloring by Muntsa Vicente truly worked to make the many double page spreads dynamic and just so playful.
By the time I turned to the last page, I was not ready to say goodbye. There was still so much to be explored, but I'm so glad this run had such a strong ending....more
This might have been interesting if it had been a three issue mini-arc. As it is, it's just a rushed mess. I was going to rate it one star, but I actuaThis might have been interesting if it had been a three issue mini-arc. As it is, it's just a rushed mess. I was going to rate it one star, but I actually enjoyed the last four pages. Made it creepy, so yay two stars for the French Joker and his fucked-up dad. ...more
Loading...
