Woo!!! It’s Free Comic Book Day, guys! Hopefully those of you who partake in this holiest of holy days already got to go raid and pillage (and also support, of course) your local comic book shop! I got off to my earliest start ever for FCBD and was the second person to hop in line outside the store.
I had to make the expedition all by my lonesome today since my boyfriend couldn’t go until much later in the afternoon, so he urged me to go on without him and collect all the bounty FCBD had to offer. And quite the bounty it was, so let’s get into all the sweet deetz of this year’s Free Comic Book Day Haul! đ
Part of this year’s haul. đ
From the glorious table of freebies, we (between my morning visit and the boyfriend’s afternoon visit to the store) were able to snag some really cool stuff. Aaaand, this particular morning warrior (yours truly) was the main bread winner in bringing home the goods today. *flexes*
Barrier #1 (Brian K. Vaughan’s launch to his new miniseries!)
A Brief History of Tank Girl
Attack on Titan Anthology
Marvel Rising #0
Bob’s Burgers
DC Nation #0
Suicide Squad #1
Invader Zim: Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy
Catalyst Prime: The Event
Lady Mechanika: The Demon of Satan’s Alley
Shadow Roads
And, of course, Free Comic Book Day is not only a day to receive, but also to give, so I was damn sure going to support my local comic shop and purchase some goodies. đ I’ve been hearing really good things about the graphic novel I Kill Giants, so I purchased a copy of that.
Aaaand, they had a limited number at the counter of these adorable little Free Comic Book Day Exclusive Harley Quinn vinyl figures, so you bet I got one. đ
When my boyfriend ended up getting to go later in the afternoon, he also picked us up some volumes of Lady Mechanika which I’ve been wanting to check out for some time, so that was really exciting. đ
All in all, this FCBD was definitely a good one for us, even if we didn’t get to go check things out at the same time. It was a lot of fun, and the weather was gorgeous. Did you partake in any Free Comic Book Day goodness today? If so, I’d love to hear how it went and what sort of loot you got! đ And if not, feel free to just bring up any good comics you’ve read lately or anything special you’ve got on your radar. Have a great weekend, everyone!! â¤
Yay! More Giant Days! ⤠If you’re looking for a fun slice o’ life style comic with good female friendships and likable characters all around, this is a series not to be missed out on. đ It’s a cute, feel-good (mostly) series about a trio of friends tackling life (and sometimes being tackled right back by it.)
Each of the characters is going through their own things in this volume that I’m not going to get too into since, ya know, spoilers suck. In typical adulting-fashion, the girls deal with these issues, plus a whole slew of other things like the literal hell that is house-hunting, making terrible student indie films in an effort to win some cash, job hunting, and the horrors of online dating. Combine all these things and more and you wind up with another entertaining installment in the lives of Esther, Daisy, and Susan.
Esther truly understanding what it means to be part of the work force.
Currently tangled in the sticky web that is house hunting, myself, I found their struggle all too real. That shit sucks. It sucks big time. You think it’s gonna all be awesome, that you’ll find your dream home all easy-peasy-like, but really it’s mostly moments like this:
All in all, volume 4 is another fun and enjoyable read in the Giant Days series. Have you read any Giant Days yet, or are you reading any other good comics at the moment? Let’s talk about it! đ
Holy Comic Haul, Batman! Between December and January’s comic hauls, there is just sooo much comic-related goodness in my life. ⤠Since I already went over the lovely new reads I got for Christmas, I thought I’d share with you guys the ones I got for my birthday at the end of January, too. đ
Paper Girls, Vol. 1
“In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash-hit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.“
Huntress: Year One
“As the last survivor of a crime family eliminated by bloody rivalries among the mobs of Gotham City, the orphaned Helena Bertinelli grew into the mysterious vigilante known as the Huntress. New writer Ivory Madison shines a light on the dark underbelly of the mob world spanning from Gotham to Sicily, exploring exactly what led Helena away from a life in the Cosa Nostra criminal society and set her on a path of vigilantism. Also, find out more about Batman’s first meeting with the fledgling female crime-fighter and why, to this day, they struggle to see eye-to-eye.“
DC Comics: Bombshells, Vol. 5
“Based on the hit DC Collectibles product line! As World War II rages across Europe, the Bombshells battle new enemies showing up out of the woodwork… The incredibly popular DC Collectibles line is brought to life in these stories that re-imagine the course of history!“
Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
“FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX! At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.“
So, yeah, between Christmas and my birthday, I’d say it’s safe to say I made out like a bandit with 15 new additions to my collection. đ I’m looking forward to reading all of them. In fact, I’m planning on reading the fourth volume of Giant Days later tonight after I catch up on reading everyone’s blogs. How about you? Did you get any recent books/comics? What are you reading this weekend?
Woo! First review (and post) of the New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year’s Eve and an amazing start to 2018 so far. ⤠My boyfriend helped assure that much for me by stopping by our local comic book store New Year’s Eve and picking up this delightful title that just came out at the end of December. Needless to say, I about screamed with joy when he pulled into the parking lot and revealed his master plan.
Brian K. Vaughan (the writer) and Fiona Staples (the illustrator) continue to weave their outlandish space opera of epic proportions in this volume, but add in some of the fun of the Old Wild West along the way. I don’t want to get into any spoiler territory, so we’ll keep things fairly vague as I talk about my feelings on this volume. And trust me, I got plenty of the feels for this series. â¤
One thing I really like about the series as a whole is that it has a lot of heart, but not in a corny, mushy, or preachy sort of way. This volume is no exception. It continues to explore the theme of family, and what exactly family means when you really get down to it. It challenges convention at every turn and makes no apologies, and I utterly love it for that. â¤
We see old and new faces alike in this volume and are presented with some pretty interesting “what-if” moments. It confronts deep-rooted feelings of both tragedy and hope head-on and still continues to surprise the reader with just about every turn of the page. This is a series that can make you cry one moment and then laugh another.
Volume for volume, Saga makes for a quick, intense and often-times hilarious and utterly random emotional roller coaster. The characters are so well-written and full of their own troubles and flaws that it makes them feel completely human despite, ya know, the whole televisions for heads, and having horns and/or wings thing.
I honestly feel that just about everyone can find SOMETHING they can relate to somewhere in this series. So, if you have yet to hop on the Saga bandwagon, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???! Do yourself a favor and GET. ON. THAT.
My boyfriend says I’m a monster because I always read his new comics before he does. I say, ya snooze ya lose. lol I’m sorry (no, actually, screw that, I regret NOTHING!) because when there are great comics to be read, I’ll be damned if I’m not going to read them. đ In all fairness, he takes forever to actually get around to reading them, and I keep my lips firmly sealed regarding spoilers of any kind. We have a system. It works. â¤
HIM: “You can’t keep reading my comics before I get to!”           ME: “Bitch, watch me!”
Our local comic book shop had some pretty good sales over the holiday weekend so he went ahead and added to his collection of Saga, picking up volumes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Needless to say, I descended upon those poor, helpless trades like they were newborn infants left out to the wolves. I read all of them while I was over, one after the other, until I had to stop at volume 7 to go partake in 4th of July festivities because ‘MURICA.
Oh, I’ll be back for YOU, my pretty! *cackles*
This series is just soooo damn good. It’s one of those gems that really lives up to all the hype surrounding it. In case I didn’t scream my love for this series from the rooftops enough in this “Cute Comic Couple” post or my spoiler-free review regarding Volume 2, let me just say:
Big thanks to the lovely Raven & Beez who tagged me to do the I Dare You Book Tag. đ These bibliophiles run a snazzy blog together, so if you’re a book-lover as well be sure to check them out! đ
I’m shaking it up a wee bit and doing books AND comics for this because I love to read both. Basically, if it has pages, it counts in my eyes! đ So, without further adieu, let’s start this tag! đ
1.) What book has been on your shelves the longest?
Ooh, interesting question. I’ve still got a few books floating around from when I was but a wee moth. Pretty sure I have a couple of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques floating around. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is another I’ve hung onto for as long as I can remember. (It was actually my mom’s book that she gave to me when I was little.)
2.) What is your current read, your last read, and the book you’ll read next?
Let’s see . . . for novels: Last read was Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, my current read is Soulless by Gail Carriger, and my next read is gonna have to be The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer. Planning on plucking it up from my boyfriend’s library this weekend.
And for comics/graphic novels: Last read was DC Bombshells, vol. 2. Current read is Dungeons & Dragons: The Legend of Drizzt, vol. 1. Not sure yet what one I’ll read after that.
3.) What book did everyone like, but you hated?
Oh, jeez. This is a tricky one. I can’t think of any I’ve read and loathed that everyone else was really into off the top of my head. Lame answer, I know, but it’s all I got for now.
4.) What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?
I have a mountain of a TBR list and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger thanks to all you wonderful book bloggers. I’m sure there’s plenty I’ll never get to unfortunately.
5.) Which book are you saving for retirement?
I’m assuming they’re getting at which book has the heftiest word count and thus will take up a lot of free time. Hmm . . . I doubt I’ll wait til retirement to read this one in its entirety, but I have this old encyclopedia of witchcraft and demonology that had belonged to my grandma and I’ve picked at it here and there because it’s so interesting, but that thing is a tome, and the font is very small so it will definitely take me a while to get through it once I finally set out to read it from start to finish.
6.) Last Page: Do you read it first or wait til the end?
Last page is called LAST PAGE for a reason. lol Why would I want to ruin the ending? It would take all the fun out of guessing what was going to happen.
7.) Acknowledgements: Are they a waste of paper and ink or interesting?
I think they’re great. They’re often pretty interesting to read.
8.) Which book character would you switch places with?
lol Bad things tend to happen to the characters in books I like, so I’m a little hesitant with answering this question.
9.) Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life?
Sort of. It’s kind of like how you might associate a certain time with the point in your life when it came out. I mostly remember what stage of my life I was in when I read a certain book. I feel like that is such an utterly boring answer. lol
10.) Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way.
When I went through a really difficult time emotionally just over 2 years ago, a friend secretly purchased a couple books I had been wanting to read and mailed them to me with a sweet little note. She intended for it to be so secretive but it had her name on one of the papers in there so I figured it out. lol It still makes me smile to think about it because it was such a thoughtful and kind thing to do. The books were Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues and The Lies of Locke Lamora.
11.) Have you ever given away a certain book for a special reason to a special person?
I try to pick books I think people will enjoy (or that I know they’ve been wanting to read). I’ll never just go buy a book I hear is popular in the *hopes* that they might like it. Sometimes I do themes for gifts too, so you might get a couple books with some hidden theme around them because I’m a dork like that. lol
12.) Which book has been with you the most places?
Hmmm . . . I guess any of the books I have on my kindle. I’ve taken that thing with me so many places.
13.) Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad two years later?
Nope! Chances are if I hated it then, I wouldn’t be too keen on picking it back up again. đ
14.) Used or brand new?
Either way! I’m just happy to get the book. Especially if it’s a great deal.
15.) Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?
Nope.
16.) Have you ever seen a movie that you liked better than the book?
I don’t know if I actually have. I feel like there was one time I told my boyfriend about before, but now it’s not ringing any bells.
17.) A book that’s made you hungry?
None, really. But Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland comes to mind when I think of scrumptious food in books. The Queen of Heart’s tarts and all the tea time goodies and whatnot. đ
18.) Who is the person whose book advise you’ll always take?
Well, I’ve read several trilogies by various authors over the years, so authors I’ve read more than just three books by would be: George RR Martin, Leigh Bardugo, and J.K. Rowling.
20.) Ship from two different books?
Ah, I don’t really have one as far as novels go, but if we’re talking comics I’m gonna do a Marvel/DC mashup here and say Deadpool and Harley Quinn. đ
Harleypool anyone?
As for tagging people, you guys know the drill: If it sounds like fun to you, have at it! đ If not, no worries. Anyone is more than welcome to join in on the fun!
Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly five months since I finished reading Volume 1 of DC Comics Bombshells! I absolutely loved the first volume so I was pretty excited to finally get around to reading the second volume.
You know how sometimes you read something and it just really resonates with what is going on in the world around you? I definitely had this feeling while continuing the Bombshells’ saga. Between the current political climate and a particularly frustrating 48 hours where I had not one, not even two or three, but FOUR personal reminders of the importance of feminism, I was more than ready to see these female heroes kick some Nazi and misogynistic asses. đ
Volume 2 takes us all over the globe to locations like Berlin, London, and Greece as WWII continues to rage on. Even on the home front in Gotham City, tensions rise and danger looms. One thing I really like about DC Bombshells is that it touches on both soldier and civilian life during the war. No one goes unaffected by the horror going on in the world.
As if the Axis Powers weren’t enough to contend with, a sinister supernatural influence continues to grow in power, bringing a horde of undead soldiers with it.
The art continues to stun in this volume and the characters are fantastic. (Batwoman is still, of course, my fave!) Strong female relationships aplenty in these pages, both platonic and romantic alike. Also, just strong, kick ass females in general. The characters are believable with their own motivations, insecurities, weaknesses and strengths.
The biggest bummer for me was that I was missing my girls, Harley and Ivy in this one. They were nowhere to be seen in volume 2. *Proceeds to pout in the corner.*
But, hey, at least we get more of Zatanna and Bunny Constantine!
All in all, I really enjoyed volume 2. I think I enjoyed volume 1 a little bit more, but I’m still looking forward to reading the third volume very much.
I just love it when a book lives up to all the hype surrounding it, and Monstress delivered this and then some. Hands down, this story has the best worldbuilding I have ever seen in comic form. It’s a beautiful blend of magic and horror from beginning to end.
“Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.” — Goodreads
Between Marjorie M. Liu’s dark and intriguing writing, and Sana Takeda’s consistently gorgeous and impeccably detailed artwork, it’s hard NOT to fall in love with Monstress. The only reasons I can imagine anyone complaining would be if:
A.) They get squeamish over blood and violence.
B.) They’re offended by cuss words, and when cats are the ones uttering said cuss words.
Or C.) They don’t like monsters. Or ghosts. Or the ghosts of monstrous gods.
Another thing I really enjoyed about Monstresswere the characters. Maika (the main character) has seen some shit in her seventeen years of life. She had to become tough to live through the things she’s been through. She has scars both mentally and physically that prove her to be a survivor. The world she lives in is not kind, with war, slavery, and murderous and power-hungry witch-nuns only providing a taste of the dangers that has left most of the population wounded and desperate no matter what “side” they are on. Also, if you are seeking a story that represents strong women, this one’s for you. I mean the pages are literally filled with them. Unlike most stories where male characters tend to vastly outnumber the female characters, Monstressactually flips this concept.
This is the sort of story that slowly unravels with time, but not in a way that ever leaves the reader bored. It simply has layers. Layers upon layers. Like onions. And ogres. (You’re damn right I just made a Shrekreference there.)
This first volume did a great job at introducing the readers to the world, characters, and story, but it definitely leaves us with questions. Which is honestly just fine with me because I am really looking forward to reading more when volume 2 comes out this summer! đ Definitely a 5/5 star beginning to what will no doubt be an incredibly epic story.
I’ve been hearing such good things about this series and now that I’ve read it I can happily say that I was NOT disappointed! In fact, I loved it!
The titular “Rat Queens” are a group of potty-mouthed, goblin-slaying, bar-brawling friends and “adventurers for hire”. Each of the characters brings something special to the story. I honestly can’t even pick a favorite.
There’s Hannah, the rockabilly elven mage:
“I’ve conjured a little Fuck You.” – Hannah
And Dee, the human cleric who also just so happens to be an atheist.
“My parents worship a giant flying squid. Holidays get weird.” – Dee
And then there’s Betty, the “smidgen” thief.
“Tequila, vodka, and two magic mushrooms: They call it ‘The Betty’.” – Betty
And last, but not least, Violet, the hipster dwarven warrior who shaved her beard “before it was cool”.
“I know my sword is designer. I use it ironically.” – Violet
And on top of that, there are plenty of other great characters to enjoy throughout the pages of volume 1. It’s stuffed to the brim with delightfully inappropriate humor, fun fantasy tropes and, of course, wonderful artwork of the highest caliber.
Though proceed with caution if you’re easily put off by swear words, bloody battle sequences of ass kickery, drug and alcohol references, and talk of smut. If these things bother you, than this series is bound to offend your delicate sensibilities. đ
But if you’re like me, and you revel in these things, then carry on bold reader! For there is ale to be guzzled, dungeon monsters to be fought, and merriment of the crassest sort to be had! Huzzah! 5/5 flaming orc skulls!
Marvelâs Spider-Gwen presents us with the question: what if it had been Gwen Stacy rather than Peter Parker who had been bitten by that fateful radioactive arachnid?
I was pretty excited by this premise, and had really looked forward to checking it out, but while I liked it, Iâm afraid that I didnât love it as much as I had hoped to.
I really enjoyed the art, and the color scheme was great, with bright colors that really stand out and command attention.
But while visually, I was digging it, I wasnât as thrilled with the overall story which just sort of seemed disjointed and cobbled together at points. When we meet this version of Gwen sheâs already been bitten, learned to use her abilities, suffered a great loss that inspires her to get her superhero on, and has her costume. And sheâs even already public enemy #1 in the eyes of the law. Honestly, I would have rather actually gotten to see that all go on in volume 0. I think it would have been better for kicking off her story and letting us better get to know this version of Gwen. I guess I was hoping for her origin story and just wound up feeling like I was tossed into yet another day in the life of Gwen fighting crime and struggling with drama within her band. Yup, thereâs also a big side story involving Gwen being in a band called âThe Mary Janesâ with who else but Mary Jane Watson as the lead singer. And Mary Jane is such an unlikeable narcissist in this alt universe it isnât even funny. I suppose this leaves her a lot of room for character growth, but I just couldnât stand her. I know weâre supposed to root for the band to get over their drama, but I just wanted to see the other girls rise up in a hipster girl band mutiny against Mary Jane and her inflated ego. Heck, I think I disliked MJ more than I did the main bad guy of this volume, the Vulture.
We encounter several Marvel characters in volume 0 and I know things are supposed to be all topsy turvy in this alt universe, but some of them just felt so very off that it almost made them feel less like a twist and more like a ruthless decapitation and disembowelment.
Câmon, Felicia Hardy, Iâm lookinâ at you on this one. I know youâre a known thief, but what in the hell were they thinking having it look like youâve been stealing your wardrobe from the closets of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj?? The girl in the green dress on the right perfectly summed up my reaction to this universe’s Felicia. WTF indeed.
Gwen at least is a likeable enough character. She has flaws that she is trying to work through and has a good sense of humor, but I think I would have liked to have gotten to know her even more by the end of this first volume considering she is the protagonist. I love her costume design though and she has a really nice heart-to-heart with May Parker that I thought was handled very well.
I havenât made up my mind yet about this series as a whole, and fortunately I already have volume 1 on hand to help me explore the series further before making a final decision on it. Maybe it just got a rough start on shaky little Bambi legs and will take off bounding through the other volumes. I hope so. Overall, Iâd give it 3 out of 5 stars, I think.
IgnitedMoth 