Showing posts with label comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comics. Show all posts

9 Sept 2022

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE SANDMAN: ACT 1 by Neil Gaiman

09 September 0 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE SANDMAN: ACT 1

Author: Neil Gaiman
Series: Sandman Audible Original #1
Source: Audiobook via Audible
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication Date: July 15, 2020

Summary:
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times Magazine as “the greatest epic in the history of comic books”, The Sandman changed the game with its dark, literary world of fantasy and horror - creating a global, cultural phenomenon in the process. At long last, Audible and DC present the first-ever audio production of the New York Times best-selling series written by acclaimed storyteller Neil Gaiman (who also serves as co-executive producer). Adapted and directed by multi-award-winner (and frequent Gaiman collaborator) Dirk Maggs, and performed by an ensemble cast with James McAvoy (It, Parts One and Two, X-Men: First Class, Split) in the title role, this first installment of a multi-part original audio series will transport you to a world that re-writes the rules of audio entertainment the way that The Sandman originally re-defined the graphic novel.

When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence. As the multi-threaded story unspools, The Sandman descends into Hell to confront Lucifer (Michael Sheen), chases rogue nightmares who have escaped his realm, and crosses paths with an array of characters from DC comic books, ancient myths, and real-world history, including: Inmates of Gotham City's Arkham Asylum, Doctor Destiny, the muse Calliope, the three Fates, William Shakespeare (Arthur Darvill), and many more. 

A powerhouse supporting cast helps translate this masterwork into a sonic experience worthy of its legacy, including Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and more. Setting the stage for their performance is an unprecedented cinematic soundscape featuring an original musical score by British Academy Award winner James Hannigan. Fans will especially revel in a new twist for the audio adaptation: Neil Gaiman himself serves as the narrator. Follow him as he leads listeners along a winding path of myths, imagination and, often, terror. Even in your wildest dreams, you’ve never heard anything like this.

Purchase:
Trigger Warnings: rape, death, violence, cheating

I started reading this to get caught up before watching the show and I'm glad I did! It was super well produced and a full cast audiobook, which made it a super fun listen.

If I was rating the audiobook alone, this would be a 5 out of 5. The production, the cast... it was stunning. However, the story was kinda boring when it wasn't connected to a larger plot. It was very simplistic, which I guess makes sense considering it's based on a graphic novel series, but I still wanted more.

I liked the two overarching arcs and stories that were included in this first set of stories, but I thought that there was too much of a rush to finish each of them. Where there should have been a big, climatic moment ending in more something, all the conclusions were pretty easy for Morpheus.

This audio production is incredibly faithful to the original works, which is both great and kind of its downfall. As a fan of the comics coming in for a listen, it's really quite the experience. As someone hoping to become a fan from listening, I'm not sure this does it.

While I am curious about the comics now, I'm not that invested to actively seek them out. Some of these were really really hard to listen to because of the storyline topics. A few of these come to mind as ones I wouldn't actively listen to again, especially since they are "one off" stories.

If you enjoyed the show, or comics in general, you'll enjoy this!

Have you read this book? What was your favourite part?

25 Dec 2018

#Discussion: 5 Comics to Ease You into the Genre #Project14Lists

25 December 2 Comments
Project 14 Lists, otherwise known as #Project14Lists, is a 2-week blogging activity hosted by That Bookshelf Bitch that will run from December 18th to December 31st. Book bloggers are tasked to come up with creative bookish/blogging list ideas, and on each day, write a list and post it on their respective blogs.

See all the posts I've completed for #Project14Lists

2019 Queer Books | Stay Organized | Apps for Book Bloggers | TBR Layouts for BuJos | Instagram Feeds | Books I Loved | Books I Hated | Comics for Non-Comic Readers | Plot Twists | 5 Surefire Recommendations | Weekly BuJo Layouts | Series I Won't Finish | Instagram Locations | Best New Releases
Today I'm going to help you ease into reading comics! I know it can seem very difficult to get into something that seems daunting, especially with the amount of gatekeeping there is in comics, so I hope this helps you learn a genre or publisher of comic that you really enjoy.

LUMBERJANES

Author: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Faith Hicks, Brooke A. Allen, Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh, Brooke Allen, Carolyn Nowak
Number of Issues: 56
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Summary:
FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here. 
Purchase:

What's Good About It?

I absolutely love this series. It has magical adventures, amazing friendships, and queer characters. Summer camp never seemed more fun! If you like fun Middle Grade novels, this is the series for you to get into. The first few volumes are free on Kindle Unlimited so you can definitely get into it for fairly cheap!

NIMONA

Author: Noelle Stevenson
Number of Issues: 1 graphic novel (sadly)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Summary:
The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.
Purchase:

What's Good About It?

If you like dragons, magic, and anti-heroes, then this is the graphic novel for you. This changed graphic novels for me and got me to read a lot of different publishers and genres beyond superhero ones. Noelle Stevenson is a genius.

17 Aug 2016

Graphic Novel Round Up Reviews!

17 August 0 Comments
I read quite a few graphic novels these past couple months, so I thought I would tell you my thoughts on them! I am going to share my thoughts on the series and whether or not I will be continuing to read and collect them. There are a total of 14 of them that I will be talking about here, so buckle up because you're in for a ride. Here are the ones I will be talking about, if you are looking for a specific review:
  • AMULET Volumes 1 & 2
  • SEX CRIMINALS Volume 1 & 2
  • LUMBERJANES Volume 4
  • THE WICKED + THE DIVINE Volumes 1 & 2

AMULET by Kazu Kibuishi

Publisher: GRAPHIX
Series Length: 7 Volumes

Series Summary:
Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot---and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

Volume 1: The Stonekeeper

Source: Purchased from Costco
Rating: 3/5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1238684.The_Stonekeeper
Purchase: Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Review:
I think this one was interesting -- and I love how Emily is taking to power and becoming a leader -- but I feel like there was something ~missing from this one to make me really LOVE it. As well, I thought the text in the speech bubbles was difficult to read clearly and quickly. However, I am really interested to see how the world grows and what is to come out of the next adventures. I want to see more of the elf king and I hope that Navin gets more screentime. It's nothing out of this world but I think there are a lot of "real world" type issues that are immediately addressed and I like that there are still adults present. But this does use a lot of typical fantasy tropes and not necessarily in a good way -- at least so far.

21 Sept 2015

Lumberjanes: Beware The Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen

21 September 0 Comments
Title: LUMBERJANES: BEWARE THE KITTEN HOLY
Author: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen
Series: Lumberjanes
Source
: Owned (Purhcased from Big B Comics)
Publisher
:BOOM! Box
Publication Date
: April 7, 2015

Summary:
FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here. 

--

11 Sept 2015

Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

11 September 1 Comments
Title: SAGA, Volume 1
Author: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Series
: Saga Collected Issues Graphic Novels
Source
: Owned (Purhcased from Big B Comics)
Publisher
: Image Comics
Publication Date
: October 10, 2012

Summary:
When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults. 

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