Graphic Novel Review: Fables 14: Witches and Mouse Guard Fall 1152

I fell in love with FABLES over a year ago. The first ten were amazing, but then... I felt they went downhill. Once the first big arc was completed, I didn't enjoy the story as much. So after a few that I felt was sub-par, and then a crossover with JACK OF FABLES, I was thrilled with WITCHES. Volume 14 had such a better storyline than the past few. It felt more like the old FABLES. This series is one of my favorite things to read. I can't express how amazing they are. However, this series includes sex, nudity, violence, and gore... definitely not for anyone under 17.

Synopsis:


While the meek and mild flying monkey Bufkin is trapped in Fabletown's collapsed business office with the evil witch Baba Yaga, Frau Totenkinder and the witches at the Farm upstate prepare to deal with Mister Dark down in what's left of Fabletown.

Despite how adorable the artwork in MOUSE GUARD FALL 1152 is, the story is not cute. They have their capes, and their swords and other various weapons. And it is the mouse guards job to protect the mouse villages. A war has just passed, and they are finally safe. Until they find out one of their own is trying to start a war. The mouse guard gets wave that some of their fellow mice are plotting. Their medieval world can't handle a war within the mouse community, and the two elite members of the Mouse Guard, along with one newbie, vows to stop this impending war.

I have to say that I picked up the book purely based on the illustrations. It was cute, and I enjoyed it very much. That being said, the story moved way too fast. It seemed to jump over big sections of the plot, and at first, I was confused, wondering where the missing pages were. I do want to read volume two, but I hope the story slows down just a bit.

Synopsis: 

In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers that fight off intruders, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden village to another. The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, three such Guardsmice, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. Their search for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard's own ranks.

Graphic Novel Review: Scott Pilgrim 4-6

Spoilers... sorry... but not many.

In previous episodes of Scott Pilgrim, he refers to Ramona's exes, her evil ex boyfriends. Ramona corrects him by saying "evil exes". Now we know why. We meet Roxie, Ramona's ex girlfriend. "It was a phase." This results in a problem. How can Scott hit a girl when he's such a gentleman?

Synopsis:

That's right, folks! Put down the video game controller! Skip that rehearsal for your band! Make whatever sacrifices you must to those comic gods you hold so dear! Just make sure you're ready because Bryan Lee O'Malley and Scott Pilgrim are back! Well, a couple months have passed since the last time we caught up with our intrepid hero, but what can change in a few short months? Well, not much has... Scott's still living with his roommate Wallace Wells. He's still playing in a mediocre rock band named Sex Bob-omb. And most importantly, he's still dating the lovely Ramona Flowers while working his way through the gaggle of superpowered, superstylish, superevil ex-boyfriends determined to take him down. But something is different. Don't look now, but Scott Pilgrim may actually be getting it together. And it's a good thing, too, because Scott is about to confront Ramona's most intimidating ex yet!

***

Since book 1, Ramona has said she has "six or seven exes". This is why. She dated twins... at the same time. So I guess she isn't as perfect as Scott thinks. But he's still the girl for him, so he fights them at the same time. He says that's "unfair", but... he has to do it.

The smaller storylines involving Scott's friends continue to grow. Kim, Stephen Stills, and Wallace (Scott's gay roommate) help make the story great.

Synopsis:

Scott Pilgrim just turned 24, and things couldn't possibly be better! This means things are about to get infinitely worse. Suddenly, TWO of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends are in town, and they're playing dirty. His band is in turmoil, and his own exes aren't making things any easier. And what's up with Ramona, anyway? She's been acting kinda weird ever since they moved in together. It's the SECOND LAST VOLUME of SCOTT PILGRIM: Scott's precious little life is coming back around to bite him in the butt, and it may not be pretty!

***

The final, and longest, book in the Scott Pilgrim series, is where Gideon comes in. Gideon, the evil ex that Scott is the most afraid of. But he loves Ramona way too much to not fight. I can't tell you how much I loved this series. I'm sad that it's over, but I hope that Bryan Lee O'Malley continues to write. I'll definitely read his next series.

Synopsis:

It's finally here! Six years and almost 1000 pages have all led to this epic finale! With six of Ramona's seven evil exes dispatched, it should be time for Scott Pilgrim to face Gideon Graves, the biggest and baddest of her former beaus. But didn't Ramona take off at the end of Book 5? Shouldn't that let Scott off the hook? Maybe it should, maybe it shouldn't, but one thing is for certain all of this has been building to Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour! The sixth and final volume to indie comics most influential series in the last decade!

***

And if you need another recommendation to pick up these books, Joss Whedon has blurbed some of them.

Graphic Novel: Scott Pilgrim 1-3

Some spoilers will arrive once we get to volumes 2 and 3.

So I heard about the film "Scott Pilgrim Vs the World", and I had no clue what it was about. I had heard the name before, but hadn't realized it was a graphic novel/manga. It's manga size, though you'll find it shelved in graphic novels. Bryan Lee O'Malley, a Canadian author, is to thank for this wonderful series. I normally don't laugh audibly when reading, but this series... I was laughing every other page.

Anyway, once I heard Michael Cera was going to be staring as Scott Pilgrim I was instantly excited. I picked up the first volume, titled SCOTT PILGRIM'S PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE. In this installment, we meet a large and interesting cast. There is a lot of sarcasm and dry humor, which I love. Scott is 23, dating a high schooler named Knives Chau. But then he meets Ramona Flowers and is instantly in love. Or obsessed. Or both. But there's a catch... he has to defeat her evil ex-boyfriends. While under the guise of a normal (yet odd) group of early 20's there is the random bit of outrageous superhero-like action.

Synopsis:

Scott Pilgrim's life is so awesome. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. But the path to Ms Flowers isn't covered in rose petals. Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends stand in the way between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down?

***

After I put volume 1 down, I immediately grabbed volume 2: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. He is still on the way to defeating Ramona's exes. He's defeated the first. The series continues to get funnier. And twisted. And finally... the girls get in on the action, as two battle for our man, Scott.

Synopsis:

Does Scott and Ramona's burgeoning relationship have a future? Isn't Scott still supposedly dating Knives Chau? Who is Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, and why is he in Toronto? Who are The Clash At Demonhead, and what kind of bizarre art-punky music do they play? Who's their hot girl keyboardist, and what is Scott's relation to her? Why are they Knives Chau's new favourite band? Fights! Drama! Secrets revealed! The answers to all these questions and more!

***

SCOTT PILGRIM AND THE INFINITE SADNESS chronicles Scott trying to defeat the third evil ex. Scott is adorably dorky, and he and Ramona make an interesting pair. What I love so much about this volume was the back story. Not that there hadn't been back story in previous volumes, but there seemed to be even more here.

Synopsis:

Ramona's third evil ex-boyfriend, Todd Ingram, is currently dating the former love of Scott Pilgrim's life! Envy Adams broke Scott's heart a year and a half ago. Now she and her evil art-rock band are back, and they're getting Scott's band to open a show two days from now! That's just enough time for Scott to fight Todd, keep Ramona happy, fend off demented ex-girlfriends, and practice that new setlist. Right?? Don't miss the latest chapter in the graphic novel saga The Globe and Mail calls "Canada's answer to Tank Girl!"

***

And now I can't wait to see the movie. It comes to theaters in one week, August 13, 2010. I'll review that then.

Don't forget to check out the site. It's a lot of fun. http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com

Graphic Novel Review: Kith and Rapunzel's Revenge

KITH by Holly Black was the second in The Good Neighbors series. The first one was good. This one was better. The story was much more involved, and much more interesting. If you like urban faeries and fantastic art check this one out. Third installment to come Fall 2010.


RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE was hysterical. Shannon Hale has done several fairy tale retellings, but this one was probably the most ingenious. As you may have guessed, it is set in a wild west setting, and Rapunzel uses her hair as a lasso. This isn't the watered-down fairy tale about a princess with long hair that is rescued by her prince. Nor is it entirely true to the original. Finally, a princess that rescues herself. It might not be something you're interested in, but it may suck you in just as it did me. Next one comes out in January: CALAMITY JACK.

Graphic Novel Review: FABLES

FABLES is such an amazing comic. I grew up loving fairy tales. Unfortunately, I really only knew the kid or Disney versions until I got older. If you know the original tales and love them, then you will love FABLES. Bill Willingham takes fairy tale characters and puts them in modern day New York. The main characters are Snow White and Bigby Wolf, but as the story progresses, more characters are introduced. Most of them are introduced being how you would imagine. And then you get to meet them and find they are not at all what they seem. There is a spinoff series called JACK OF FABLES.

Volume 12 just came out, and I've been taking my time reading it. I devoured the first eleven and the special edition in under two weeks and the entire five JACK OF FABLES in one day. I really can't tell you how great this series is. You need to read them for yourselves.