Graphic Novel Reviews: Teen Titans Games

Teen Titans Games

"The game is afoot"

Written by Marv Wolfman

Art by George Perez

Published by DC Comics

My love for comic books has waned greatly from the days when I was devouring almost anything published by the big two. I have found myself reading less mainstream graphic novels than before, but when I discovered this book at the library I quickly decided to check it out. I finished this in one sitting because it brought back those childhood memories of what a great superhero comic can be when done properly. It also brought back a team that I have loved since I was a wee lad. This book had been sitting around on the shelves for twenty years, but finally Wolfman and Perez decided to finish it. I am glad they did since it was published only shortly before the New 52 was launched. 

This original graphic novel brings the fan favorite team of Titans together for an adventure against an adversary named "The Game Master". Each character feels like they serve a purpose on this team instead of feeling forced together like some lesser team books. Wolfman knows how to write this grouping perfectly focusing just enough on each character, but also making certain characters feel like they have more of a place in this particular book. Nightwing uses his detective skills masterfully here, which showcases how well Wolfman understands that character and what he should be doing on a team. Starfire is using her sexuality and also being the muscle that is needed. Each individual character serves a function. Why isn't Wolfman writing more team books? Heck if I know, but he is obviously very good at them. (If you can't tell I do not want to give away details of the plot) 

The artwork is done by the awesome George Perez. I can't say one negative thing about this master of comic book art. He knows how to draw and he does it will. He never slacks off either. Some artists get swelled heads and as a result let certain elements of their art go, but in every single panel Perez creates the images exactly as they should be. You never have to question which character is which. You never have to try to look past distorted images of characters faces or bodies. Perez truly seamlessly creates the DC Universe here. It feels like you are watching a television program instead of reading a comic book. 

The last thing I want to say about this volume is that it contains several pages of original script, which adds a certain fun element to this book since it was put on the backburner for so many years. The only thing I disliked as a Donna Troy fan Wolfman states in his synopsis "whatever-her-new-name-is"for her code name. This depressed me to read right now since Donna has still not appeared in the New 52. I hope that this is remedied one day, but if you are trying to get a Donna Troy fix this would be a great volume to read. Be aware though that she is in her Troia outfit. I know some fans do not like that version of her, but I love it. She serves her purpose here and I think Wolfman did her justice overall, even though I get that he doesn't necessarily like her himself. It is great when a writer can still work with a character that they may not like, so thank you Wolfman for creating one last adventure for a character dear to my heart. 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Graphic Novel Reviews: Courtney Crumrin Volume 2: The Coven of Mystics

Courtney Crumrin Volume 2: The Coven of Mystics

(Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley.com)

"Even the teachers have a bit of magic!"

available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Half Price Books.

Written and Art by Ted Naifeh

Published by Oni Press

I was drawn to reading this second volume based on my first impressions of the first volume. It deserved a shot at reading the second volume. I was as pleased with this volume as I was the first volume, which you can find my review for that volume at this link. 

This volume steers a little clearer of dealing with Courtney learning magic (the magic is there, but she doesn't seem to be teaching herself it as much) and focuses more on the relationships that she has developed, specifically it deals more heavily with her relationship with her uncle. In this volume it feels important to note that I do not recall seeing her parents on a single page, which adds to the overall story since their appearances kinda slowed down the last volume. Also this volume helps develop Courtney's personality better than the previous volume. We can see that she has a heart deep down instead of appearing emo as she did in volume 1. One of the ways that we see that she has heart is who desperately she wants to save a friend in this volume. This desire to help gives a lift to her as a character. I was pleasantly pleased with what this volume fixed with her. She seemed more like a well-rounded character here than she did. 

The artwork always feels right on the money. The people still are a bit less completed than the backgrounds, which I feel adds to the story because of the dark and grittiness it is trying to achieve. I do have to say though that a lot of the incidental characters in this volume appeared to be more completed though than in the previous volume, which was awesome since some of these characters appear to probably be important in the next several volumes. Courtney appeared to be the one character that never looked completed in this volume, which overall doesn't feel like Naifeh is getting it wrong at this point. In a future volume (after more adventures) I hope she looks more completed because at that point I will probably feel that she should be because she will have done so much more with her life and her magic. 

There is one scene in this book that if you are squeamish you may not want to pick this up, but overall this book felt a little less dark. It felt more like a mystery that you were trying to figure out before the final page and less like you were trying to hide under the blankets. Now do not get me wrong there is still some of that hiding under the blanket feeling that makes the Crumrin books enjoyable as scary stories as well, but it better assimilated into the overall story. If you love comic books/graphic novels this is definitely a series you should give a chance because it is not only an interesting read, but one that adds greatly to the library of wonderfully written comic books currently published. If you only read the big two I would say step out of your comfort zone!! You will not be disappointed.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Graphic Novel Reviews: Play Ball by Nunzio Defilippis & Christina Weird Published by Oni Press

Play Ball 

(advance reader copy from NetGalley.com)

available for purchase from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Half Price Books.

Written by Nunzio Defilippis & Christina Weir

Artist: Jackie Lewis

Published by Oni Press

I am not regularly interested in reading anything related to sports. It is just not my particular cup of tea. I decided to step outside of my comfortable reading box though and give this a chance. I did this primarily because it was about a female trying to get on a sports team. I find it interesting when people work on going outside of what the world deems appropriate for their gender. This book did not disappoint in that sense either.

The story of "Play Ball" is about Dashiell Brody who has just recently moved to a new school. She hears that the school has a baseball team and immediately is interested in trying out for it. The book shows the struggles that she has to overcome in a male-dominated field, even if it is set in a high school. She has to fight stereotypes that women are simply not as able to play baseball because they are weaker. She has to prove herself at every chance, which isn't easy when even your teammates are telling you that you shouldn't be there. It is an uphill battle that she takes on, but I won't spoil how it ends because this isn't one of those happily ever after tales. This story actually had a rather nice ending that fit for the story. I loved that Defilippis and Weir did not just give us a cookie cutter "she did it" ending. Their ending had depth, which made me enjoy the sports story more than I thought I could. 

The artwork by Jackie Lewis was what one would expect from this type of story. It wasn't breathe-taking in the way that some other more prestigious graphic novels are done (think any marvel or dc book), but the style fits perfectly for the world that Dashiell lives in. It lends a softer tone overall to the feeling of the book, which I think is needed due to the discrimination she faces at the beginning of the story. If the artwork had been harsher it would not have worked on any level. Instead we are able to feel secure that things are going to get better because the artwork isn't making us feel dark or mysterious.

The fun of this book is also in the development of the relationships between people. We see Dashiell's family develop over the entire story. Her sister goes from hater to supporter. Her mother deals with a lot because of what appears to be her ex-husband. The background characters do not remain static, but push Dashiell's story forward in ways that added so many needed layers. Those layers make her so approachable because we feel her emotions. Those emotions are universal, so we can relate our own experiences somewhere to hers. Other characters, like some of her teammates, develop in surprising ways. One in particular moves from a deep hatred of Dashiell to something significantly more meaningful. The way these progressions are presented in the writing makes them feel natural and not out of place, which could have been the place in a less writers hand. I would love to pat these two writers on the back for presenting a story for even the non-sports fan enthusiast. 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!!

Graphic Novel Reviews: The Tower Chronicles: Geisthawk

The Tower Chronicles: Geisthawk (Volume 1)

(Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley.com)

available for purchase from Amazon.com & Barnes and Noble

Written by Matt Wagner

Art by Simon Bisley

Published by Legendary Comics

There is a dirty feeling that comes along with reviewing a book that you received for free, but at the same time it is important when you are asked to review to be honest. As a result I have to state that this book simply was not up my alley. It contained more violence than I was wanting to read. Also the storyline didn't fit with what I was hoping it would be either. 

The story is a typical grey-area superhero story. The main character lives in both worlds. He can't be called a good guy, but neither would it be accurate to say he is bad either. He seems to live for money instead of any moral values for most of the book. Also he doesn't seem to be approachable as a character. There was no moment where you feel you want to get to know more about him either. He just seemed like the typical vigilante character with a mysterious past. The past just never seems to be something that we are made to care about though. The book has a supernatural flavor about it (which slightly ties into his past it appears), which was the only interesting thing about it.  

In the comic book market it can be hard to get a share of the dollars when you have the big two sweeping up most of that. When a new book is introduced it is important to create something that is either A) approachable or B) that will instantly be critically acclaimed. "The Tower Chronicles" is not going to achieve either of these in my opinion.The sad thing is if the writer had focused more on the side characters (such as the female cop) this book would have been significantly better and probably more approachable for new comic book readers. 

One of the biggest sticking points for me with the entire book was that the artwork was horrendous in some places. The faces seemed distorted and some just seemed so wrong based on basic anatomy. This is in regards to human characters, as I am not judging any of the supernatural characters because some of their looks may have been intentionally done as so. There were times when the main character though appeared to have a bigger face than humanely possible. I am not usually one to judge a comic book based on its artwork because I can't draw to save my life, but when the artwork detracts from the story it has to be brought to the attention to possible other readers of the series. The artwork here seriously detracts from a pretty bad story already. These coupled together makes this a very hard read to get through. 

I understand that Legendary Comics is a fairly new publisher, so I hope that they can step up their game with the next volume of the series or other series that are in the work. I would highly recommend that they try to step away from creating something that feels almost episodic to creating stories that interest the indie market of comics. Examine trends in lesser markets and try to build-up to those audiences instead of trying to create a superhero that simply does not work.

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!