Book Review: Green Lantern Vol. 3: The End by Geoff Johns et al.

Green Lantern Vol. 3: The End (The New 52) by Geoff Johns et al.

This volume of Green Lantern brings to an end a nearly ten-year run of stories written by Geoff Johns, one of the star writers at DC Comics. The story follows from the last volume, where Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Sinestro have been sucked into Black Lantern's ring, where they inhabit the Dead Zone. Most everyone there is really dead. They still have a bit of living in them, so there's a chance for them to escape.

Meanwhile Jordan's power ring thinks he is dead because it flies off in search of a new Green Lantern. It finds Simon Baz, an Arab-American who has been accused of a terrorist act and is currently being interrogated by the US government. He stole a van (part of a career of car theft) to help out his sister and nephew. Baz discovers the van has a bomb inside so he decides to drive somewhere unpopulated--the car manufacturing plant that shut down and left him unemployed. Naturally the Feds think he has a vendetta against the company and start using tougher techniques to get information from him about other terrorists he knows. His resistance, i.e. the ability to overcome great fear, makes him a prime candidate for a Green Lantern ring. So it breaks into his jail cell and he breaks out.

Baz is thrown into a chaotic universe. The Guardians have unleashed a Third Army to remove free will from the universe, one sentient being at a time. So he's on the run even as a Green Lantern. Can he get Hal Jordan and Sinestro out of the Black Lantern ring? Can he sort out his own life and convince the Feds he's innocent? Will the Green Lanterns be able to stop the Third Army?

The story does have an epic feel to it and it is a great ending to Geoff Johns's run on the Green Lantern. He's able to wrap up a lot of different story lines and character arcs. The one weakness is the Simon Baz storyline, which comes off as cliched and completely unsurprising. Unfortunately, that storyline takes up a big chunk of the graphic novel. I kept waiting for the story to get back to Hal and the other more interesting characters. That being said, the ending is very satisfying and is a must-read for Green Lantern fans.

One note: I read this on Kindle for the iPad which was fine except for the occasional "splash pages," where an image would cover two print pages. Also, there must have been a fold-out extra long image which was also difficult to appreciate in the Kindle format. I recommend paper!

Book Review: Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland by Bill Willingham

Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland by Bill Willingham

Bigby Wolf (that's the Big Bad Wolf, who's a bit of a reformed character in the Fables universe) is out looking for a new location to move the fairy tale creatures from Fabletown. He goes to Story City, Iowa, which is fairly isolated from other towns. He soon discovers it's been taken over by werewolves. An old friend from World War II runs the town by keeping the various factions in balance, which is tough since they all have heightened animal instincts.

The back story of the town (which ties into Bigby's back story) is interesting. Bigby is an American and was fighting behind enemy lines trying to disrupt the enemy during World War II. His big problem was the lack of military intelligence, i.e. he never knew which targets to hit because he didn't know their value. During one raid, he runs across Sergeant Arthur Harp who has just the information he needs. They work together for a while. At the end of their partnership, they go to Frankenstein's Castle (yeah, that Frankenstein). The Nazis are trying to recreate Frankenstein's monster (actually a whole bunch of them) to fight as supersoldiers. The Nazis capture Bigby and Harp is accidentally infected with Bigby's blood during the fighting. The castle is blown to bits with Harp inside. Bigby assumed he died because he didn't know Harp had become a werewolf. Fast forward 60 years and now Harp has a town full of werewolves who are trying to live peaceably by themselves.

Now that Bigby is there, most of the townfolk take him for a god, since he is their progenitor. Some expect him to provide miracles or leadership. Harp sees trouble as does Bigby. Things go from bad to worse in a hurry.

I found the set-up of the story interesting and Bigby is a complicated protagonist. The story seems a bit like Yojimbo or A Fistful of Dollars, where a loner drifts into town and mayhem ensues. It's not nearly as good as those films, though, since the action is more bloody and violent than smart. The wolves make some plans, but they are very basic plans without much cunning. The action is exciting enough but not spectacular. I wanted a little more depth to the story or interest in the rest of the characters.

Parental Advisory: In addition to lots of bloody violence (including decapitations and missing limbs), there's also a lot of nudity (I guess the werewolves don't want to ruin their clothes) and one fairly graphic seduction scene with nudity. This is not a comic for kids.

Book Review: Asterix and the Goths by R. Goscinny et al.

Asterix and the Goths by R. Goscinny et al.

Village druid Getafix is off to the annual druid convention. Asterix and Obelix decide to escort him just in case. At the convention, Getafix wins the Druid of the Year award for his strength potion (which is what makes Asterix and Obelix such great fighters). Normally, such an accolade would be a great thing. The only problem is the band of Visigoths who have come to capture the Druid of the Year and bring him back to Germania, where they can get him to help them fight the Romans. Asterix and Obelix are soon chasing after them, fighting Romans along the way. Will they get their druid back home to their Gaulish village? Of course they will, this is an Asterix comic. The journey is the joy with these stories, which feature plenty of Latin-ish jokes and other word play along with all sorts of comic reversals. This is a delightful read and worth picking up.

Book Review: The Walking Dead Vol. 18: What Comes After by Robert Kirkman et al.

The Walking Dead Volume 18: What Comes After by Robert Kirkman et al.

 Just in time for the return of the TV show this weekend, I've caught up on the graphic novels!

ZPAA rating

Adults only

Gore level

8 out of 10--Some zombie kills; some zombies used as security around a base, impaled and chained, etc., to keep them in place; lots of views of Carl's gaping eye wound; someone is branded on the face with an iron; human biting another human's arm.

Other offensive content

Lots of f-bombs from Negan, as in every other word out of his mouth; some kissing from various characters; one bordello-like scene with scantily-clad women; bad attitudes all around; lying for the greater good.

How much zombie mythology/content

Zombies used as security guards for a base is a new, practical use for the critters. At least they've done something new with the zombies!

How much fun

No comedy but exciting action and drama.

Synopsis & Review

After an action-packed issue, things are still rolling along swiftly. Rick has a secret plan to find out enough about Negan's operation so his group can take them down. He wants to play it submissive thereby lulling Negan into a false sense of security. Negan shows up and takes his half of their supplies as tribute. Too bad Carl stows away with an automatic rifle in Negan's supply truck. What will Negan do when he finds Carl? What will Rick do when he realize Carl has disappeared? Will Jesus be able to track Negan's pal back to the base and get the critical information they need to take Negan down before it's too late for Carl?

The book is action packed with a lot of development about Negan's character. He seems like he's designed to be as horrifying and psychotic as The Governor from a while back. Negan is extremely unpleasant but is interesting. He had his graphic torture moment in the last book, so hopefully that's over with. His community shows what kind of social derailment can happen when an alpha male is put in charge.

A new ally or two are introduced at the end of the book that brings up some intriguing possibilities. Instead of an alpha male, a medieval king has his own kooky community that may come to the rescue.

Book Review: Locke and Key Vol. 4 Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill et al.

Locke and Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill et al.

A whole new bunch of keys are introduced in this volume of the Locke family story. First, Bode the youngest son finds a key that transforms him into his animal self. Hoping for something frightening and fearsome, he turns into something feathered--a small bird. He has some adventures. Dodge goes through the same "animal transformation door" and turns out as a pack of wolves. He attacks the older siblings and Bode brings a flock of fine feathered friends to the rescue, though not without lots of bloody casualties. Second, the month of February is chronicled with various attacks and social set-backs for the Locke family. Eldest brother Ty keeps a record of the attacks, trying to find a pattern and maybe the source of the attacks. He gets closer to discovering Dodge's secret.

The final half of the story picks up with a plot by Dodge to get closer to the family. His "aunt" and "nephew" become unwilling pawns in his quest to get the Omega Key and open the Black Door below Key House.

The first half of the book is okay though very episodic. It reads like they just dreamed up some new ideas for keys and threw them into stories without much concern for the larger storyline. I was getting worried that we readers would be taken down a lot of less interesting side-stories. The second half gets back to the solid drama and horror of the on-going story.

As usual, the art is fantastic. The first story combines the regular style with Bill Waterson's style (he's the creator of Calvin and Hobbes) which provides some humor but not a lot of substance.

Parental warning: Plenty of bad language and attitudes abound. Some of the violence is quite graphic and is graphically depicted, including puncture wounds and torn flesh--and not just of the birds, either. Recommended for late teens and up.

Book Review: Perseus and Medusa by Blake Hoena et al.

Perseus and Medusa by Blake Hoena and Daniel Perez

This is a fairly faithful retelling of the myths around Greek hero Perseus. A prophecy said that he would cause the death of his grandfather, King Acrisius of Argos. Naturally the king isn't happy about that and sends his daughter and grandson out to sea locked in a chest. They are found and freed by some fishermen who take them in. Perseus has various adventures on the journey that takes him back to Argos where he accidentally kills his grandfather. The main adventure is killing Medusa and taking her head, though he also rescues Ethiopian princess Andromeda from a sea monster and then weds her.

The story is entertaining and well told though it was a bit too scary for L who is only 4 years old. Also, some bits might require explanation, like why the king is banishing them so cruelly. The book has discussion questions, writing prompts, and other resources for school-aged children. It seems aimed at 4th to 8th graders.

Sample from the book:
I'm including this since it made me laugh out loud. It's right after Perseus defeats the sea monster and asks for Andromeda's hand in marriage as a reward. She is willing to marry him but she is promised to another guy, who decides to interrupt the nuptials.

Click to enlarge

Book Review: Locke and Key Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill et al.

Locke and Key Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill et al.

The Locke family continues its trials and tribulations. The children try to live a normal life in Lovecraft, Massachusetts, but that is not meant to be. After the lover of their uncle is put in a coma by an accident, their mom goes off to see him and leaves the children alone in Key House. Dodge, the woman from the well, is still snooping around trying to find more of the mystical keys, especially the key to a Black Door that leads to who knows where? A few hints to the past are given as the story goes on and the children are put in all sorts of perils.

The story and the horror are interesting but not as compelling as in previous issues. New keys are discovered that give strange and fantastic powers. They are used by both Dodge and the Locke kids. The powers are nothing I haven't seen before but they are used well to provide excitement, action, and visual flair. The daughter starts to investigate her father's past but not enough is revealed to be satisfying. Presumably it has something to do with Dodge's motivation but what is behind the Black Door is still a complete mystery. The art, as with the other issues, is top-notch.

The book also includes an appendix describing the keys that have been introduced so far, along with some art that seems like it was covers for individual issues.

The book keeps the story moving but the pace is slowing.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth Vol. 1: New World by Mike Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth Vol. 1: New World by Mike Mignola et al.

Having finally defeated the Plague of Frogs, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense has gone public in a big way. They've even been commandeered by the United Nations, which is a very mixed blessing. Sure they have more funding, but instead of choosing what occurrences they will investigate, they now have to investigate everything, everywhere. The agents are stretched out across the globe investigating every subterranean monster that pops up as well as every freak volcano that erupts where it shouldn't (sorry, readers from Houston, but your city is wiped out).

Dr. Kate Corrigan is left in charge of the B.P.R.D. and tries her best to keep the team together. Abe Sapien is off investigating the Pacific Northwest, where he discovers a monster that has been stripping small towns of their populations. Out in the woods, he finds an old friend who helps unravel the mystery and explain the unthinkable horror that has descended upon them.

The book mostly follows Abe's exploits, though the internal dramas at the Headquarters are followed as a b-story, presumably setting up future story arcs and conflicts. The horror is delivered both on the psychological level and on the visual level, with Cthulhu-esque monsters prowling around the globe. I'm ready to see more of the gang picking up the pieces in the aftermath of near-world destruction by the frogs. Send more quick!

Book Review: The Walking Dead Vol. 16: A Larger World by Robert Kirkman et al.

The Walking Dead Volume 16: A Larger World by Robert Kirkman et al.

ZPAA rating

Teens and up

Gore level

7 out of 10--The usual zombie fights with decapitations, de-limbing, shooting, etc.; some talk about Carl's eye (or lack thereof) is not for the squeamish, but we don't really see the wound; some human-on-human violence including a bloody throat cut that soaks one character and makes a big puddle on the ground.

Other offensive content

Bad language, bad attitudes, kidnapping, take about sex (including an oblique reference to a three-way) though we don't see anything.

How much zombie mythology/content

No new info on the zombies.

How much fun

It's the Walking Dead, so the jokes are sparse but the drama is always interesting.

Synopsis & Review

Rick's new program of distributing the leadership in their community is running okay. Not everyone fully believes in it but they go along anyway. Scavenging is getting harder. Larger groups are going further out to collect supplies but it's been two years in the story since the zombie uprising. Canned goods are running short along with every other necessary thing, like medical supplies and such.

The group soon runs across another lone survivor who is called Jesus. He says he is from a group of two hundred who have set up a trading network among other communities in the DC area. He is their recruiter, bringing new communities into the network. Rick doesn't trust him at all and brings him in secretly (and tied up) to their community. He takes Michonne and some others to scour the area looking for Jesus's buddies, assuming the 200 are going to come and take Rick's people down. Of course, maybe Jesus is telling the truth. Only time and experience will tell.

The central issue here is trust. When should you trust a stranger, especially in the midst of a zombie apocalypse? Does Rick go too far or is he right in his treatment of this new opportunity/threat? At one point, Rick says that he was chosen to lead the group because of the way he sees things. He has an intuition on what's safe or not. It's an interesting speech because it flatly contradicts what he does earlier in the book--he doesn't know if Jesus is for real or not. It makes me wonder if we can trust Rick himself. I guess I'll have to read on to find out.

This book is not as compelling as previous work, but not as nasty either. And pretty low on action which is surprising for the series.

Book Review: Locke and Key Vol. 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Locke and Key Vol. 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

After the harrowing events of the previous volume (see my review here) the Locke family is settling in to the Massachusetts town of Lovecraft. Unfortunately, they've inadvertently released an old foe of their dad from the creepy well on their family property Keyhouse. Lucas Caravaggio was a fellow student with Mr. Locke and in this issue we find out a bit (but not a lot) of his back story. Lucas is still young, the same age as the eldest Locke kid. He befriends them through their high school. Lucas goes by the name Dodge, though not everyone is fooled by this. Dodge is after more secrets from the house, especially the keys he was looking for in the last volume. The revelations are interesting and they start to build tension.

What builds even more tension is the discovery of another key. The Head Key enables a person to literally unlock someone's head (their own or someone else's). Looking inside shows all sorts of memories and imagination filtered memories. Things can be put in, like when older son Tyler literally crams a school book in his own head and then doesn't have to read it. Or things can be taken out, like memories and inhibitions. When Dodge gets a hold of the key, how much damage will he do?

The book provides a good mixture of mystery and horror. The mystery is a bit like the TV series Lost--while some questions are answered, others are asked, often deepening the reader's understanding of the history and mythology of the story. And leaving them wanting more.

This book is definitely for mature readers--in addition to the violence and the swearing, there's a little bit of sexual suggestion. One of the characters is gay and he is stalked by some redneck anti-gay ladies who are very one-dimensional and seem to serve only one purpose in the plot, aside from giving the book some "politically correct" credentials. Every time they popped up, I was hoping something more interesting would happen with them. Too bad it never did because it is the one flaw in an otherwise great read.

Book Review: The Adventures of Tintin Vol. 1 by Herge

The Adventures of Tintin Vol. 1 by Herge

As you might guess from the title, The Adventures of Tintin Volume 1 includes the very first adventures of the young reporter as they appeared in Le XXe Siecle, a Catholic Belgian magazine published in the 1920s and 1930s.

The first adventure has Tintin going to the Soviet Union to report on conditions there. Several agents try to stop him, providing some action and jokes. When he makes it to the USSR, he discovers a lot of duplicity and abuse by the government. Soviet officials show off a factory that's operating at 100% efficiency, smokestacks smoking and metal clanging inside. Tintin sneaks in and finds two guys burning hay and banging metal sheets together. On a bread line, the distributor only gives loaves to people who enthusiastically admit they are communists. Other people are literally kicked to the curb empty-handed. Tintin goes in and out of jail, eventually returning to the West and delivering his report. The book delivers a surprisingly grim view of the USSR, though mostly justified if we remember the Ukrainian Famine, among other abuses. Even so, the grimness is lightened by the action and the absurdly competent Tintin, who can beat pretty much anybody in hand-to-hand combat and can rebuild or repair planes, trains, and automobiles. He's also a master of disguise. As a kids' hero, that makes him pretty awesome.

The second adventure has Tintin going to the Belgian Congo. The story begins with a caveat:

In his portrayal of the Belgian Congo, the young Herge reflects the colonial attitudes of the time. He himself admitted that he depicted his Africans according to the bourgeois, paternalistic stereotypes of the period. The same may be said of his treatment of big-game hunting and his attitude towards animals. [p. 145]

Tintin and Snowy start out for the Congo on a ship, where they have comic run-ins with a parrot and a stowaway. The stowaway becomes an ongoing villain for the story, sometimes tying Tintin up to feed him to the crocodiles or send him down the river. The adventures are another mixed bag of comedy, action, and improbable feats by Tintin. The fun is a little marred by the black-face, primitive locals, but the book is still fun enough for a kids' comic book.

Overall, they are a nice diversion from my regular reading.

Book Review: Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola, etc.

DC Comics had a line of stories called Elseworlds. In these comics, "heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places--some that have existed or might have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist." [Inside cover] In this particular book, Gotham by Gaslight, Batman is put back into the Victorian era. He's still in Gotham City which is in America, but he lives in the late 1800s.

The first story in the book pits Batman against Jack the Ripper. After committing his series of crimes in London, the Ripper comes to Gotham and starts killing again. Can Batman take him down? The resolution has a measure of brains and brawns involved, making for a good Batman tale. Mignola's drawings are evocative of the Victorian era with a Gothic feel.

Mignola's Gothic Gotham (click to enlarge)

The second story is called "Master of the Future" and pits Batman against a madman determined to stop the mayor's city fair. Bruce Wayne struggles with retiring. He's already caught his parents' killer and now has no personal vendetta to pursue. But does he have a public duty, to protect the city? The issue is resolved in a way readers can easily guess but at least the discussion makes the story more interesting. This art is by Eduardo Barreto and also evokes the Victorian vibe but with a more colorful, optimistic look.

Barreto's brighter Victorian day (click to enlarge)

Overall, this is a good, not great, book. I was interested in it as a Mignola fan (he's the writer/artist for Hellboy) and was satisfied to see some of his early work. The flashbacks in his story are very much in his style. And I think Batman looks very much like Hellboy in the panel above!

Book Review: Locke and Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

Locke and Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez

The Locke family (dad, mom, two sons and one daughter) is enjoying a more or less carefree holiday at their summer house in Mendocino Valley, California. The dad is a guidance counselor at a San Francisco school and one of his students has shown up with a friend. The friend has an axe and the student, Sam Lesser, has a pistol. They brutally kill the father; the friend is killed by the older son; Sam winds up in jail. At the funeral, an uncle invites the orphans and widow to move back east, to the family home Keyhouse in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. Or more precisely on the island Lovecraft. As you might guess, the house has a lot of supernatural history and horror in store for Locke's family, especially when Sam escapes from prison and comes to find them.

The book is a grim but well done horror comic. The mysteries slowly build up to the ending and you find yourself caring about the characters deeply. The older son struggles with his anger and his suicidal feelings; the daughter just wants to fit in (i.e. not be a freak) with her new peers in Lovecraft; the youngest son discovers a door where, if he goes through, he turns into a ghost, able to travel at the speed of thought to wherever (or whoever) he thinks about. Including the bottom of the well, where that mysterious voice is coming from. The mom turns to wine as a coping mechanism. They all grow more interesting as the story goes on. The larger Lovecraftian mythology of the place is unraveled bit by bit. The art is fantastic. I'm looking forward to volume two!

Parental warning: the book is pretty gory in addition to having tough family issues following on the death of the father. I'd recommend this for mature teens and up. 

Book Review: Hellsing Vol. 1 by Kohta Hirano

Hellsing Volume 1 by Kohta Hirano

Hellsing is a manga (Japanese-style comic) about a secret group protecting England from supernatural threats. The Hellsing group is family-run Protestant (presumably Church of England) covert operation that takes care of vampires, zombies, ghouls, and other hazards that the local police can't handle. This story begins with the death of the head of Hellsing, who is passing the company on to his daughter Integra. His brother isn't happy about this and decides to hunt her down and kill her before everyone else knows the old man is dead and she is put in charge. She flees to the basement levels of the headquarters where she comes across a dessicated corpse. The uncle's minions catch up with her there and almost kill her. In the gun fight, she's injured and some of her blood lands on the corpse, which forms into the vampire Alucard. Alucard is the ancient secret weapon, an undead monster who fights for Hellsing against the other undead in the world. He's been enhanced by various spells and potions so he's stronger and more durable than other vampires. He saves the girl and starts a new era for Hellsing. More adventures follow after this, including a confrontation with the top agent of the Vatican's covert operations force Iscariot.

The book is pretty quirky. The layout is like it was in Japan, so the book starts with what would (in the West) be the back cover and you read it from the back to the front. The comic panels and word bubbles are also laid out right to left on the page, which took a little getting used to but wasn't too hard to master. Also, most of the sound effects are still in Japanese even though the dialogue is all translated into English. It's easy to imagine what the sound effects refer to (sword slices, guns firing, feet creaking on floorboards, etc.). It just looks a little odd to have Japanese letters all over some frames and not know what they mean.

 The violence is highly stylized and frequent which is what I expected. There's a mixture of guns, swords, and fisticuffs. The theology is pretty light, there's just enough to set up conflicts between Protestant and Catholic and other religions. For me it was a little too light, since people of actual faith would hardly behave the way they do in this book. They don't even use holy water or crosses or other religious symbols and rites. Maybe that happens in later volumes. And maybe I'm looking for too much depth in the wrong place. The story wasn't so compelling that I feel the need to read the rest of the series. I may try some other manga to see if I like it more.

Parental warning: Offensive language is minimal and there's no sex (some of the females are busty but fully clothed). The violence is over the top and a bit gruesome. The vampires do occasionally lick blood from the floor or severed body parts, which might be disturbing. Also, some characters are stabbed with swords and knives sticking through. In one instance, a person has about twenty or thirty sticking in her.

Book Review: Theseus and the Minotaur by Nel Yomtov and Tod Smith

Theseus and the Minotaur written by Nel Yomtov and illustrated by Tod Smith

This graphic novel is part of a series on Greek mythology for younger readers, so it simplifies the story of Theseus in certain areas, though it covers all of the bases fairly well. The story begins with Aegeus, King of Athens, who goes to the Oracle of Delphi to find out when and if he will have a son. Naturally he's concerned about the next king. The Oracle is Medea, who tells him the next woman in his arms will bring forth his son. Before giving this good news, she extracts a promise that he will protect her if ever she needs shelter. While in Troezen, the local king's daughter falls into Aegeus's arms. The reader doesn't see anything untoward happen, but she does have a son, Theseus, long after Aegeus is gone. Aegeus left some tokens (sandals and a sword) under a huge rock so that any potential son could retrieve them and come claim the throne of Athens.

Fast forward eighteen years. Medea has fled to Athens, married Aegeus, and they have a young son called Medus. Theseus has grown to manhood in Troezen. Local giant Periphetes comes to terrorize the town. Theseus fights and kills him. His mom decides it's time for him to find out his true identity, lift the rock, and go meet his father. He does. On the journey, he fights many mythical creatures. In Athens, Medea tries to poison Theseus before he can reveal his identity. The king sees Theseus carrying his sword and stops the plot. Pretty soon, Theseus volunteers to go with the fourteen young Athenians to be sacrificed to the Minotaur on Crete. Theseus's plan is to kill the Minotaur and free Athens from this annual horror. The king asks Theseus to fly a white sail on his return to signal his success.

On Crete, Theseus catches the eye of the king's daughter, Ariadne. She helps him by giving him a ball of string so he can find his way back out of the labyrinth. He has a great big fight and slays the Minotaur. He promised to bring Ariadne with him back to Athens, which he realizes in hindsight is a mistake because he doesn't love her. So he leaves her at one of the stops along the way. She'd taken the white sail with her to clean it, so Theseus returns to Athens under the black sail. King Aegeus sees the black sail, despairs because he thinks his son is dead, and throws himself from the cliff. Theseus blames himself (as do the citizens) for his father's death. He rules as best he can to win back their hearts.

The book is a quick read and is very enjoyable. A lot of the more adult details of the story are left out (like why the Cretan queen gives birth to a half-man, half-bull), which is proper for a kid's book. The book also has some discussion questions and writing prompts at the end, along with a glossary and pronunciation guide. It's a good introduction to the story for younger readers. The art is fine, doing a good job conveying the emotions and the actions in the story.

Book Review: Cinderella: Fables Are Forever by Chris Roberson et al.

Cinderella: Fables Are Forever by Chris Roberson, Bill Willingham, et al.

One of the modern variants on classic fairy and folk tales is the Fables series of comics and graphic novels. Fairy tale characters have been forced from their natural (i.e. fantasy) homelands by "The Adversary" and now live in New York City in a clandestine community called Fabletown. Characters who can't blend in with normal humans (monsters and anthropomorphized animals, like the Three Little Pigs) live in upstate New York on "The Farm." The characters have various adventures.

This book is the first one I've read and I could get most of the backstory from within this book (though I did some checking on the wikipedia article to make sure). This story follows Cinderella, who is a covert agent and assassin for Fabletown. As the title suggests, she's their version of James Bond. This particular story follows Cinderella's investigation of the murders of several sorcerers. Everything points to an old nemesis who she thought was dead. We see quite a bit of back story setting up the nemesis. Cinderella first ran into her on a mission concerning Fables who lived behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Apparently there was a Soviet version of Fabletown and animosity between them and the Western Fabletown. We discover fairly soon that her arch-enemy is none other than Dorothy Gale, the Kansas girl who wound up in the land of Oz. The story goes all over the real world and occasionally the fantasy world as Cinderella hunts down leads on Dorothy's whereabouts.

The story is interesting both as an espionage thriller in the 007 vein and as an exploration of a larger world where mythological people more or less blend in. I have to say I was put off by making Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz into a villain. It just doesn't seem right to me. On the other hand, they do make well-suited adversaries. The fights are interesting and have some fun elements, including one fight over shoes, which makes sense for glass-slippered Cinderella and silver-slippered (ruby slippers were a technicolor invention for the 1939 movie) Dorothy.

Also, an extra story added about a diplomatic mission Cinderella is sent on--she has to get a treaty signed by the giants who live in the castles in the clouds. The current king has an ear infection and won't sign until he's better. The giants' doctor is a quack so Cinderella has to find a cure to get the signature. The story is fun.

I'm more interested in the Fables world after reading this book. I'll keep my eye out for the first book at the library.

Parental Advisory: As you may guess from the cover, there's a lot of scantily-clad women in the book. A discreet sex scene happens and is discussed later on in the story. Fights break out now and then but without any gore. Swearing/bad language is pretty minimal.  I'd say it's for late teens and up.

Dual/Duel Review: Dark Horse Super Sampler vs. Vampire Sampler

Dual/Duel reviews are an online smackdown between two books, movies, games, podcasts, etc. etc. that I think are interesting to compare, contrast, and comment on. For a list of other dual/duel reviews, go here.

One of the challenges for the 2013 Graphic Novels Reading Challenge is to read an anthology collection, with stories written and/or drawn by different authors. I thought this might be a bit tricky until I saw on Dark Horse's (they're the publishers of Hellboy) web site that they have some samplers for free download to the Dark Horse app (free for iOS or Android, though the comics can also be read on a computer). I chose the Dark Horse Super Sampler and Dark Horse Does Vampires Right Sampler.

The Super Sampler was published in January of 2013. The "Super" refers to all the samples being from superhero comics. Seven different comics are represented, varying from noir and WWII heroes up to present day supernatural and supersmart heroes. The stories are mostly origin/set-up stories, presumably taken from the first issue of each comic. As with any anthology, some are better than others. I was especially intrigued by The Answer!, which involves a librarian good at solving puzzles and a masked hero who fights crime. They both wind up dealing with a sinister motivational speaker. They are an odd couple of crime fighters and the villain seems pretty original.

Dark Horse Does Vampires Right is from May 2012. The title refers to the fact that their vampires aren't the emo, introspective, sparkling type that seem pretty tame in a lot of modern takes on the vampire genre. Six comics are included, though three of them are from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer line. The bit from the Spike comic is especially odd, since he is on some spaceship run by insectoid aliens with the usual challenges and comedy for him to get back to earth. The other stories are also spin-offs from previous material, including Guillermo del Toro's The Strain novels and the House of Night novels.

The vampires come from other intellectual properties, so there's a certain familiarity (and safeness, if you know how I mean it) to the stories, making them likeable but not surprising. The supers are mostly originals. Two I didn't like at all (e.g., the ultra-violent vigilante X seems like just another layer of corruption in his already corrupt society) but the others had a nice charm or intriguing premises (an ace WWII pilot flies into the Bermuda Triangle and comes out in the modern day has good potential). So I have to give it to the Supers over the Vampires.

Winner:

Super Sampler

Loser:

Dark Horse Does Vampires Right

Click the titles above to read these, they are free and you can read them on your computer!

Book Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray A Graphic Novel

The Picture of Dorian Gray, A Graphic Novel by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by I. N. J. Culbard and adapted by Ian Edginton

The Picture of Dorian Gray was a sensation when it was published in 1890. The beautiful but intellectually slight Dorian Gray inspires his good friend Basil in his artistic endeavors. A portrait of Dorian is his masterpiece. Basil shows his other friend, Lord Henry, who admires it greatly and wants to meet the subject. Lord Henry is a thoroughly modern man with the barbed tongue of a heartless cynic. When Dorian sees the painting and Lord Henry explains how he, Dorian, will grow old and wither while the painting will always remain youthful and innocent, Dorian prays, "If it were only the other way! If it was I who was to be forever young and the picture that was to grow old! For that, I would give everything, there is nothing in the world I would not give...I would give my soul for that!"

Dorian's wish is granted. Under Lord Henry's influence, he develops a strong taste for experience of any sort. He rejects an actress who he has fallen in love with because Lord Henry doesn't like her acting. Dorian cruelly dumps her. The next day, he resolves to make it up to her but finds out that she committed suicide. He looks at the painting and notices the cruel, baggy eyes and the smile that has turned to a scowl. He goes on to live a decadent life, letting the painting receive the consequences of his sins. But can it go on forever?

The story is full of great quotes, which are captured here. The plot is followed closely. The black and white drawing are used effectively, showing the facade of innocence Dorian has through his life while his friends age. The Picture itself is well done, with more character than Dorian himself. The graphic novel is a good summary of the story, but it can't match the lyrical words of Wilde and the greater depth of Dorian's psychological and moral fall that are described in the book. I'd recommend reading the original over reading this, though this is a nice refresher.

Book Review: The Golden Moments of Notre-Dame de Paris

The Golden Moments of Notre-Dame de Paris by Serge Saint-Michel, Claude LaCroix, and Nadine Voillat

This book is probably the most unlikely graphic novel I will ever run across. I saw it in French at the Notre-Dame gift shop. Next to it was an English version! I couldn't resist buying it.

The book chronicles the approximately 200 year construction and the historical highlights of the cathedral in the center of Paris, Notre-Dame. The authors do a good job of telling the history from the perspective of various people involved, like Bishop Sully who initiated the project in the 1000s and various other historical characters and unnamed artisans and Parisians. The blending of comic book storytelling and historical retelling works well, giving the reader a view into the culture surrounding the construction. The original construction (which ended in the late 1200s) takes up about two-thirds of the book.

The continuing history of the building is well presented. Various coronations (of kings and emperors), festivals, fires, restorations, and historic events (there was a sniper shooting at the thanksgiving Mass for the liberation of Paris in 1944!) are shown in memorable ways. The book covers all the way up to 2004, so you get 1000+ years of history in 54 pages of glorious color drawings.

Reading this is a lot more interesting and engaging than the souvenir guide book I also bought at Notre-Dame's gift shop. The book is not available at Amazon, but a simple search turned up this English site that sells it. It is a good read and a great overview of the history of Notre-Dame.

Some samples of the art:

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge (and read about the importance of bacon to French economy!)

Book Review: Green Lantern Vol. 2: The Revenge of Black Hand

Green Lantern Volume 2: The Revenge of Black Hand by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke

The uneasy alliance of Sinestro (former Yellow Lantern and sworn enemy of Green Lantern Hal Jordan) and Hal Jordan continues from the last book. Sinestro has discovered a plot by the Guardians of the Galaxy (who lead the Green Lantern Corps) to get rid of the Green Lanterns and control the universe with a mysterious "Third Army." Before Sinestro has a chance to drag Jordan back into the action, the mysterious Indigo Tribe (who wield the light of compassion) drags Sinestro back to their home world. Jordan pursues, finding more than he bargained for. His old enemy, Black Hand, is one of the Indigo Tribe and seems to be reformed, or at least brainwashed, into serving the tribe. But what is really going on, and how is Abin Sur (the Green Lantern who gave his ring to Jordan as he died) related to the Indigo Tribe?

The story spins out nicely with plenty of action and plot development. The secret of the tribe is pretty interesting and fits well with the themes of redemption being explored for the various characters (especially Sinestro, Jordan, and Black Hand). The secret is also related to the larger plot involving the Guardians' shenanigans. I'm curious to read more!