Graphic Novel/Comic Book Week - Review of Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel's Revenge (Rapunzel's Revenge #1) by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Nathan Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Released: August 5th 2008
My Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she thought was her mother.

Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.

And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.

Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with husband Dean Hale and brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) to bring readers a swashbuckling and hilarious twist on the classic story as you've never seen it before. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack (of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape, changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they encounter. (from Goodreads)

I bought this kind of on a whim, because I'm a massive fan of the Disney film Tangled, and I felt like reading another retelling of Rapunzel. I didn't have many expectations, but I ended up liking Rapunzel's Revenge a lot - it was really cute and pretty funny and definitely the light-hearted sort of thing I was looking for.

The art was not my favourite but it was still pretty decent, and actually more detailed than I was expecting, which I really liked. The way Rapunzel's hair was drawn was also really cool, and I loved the scenes where she was using it as a lasso! The little hooks on her belt for her to carry her hair like rope were a really nice touch and added to the whole rebel look she was pulling off.

I really liked Rapunzel - she was pretty damn fearless and the way she used her hair to fight people/get out of sticky situations was awesome. I could definitely understand her motivation for wanting to defeat Gothel after being lied to her whole life and then trapped in a tower for four years - plus Gothel was a tyrant to the rest of the world too, and they were all suffering because of her. I would maybe have liked to have seen a little more conflict though, since Gothel did raise her from when she was a very young child, but other than that, I enjoyed reading about Rapunzel and her plan to rescue her real mother, along with Jack (a thief she had met along the way). Jack was really funny and I loved his jokes and the humour he added to the story. He and Rapunzel got on so well even though they bickered, and I loved how he was always in awe of her skills and the way she used her hair. He was a great character who always managed to get into trouble, and was oddly attached to his goose (who he assured Rapunzel would eventually lay an egg that would sort out all their problems). I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Rapunzel and Jack again in the sequel, Calamity Jack (I have a feeling we'll find out about Jack's problem with giants in that one...)

Plot-wise, the story mostly consisted of Rapunzel trying to save her mother and defeat Gothel's growth magic so that she couldn't control everyone anymore. There was nothing really surprising, but it was fun to read and it was easy to support Rapunzel and hope that she would succeed (as well as ship Rapunzel and Jack, because they were just too cute). I liked how a few of the secondary characters all played their roles as well and I generally just enjoyed the whole story, despite it being fairly simple. Some of the scenes where Rapunzel and Jack ended up on little side adventures were really funny and definitely added to the fun feel of the book.

Overall, Rapunzel’s Revenge was a great read and I look forward to picking up the sequel, Calamity Jack.

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Graphic Novel/Comic Book Week - Review of Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 1

Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 1 by Gene Luen Yang (Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino and Gurihiru)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Released: January 25th 2012
My Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

The war is over...but the adventure has just begun!

Picking up exactly where Avatar: The Last Airbender left off. The Promise takes Aang to a Fire Nation colony in the heart of the Earth Nation, where tensions between neighbors threaten to shatter the world's newfound peace--putting the Avatar on a collision course with one of his closest friends, Fire Lord Zuko! (from Goodreads)

I’m a huge fan of the Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series (let us not speak of the travesty that was the film adaptation - I honestly couldn’t watch it) so I was excited to finally pick up The Promise, Part 1. I actually read this quite a while ago so I can’t remember entirely everything that happened, but I do remember parts and that I really enjoyed it overall. While it was shorter than I’d have liked, I am definitely looking forward to continuing the series, which I am hoping to do soon.

In regard to the art style, I can’t complain at all. It was the same as the TV show, and I always loved the TV show art, so no problems there. Still so impressed by how the facial expressions were so accurately portrayed on all the characters. Especially Zuko - that angst in the TV series was perfection.

It was great to see all my favourite characters again! Don’t get me wrong, I really liked Avatar: The Legend of Korra as well, but nothing can beat the original characters from A:TLA. Aang and Katara and the whole gang - I missed them so much! Sokka was always my favourite, his humour just cracked me up every time. I loved Toph too because she was just awesome and hilarious in a more sarcastic way, which I appreciated. And who can forget Zuko? His character development during the TV series was the best I’ve EVER seen in any TV show ever. I was so worried everything would get ruined during The Promise, Part 1, but while I still have some concerns, things didn’t turn out the way I thought they might. I really liked seeing more of Zuko and Aang as friends, and the conflict they had due to their differing opinions on what should happen now that Fire Lord Ozai had been defeated. I am really excited to pick up Part 2 (though I do sense some kind of falling out will occur, and I really hope that doesn’t last too long because I just want these guys to all be happy!).

Plot-wise, I am so intrigued to find out what happened to Zuko’s mother. Part 1 definitely kept me hooked, and the ending! Ahh! I want Part 2 right now. As this series and the subsequent sequel series have all been out for a while now, I have heard some spoilers, but I’m looking forward to finding out the exact details to put everything into context. And I think after everything Zuko has been through, he deserves some answers! The rest of the story was also great and I really enjoyed following the adventures of Team Avatar again. I loved the humour (though it wasn’t quite as funny as the TV series, which I understand would be difficult to do as the format is different) and really can’t wait to find out what happens next! I do sort of wish The Promise series could have been released originally as one bound version, because the individual parts are very short (Part 1 was only 74 pages), and it’s not the best value for money to buy them separately. I know all three parts are bound together now in a hardcover version, but that’s kind of expensive too, so it’s the same problem. But this is just a quibble about pricing because I bought this as a lowly student, and I am now a recent graduate who has yet to get a job (oh the woes of leaving education!) and not a criticism of the story itself (which I liked).

Overall, I really enjoyed The Promise, Part 1 and if you have somehow not heard of Avatar: The Last Airbender, what have you been doing with your life? Please watch the show, and then pick up this continuation series - you won’t regret it.

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Graphic Novel/Comic Book Week - Review of Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: June 18th 2015
My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit. (from Goodreads)

I loved Nimona. It was amazing. Noelle Stevenson is the artist who did the cover illustration of Fangirl (as well as all the bonus illustrations, depending on which copy you have) so that’s what first drew me to this graphic novel, but honestly, I enjoyed it so much more than I expected.

First of all, I really liked the art. Loved how bright all the colours were, loved the character designs and just the…I don’t know, the sort of unique style. And somehow, the characters were so suited to it, I honestly couldn’t imagine them drawn any other way. Definitely no complaints there, and I think I’ll be picking up whatever Noelle Stevenson does next (I already have Lumberjanes, which she has co-authored).

The characters were just brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. I grew to love them all so much. Nimona was definitely my favourite though; she was hilarious and I loved how her first solution to anything was always something like “let’s destroy it all”. It always seemed funny to me that she wanted to rush right in there without planning anything or considering consequences - not the kind of thing you think would be humorous, but it was. Plus Nimona was just so likeable, despite her strange tendencies and love for charging in. I couldn’t help but root for her, and Ballister clearly felt the same, otherwise he wouldn’t have kept her around as a sidekick for so long (though her awesome shapeshifting ability definitely was a bonus for him). You could tell he really did start to care about her after a while (I mean, it was impossible not to in my opinion) and that he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her as a result of being his sidekick. I loved learning about Nimona’s backstory too, and honestly, I just wish there were more. I want a sequel. Or a prequel. Or anything!

Ballister was another great character. I could definitely feel for him; he was betrayed by Ambrosius, the person he thought he was closest to, and as a result, lost his arm. That’s not the sort of thing you ever really get over. But even though he was a villain, he had morals, and didn’t like killing for no reason. He also knew a lot about science and could tell when things seemed shady or not like they should be. His status as the arch-nemesis of Ambrosius was complex. It was heavily hinted that they used to be in a relationship before the betrayal, and you could tell that whenever they met, neither of them really wanted to kill each other. Ambrosius actually did grow on me throughout the book, and I really enjoyed seeing the dynamic between the two. Ambrosius didn’t really like Nimona and thought she was dangerous, which was another source of conflict between him and Ballister, but deep down, it was obvious they cared about each other. I loved how this was explored throughout, and honestly, I could read another story just about these two. And then another one just about Nimona. And then another one where they all feature together - okay, you know what, I’m going off on a tangent.

Plot-wise - erm wow. I did not expect that ending. I was happy just with all the regular adventures of Nimona and Ballister, but the twist the plot took in the end was not something I expected. I loved unravelling the whole thing and finding out what was really happening - though once again, I will state that I wish we had more. I do think things ended at a really good place, but I just loved the characters so much!

Overall, Nimona was absolutely fantastic, please please pick it up.

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Graphic Novel/Comic Book Week - Waiting on Wednesday #70

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks (and Jordie Bellaire)

April 5th 2016

Find it on Goodreads

Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.

Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred--a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let's hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands. (from NetGalley)

I have not yet read anything by Faith Erin Hicks (though I do want to!) but I really love the sound of The Nameless City. I'm always up for a story about two unlikely friends, especially when they have to team up to save something/someone. It sounds like an exciting adventure and I have a feeling it's going to be pretty funny too. I will definitely be looking forward to reading this, but in the mean time, I will probably pick up some of Faith Erin Hicks's previous work to get a feel for it. I always hear great things about Friends With Boys so I might start with that!

What are you waiting on this week? 

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Graphic Novel/Comic Book Week - Review of They're Not Like Us Vol.1: Black Holes for the Young

They're Not Like Us Vol.1: Black Holes for the Young by Eric Stephenson (Simon Gane and Jordie Bellaire)
Publisher: Image Comics
Released: July 8th 2015
My Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Eisner-nominated NOWHERE MEN writer ERIC STEPHENSON teams up with red-hot artist SIMON GANE for an all-new ongoing series! We all have advantages over one another, but what if you were capable of things most of us can only imagine? What would you do – and who would you be? A doctor? An athlete? A soldier? A hero? Everyone has to make a choice about how to use the abilities they're born with... but they're not like us.

Collects THEY'RE NOT LIKE US #1-6. (from Goodreads)

While They’re Not Like Us was a little overdramatic for me (I’m getting even more cynical in my old age), it was an all right read. Nothing fantastic, but I didn’t hate it the way I hated The Wicked + the Divine (I won’t get started on that again, because oh how I could rant on about that trainwreck).

I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style to begin with, the lines and things were a bit messy and rough and I usually prefer everything to be neater and more defined. But it grew on me after a while, and I think it did suit the tone of the book. I liked the colouring too, and I think the facial expressions were done pretty well overall (though I was not a huge fan of the way crying was expressed, it looked a bit weird in my opinion, but then again, what do I know about art…)

The main character, Syd, was generally okay, and I liked how she wasn’t immediately accepting of all this new information that was thrown at her. She’d had a hard life but that didn’t mean she was willing to follow the rules of this new life being offered to her without questioning it. I did think it was a bit weird that so many other people in the group were so accepting when they originally joined (especially in regard to the “you have to kill your parents thing” - I mean, did they all have such terrible parents that they didn’t give much thought to it? It seemed a bit unrealistic to me). What did bother me about Syd, however, was the way she seemed to miraculously grasp being able to control her power which had previously affected her so much that it drove her to attempt suicide. Like there was this one page where she was suffering so much, and then magically in the next page she had managed to control the voices she heard and was fine. What happened? How did she manage it? It confused me a little. I did wonder whether I had skipped a page by accident.

Plot-wise, I liked the fact that Syd was helped by these people who were not heroes. They could be very cruel in taking what they wanted, and it was interesting to see these powers being used simply for selfish reasons, because the people wielding them just felt like they deserved to have whatever they wanted. The Voice was a fairly interesting character, especially after seeing his backstory - though nothing could really justify the sorts of things he did. However, I did feel like it was all a bit over the top at times. The whole “we can do anything we want mwahaha/fate has chosen us to be different” mentality got a bit too much at points, it felt a little childish. And not much else really happened. Syd just sort of stayed there being really indecisive because the whole thing was dragged out a little for the drama. I mean, really, it’s not that difficult to decide that whether or not you want to commit murder (I know she had a lot of other things to consider too, but that probably would have been the main thing on my mind).

Overall, They’re Not Like Us was okay. I didn’t love it, but it’s probably worth a read if you like stories about superpowers. I’d describe it as a more angsty and trying too hard to be deep version of X-Men.

(Also, in case you’re wondering why I’ve become one of those people who just complains about everything - reviews which are more positive are coming, I promise.)

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Graphic Novel/Comic Book Week - Review of The Wicked + the Divine Vol. 1: The Faust Act

I've decided to do an impromptu graphic novel/comic book week since I have been reading quite a few lately and thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a week to the stuff I've finished so far. And that's all the explanation you need really, since I pretty much came up with the idea ten minutes ago.

The Wicked + the Divine Vol. 1: The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen (Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson and Clayton Cowles)
Publisher: Image Comics
Released: November 12th 2014
My Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever. Collects THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #1-5 (from Goodreads)

I don’t want to be overdramatic here…but this was literally one of the worst things I’ve ever read. I only bought The Wicked + the Divine because I had heard so many good things from so many different people…I don’t even understand how anyone could possibly have enjoyed it. Am I just not “with it”? Why is this popular?! I DON’T GET IT. 

First off, I will say the artwork was beautiful. That is the only reason this is getting 1.5 stars instead of nothing. I can’t fault it. The people, the backgrounds, the colours - everything was amazing. That, however, is the only positive thing I have to say.

The actual plot made no sense. I’m sorry, but I had no idea what was going on. Nothing was really explained. Like, why did these gods only exist for two years? Why did they come back every 90 years? Who was controlling this cycle? Why were they so immature when they were supposedly immortal? Wtf? How could anyone crave fame so much? And what was going on within the group? What was Luci even trying to do? What were the “villains” trying to do? I WAS SO CONFUSED. I mean, maybe I’m just an idiot and I’m the only one who didn’t get it. It’s entirely possible. And I know that a lot may be explained in future volumes - but at this point, I don’t care, and I don’t want to know. The characters were so underdeveloped (except maybe Luci) that I don’t have any interest in them, and the plot was too all over the place for me to have any reason to continue the series.

The most confusing (and annoying) thing though, was the main character, Laura. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she so obsessed with these people? Why did she get SO involved in their affairs? She was risking her life for creepy strangers! She had not an ounce of common sense! I don’t understand what possessed her to do the things she did, I just don’t. I get being a fan of stuff, but this was beyond all reason. And such an obsession just seemed unhealthy. I feel like I am missing something, because it is just unfathomable to me why people have raved about this. 

Overall, I can’t in good conscience recommend this to anyone. Maybe that makes me an uncool person who doesn’t get how deep this was supposed to be, but whatever. The whole thing made no sense, and was a complete waste of money. I’m going to read something actually good now to take my mind off this nonsense. 

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