I want to talk more about the book itself and how it was put together rather than the stories in it, if you're getting this hardcover omnibi collectioI want to talk more about the book itself and how it was put together rather than the stories in it, if you're getting this hardcover omnibi collection then you already know what kinda story you're getting [this is more a collectors piece than a curious buy]. We're just hitting that good ol' school wide rumble that we were expecting back when volume 1 came out.
The art on the covers is beautiful, as always, and I'm quite happy that they kept the same style of and coloration as the regular trade paperbacks [it makes the comics feel unified, like they go together, and it will look that much nicer on your shelves]. I especially love the bright yellow-orange they used [I'm a sucker for yellow]. If I have any complaint about the cover is that its artwork cropped from other volumes. I recognize the back cover as the top half of the fifth trade paperback, and I know I've seen the front art somewhere else but I can't remember where from. I'm just personally not the biggest fan of cropping art to make new covers from it, like you have a great artist working on these comics, I'm sure he could have made something just as amazing as his other covers for the deluxe edition [it's not a huge deal I'm just saying].
I was a little confused as to how this book was so thick, compared to the 3 volumes that make it up. I was hella excited to see that almost an entire trade paperback worth of pages was dedicated to cover composition, coloration techniques, variants, scripts, and panel layouts. I love seeing how a comic book is brought to its final look, I love the process. The last thing that I'm very happy with is the size of the pages, I'm not saying the regular comic book size isn't good, but there's just something about larger pages that makes me feel like I get to experience the art better, I can see all the tiny details clearer, it's a preferable size for me and my janky glasses wearing face.
My only issue with publishers making large, hardcover [even though I prefer hardcover books], omnibus issues of a series is that so many pages bound together [not matter how well done] is very heavy on the spine, and will [sooner rather than later] start breaking apart due to weight [not overuse but just from the weight of the book itself]. That makes it harder to read the comic cause every time you open it or turn the page you can hear the spine slowly coming undone, creaking, coming loose, wiggling in your hands. It makes me think that these aren't even meant to read just to look nice on the shelf, at that point it's just a collectible and you can't enjoy your comic from it.
I love comics, I love hardcovers cause they tend to last longer, I love having more pages to read cause that means I get more story and am not as sad or as impatiently waiting for the rest. But when they're this big and this heavy I feel like I can't enjoy the book without being worried that I'll mess it up by just opening it. I would prefer a sort of boxed set scenario, a nice sleek outer box with exclusive hardcover versions inside to replace these deluxe editions that they keep putting out. And I don't want it to happen every so often but at the end of a series, when we have all the books. Admittedly, having so many individual hardcover comics might be a bit much, in that case I feel like we can bind them up by two's; volume 1 and volume 2 together as one hardcover and so on, if we end on an odd number of books that last book is gunna be a bit thicker [what can ya do at that point]. I mean sure you could make the final volume its own individual hardcover and then make the rest of the book bonus features; like an extended art gallery for the series, but I would rather have a bonus book just for that, for the scripts and the page layout, color tests, developing the covers, I feel the process deserves to be seen so people know just how much work goes into every single comic out there, not just the ones they like to read.
Too long didn't read? The book is amazingly sized and great if you want to just binge a huge chunk of the story all at once. But if you, like me, want to laze around and enjoy the story be careful, the deluxe omnibi spines are under a large weight strain due to the amount of pages and even the slightest of reading will loosen the spine and affect the connectivity of the pages....more
The first half of this book is the kids coming face to face with grown, seasoned criminals [killers in the highest degree]. It is the first time they'The first half of this book is the kids coming face to face with grown, seasoned criminals [killers in the highest degree]. It is the first time they're fighting someone with money and connections. It's the closest brush to being murdered they've had, worse than compared to the brushes they've had with other students.
Observing our main character, Marcus, I'm getting progressively worried about his mental health. Not just because he's taking a lot of drugs or drinking whatever alcohol makes it into his hand [that would mess you up just on its own]. But in moments where he seems fairly lucid he's suffering from his own forms of depression, but also shows moments of manic energy and paranoia. I started paying more attention to the little reactions he had after he seemed to hear Chico's disembodied head talking to him [possibly a panic induced hallucination from the fear and adrenaline of the situation he was in] or early onset of auditory/visual hallucinations and schizophrenia [unsure as of yet].
In this one we follow Marcus as he manages to do the one thing most high schooler's are terrified of; end up ostracising yourself from what meager real friends you've managed to cultivate, get himself into a big heap of trouble, and then dig an even deeper grave trying to get outta it.
But Marcus is on to something, there's something wrong with Master Lin's school, something really fucked up that happens on the inside, and I'm not talking about the classes on torture....more
I'm honestly never sure what shelves to put this series under.
It's just getting progressively darker as we go along and I love it.
We're getting a bettI'm honestly never sure what shelves to put this series under.
It's just getting progressively darker as we go along and I love it.
We're getting a better idea of the characters who they are [when they pose for the school, when they pose for their friends, and when they're on their own]. We get the best idea about Marcus cause he is our main protagonist, but we also get some backstory on Maria and how she's feeling currently [a glimpse into who she is underneath but not long enough that we know everything]. I really like that we're able to have a slow burn on the character development while the rest of the story is so fast paced and action packed.
As always art, especially the color, is doing an amazing job of expression.
The group gets in a little over their heads not only looking for Chico's body but also trying to find Marcus' old tormentor from the boys home; Chester Wilson. That's all I'm gunna say on the matter.
On a personal note there's 2 things that I noticed in this volume-
1. There was a few panels in chapter 1 [issue 7] where Marcus was yelling about Lex being a poser and I had this visceral flash back to Holden Caulfield and calling his school full of phonies that I saw Marcus as Holden but just way more violent and full of drugs [and it made so much sense].
2. Chapter 5 [issue 11], there is a small typo, it says "angle dust" instead of "angel dust". I know it's not the biggest deal, but it threw me outta the story immediately, and then I was just daydreaming about Angel Dust from Zoophobia for a while. ...more
I remember the beginning of this book, I think I tried to read it before but couldn't finish it. Well guess what, ROUND 2.
IYou can read it in English.
I remember the beginning of this book, I think I tried to read it before but couldn't finish it. Well guess what, ROUND 2.
It's late so this is gunna be short.
Colors are soft, very gentle. Line work has a sketchy quality, but like loose and messy sketchy [and I'm usually fine with that, until I see squiggles, I'm not saying that you can't have controlled squiggles being used for shading or texture BUT the squiggles used here are too loose and that makes it feel very messy. At times I will notice the background looks more like a very loose line-art of the background and we place solid colors over it, like there's large full page illustrations of the background and it looks very nicely detailed, nicely colored, I want to see the nice backgrounds even in the smaller panels.
The characters are enjoyable. The plot, in its most basic form, is nothing we haven't seen before, but it is an interesting take on Hades and Persephone.
It's a fun read, definitely recommend that people give it a chance....more
It's a story about facing your past self, who you were and who you grew into. It's also about facing hoA little more on the sweet side of bittersweet.
It's a story about facing your past self, who you were and who you grew into. It's also about facing how you were raised. Even the best of intentions coming from loved ones, people who do love you, but are so grossly afraid and misinformed that even them attempting to protect you ends up hurting you. Leaving you with problems as an adult. It's about coming to terms with who you really are and having the courage to come out to your family even if they don't understand. It's about finally being the you that you wanted to be. It's about being happy....more
Sees the section of Bitty tweets, well this is stupid, proceeds to read all of them and react as if he's a real person.
I loved this story ever since ISees the section of Bitty tweets, well this is stupid, proceeds to read all of them and react as if he's a real person.
I loved this story ever since I first found it, half started on the internet. I'm super excited to see it as a book.
it's adorable, the art is nicely done, colors are simple but work well together, has a touch of realistic color palate.
Everything is from Bitty's point of view, and mostly focuses on things going on around the Haus and the hockey team, so a lot of time passes, we don't see all the action in between the different chapters, while this at first might feel like you're missing parts of the story, it's not actually a slice-of-life situation [it is a little bit cause we're talking about Bitty's life at college] but we don't get daily play by plays of EVERYTHING going on. The story focuses more on the characters, who the guys are, how they work together as friends and teammates with a bit of hockey stuff on top.
Usually I like to see more sports happening in my sports comics, but this was a very nice way to write a story based around the characters, it flowed naturally, it felt real, you actually got a good sense of who all the characters were [some more than others, cause obviously Bitty is our protagonist].
All I'm saying is it's well done, Bitty's crush was [admittedly] seen from a mile away, but Jack reciprocating was just a bit of a surprise [like I saw some very subtle signs, which is a nice way to do it, but I almost felt like not enough subtle signs were there, but maybe that's just me].
Regardless, story. Now the book and how it was bound deserves some talk, The layout is very nice, it works for how the panels were drawn. The panels are all long and short, they feel like shots from a movie. But because each panel was long we couldn't just slap them next to each other, and putting multiples above each other would make the pages long, and just wouldn't look very nice [each panel is its own individual image, so to layer them above each other and read vertically down, feels very disconnected]. So, this setup of 2 panels per page, one above the other allows for them to be a decent enough size to enjoy both the art, and not have trouble with the size of the letters, but also maintains a decent flow to the story and lets it feel like one unified piece of work. I guess my only real complaint is that I wish the book was bigger cause I personally want bigger pictures, but that's on me.
Please read this book if you like hockey and/or cute hockey players that like to bake....more
I picked this up cause the cover looked interesting.
The art strikes me as someone who has their own style, but is still working on perspective and proI picked this up cause the cover looked interesting.
The art strikes me as someone who has their own style, but is still working on perspective and proportions. I see potential in it.
I do love the characters though. We get a really good feel for the main two, the rest are vague enough that they're pique your interest and you wanna know how they're all connected.
The first volume does a good job of building up the characters, the setting, and getting us interested in why the aliens are here and where are they taking people and what's up with all the coughing. It's pretty interesting. My curiosity is peeked and I'm eager to see the conclusion....more
I always love reading Hilda, it reminds me of my old home.
In this one Hilda is still learning to traverse the town, ends up helping a raven that got bI always love reading Hilda, it reminds me of my old home.
In this one Hilda is still learning to traverse the town, ends up helping a raven that got bonked by a rock get his memories back, and still makes it in time for the big parade.
I can understand how Hilda's mum could worry about Hilda wandering alone in the town. Towns can be dangerous, especially for someone who just moved here [Hilda doesn't have a good grasp of the layout of the place and wandering about can just leave her lost], and of course people themselves pose their own dangers. I just wish mum would voice these worries to Hilda instead of just telling her she's not allowed to do things. Hilda has seen monsters she's faced dangers, I'm sure she'd understand [especially now that she's had a taste of being lost].
I know it might seem weird for her mum to be ok with her wandering in nature [and how dangerous the outside can be, tripping over stuff and breaking bones, falling into water, animals, trolls]. But Hilda grew up there, she knew those woods backwards and forwards, she was capable of handling nature. But with no other human interaction except mum, and then being thrown into town, it would scare a parent about how their kid might adapt....more
As much as I loved reading this, looking back on it I can't rate it higher.
Art is beautiful, the colors are so soft, so pretty, I cannot.
The characteAs much as I loved reading this, looking back on it I can't rate it higher.
Art is beautiful, the colors are so soft, so pretty, I cannot.
The characters are cute and fun, but feel a little flat. I know it can be hard to write a well rounded character in just one TP BUT they feel not cookie cutter, but definitely like we need to know more about them. I do greatly appreciate the wide variety of characters though.
And this flatness of character impacts the plot, we know how they act face value, we're not deep enough to know what they might be like under stress, when rushing, etc. So when they're thrown into dangerous situations they react very loudly and it almost feels out of character.
But I am super excited for volume 2, I hope we get to know these characters better and I'm stoked to see what other shenanigans they get into....more
I love the lumberjanes yada yada ya know this is gunna be biased already let's just skip to the end bit.
Art: Great
Color: Awesome
Characters: love them,I love the lumberjanes yada yada ya know this is gunna be biased already let's just skip to the end bit.
Art: Great
Color: Awesome
Characters: love them, and both comics have been going on long enough to get a decent feel for each set of kids. Even if you're picking this one up just for fun from the library you'll still get a decent feel of the characters.
Adults are being kidnapped by some weird creepies and taken to a cabin in the woods type scenario. The Lumberjanes pair up with the Detective Club to save Rosie and Professor Macpherson and whoever else might be trapped in there.
It's fun, it's funny, it's action packed. I don't know what else I can say. It was a blast. Read it to see....more
It's beautiful drawn, the colors are soft and amazing. The story is a creepy slow moving ride through blood and gore, and I love it.
II love this book.
It's beautiful drawn, the colors are soft and amazing. The story is a creepy slow moving ride through blood and gore, and I love it.
I was supremely confused at first, as I'm sure everyone was. A poor little girl is lost in the woods, we're not too sure what actually happened to her, but all her little imaginary folk come out of her head, and are not stuck out in the woods fending for themselves. At first they're friends with one another [well most of them], but their lack of structure that they once had inside the girls imagination has been torn down, there are no rules, there's nothing for them to do but survive. Some are mature and kind and helpful, some are shy and quiet, some embody that strange quality that children posses; where they understand something is wrong, but they do it anyway, no real reason to be so cruel, with absolutely no feelings towards what they've done as soon as it's been done. There's so much greed and fear and selfishness by the end of this book followed by an ending fit for Grimm's fairy tales. I love it so much.
I like stories that have a point. I like stories with subtle morals and issues dressed up as something else which are then used to try and educate us. But sometimes I want a story that's just a story; things happen, people die, people live, and the world turns on and on and on....more
Matteo is a young gay man from a small town, he told his father and instead of facing what his father had to say back he left for Milan [and a boyfrieMatteo is a young gay man from a small town, he told his father and instead of facing what his father had to say back he left for Milan [and a boyfriend he met online]. Three years after that he has no job, no savings, and no future, his relationship with his boyfriend is on the brink, so he heads back home to try and figure some things out.
The book is done in black and white, on the nice sturdy paper I really like.
The characters remind me of my family. As someone who grew up in a large family with plenty of aunts and uncles, and as the only child of the eldest son lemme tell you the stress is unimaginable. Oh, believe me when I say, they love you, they love you more than life itself, they are always so proud of you, always telling their friends and visitors have you heard what my grandson did the other day, you know my grandaughter is half a year from graduating, my niece just got her first house. As any good family they look out for each other. But it's heard in how the older generations talk about others, how they talk about friends, strangers, and the children of other families, how they talk about the "black sheep" of the town. You can hear how cold they can be, and it makes you worried [as it would make anyone worried] that if you step one toe out of line you might be that black sheep, that they'll leave you. Oh, you're pretty sure they won't, they're family after all, they've been there for you during some of your most stupid teenage years. But the worry is there.
It feesl like its expected of you to accomplish something, you don't know what, but you need to make something of yourself, not just for you but for them too, and that adds extra stress on top of it. You want them to keep being proud of you, you want to be able to make them happy, cause it brings them joy when they can talk about your accomplishments. But that nagging fear is in the back of your head. And when you feel like you messed up big time, the fear of what your family will think of you is so great that running seems like the only viable option. I know how Matteo feels.
Matteo was scared and he felt like no one, not in his town or his family, would understand him for who he is, he felt like he had to hide that part of himself, until he met Massimo. Massimo helped him become more open about who he was as a person, to be proud of himself and his sexuality. But Matteo ran from home, from his father, afraid of the fight they might have had. He ran away from his old problems.
Three years later he still hasn't made any plans for his life, they don't have to be forever plans, but he has no job, he has no savings, he has essentially nothing. And Massimo gets tired of supporting him, so they have a fight. And Matteo finds himself back home, hiding at out his nan's house, where three of his auntie's and one of his cousins is staying as well. It's very full there and tensions are high.
But he learns, from spending real time with his family, seeing what their going through and them being there for him, that regardless of his blunders they love him and will be there for him. It still takes a while to build up the courage to talk to his father, and the first meeting after all these years was not a pleasant one, but he persevered. He managed to repair his relationship with his father and his boyfriend. He might still not have a full on future plan, but he's no longer floating aimlessly through life....more
There better be another volume coming, I need more of these girls kicking some major butt. I shouldn't be asked about what I think of this book cause There better be another volume coming, I need more of these girls kicking some major butt. I shouldn't be asked about what I think of this book cause I love it personally, I'm too biased.
Art: Awesome, simple line-work, great compositions of background, good layout
Color: I love it, it captures the 90's feel [I lived through the 90's, I remember this mess].
Characters: They are so precious, I love them.
Plot-wise it is a little rushed, and I do feel like we need to learn more about the characters, they're so close to being fully well-rounded, but we only get one book with them so, they fall short. The story is very fast paced, I do wish that slowed down the whole finding clues thing [cause clues are sometimes hard to come by, after all this is a mega-corporation in the music industry messing about, they have the money to hide the stuff they don't want anyone to find].
Regardless I had a lot of fun reading it, there was a good energy among the characters and in the story. I recommend it for anyone looking on light, funny, LGBTQA+ friendly comics about strong confident women....more
I picked this book up because of the art, didn't even realize until I read the back blurb that Neil Gaiman's name was on it.
I love when fantasy basedI picked this book up because of the art, didn't even realize until I read the back blurb that Neil Gaiman's name was on it.
I love when fantasy based creatures are met in slightly more modern settings. Not too modern, but that would be interesting as well, but just modern enough for them to be out of place.
I'm also exceptionally happy to see that kids, of the slightly more modern world, manage to strike a weird deal with the fae creatures for their own safety. Though I'm not particularly proud of some of the things our main protagonist got up to, I still enjoyed the story of his life.
This book made me nostalgic cause it reminded me of the old stories my gramma would tell me, about the trickery of creatures, dealing with them, how you could avoid them. Folklore and fairy tale in one. Then ending isn't fully happy, it's not completely bad either, a sort of bittersweet middle ground [give or take]. And that's just what you need sometimes....more
This rating is more indulgent than usual. Even though I do rate books on how well I enjoyed them compared to are they well written, hows the plot, howThis rating is more indulgent than usual. Even though I do rate books on how well I enjoyed them compared to are they well written, hows the plot, how are the characters yada yada, this one is more pure enjoyment on my part [pushing it up to a 4 instead of a 2.5].
Art: Art is good, there's a lot of individuality in designs. I love the colors and the faces they pull.
Characters: I love all of these idiots, yeah they mess up, yeah they're kinda dumb, but they're trying, and they're precious.
My only real complaint is this seems like a one shot story. And I can understand if you wanted to keep the ending open like oh they're future isn't well know, they could do anything. But I felt like the story was too short [and this isn't just cause I want to read more about these doofuses, which I do, but this isn't about me this is about the plot]. We rush through meeting the characters, regardless of my love for them, they don't all feel like well rounded people [especially the opposing teams and even the ref].
Everyone is dealing with personal issues, some bigger than others, and we only ever get a snippet of it and how it can affect them and their playing. I understand that the book wants to focus on these guys doing dodgeball to let loose and forget about the real world for a bit, but understanding what they're going through helps us connect to the characters, and I didn't feel very connected. I love them, I know roughly who they kinda are [if they're anxious, if they're annoyed, if they're burnt out] but those feel more like snippets and characteristics than really knowing someone.
I feel like this is a good comic to have made and printed if you were pitching a longer version; like if this was the pilot episode for a series then hell yeah, we get our base knowledge of characters and situations, we get our antagonists, we get our underdogs, and then when the series starts we get to know them better, we see why they play, why they want to keep playing, we see them grow and deal with their issues to be able to play BETTER.
I want a continuation of this, that goes just a little slower with the plot buildup so that we can better immerse ourselves in the story, really start rooting for them, be there for the highs and the lows. Cause I'm not a big fan of dodgeball, hated it even when I was a kid, but the way these guys come together to try and play, even after losing almost every game, well that's idiot optimism that I'm always down for....more
It's exactly what I thought it was gunna be and it did not disappoint.
The worlds gone straight to hell after some sort of new plague descended on everIt's exactly what I thought it was gunna be and it did not disappoint.
The worlds gone straight to hell after some sort of new plague descended on everyone, and anyone not dead yet has had to make due, except the half human-half animal hybrids, they're basically immune.
Gus is a half human half deer hybrid that's just lost his father and been rescued from [what are essentially] poachers by some really big scary looking guy named Jepperd [weird name but stick with me]. Gus is tired of being lonely and with the promise of somewhere safe to hide from people after kids like him he goes with Jepperd to somewhere called "the preserve".
That's it, that's all I'm giving ya, you want to see how they make it through the wasteland and what horrors lay before them then you gotta read the book.
It's a wonderful look at people doing what ever it takes to survive, even if it's not a necessity being met. What drives people to act in times of turmoil. Who people really are inside when all the rules and laws and consequences are stripped away. This book beautifully paints the american dystonia after the plague has run through and people are on their own....more
I'm glad to have finally gotten my hands on this book.
It feels genuinely honest, you expect that out of memoirs [no matter what kind of memoir we're tI'm glad to have finally gotten my hands on this book.
It feels genuinely honest, you expect that out of memoirs [no matter what kind of memoir we're talking about], but sometimes you can be reading a memoir and it definitely doesn't sound organic, it sounds like an editor got their hands on it and touched it up a little, whereas this one feels like a person just started talking about their past and kept talking for the duration of a book. A sort of mix between a stream of consciousness and remembering one's past.
I liked that we get such a personal visualization of what being a Tomboy is to Liz, but also that we get to see other tomboys like Terri and Erin, who did their hair up in ponytails, had different sorts of obsessions, preferred pants to skirts. And even though they were tomboys they weren't to the level that Liz was showing us that being a tomboy, like most things in life, can occur on a spectrum. You can be a little tomboyish, you can be hella tomboyish, or somewhere in between.
It was a refreshing sort of memoir, not too overbearing with what people learned from their lives or tips on how to deal with something if you're going through the same thing. It just shows Liz navigating the world, how society sees her as a tomboy, and her dealing with it....more
The art is what drew me to the book in the first place. The sketchy chalk outlines and soft pastel colors reminded me of art class and old fairy tale The art is what drew me to the book in the first place. The sketchy chalk outlines and soft pastel colors reminded me of art class and old fairy tale books. To say I was drawn to it is an understatement.
There was a ruler who had grown old and died, and without an air the ruler concocted a sort of contest as her last will and testament. 50 people are called to her death bed, most of them well known high standing members of the village; the judge, the high priestess, the grand wizard, most except some well to do people and a little girl [who feels very out of place there herself].
We learn that the will was a binding contract, a Geis of sorts [a spell that cannot be broken and certain rules have to be followed], and all that signed their name are bound to it. The previous ruler had hired a sorceress that works in death magic to concoct the contest. Basically the last person standing gets the throne, unfortunately all the people who fall out of the contest the sorceress gets to collect. She too is under control of the Geis, forced to watch over the contest and have it come to fruition.
I love that reading stories of clever women persevering. Our young protagonist is resourceful, she's determined, and she's not leaving people behind if she can help it. I'm excited to see what other hoops the contestants have to jump through and how we handle this sorceress after the contest is over....more
I had to re-read the first one again before diving into the second volume cause its been a while.
I like how the story was built up in the first comic,I had to re-read the first one again before diving into the second volume cause its been a while.
I like how the story was built up in the first comic, it was a huge mystery about what was happening, where this strange power came from, who Vespertine actually is or was. There were secrets everywhere and multiple governments were involved.
I was excited to get more backstory about Vespertine and what had come through the spill zone into our own world. I just felt like once we did get that information the plot ramped into overdrive and we just rushed to the end. frankly, with the buildup we saw in book 1 I was expecting at least another 2-3 books before the series ended. It's not that it didn't make sense plot wise, it just feels like we started going from plot point to plot point without enough buildup in between.
It's still pretty entertaining to read and I do recommend it....more
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