Monthly Comic Corner: August Edition
“Monthly Comic Corner” is a segment that compiles mini-reviews of comics, graphic novels, and manga that I’ve read for the month. Here are my reviews for the month of August which featured superheros and heroines!
Avengers Arena Vol.1: Kill or Die by Dennis Hopeless , Kev Walker , Alessandro Vitti
Page Length: 144 pages (paperback edition)
Genre: Superheroes, Fiction
Synopsis: Trapped on an isolated island, 16 superhuman teens (including cult favorites like members of the Runaways, the Avengers Academy and Darkhawk) are given a chilling ultimatum by their demented captor: Fight or die…only one will walk out alive! Thus begins a primal battle that will test the skills, stamina and morals of each combatant. Welcome to Murder World, where secrets are plenty, alliances are fleeting, and the key to victory might be rewriting the rules of the game. Who will survive? As Cammi and Hazmat battle the mysterious Deathlocket, X-23 and Juston Seyfert’s Sentinel join the fray…but who is the killer stalking the heroes in their sleep? Who are the students of the Braddock Aacdemy? And why does Darkhawk equal death? We dare you to tune in to your new favorite comic…NOW! (description from Goodreads)
Review:
Avengers Arena is basically Battle Royale with super heroes. While I though it was going to be predictable in the beginning, a quarter into reading volume one my thoughts completely changed. The story is very similar to Battle Royale, but it does put a spin on it by adding its own flavor. Through the span of a hundred pages we are introduced to variety of superheroes in short period of time and I never felt like the story was being rushed at all. It is very action packed and fast paced, so we are introduced to characters profiles/back story during the calmer moments outside of battle.
I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork and the characters that presented in this first volume. (Hazmat is by far, my favorite character at the moment). It pays homage to similar stories by the artwork of each chapter page which resembles books such as The Lord of the Flies (William Golding) and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I think I’ll continue with this series since I enjoy the characters, artwork, and story line. I’m curious to see how the plot will develop over time.
Final Verdict:
Rat Queens Vol.1: Sass & Sorcery by by Kurtis J. Wiebe , Roc Upchurch
Page Length: 128 pages (paperback edition)
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Synopsis: Who are the Rat Queens?
A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they’re in the business of killing all god’s creatures for profit.
It’s also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack! (description from Goodreads)
Review:
I’ve heard many people talking about how amazing Rat Queens is on the internet so I decided to give the story a try. The first volume was absolutely amazing and the characters had me hooked from the first page! Each one of the ladies has a different personality and fighting style, but put them all together and they make an amazing team. They are humorous, sassy, brash, and they kick butt! (Dee is my favorite out of the group!) Though we are introduced to the characters in a shorter span of time, we get to know them well enough to connect with them on some level in the first volume. There are still many questions surrounding their backgrounds and how they came to be this way, but I’m looking forward to revealing their pasts through reading the rest of the story.
I love the artwork and fantasy aspect of Rat Queens. When I read the story, I felt as if I was transported to another world because of the attention to detail in the way the landscapes are presented. I liked the way the characters are drawn and that even though dialogue isn’t being spoken they seem to talk through their eyes. This series is a great combination of magic, action, and a somewhat medieval times feel. If you enjoy action-packed fantasy stories, this series is up your alley!
Final Verdict:
Spider Gwen Vol. 0: Most Wanted? by Jason Latour , Robbi Rodriguez
Page Length: 112 pages (paperback edition)
Genre: Superheroes, Fiction
Synopsis: IN ONE UNIVERSE, it wasn’t Peter Parker who was bitten by the radioactive spider, but Gwen Stacy! She’s smart, charming and can lift a car … just don’t tell her father, the police chief. Now, in the wake of Spider-Verse, Gwen swings into her own solo adventures! And she soon finds herself between a rock and a hard place when the Vulture attacks, and NYPD Lieutenant Frank Castle sets his sights on bringing her down. Then, still haunted by Peter’s death, Gwen visits his only family: Ben and May Parker. But what really happened the day Peter died? Find out right here as the spectacular Spider-Gwen steals not only the spotlight, but also the hearts of comic fans worldwide! (description from Goodreads)
Review:
I had high hopes for Spider Gwen seeing as I have been a fan of Spider-Man comics when I was growing up (original story and spin-offs starring other main characters), but the story fell kind of flat for me. Even after reading a quarter way into the first volume, I just couldn’t connect to the story and didn’t feel very invested in it. Gwen’s story failed to grab my attention, but I did enjoy the action scenes.
I did enjoy the artwork style, since it’s reminiscent of the Spider-Man comics. I thought Gwen’s costume design was really cool and I love homage to the original costume, but how they updated it with a newer look. Spider Gwen wasn’t really up my alley, but I’d probably try some other Spider-Man alternate universe stories.
Final Verdict:
What fun or interesting comics, graphic novels, or manga have you read lately? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, and if you have any recommendations feel free to share those as well.
I loved Rat Queens too, and the second volume as well! The others are new to me. I used to read more graphic novels and comics than I’ve been reading in the past two years; the up-side of that is I have a lot of fun ahead of me when I decide to fill in the gaps! I’ll be watching your monthly round-ups to add to my TBR!
Thanks! I used to read a ton of graphic novels and manga, but I stopped reading them as much. I really enjoy them a lot so I want to get back into the habit of reading them regularly. Anything you can recommend?
You’ve probably read the Saga series? It and Rat Queens are my more-current faves (but, like I say, I’m a little behind too, haven’t even read Ms. Marvel yet!).
Also Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth (in progress) and Essex County (complete), athough the style of art might take some adjusting. And Joe Hill’s Locke & Key (which has just completed but I’ve only read the first 5, not the sixth). And the Aya series by Marguerite Abouet (though technically it’s YA I believe).
I’m also still working on Chew and the Fairy Tale series and “The Walking Dead” (which I like for characterization, rather than gore), but I’m not sure if I’d call them favourites because it’s been a long time and I think I need to revisit. An old favourite is Linda Medley’s Castle Waiting. My first was Persepolis.
Anything you think I’d especially enjoy now that you know a little more about my tendencies? Uh oh, I have a feeling my general idea of catching up is about to translate into a long list of library holds. *grins*
Lol. 🙂 I love Saga, Persepolis, and Ms. Marvel. I couldn’t get into reading Locke & Key though. Recommendations? To start out They’re Not Like Us by Eric Stephenson, Peanut by Ayun Halliday, Through The Woods by Emily Carroll, The Good Neighbors by Holly Black , Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson (to name a few). Hope one of these appeals to you!
Oh, I loved Emily Carroll’s collection too. I’ve got Lumberjanes on my list and am looking forward to binge-reading what’s out so far. Another Lumberjane-loving friend also suggested Morning Glories to me, but I didn’t settle into it (just bad timing I think). Have you read them?
I don’t know the Stephenson or Hailiday and I wasn’t sure about the Holly Black one, but we have so many others in common that i will give it a go too. Have you read the Courtney Crumrin stories by Ted Naifeh? (Also kid/YA) Are they similar at all? (When I looked it up on GR, the Jeremy Love books came up alongside: i really liked those too.)
As for Locke & Key, unless you are into puzzles, I can see why it might not appeal generally. I really liked the first ones, the idea that you had to read the whole series to truly understand the individual books (assemble the maps which appear in the backs of the books), but it was the 4th that really swept me away. Still, I can see why they don’t suit everyone.
I’m a little relieved to see there are hold lists for all of these, so I have a chance to finish some of the other library books I’m currently obsessing about. *winks*
I have heard of Morning Glories, but haven’t read it yet. I got a sample Courtney Crumrin on Free Comic Book Day, and liked it, so I’m definitely going to put it on my TBR. I can’t keep with all of the new and current comic/graphic novel series. There’s so much amazing stuff out there!
Aww that sucks about SpiderGwen. I love the covers of those comics but never been inclined to try it because I don’t usually go for the superhero ones.
Glad to hear you like Rat Queens though.
I like the other Spider Man stories like ones focused on Mary Jane, but I just wasn’t feeling this story. But then again I’m picky about superhero stories period. Rat Queens is amazing!