Graphic Novel Round Up - Ten Great Reads
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By: Geek Girl Critical Miss
Critical Miss wrote this graphic novel round up of 10 great reads she recommends...
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I have been reading a lot of new comics lately and falling in love with some new characters as they are rebooted and re-invented. However I love a great graphic novel, whether it be a standalone collection or a book that will continue the series. Here is a list of some of the graphic novels I have enjoyed recently and a few words as to why I liked them.
Birds of Prey New 52 Volume 1
This is a great team up with Black Canary, Poison Ivy, Katana, a new girl Starling and these ladies kick butt. There's an interesting Big Bad and a nice twist at the end. One thing I will say is that to get all the references in the story, you definitely need to read other books to fill in the gaps, so I had a few questions as I haven't caught up with the related New 52 books yet. However, the upside to this is that it is like a treasure hunt, finding the stories to complete the picture. Full of action, really love this art style and looking forward to reading the next book.
Transformers: Hearts of Steel by Chuck Dixon
I loved this story. Else world stories are the best because you get new character designs that are amazing. Steampunk and Transformers. I'm not one for collecting the figures but this book and the company designing the figures for it made me search them out. Really beautiful display pieces. The Transformers are woken up during the industrial revolution and their interaction with the humans takes on a different tone than present day. Great story and great robot designs.
Zatanna: The Mistress of Magic by Paul Dini
Two storylines in this novel show that Zatanna is not one to be trifled with. She is a powerful woman that takes care of her own. Battling with dark under lords trying to best her and another magician getting to big for his britches. Not to mention that this book is written by the fabulous Paul Dini one the writers of Batman the Animated Series and the co-creator of my number one gal, Harley. This is the first Zatanna novel I have read and it certainly won't be the last. This was a greatly enjoyable read.
Spiderwoman Origin by Brian Michael Bendis & Brian Reed
I had never read and Spiderwoman so I thought the Origin story would be a good place to start. And it was. From her tragic beginnings to who she is working for, this story is a great start to a strong and interesting heroine. Looking forward to reading more and cosplaying this character. As a side note, the art and the layout are also done by the Luna brothers who created the next book I am talking about.
Ultra: Seven Days by the Luna Brothers
This debut brings us a world where super heroes and heroines are marketable assets. They support cola companies, perfumes and clothes, but what this also means is that they are fair game for the tabloids. Follow Ultra and her two super friends Aphrodite and Cow Girl in what has been described as "sex and city in tights". I can't explain it better than that. The art style is simple and clean and the adult themes are hilarious. I laughed out loud several times at circumstances that are not always associated with super heroes.
Red Son by Mark Millar
A "What If" story of epic proportions. What if Superman landed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War instead of the States? We meet all the characters we are familiar with, Batman, Jimmy Olsen and Wonder Woman to name a few and we see how this alternate timeline affects them all. Done in an older comic art style, it really reflects the time period the story is set in. Really great read and it changes your perspective on what you think you know about these heroes. A surprise twist makes you rethink everything you know and you'll love Batman's hat.
Fray by Joss Whedon
Whedon brings us another slayer story, far into the future. The last slayer was called hundreds of years prior, but now there is a new threat. One that needs to be taken care of before it destroys what remains of the world. Melaka Fray is a strong, fun, willful and inspiring female protagonist. This is an eight issue miniseries that will leave you satisfied with the story but wanting more. Great story even if you are not a hard core Buffy fan.
Thrillkiller Batman by Howard Chaykin
The year is 1961 and everything about these characters is completely turned around. A dark and gritty else world story talks of Barbara Gordon who found her mother dead, the heiress who bought the Wayne manor after the Waynes lost their fortune and were killed and Bruce Wayne, former billionaire now pauper on the police force still fighting for what's right. Really fun alternate reality.
Purge: A collected graphic novel by John Ostrander, W. Haden Blackman, Alexander Freed
A series of one-shot comics pertaining to the hunt for the last Jedi after Order 66. A quote from Obi Wan tells us that Vader was involved in searching out and destroying the last remaining Jedi. All four stories are decent stand alone tales, and the art styles vary amongst them, some more graphic, some more like an oil painting. My favourite of the four is the second one Seconds to Die. It has a fascinating female Jedi that I really wanted to know more about. Her powers were intriguing and allowed her to see more than most.
Mighty Marvel: Women of Marvel, collection of comics by various authors
This was a fantastic read. Now I am a DC girl but lately I have been reading Marvel and just devouring it up. This book is no exception. This is a great one to start with as it gives you the number 1 comic of several ladies and allows you a wonderful overview into this world. I really enjoyed a lot of these stories and it made me want to search out the next comics to keep reading. My personal favourites were Firestar, Lady Sif, Namora, Spitfire and Black Cat.
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June 28 2014