Tag: comics

Review – Thor: Who Holds the Hammer?

Posted September 20, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Thor vol 2Thor: Who Holds the Hammer?, Jason Aaron et al

Normally I would list all the creators working on a particular comic, but there’s seven listed on the front and nine on the back.

This is a bit of a bitty comic, which annoyed me. There’s a couple of issues dealing with the ongoing story, but there’s also a lot of extra stuff — a short one about Thor sometime way in the future, a side story with Thor’s friends, one about Thor having a drinking contest, and then a “what if” about Jane Foster finding Mjolnir originally. That last one is especially difficult if you’re not familiar with Thor’s canon, because it really requires comparison with the original/referenced issues of Thor. (And it ends kind of weirdly, with Odin marrying Jane after Thor goes off with Sif.)

There are some awesome bits, like when the All-Mother gathers a whole army of women (plus the original Thor) to back the new Thor up in a fight. The fight between the All-Father and the All-Mother continues, and Frigga continues to hold her own and demand respect. And of course, there’s Thor going up against the Destroyer.

But, with all the extras, it didn’t feel like a satisfying progression. The main question it answers is a simple one: “Who is Thor?” Which… wasn’t a surprise to me, at all. And then it just leads into Secret Wars, which I’m not all that interested in, although most of the comics I follow are having tie-in issues. Ah, well.

Also, will someone please give the male Thor a shirt?

Rating: 3/5

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Review – Rat Queens: The Far-Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth

Posted September 17, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Cover of Rat Queens vol 2Rat Queens: The Far-Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth, Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, Stjepan Sejic

I liked this more than the first volume, I think, but it’s weakened by the fact that while Dee is the centre of the plot, we still don’t really get to know her. In fact, we get flashbacks for Hannah and Violet. I’m actually getting more into the characters now, and especially the on/off thing with Sawyer and Hannah, but still… I don’t know, it’s not quite working for me. I completely forgot several side characters, and had a moment of confusion when they reappeared.

Fortunately, I do love the art — even the transition between artists (and props to Wiebe for putting his money where his mouth is and firing Upchurch over the domestic violence) was okay, and I like Sejic’s work as much or maybe more than I did Upchurch’s. It’s all pretty fun, and at least it’s sex-positive and the girls are in charge of their own destinies. I loved the moment between Violet and her mother particularly, for that. It’s not the cliché you’re no daughter of mine! moment, and that makes it more interesting.

Also, um, referring to Dee as a “chocolate princess”? Presumably because of the colour of her skin? Hm.

Rating: 3/5

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted September 5, 2015 by Nicky in General / 24 Comments

Oh goodness, Stacking the Shelves snuck up on me this week. How’s everyone been doing? I thought I’d been behaving myself, but I just got a Kindle Voyage (so shiny) and a bunch of books and I took part in a book swap and… yeah.

Review copy

Cover of The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Could not resist when I saw it was on Netgalley, after Kameron Hurley’s tweets about it.

Bought

18006496 Cover of The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan Cover of The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard

Cover of The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkien Cover of Junk DNA by Nessa Carey Cover of Shrike: The Masked Songbird by Emmie Mears

Cover of Twelve Kings (In Sharakhai) by Bradley Beaulieu Cover of Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson

I’m quite excited about all of these, but especially The Story of Kullervo, because it deeply influenced the way Tolkien told the story of Turin, and The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, because Tor.com’s novella line looks amazing.

Book exchange

Cover of The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Cover of Wraeththu Omnibus by Storm Constantine

Well, the Storm Constantine books are actually an omnibus, but I count them as separate books.

Aaand finally…

Comics

Silk

I think that’s everything! Quite the week. Hope everyone else has had exciting hauls too! <3

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September TBR

Posted September 1, 2015 by Nicky in General / 8 Comments

Here goes — another attempt at having a TBR! Of course, I can already think of books I want to read outside of the ones listed here. Guess I’ll just have to start reading faster… I can have another five random slots once fifteen of the ones listed here are read!

ARCs

  1. Of Bone and Thunder, Chris Evans.
  2. Pacific Fire, Greg van Eekhout.
  3. The Traitor Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson.
  4. The Salt Roads, Nalo Hopkinson.
  5. Seven Forges, James A. Moore.

Library

  1. The Darkest Part of the Forest, Holly Black.
  2. The Dark Blood of Poppies, Freda Warrington.
  3. Alif the Unseen, G. Willow Wilson.
  4. Deadly Curiosities, Gail Z. Martin.
  5. Landline, Rainbow Rowell.

Series

  1. Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore.
  2. Blood Bound, Patricia Briggs.
  3. Magic Bleeds, Ilona Andrews.
  4. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, Catherynne M. Valente.
  5. Timeless, Gail Carriger.

Owned

  1. The Martian, Andy Weir.
  2. California Bones, Greg van Eekhout.
  3. Permanent Present Tense, Suzanne Corkin.
  4. Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe.
  5. Clariel, Garth Nix.

Comics

  1. The Wicked + The Divine: Fandemonium, Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie.
  2. Rat Queens: The Far-Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth, Kurtis J. Wiebe.
  3. Captain Marvel: Alis Volat Propriis, Kelly Sue DeConnick.
  4. Hawkeye: LA Woman, Matt Fraction.
  5. Thor: Who Holds the Hammer?, Jason Aaron.

Wildcards

  1. Overture to Death, Ngaio Marsh.
  2. An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, Chris Hadfield.
  3. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks.
  4. Hawkeye: Little Hits, Matt Fraction.
  5. Wildfire at Midnight, Mary Stewart.
  6. ?
  7. ?
  8. ?
  9. ?
  10. ?

I have an exam this month, and a conference/workshop thing in London, plus a load of travelling. So I’m not sure how well this is going to go. I guess we’ll have to see! Anything you think I should get onto right now?

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Review – Persepolis

Posted August 10, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Cover of The Complete Persepolis by Marjane SatrapiThe Complete Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

I’ve been meaning to read this one for ages; I first picked it up around when I got Fun Home (Alison Bechdel) and Maus (Art Spiegelman), but it takes time to get round to reading an autobiographical graphic novel, for me. It’s a different kind of reading, and for some reason it always takes way more of my attention than ordinary comics or ordinary non-fiction.

I think the first half, depicting Satrapi’s childhood, is actually the best part. The way the art compliments her childhood naivety, the particular view you get of the conflict coming from someone who was a child during it, all of this comes across really well. The latter half of the book is more about growing up in Iran, and less about just being in Iran, to me, and so it was less interesting, because a lot of the issues are shared between cultures. Although, for some people, that might be a revelatory thing to realise, so I’m not criticising the fact that Satrapi wrote about it — it just wasn’t as interesting for me.

I wanted to know more about Marjane’s mother, where she came from, how she formed her beliefs. Her father too, actually. Both of them sounded pretty wonderful, from Satrapi’s point of view, and that’s perhaps unexpected for the Western reader. I wish we’d got to know them a bit more through this, rather than as rather all-knowing, all-tolerating parental figures on a pedestal.

Rating: 4/5

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted August 8, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 16 Comments

It’s been a bit of a spree week for me again, I’m afraid. I’m going to blame the heady feeling of getting paid for freelance work several times this week!

Bought

Cover of The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin Cover of The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac Cover of A Slip of the Keyboard by Terry Pratchett

Cover of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch Cover of Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch Cover of Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

Cover of Shadows by Robin McKinley Cover of Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey Cover of A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer

Cover of Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn Cover of Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn Cover of Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn

So excited to fiiiiinally have my hands on The Fifth Season. The Rights of the Reader was pretty interesting; I’ve been meaning to read it for a while. The Scott Lynch books were just because I didn’t have a physical copy of any of them, though I am intending a reread! The Lackey book is for a challenge to read a book published in the year I was born… The Kitty Norville books came as a bundle from The Works, always worth checking there for good deals like that.

Comics

Cover of Rat Queens vol 2 Cover of The Wicked + The Divine vol 2 Ms Marvel cover

Rat Queens… well, I wasn’t sure about the first volume, but I have been encouraged to try the second, so. I’ll try. The Wicked + The Divine was gorgeous in the first volume, so is probably just as stunning. And this issue of Ms Marvel is the one we’ve been waiting for, really: the team-up between Captain and Ms Marvel.

Library

Cover of Soul Music by Terry Pratchett 4788658 Cover of Built by Animals by Hansell

Cover of Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie Cover of The Stainless Steel Rat omnibus by Harry Harrison

A somewhat random grab bag of library stuff, really. I blame The Stainless Steel Rat on Ryan from SpecFic Junkie, of course, and Soul Music on Cardiff’s SF/F bookclub — I figured I’d read it even though I won’t make it to the meeting.

What’s everyone else been getting their hands on? Anything particularly exciting?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted July 25, 2015 by Nicky in General / 10 Comments

Sooo, it’s been a nice week for books for me. I did buy a few more that aren’t here just to have physical copies, but I’ve featured them here before.

Bookshop haul

Cover of Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine Cover of Half the World by Joe Abercrombie Cover of Half a War by Joe Abercrombie

Cover of The Godless by Ben Peek Cover of The Child Eater by Rachel Pollack Cover of Dark Run by Mike Brooks

Dark Run basically sounds like Firefly. Colour me hopeful. The Godless, I, uh, had to review. Long ago. The Child Eater just caught my attention.

My copy of Half a War is actually signed, too! It’s not as special to me when I don’t actually meet the author/get a personal inscription, but it’s still kind of cool. And hurrah, I can take Half the World back to the library for whatever poor person wanted it after me… Speaking of!

Library

Cover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling Cover of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling Cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Cover of Deadly Curiosities by Gail Z. Martin Cover of The Dark Arts of Blood by Freda Warrington Cover of Hollow Crown by Dan Jones

 Cover of The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale Cover of The Thinking Woman's Guide to Magic by Emily Croy Barker Cover of Lockstep by Karl Schroeder

I don’t think I ever owned these Harry Potter books, though I might’ve had Order of the Phoenix. So, raided the community library for them. Order of the Phoenix, though, the size of the thing! Did Rowling’s editor quit? Heh. I haven’t got the third of Freda Warrington’s books — The Dark Blood of Poppies — so I’m really hoping the library gets it in before I go away… Other than that, a round up of stuff I’ve been recommended.

Comics

Spider-woman

Just one comic this week; most of the comics on my pull list seem to be on hiatus or something? Probably a good thing, I’m spending enough money… Thinking I’ll pick up Bitch Planet soon, though.

What’s everyone else been getting? C’mon, show off your hauls.

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Review – Sex Criminals: Two Worlds, One Cop

Posted July 23, 2015 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Cover of Sex Criminals vol 2 by Matt FractionSex Criminals: Two Worlds, One Cop, Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky

No, really, what the hell am I reading?

I like that this discusses depression. I like that Suzie and Jon aren’t automatically super happy forever just because they can both stop time with their orgasms. I like that Jon goes to therapy, and the first therapist doesn’t do him much good, and that the one who does begin to help (and it is only beginning) is idiosyncratically suited to him. That’s the way it works. (I’m not as keen on the exhortation to get out there and exercise ’cause that’ll fix it. It’s true for some people. It’s not always true, and it’s not always possible.) I like the portrayal of Jon’s depression where he goes all grey and there’s a bad Jon-voice telling him everything’s terrible, and the meds level him out and take the edge off everything. That, too, rings true.

It’s also cool that the porn star from the first book is fleshed out a bit, and has a whole backstory of her own and a relevance to the plot. Also cool that female sexual health is a key thing, and that it acknowledges that not all women like the same stuff, just as they don’t think or act the same way. Whether they’re porn stars or not.

The plot, though? The timeline is all over the place, Jon is kinda creepy sometimes, and I just do not care about all this sex. And it’s difficult to root for people who’re using secret powers to rob banks, however noble the cause — or at least, it’s difficult to find someone trying to stop them totally evil.

I think there’s two strikes against me and this comic here: one, I don’t have that kind of sense of humour. We’re pretty sure I have one, but you need a microscope. This is not the kind of humour that works for me, nor the kind of weird that I find interesting. And two, I’m ace, and I just do not understand the appeal of all this sex. I don’t know if that’s playing into my lack of shits about this series, but probably.

Rating: 2/5

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