The End

Today is my last day as an employee of the Craighead County Public Library.  Whether or not Graphic Content was a huge success in terms of numbers (decidedly not), it was still a huge success to and for me.  I did not reach as wide of an audience as I wanted, but I did reach a few, and I did introduce a lot of people to books that they loved, which they would never have looked at otherwise.  I did get people who did not have a lot of other social interaction out of the house, and talking to others.  And it did bring me a lot closer to a very special group of friends.

So, as of today, this blog is officially dead.  I will be leaving it up, so that the archive of reviews and the Recommended Reading list will still be available.  But don't despair!  I have began a new blog (Clang! Pow! Zap! on Tumblr), which will not only host reviews on comics, but also reviews on movies, shows, games, and all other sorts of nerdy miscellany.  I will be sharing writing duties with my husband Doug, who is really super awesome.   

Keep reading those comics kids.  You might just learn something.

- Paisley

Questions: Daytripper

Like, whoa, that was deep, right?  Head on in to the questions and we'll begin sifting through the layers of twin Brazilians Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon's quiet rumination on death, Daytripper.

TV Review: Beware the Batman

Recently, Cartoon Network began airing their brand-new computer animated caped crusader show, Beware the Batman.  It is the first Batman show to debut after the end of the much beloved Brave and the Bold series.  Between that and the iconic 90s Batman: The Animated Series, this show has big shoes to fill.  Recently my husband and I sat down to watch the first three episodes, and I am here to report my findings!

Issue Reviews: What I'm reading now

With Saga on hiatus, I have began picking up other weekly titles in the search of a new obsession.  I found three.  Batman/Superman, The Movement, and the new X-men are all new releases without a lot of back story to wade through.  So, if you're interested in starting something new, read on, and I'll try to break down these three great titles for you.

Questions - Spider-Man: Blue

Poor Spidey.  Adds a bit of depth to him, doesn't it?

Movie Review: Man of Steel (SPOILERS!!!)

Let me tell you a story.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a really big Batman fan.  Like, a really, REALLY big fan.  I went to the midnight release of Dark Knight Rises and enjoyed every minute of it.  I thought it was amazing.  Then I got home, turned on the news, and learned about the theater shootings, and for awhile, I forgot the actual movie.  To me, the two were inextricably linked, and whenever I thought about the movie, I ended up thinking about the tragedy instead.  Then, over time, the shock faded, and when I began to think about it, I realized the Dark Knight Rises was a pretty horrible movie, and an atrocious end to such a good series.  I realized that the reason I enjoyed it so much in the theater was because I was conditioned to love all things Batman, and had come to expect great things from the Christopher Nolan series (Because Dark Knight is AMAZING).  I wanted a great Batman movie, and so my mind interpreted DKR as a great movie, when it was in fact, a pile of crap.  It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that I believe this will also be the case with Man of Steel.

Graphic Novels for the Teenage Girl's Soul

Over this weekend, I read three graphic novels, all starring teenage girls: Drama by Raina Telgemeier, Will & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge, and Peanut by Ayun Halliday.  Raina Telgemeier is already a star in the arena of great graphic novels for young girls.  Her debut comic, Smile won multiple awards and is a staple in tween comics.  I was also already familiar with the work of Laura Lee Gulledge, whose Page by Paige I reviewed last year.  And so far as Peanut goes, I didn't even know what the book was about when I picked it up; I was just intrigued by the cover!  So, if you've got a young lady in your life, or even if you're just nostalgic for the days when you were a young  girl, read on!  And even if neither of those categories apply to you, boys are definitely allowed.

Review: My Friend Dahmer

Serial killers quickly become mythic figures in history; all evidence of what little humanity they may have once possessed is rapidly washed away by the sensationalism surrounding the murders themselves.  But everybody has to come from somewhere.  This is the story of where Jeffery Dahmer, famed for the abduction, rape, and murder of 17 young men, came from, who his friends were, and possibly, a little of why he turned out the way he did.  It is written by Derf Backderf, pseudonym of John Backderf, underground comix veteran and high school friend to Dahmer.  Or, as close to a friend as Dahmer ever got.  

Questions: Stitches

Childhood is often painted as a time of joy and ignorant bliss.  Unfortunately, it is often just the opposite, a time of darkness in which the child knows only too well how helpless they are to the whims of the adults in their lives.  David Small has given us a glimpse of his journey out of that darkness.

Review: Blacksad Vol. 1

I'm just going to start out by making a simple statement: this book was awesome.  Super awesome.  

Glad I got that off my chest.

Ok, now for specifics.  

Review - Superman: Secret Identity

This is the story of Clark Kent from Kansas, who developed superpowers as a teen, grew up to fall in love with a woman named Lois, became a successful writer, and leads a double life fighting injustice and saving innocents.  Think you've heard this story before?  Not on your life.

Questions: Identity Crisis

Not quite what you'd expect from a Justice League book, was it?

Quickie - Hawkeye: My Life As A Weapon

Since his brief appearance in 2011's Thor movie and even larger role in The Avengers, Hawkeye has been in the public eye more than ever.  Citizens of the Internet also know him as the poster boy for The Hawkeye Initiative, the feminist comic book tumblr aiming to shine light on sexism in comic book art.  So he's had a pretty good couple of years, particularly as a figure that most people could not have identified a short time ago.  Last year, Matt Fraction took over writing duties on the character's solo book, and immediately sent ripples through the comics community.  The book was a hit!  People were drawn in by David Aja's striking minimalist covers, but that wasn't all.  Fraction did the character real justice, capturing his rough-around-the-edges, underdog, hero-of-the people essence perfectly.  After all, the man has no powers, much like Batman on that other super team.  Unlike Batman however, Hawkeye isn't a super star.  He's just a guy trying to do the right thing.  He leads, but only when he has to.  Combine that with a story that's more action spy thriller than superhero spandex, and you've got a real unique product on your hands.  I mean, with car chases, casinos, trysts with sexy yet mysterious women, everything.  Fraction also really does a great job of making you love the guy, by bringing his adventures close to home.  This volume covers issues 1-6 of the run (plus a Young Avengers story tagged on at the end, focused on Kate Bishop, the younger, female Hawkeye).  The first couple of story arcs don't even touch on super villainy or big crime.  Instead he's saving injured dogs and freeing his neighbors from the tyranny of crooked landlords.  The rest of the plot involves some S.H.I.E.L.D. exploits and shady dealings, but mainly focuses on his relationship with the aforementioned Bishop, who he must come to terms with as an equal.  Honestly, the word that comes to mind to describe this book is humble.  Compared to to explosive and often over-the-top adventures of most of the superhero set, this Hawkeye comes off as positively subtle, almost slice-of-life.  And that's why it shines.  It's a diamond in the rough.  And I'm looking forward to continuing it.  A-

(Hit the jump to see more of Aja's beautiful covers.)

Questions: Skim

Teen angst!  Melodrama!  Life lessons ahoy!!!  It's question time!

Questions: Pride of Baghdad

Not quite The Lion King, was it?  Onward, to the questions!

Review: Shadoweyes

Picture it: a futuristic city, its streets filled to the brim with crime, filth, and despair.  A teenage girl who can no longer stand to sit idly by and do nothing.  A strange transformation.  And Shadoweyes is born...

Questions: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Ah, finally, we will be able to discuss this book!  And what a marvelous concept, especially for fans of classic literature!  But for those who feared that antiquated English fiction would bore you, hopefully you have by now discovered that this is no dry, dusty tome.  Onward, to the questions!

Quickie - JLA: Pain of the Gods

Hey guys.  I am so sorry about my inactivity here for the past few months.  It's been crazy for me since about November, and I honestly have not read very many comics besides keeping up with the monthly issues of Saga (my preeeeeciousssss).  But, I did read this neat little book, so I'll give you the run down.  

JLA: Pain of the Gods has a pretty good concept: take your world's greatest superheroes and show what it is like on the worst day of the job.  It begins with Superman, who is shattered when he is unable to save the life of a rookie superhero who attempts to assist him in a fire rescue.  From there, each issue shows a different member of the JLA dealing with some sort of ordeal and the resulting emotional trauma.  In the end, each must realize that in their line of work, it is essential to rely on your teammates for more than just back up in a fight; they need to lean on one another during times of emotional turmoil as well.   Because honestly, who else could really understand?

Like I said, I love when superhero comics go into more subtle story concepts like this.  It's not about the fight, or saving the world from aliens, or stopping the mad scientist before the clock reaches 12.  It's about the fact that, superhero or not, these are human beings (sorta) and they have human problems on a personal level.  That being said, I think it could have been done a bit better.  Perhaps if the story were a little slower paced.  I generally liked the art, with the exception of how Wonder Woman is handled.  They did their best to make her appears well muscled and strong (which I do really appreciate) but it wasn't done well, and the result makes her body appear grotesque and distorted.  Note, I am not saying that women with muscles are grotesque, I am saying that the anatomy in this case was grotesque.  

Overall, I'd probably give this book a C+.  Great idea, mediocre execution.  But, it isn't terribly long so I still think it is worth a read if you're bored.

Questions: I Kill Giants

Hey kids, it's that time again!  I hope you guys enjoyed I Kill Giants.  What's up with that bunny-eared girl anyways?  Let's find out!