This was a great short from the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. In fact, I wish this one had been a full length novel, because I thought some of the charThis was a great short from the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. In fact, I wish this one had been a full length novel, because I thought some of the characters had more depth than usual.
It's the Persephone/Hades story, but (naturally) with a twist. Also, some of the minor characters from another book show up as main characters here.
If you haven't read any of the stories from this series yet, this wouldn't be a bad choice to start with. If you are already a fan of Lackey's books, then you will probably love this one.
In a nutshell it was a dumb plot mixed with confusing art.
In one panel, Hawkeye was totally subdued by his enemy, and in they very nWow, this was bad.
In a nutshell it was a dumb plot mixed with confusing art.
In one panel, Hawkeye was totally subdued by his enemy, and in they very next panel he was leaping in to save someone else. ?????? Sooooo, how did he escape? No idea. And who cares? The entire story was like that.
The plot itself was full of holes. These women (now sporting superpowers) were convinced Captain America set them up to be experimented on. Why? Cause the people who experimented on them had a giant poster of Steve Rodgers in the waiting room. Yep. Makes sense to me.
Anyway, it took me multiple tries to slog through this thing, and that's never a good sign when it comes to a comic book.
So Green Arrow is not the best thing to come out of the New 52, but it's not the worst thing, either. It lives in the Land of Meh.
As other people (Sam)So Green Arrow is not the best thing to come out of the New 52, but it's not the worst thing, either. It lives in the Land of Meh.
As other people (Sam) have pointed out, the Billionaire Playboy/Costumed Avenger thing has already been done. And, let's face it, done better. In a world where Iron Man and Batman reign supreme, Dan Jurgens is going to have to work hard to carve out a niche for Oliver Queen. Did he manage to do it in The Midas Touch? Ehhhh. Not so much. I will say that Jurgens tried to make him cooler, and there were a few things that I really liked about this new Green Arrow. Unfortunately, they were mostly cosmetic changes. The retarded goatee? Gone, and replaced by stubble. The goofy Robin Hood hat? Gone, and just...gone, thankfully.
Beyond that, however, there's still a lot of room for improvement. For starters, I'd like to see GA fight a villain that wasn't totally lame. Reality TV Killers? Are you serious, Mr. Jurgens? As much as I think reality tv will be the downfall of modern civilization, I don't think the idea worked well in this story. The villains came off more like punks, and less like a threat to be taken seriously. Midas (the toxic swamp dude), was just pathetic. Really. You felt sorry for the poor guy. Not sure what we're supposed to think about his ninja/cyborg girlfriend, but I'm assuming the story will unfold a bit more in the coming issues.
As a side note, I was somewhat annoyed by the abrupt outfit change when they switched artists toward the end. On the last page of one issue GA is facing off with Ninja Rose (or whatever her name was), and their costumes were one way. In the next page (new issue, and artist), the look of the costumes were different. I understand what happened, but since the scene flowed between two issues, it was jarring. Not to mention, Oliver Queen went from a handsome young man, to a slightly older dude that looked like his nose had been broken in too many bar fights. The petite ninja chick suddenly looked like a stocky bodybuilder, and Naomi (Queen's own personal Oracle) was transformed from a tech-geek in a vest, to a chick who painted her clothing on. I was not a fan of the new look.
I'm not giving up on Green Arrow or Jurgens, but there are definitely some things that can be improved on in this comic. Here's hoping Volume 2 will be better!
It's not bad...really. I mean, if you like books about people having a mid-life crisis, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. I do have one q2.5 stars
It's not bad...really. I mean, if you like books about people having a mid-life crisis, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. I do have one question, however. Um, exactly why was Oliver Queen naked so much in The Longbow Hunters? Some of it I can sort of understand, like when he's hopping out of the tub. But other parts? Who sits around in the nude contemplating life...by candlelight? Really?! 'Cause see, I've never done that. I might sit around in my PJ's or my sweats, but I don't just roam around the house naked. Especially near candles. I mean, that's just asking for an embarrassing trip to the ER.
Excuse me, ma'am? Can you tell us exactly how you managed to sustain burns on you pubic area?
Well, today was my birthday and I was alone. So, naturally, I was wandering around the house naked. I tripped on the rug, and fell on the rather large candle I was carrying around with me. I'm thinking it was the scented oil I had rubbed all over myself that allowed my naughty bits to singe so quickly...
Uh-huh. Very common problem.
There were also a few things about Dinah Lance/Black Canary that I didn't understand. First, isn't she a blonde? In Grell's version, she is a short-haired brunette, who evidently has a blonde wig she wears when she wants to be BC. Also, I noticed that she didn't seem to have her powers, either. When the crazy dude was torturing her, she didn't knock him on his ass with her bird scream thing. Her mouth wasn't taped up, so it shouldn't have been a problem. Instead, Ollie runs to her rescue...which explains the naked tub jumping. Eh?
The look of this one alternates between beautiful penciling and early 90's art. But it is 20 plus years old, so you can't really hold that against it.
For the most part, I thought this was pretty underwhelming. I had to put it down a couple of times and read a little bit of a trashy romance novel to clear my palate.
So.
Only recommended for fans who just can't get enough Green Arrow in their diet....more
Not bad. The Palmer Addley story line is pretty interesting, but the ending issues with all of the magic/kung fu stuff was pretty confusing. I didn't rNot bad. The Palmer Addley story line is pretty interesting, but the ending issues with all of the magic/kung fu stuff was pretty confusing. I didn't recognize very many of the characters, and I had no idea what had happened to Danny Rand, so there wasn't much that made sense to me.
Also, I haven't been following Iron Man or War Machine comics lately, so there were quite a few things that I'm sure went over my head.
All in all it was a decent read, and I'll probably try to continue with this one....more
I wanted to like this more than I actually liked it. It was alright, but I didn't really connect with Cassandra Cain in Redemption. She came off as a I wanted to like this more than I actually liked it. It was alright, but I didn't really connect with Cassandra Cain in Redemption. She came off as a sort of iffy character. Not someone I'd like to pal around with, if you know what I mean.
The gist of the story is that Cain has to decide whether or not to kill her father, and whether or not to trust her new Bat-family. And hilarity ensues! Eh. It was...ok, but not what I wanted....more
I was looking for something for my 12 year old son, and I think this fits the bill. Pretty bland as far as character development, but there's plenty oI was looking for something for my 12 year old son, and I think this fits the bill. Pretty bland as far as character development, but there's plenty of spooky action to make up for it. There's also a bit of gore thrown in for good measure. Oh, and it's relatively short.
This is a middle-grade reader, so I wouldn't recommend it for adults....more
1. Unlike a lot of books turned graphic novels, this one actually does the entire book in one shot. Hey, at least it'So, here's what I liked about it:
1. Unlike a lot of books turned graphic novels, this one actually does the entire book in one shot. Hey, at least it's over with, right?
2. The art was decent. And by that, I mean that not every guy in it looked like a chick.
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Other than those two things, I thought it had all of the same problems you tend to see with these kinds of books. Which means unless you've already read the original novel, the story is going to come across as disjointed, lame, and missing hunks of pertinent information. The information you are given comes at you in the form of jerky dialogue and info dumps.
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I wasn't personally a huge fan of the books, so that may have tainted my feelings for this. But I doubt it... However, if you've read the Vampire Academy series and you find yourself yearning for more from this world...well, have at it....more
I think it was a pretty decent ending for these guys. You knew they couldn't stay together forever...
I think the story with Catwoman and her 3.5 stars
I think it was a pretty decent ending for these guys. You knew they couldn't stay together forever...
I think the story with Catwoman and her sister was probably the worst of the bunch. It was part of a larger story line in Batman: Gotham Shall Be Judged, and wouldn't make much sense to someone who hadn't read that title. In it, Azrael picks Batman (Dick, not Bruce), Red Robin, and Catwoman as sort of champions for Gotham. If one of them passes the test, he'll spare the city from God's wrath. Division showed Selena's test, and it felt random...to say the very least. I'm assuming anyone who wasn't aware of the larger plot would just think the story was goofy. Hell, I thought it seemed goofy. I think it would have been better for the title if they had just let Selina say 'she had to be somewhere else', and then let the story follow Ivy or Harley.
Especially Harley.
I've never been a huge fan of Harley Quinn, but Calloway did and excellent job with her. You get a good look at how her background as a psychiatrist plays into how smart and crazy she is. It was interesting seeing what happened when she decided to kill Joker. I mean, you know what's going to happen when she gets to him...but it was still fun to watch!
The ending was better than I thought it would be, simply because I didn't expect Selina to do what she did. Even though you suspect she only lets Ivy and Harley loose because she doesn't like being told what to do, you get the feeling she still maybe thinks of them as friends. Kinda-sorta?
This was a decent story...but I'm totally confused.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that I'm the only person out there who didn't know theThis was a decent story...but I'm totally confused.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that I'm the only person out there who didn't know there was a tv show called Castle. I'm right aren't I? I don't really watch tv, so I've never seen it. P.S. I'm not a pretentious douche who thinks tv rots your brain. I mean, it does...but that's not why I don't watch it.
So this is a graphic novel based on a fake author's book? Except the fake books are called Nikki Heat series, right? So who is Derrick Storm? And who writes the books? I'm just...confused. I thought Bendis had come up with a spy series or something.
Oh God. I can hear you all laughing at me out there! ...more
Whoa! I'm seeing tons of 4 and 5 star ratings for this book, but after reading it, I'm just not seeing where they're coming from. Did we read the sameWhoa! I'm seeing tons of 4 and 5 star ratings for this book, but after reading it, I'm just not seeing where they're coming from. Did we read the same book? It was ok...ish, but for a romance novel it was also really hard to slog through.
The widowed Earl of Banalt is desperately in love with the widowed Mrs. Sophie Evans. But since he used to be an unfaithful to his wife, and her husband used to be unfaithful to her, she won't give him a chance. Makes sense at first, right? It does! Except the theme goes on and on and on and on and on and on throughout the entire book! She loves him, and he loves her! Move on! (view spoiler)[ It isn't until the last freaking page of the book that she finally realizes that she can trust him! Last page! At that point they've already had a hot and heavy affair...and now they're also married! (hide spoiler)]
Another thing I didn't like were the odd flashbacks. They told how the two originally met and became friends before they were both widowed. They were strange and seemed thrown in at random times. (view spoiler)[You also never find out what happened to his wife. What the hell?! (hide spoiler)]
Supposedly Banalt is all kinds of hot, but the author's description of him didn't do it for me. He described as being super pale, with (not joking here) dead-looking silver eyes. Whew! Sure sounds like Mr. Sexy-Pants to me! ????
Maybe if there had been even a trace of humor in story it would have helped? But no. This was definitely not the light read I was hoping for.
Recommended for fans of slow-moving melodramatic romances. ...more
Great art, but I was less than impressed with the story line. Possibly because I haven't been keeping up with the X-men. Or in reality, ever kept up wGreat art, but I was less than impressed with the story line. Possibly because I haven't been keeping up with the X-men. Or in reality, ever kept up with X-men comics. Magneto is a good guy now? Wow. I'm really out of the loop. I'm thinking that if a true fan of these guys was reading this, it might have made a bit more sense. So I can't in good conscience give it less than three stars...plus the art really was super-slick....more
Pretty good stuff. You follow her as she tries to follow in her father's footsteps, only to get turned away agaBabs gets the Year One treatment.
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Pretty good stuff. You follow her as she tries to follow in her father's footsteps, only to get turned away again and again because she doesn't meet the height requirements. <--I didn't realize that was ever a thing, but apparently so. You learn something new every day.
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We follow her through her accidental debut at the Gotham Police Dept's Masquerade Ball, where she kicks Killer Moth's ass and gains the attention of the other Bats.
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The rest of the comic follows her as she tries to prove she's good enough to be part of the Batfamily, while hiding the truth from her dad and going after Killer Moth after he teams up with the increasingly dangerous criminal, Firefly.
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The budding romance between Babs and Dick Grayson is also touched on, but at this point, she still finds Robin annoying. Aww. Kinda cute.
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I was a big fan of all the foreshadowing that happened in this one, too. Lots of little shout-outs to her Oracle persona and even a fairly obvious panel referencing The Killing Joke
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Bottom line, this isn't a sexy story that I'd push on everyone, but it is a decent origin story if you're a fan of Batgirl. Recommended....more
Batwoman (not to be confused with Batgirl) is a pretty interesting character. I love that she isn't affiliated with Batman...or at least not yet.
As muBatwoman (not to be confused with Batgirl) is a pretty interesting character. I love that she isn't affiliated with Batman...or at least not yet.
As much as I enjoyed the plot, what really made it stand out so much (to me) was the incredible artwork. Every page was absolutely beautiful in it's own way. Truly.
I only have one complaint. Or maybe it's just a question? Why the hell is Kate Kane so freakin' pale? No. Pale is not the right word here. White. And not like, "Hey look at that white girl dance!". No. As in, she looks like the Joker had an illegitimate daughter. White. Everyone else in the book is a normal human color...and she looks like someone colored her in with a crayon. WHY?!...more
I recommended Gone to my neighbors for their 13 year old son after I read it. 'Cause he really liked The Hunger Games, and Gone had that kind of flavoI recommended Gone to my neighbors for their 13 year old son after I read it. 'Cause he really liked The Hunger Games, and Gone had that kind of flavor to it...mixed with a little X-Men kind of stuff. Sooooo. Yeah, after I finished Fear, I decided I needed to go back and warn them that the series has taken a few twists and turns that they may not like...as parents. Just sayin'. I didn't want anyone beating down my door at 10 o'clock at night screaming (view spoiler)[ Hey! Why the fuck is my kid reading about 15 year olds having mutant babies, and smoking weed to go to sleep! Also, one of the main good guys decides that believing in God is a joke, and doing the nasty with the guy she loves is perfectly acceptable now. Which, as an adult...makes sense. In fact, everything that happens in the book makes sense, considering the situation. (hide spoiler)] I just not willing to say for sure if all parents are ok with their kids reading about everything in these last few books. Personally, I'm fine with my own kids reading these in a few years, but everybody is different. Consider yourselves warned.
Anyway, the story really was pretty good, I just don't know how the author is going to be able to end this series with only one more book. It's going to have to be a huge volume if the readers are going to get all of the questions answered. I know I'll be lining up for the next book when it comes out!
This was a pretty solid story. I haven't been following Justice League, so there were some parts of the plot that were a bit shaky to me. How3.5 stars
This was a pretty solid story. I haven't been following Justice League, so there were some parts of the plot that were a bit shaky to me. However, the majority of it was easy to follow.
It starts off with Jade (back from the dead after Blackest Night) being carried to earth encased in a huge hunk of the Starheart. Random superpeople go insane, and her father starts to look a lot like Parallax. Except not.
Made up mostly of B-list or obscure heroes, this is a fun way to spend the afternoon. ...more
I picked this up for my younger son (he's 9) to read, because I thought it might help him understand his older brother a little better.
See, my oldestI picked this up for my younger son (he's 9) to read, because I thought it might help him understand his older brother a little better.
See, my oldest son (he's 12) was diagnosed with PDDNOS when he was 6. That means he's on the autism spectrum, but it's not as noticeable as it is with some kids. Basically, he just gets pegged as a weirdo. A lot. Why? Because he does weird stuff, of course! Or at least, that's what my 9 year old thinks.
This book was written by a 14 year old autistic boy, named Daniel Stefanski. I have to say, it does a good job of hitting the basics. My younger son and I read it together, and it was easy to discuss the 'tips' Daniel gives, because it was written in such a kid-friendly way.
Language difficulties are a huge problem for kids like this, and the section What I hear was really pertinent. In the book, a little boy is saying, "My teacher is a thousand years old", and the other boy is picturing an extremely old man. We've had a lot of personal experience with stuff like that. I remember one time we were trying to make my son feel better about an eye appointment, and my husband told him, "Don't worry about the eye drops, you won't feel a thing". This led to hysteria, because he thought the eye drops were going to numb his entire body. Yes, seriously.
What I don't see was another section we talked a lot about. Most people don't think about how much we read body language for social cues, but I've learned over the years that it's a HUGE issue if you can't. One of the things we talked out was how difficult it is for my oldest to figure out if people are kidding or not. If you can't tell the difference between Good job! (translation: You are awesome!) and Good job. (translation: You are a dumbass.) then you have no idea what the appropriate response back should be. I remember one time, when my oldest was about 8, he came crying to me at the pool, because this other little girl was being mean to him. I asked him what happened, and he said that she was saying that he was a 'slow swimmer'. So what did she say exactly, honey? She said, 'You can't catch me!". Um. Yeah, it actually took me a while to convince him that the nice little girl just wanted him to play tag in the water, because he wasn't buying it at first. As far as he was concerned, she was a mean kid who had it out for him. In case you're wondering, he finally gave her another chance, and they spent the rest of the afternoon happily smacking each other on the back.
The entire book is is a fun way to help kids who don't have autism understand a bit more about kids that do. The main goal is to hopefully show that just because someone is quirky or odd, doesn't mean that they don't have feelings. I know it wasn't written especially for siblings, but it helped us out because it was so short and to the point. There isn't much (if any) medical terminology in the book, either. Bonus!
Recommended as a good conversation starter!...more
About halfway through the book I started to wonder if this was going to end up being the equivalent of that tv show Lost. At first, I really 3.5 stars
About halfway through the book I started to wonder if this was going to end up being the equivalent of that tv show Lost. At first, I really liked Lost. I mean, it had that cool mystery/sci-fi sort of vibe that kept me coming back for more each week. My love affair lasted a couple of seasons, and then faded away. Why? Eh. The plot started to drone on and on, nothing made much sense, and it seemed like the producers were just going to milk that cow until it went dry. Poor cow. Anyway, that's what the plot of Plague started to feel like. Blah, blah, mutant snakes, blah, blah, evil monster, blah, blah, psycho kids. Is there an end in sight?! So I checked, and yes, there is an end. Only two more books in the series, and then it's done. Wheeee!
Alrighty. Midway through the book, things started to pick up, and it got interesting again. I have to hand it to the author, he managed to surprise me with who did and didn't bite it in the end.'Cause I really thought there were a couple of kids who weren't going to be in book 5. Well played, Mr. Grant. Don't worry, there are still enough cringeworthy deaths to keep the fans happy!...more
Not a bad addition to the GL books, but it almost feels like there are too many GL off-shoots out there right now. It's getting hard to keep up with aNot a bad addition to the GL books, but it almost feels like there are too many GL off-shoots out there right now. It's getting hard to keep up with all of the stories floating around in the Lantern-verse.
This one deals with John and Guy on a mission to stop some bad guys called The Keepers. Unfortunately, they are mostly just cleaning up the mess made by the Guardians. It's a good story and the writing and art are solid, but I'm not convinced that I care enough anymore. It may be time to streamline these stories into one or two titles. Just sayin'.
Best part of the whole book was Matian Manhunter and his Stormwatch reference. ...more
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