Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Hardcover

Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Hardcover

I’d never read this one before.  Maybe because I wasn’t an Alice Cooper fan or because I didn’t really know of Neil Gaiman when this was originally released.  Now that I have read it, I think it’s fair to say that this isn’t Gaiman’s best work but it’s not bad either.  It doesn’t require you be a fan of Alice Cooper, though that might help some.  It’s the kind of story you read just before Halloween.  A mysterious theater appears in town, threatening to take make Steven a part of its show--forever.  Teased by his friends.  Taunted by the Showman.  Steven is stuck trying to figure this game out on his own (with a little assistance from a nice old librarian).

The last 30-40% is actually not the story, but the making of the story.  The letters and scripts and early b&w art. 

For fans of any/all involved, I’d say this is a solid 4 stars.  For the average person who knows nothing about any involved (do those people exist?), it’s probably more like a 3 star book. 

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Dark Shadows: Year One

Dark Shadows: Year One

The art work in this is lovely. I’ve found that comics that are based on things like tv shows can be hit or miss when it comes to art.  Basing a comic figure on a known person and doing so in such a way that they are believable seems extra tough.  The art here is all at least in the “not bad” range while some is in the “excellent" range.   Ben and Angelique were excellent.  Barnabas wasn’t bad.  Josette seems to have missed the mark a little but was still good enough. 

The story is one that is known to DS fans.  How Angelique’s jealousy led to Barnabas’s vampire curse.  For fans of the show it will make perfect sense.  For people picking this up having never seen DS (or maybe whose only knowing DS as the newer movie) this will mostly make sense.  There are some parts that were rushed over.  You don’t get a feel for who any of the characters really are the way that you do in the show but that is only because just so much happens in this. Sarah is here.  Victoria is here.  Trask is here.  Millicent.  Witches.  Vamps.  No werewolves… yet.  

Those who have seen the show will probably just find this a bonus to their DS collection.  New to DS folk will probably like it (if paranormal stuff is their thing)  but will need more stories later to really make them feel connected to the franchise.

It’s not perfect, but it is pretty darn good.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Grimm Volume 1

Grimm Volume 1

Nick, Monroe, Hank.  If that trio doesn’t sound familiar to you then you probably haven’t been watching NBC’s Grimm.  This is a comic that is mainly for fans of the show though it does recap all of the most important things you need to know if you’re not already a fan of the show: Nick is a Grimm aka he sees the Wesen (fairy tale animal like creatures) in people that the rest of us don’t, Hank  is his partner who knows about all of this,  Monroe is one of the Wesen -- he just happens to be a good guy and quite the useful sidekick. 

In this book we witness a pretty standard Portland case - aka a wedding gone wrong when a group gets wind of a mixed marriage (that's probably not what you think it is -- unless you know how this show works). 

We also find a not so typical case -- the three guys taking a last minute “vacation” together in Europe after Nick’s mom calls home and it becomes clear that everything is not okay where she is. 

Fans of the show will probably love this book.  People who haven’t yet watched the show would probably find it okay, but it really does help if you’re a fan to fill in those finer details that this book just couldn’t fit in.  The art was good, though some of the show characters look more convincing than others. 

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

March: Volume 1

March: Book One: 1 (March Trilogy)

 Every time I see Rep. John Lewis on a talk show and they open the door to have him talk about his days in the civil rights movement, I get chills. March: Book 1 brings that feeling to a format that is easy to follow, short, to the point. Yeah, it’s a comic, which means that it targets an audience who might not usually find historical accounts in their to-read piles.

 In just over 125 pages we’re experiencing a good chunk of Mr. Lewis’s life. From childhood days spent falling in love with the chickens that would land on his family’s dinner to table straight on through the lunch table counter sit-ins.

 The “story” is told in narration form - Mr. Lewis preparing to go see President Obama’s inauguration, his office is visited by a family with young boys, delaying his exit to the mall as he has some stories to tell.

 A great way to teach children about that time period (be forewarned there is language used in that time period that some parents may not want younger children to read -- it wasn’t edited down to be politically correct). Definitely the most important comic that will come out for at least a few years (unless Volumes 2 and 3 manage to top it).

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

Freebies

Some books are free for an hour while others stays free for months, always check the price at the time that you go to purchase.   If I don't list a NOOK version it simply means the book was not available as a freebie on NOOK at the time of this post.

Kindle: How to Draw Step-By-Step (Drawing With Frog Hops) by Kaylea J. Mangrum - Art instruction

Kindle: Superman: The Man of Steel (1991-2003) #1 - Comic
NOOK: Superman: The Man of Steel (1991-2003) #1 - comic

Kindle: Designer Dirty Laundry (Style and Error Mystery Series) by Diane Vellere - a murder mystery for people the Project Runway.

Kindle: Circle of Friends - 25 Pie, Crisp & Cobbler Recipes  - Recipes
Nook: Circle of Friends - 25 Pie, Crisp & Cobbler Recipes - Recipes

Kindle: Ghost Guard by J.Joseph Wright - Paranormal Romance

Kindle: Escape From The Forbidden Planet (Adventures of Caramel Cardamom #1) by Julie Anne Grasso - a sickening sweet children's adventure featuring elves, aliens, and candy!

 Kindle: UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale) by Chandra Hahn - YA Fairy tale
NOOK: UnEnchanted - YA fairy tale

Kindle: The prom, the date and a whole lot of laxatives! by Josie Eccles - YA fiction

 Kindle: Scary Mary (The Scary Mary Series) by S.A. Hunter - YA Paranormal / horror
 NOOK: Scary Mary - YA Paranormal / horror

Lost Vegas

Lost Vegas TP By Jim McCann and Janet Lee

I decided to read this comic for one reason and one reason only: it was touted as being the book that reunites the team behind Return of the Dapper Men. Return of the Dapper Men was the book that had such pretty artwork that it made my mom announce she wanted that book. My mom. She’s not exactly known for her comic book habit. That is one winning team to put out a book like that. I probably shouldn’t fall for work where the first lines of the description are basically “by the people who brought you…” At least not without looking deeper into the book. Thing is, in this case the description beyond that sounded like it could be interesting. 

The artwork is lovely, but after seeing the work in Dapper men, it’s a bit of a let down. The story line is bland and forgettable. Basically people who screw up are forced to work off their debts on this Los Vegas style ship. One guy gets tired of it and plots his escape with a little help. There’s no real character development. There are bad guys (obviously) but the worst of them almost seem like page filler while they waste time trying to decide if they’ll let our poor sap escape or not. Actually most of the book feels like filler. I’m still waiting for a story that I care about and it’s sadly just not there. Neither the art nor the story is going to make anyone’s mom a comic book fan. Sad, I had such high hopes.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

The One Trick Rip-Off + Deep Cuts

One Trick Rip-Off / Deep Cuts By Paul Pope
A beautifully drawn 2 for 1 kind of comic / graphic novel. The main part is the longer story (One Trick Rip-off), which is basically a story of a bad guy (Tubby) who no longer wants to be a bad guy. How to get out of such a life? Rip off your fellow bad guys, because, you know who else to rip-off but people who already kind of deserve it and likely got their money by stealing it anyway. Tubby and his girlfriend (Vim) have it all planned out. Surely nothing can go wrong with dealing with a bunch of psychos.



Next up is Deep Cuts. Did I say this is a 2 for 1.. Okay, maybe a bunch for 1 as Deep Cuts is really a bunch of shorter comics, some of which are truly just "shorts" and some of which are just shorter than the main attraction but still a decent length. The one that will stick with my the longest, being one where the artist recounts a dream that disfigured his face, leaving him (more) reclusive while a woman attempts to encourage to get over his insecurities. The main theme in these shorts is that they tend to occur in a different city and really reflect the nature of that city in some way.

While I would probably rate the main story a 3-4 storywise, the book as a whole is too good to rate it that low. The art is stunning and the themes and stories overall are excellent. 5/5 stars as a whole book, even if the main story felt a little bland

Strange Attractors

Strange Attractors By Charles Soule and Dan Duncan

A city like NYC cannot just run itself. Its big. There are too many forces playing against each other. Sure, it's beautiful and glorious. You can find just about anything you want or need there. There's also a lot of the negative there. Poverty, crime, the dark and dirty side of humanity is all there waiting to explode and kill the city. Dr. Spencer Brownfield know this all too well, he's been saving the city from ruin for decades. To watch him at work, you wouldn't think so. Sometimes it as simple as releasing a rat in a restaurant. Everything he does though, it's for a reason. Manipulating the city in minor ways ensures that it keeps on going. He, however, will not last forever so he takes in graduate student Heller Wilson as a trainee to take his place. As they start their training, Brownfield believes they have four years before the city is at risk for complete ruin. But then the math isn't adding up. They'll have to rework their equations and work a lot smarter and harder if they're to save the city they love. But is Brownfield really all he says he is? Heller will have to decide - putting his future and potentially the city's future on the line.

It's a story about what it means to love a place and its people, about what it means to take risks instead of take the easy safe path, about what can happen when people work together - if even for just a day. Oh yeah, there's a little math thrown in, but you don't need to be a math geek to like this book as the real star is the city and its residents.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you'll hate?

Doctor Who Series 3 Volume 1: The Hypothetical Gentleman

Doctor Who: Series III, Vol. 1 - Hypothetical Gentleman
 The story definitely fits in the Whovian universe. If someone who did not know Doctor Who picked up this book and read, or even skimmed it, they'd definitely get a fair representation of what the doctor and his companions are all about. There's plenty of time travel for a book of its size. An anniversary vacation gone awry. Shrunken cities. Animals. Beer. Cybermen. Amy's boys avoiding a forced boys night out. A fuel shortage. In other words a typical day in the life of the doctor. Amy and Rory really just wanted a normal'ish vacation. What they got was a wrong turn in space and time. A couple who appear to be run of the mill charlatans scamming people into believing they're contacting the dead when really something far more sinister is happening. By the time our trio get out of there you actually find yourself hoping, for their sake, that Amy and Rory really will get a nice vacation but this is the tardis crew, always running from one misadventure to another. 1800s London is next, the site of the great beer flood - the perfect place for the boys to bond over a drink, so says Amy. This leaves us with room for two adventures as the crew is split up as Amy is not going to aid in the male bonding. The multiple styles of art from story to story can be a bit jarring. The dialog, while fairly consistent with the show, can occasionally feel just a little off. Overall though, a solid Doctor Who story, especially good as filler during the long breaks in the television series.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offer no guarantees of a positive review, though I only request books that I think I’ll like so as not to waste my time