A New Image Of A Double D

So Image Comics has recently published a new graphic novel entitled Double D Book 1.

It’s a story of a super hero/fat English schoolboy who is the class dork that everyone teases and no one really wants to be friends with. It is published by Image Comics.

So I love Image Comics.  They publish such a diverse group of graphic novels.  They take risks with controversial subject matter, unique characters, and uncommon settings.  Their books are not of the conventional super hero type.  Whatever they publish is always awesome.

So back to Double D.  Danny is a chubby, bullied, 15 year old dorky English school boy who is an unwitting superhero of sorts.  During a track meet, Danny discovers that he can run very fast, and while he is running he gains super quickness and super strength. Not only does he have these powers, his body changes from flab to fab. He is buff. Too bad that it   reverts when the superhero deed is done. With this new knowledge, Danny and his friend figure that the next step is for Danny to become a superhero, fighting crime and rescuing people who are in trouble. We will see how that goes.

The story was written by Eddie Argos, who is the lead singer in the band Art Brut.  It’s a pretty good band by the way.  The illustrations done by Steven Horry are quite good.  The character Double D is drawn accurate to the story line.  The physical changes in Danny are dynamic.  I could feel the speed and strength as Danny was in flux.

I really enjoyed this book and I give it 4 stars **** .  Book 1 gives you an effective intro to Danny’s present status.  We learn about his abilities at the same time as he does.  It doesn’t have much action, but it sets the scene for what is to come.  It’s definitely a good read.  Book 2 should delve into the usefulness of Danny’s new powers.  I can’t wait to see.

Are You Ready For Some Harley?

Harley Quinn

So I am already a huge Harley Quinn fan.  I was so happy to get a copy of Harley Quinn Vol. 3:  Kiss Kiss Bang Stab from Net galley to review.  What can I say, Harley Quinn never disappoints.  Harley Quinn Vol. 3:  Kiss Kiss Bang Stab is Harley at her finest.  She is a smart (all though she appears to be a ditz at times), strong, weapon wielding, psychopath, with a warmhearted streak inside.

She is a crazy, violent, dangerous lady, but she has a sympathetic quality that makes her a likeable character. She’s out for fun, but when she sees injustice she wants to fix it, even if she has to smash some skulls to do it.

In this new series of her own, DC has made her into an anti-hero in a Marvelously (oops) I mean a DCeliciously comedic way.  She remains the weird, crazy clown that the Joker turned her into.  Talk about a destructive relationship.

Harley isn’t a hardened criminal in this story arc.  She eliminates what see sees as injustice to others.  She just uses unusual methods.

This volume contains Harley’s series #14-#16, as well as some super holiday issues which are a blast.  We also find some guest appearances by some of Harley’s old friends, including the Dark Knight himself.

I love the direction that Harley Quinn is going in for this series.  DC is really stepping up with female characters having the leading role. DC keep it up please.  Women enjoy a strong female character taking charge.

I enjoyed Vol. 3 the most for sure.  If you haven’t read any Harley Quinn, this is a good place to jump into the series without knowing the back stories of the cast of characters.  I give this book a 5+ rating.  You can start off reading Vol.# no problem, but I recommend reading all 3 volumes, if you like my review.

GNG

P.S. I would love it if Super Movie Maniac would be a guest contributor and compare Harley’s character in her series as opposed to Harley in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie.  Thanks 🙂

Book cover for Vol. 3
Kiss Kiss Bang Stab

Let’s Talk Sex

Sex Criminals Vol. 1

Gotcha.  We are really going to talk Sex Criminals, the sassy series by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky,  published by Image.  It is about Suzie and Jon, 2 people who hook up at a party and discover that they share the same condition.  Time stands still around them after an orgasm.

Suzie is a librarian, the sexiest people on earth.  The bank is foreclosing on the library where Suzie works, and it’s going to be shut down if the bank doesn’t get its money.  Suzie is trying to raise the funds to save the library.  Enter Jon, who works at said bank.  The couple comes (no pun intended) up with a plan to climax together, and rob the bank while time is stopped.  Little do they know that the sex police are monitoring them, and possibly others that have a special orgasm side effect.

The main characters each narrate their back stories within the plot line.  Suzie is funny, sarcastic, and slightly inhibited.  Jon is a bit odd, and somewhat pitiable, but his sometimes weird behaviour just resonates with Suzie.

The story is told with wit and irreverence.  It can be graphic, and it does contain mature scenes and language.  As the title implies, this is not one for the kiddies.  I give it an MA rating myself.

As of now there are only ten issues of the series.  You can find them in 2 collections.  Volume 1 contains issues #1-5, and Volume 2 has #6-10.

There is talk of issue #11 coming out on June 24, 2015 with $1000 hidden in one random copy.  There is also buzz about a TV series adaptation of the comics in the works.

I give this series a thumbs up.  It is not sexist or degrading to women.  The female lead character is smart, self-aware, and very much in control of her own sexuality.  Plus, buying a copy of issue #11 might fatten up your piggy bank.  Read the series and have a few Lolz.

GNG

Cute Little Dead Girl

Lenore and Company

So this series is one of my all time favourites.  I love everything about it.  Writer/illustrator Roman Dirge is a genius.  In addition to writing about the hilarious exploits of Lenore and her buddies, Roman (we’re on a first name basis) throws in some side stories with some other very interesting characters, as well as some short strips of humorous anecdotes from his own embarrassing experiences.

So Lenore is a little girl who died when she was 10, from pneumonia, around early 1900’s.  Through some kind of weird embalming incident, Lenore becomes undead.  She lives in a creepy , old mansion with her friends Ragamuffin, a 400 year old vampire who was cursed by a witch and turned into a stuffed rag doll, and Pooty, a demon from the Underworld who was sent to bring Lenore back to Hell.  That doesn’t work out, so he decides not to return, and to live with Lenore instead.  She has an ardent admirer named Mr. Gosh, who tries relentlessly to win her affections, despite all the mean and painful things she does to him. Lenore speaks her mind, completely unfiltered.  Ragamuffin tries to keep her in check, and their dialog is hysterical.

The story lines are so funny, while being morbid and disturbing.  The illustrations set the tone perfectly.  It is adorably twisted.  Roman throws in great tattoo pics, paper dolls, board games, and other fun stuff as the end pages.

The series had 5 volumes:  Vol. 1 Noogies, Vol 2 Wedgies, Vol 3 Cooties, Vol 4 Swirlies, and Vol 5 Purple Nurples.  As of this post, I have discovered that a new book has been published. HOORAY!  It is called Lenore:  Pink Bellies.

This is a perfect read for those of you with a love of dark, twisted, macabre humor.  These books seem like they were written especially for me, but I’m willing to share them with you.  You won’t regret it.  If you do, Lenore will stop by and accidentally impale you on a tree limb or something equally awkward.

Lenore and Mr. Gosh

Chew on This

Chew Collection Covers

So I stumbled across this unusual comic series called Chew.  It was created by John Layman and Rob Guillory for Image Comics in 2009, and is still in monthly publication.  So I’m a little late to the game, but I’m so happy I found it.  So far I have read the first 2 collections.  Each volume is a collection of 5 issues of a self contained arc.

Chew vol. #1 Taster’s Choice, collects issues 1-5, and vol. #2 International Flavor, has issues 6-10.

Our hero, Tony Chu is a former Philly police detective now a Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) agent in a world where chicken and all poultry products are illegal in the U.S. due to a birdflu epidemic that took the lives of 23 million Americans.  Tony’s investigations revolve around black market chicken, chicken substitutes, and keeping his brother, former TV chicken chef, Chow Chu, out of trouble.

Tony is a cibopath, which essentially means that he gets intuitive impressions from anything or “anyone” he consumes. Yum!  In the Chew Universe certain individuals are endowed with unusual, food related powers.  Besides the cibopaths, I have been introduced to a food critic who is a saboscrivner, which means that she writes food reviews with such acuity that one can actually taste what she is describing.  There is a famous chef, not Chow Chew of course, who is a cibolocuter, who translates literature and music into his cooking.

This series is weird, and funny.  Not your usual super-powered heroes and villains saga.  It has a really original premise, with great story lines, and a cast of quirky characters to boot.  I love how the artwork is comically distorted and that so far, none of the characters is attractive.  That’s just my opinion though.  But that’s what counts here because it’s my blog 😉

Tony Chu Checking for Clues

I am looking forward to meeting all the fantastic citizens of the Chew Universe and following Agent Tony Chu’s adventures in cibopathic crime fighting.  I give this series a BIG thumbs up.

Meet The Rat Queens

The Rat Queens

I’ve found a new series that I love called Rat Queens.  It’s published by Image Comics.  Image also publishes such great series as The Walking Dead, Saga, The Wicked + The Divine, and Spawn.  Volume 1 contains issues 1-5.  We are expecting Volume 2:  The Far Reaching Tentacles of TP to be available on April 29, 2015.

The story revolves around a foursome of “lady” mercenaries, who are called upon to keep the city of Palisade safe from the likes of Ogres, Orcs, and other various species of beings, for a fee.  On their off time they cause as much trouble as they cure.

These gals are cool.  They are hard partying carousers.  They are as passionate about fighting as they are about drinking, recreational drugs, and sex.  Each character has a different look, a different personality, different ancestral backgrounds, and a different power or skill that they bring to the battle.  They can all kick ass.

The Rat Queens are tough, sassy, snarky, witty, and just fun to hang around with.  I definitely recommend checking them out, and sharing their adventures in the mystical world of Palisade.  Leave your inhibitions at the door.

Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery

iZombie

iZOMBIe               series created by writer Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, published by DC Comics’s Vertigo imprint beginning in 2010 (Wikipedia)

Gwen                          Very cool zombie girl. Her friends are a go-go girl ghost and a nerdy were-terrier. That should be a  clue to the feel of this book. Funny, campy, and centered around a town full of various and sundry monsters. I loved the artwork. It reminded me of Archie comics, only set in a supernatural realm. Throw in a mystery to solve and what more could you want? I loved it. This book is Volume #1.  It contains issues 1-5, plus a story from the HOUSE OF MYSTERY HALLOWEEN ANNUAL #1. Can’t wait to see how the TV series matches up. Olivia So I posted this comment on Goodreads on March 12.  If anyone saw the show, (Tuesdays at 9:00 on CW ) it started out a bit different from the book, but not in a bad way.  I thought the show was fun.  The premise seems to be going in a different direction than the book, in as far as plot line.  We really won’t know until a few more episodes.  The book contains many different kinds of supernatural beings.  They are pursued by an ancient, secret society of monster hunters.  Zombie girl’s name and occupation have been changed. I am really interested in seeing what characters start to appear in the show.I think it won’t matter whether you read the book first, or watch the show.  I do recommend that you do both.  If you think you’d like a story that features a wise  cracking zombie girl, a ghost in bobby socks, a nerdy were-terrier, an ancient mummy looking for the fountain of youth, bad-ass lady vampires, monster hunters, and some good old mystery, this is the book for you.  And let me know what you think, about the book or the show. 🙂

I Kill Giants

Image “borrowed” from Comic Book Resources

Today’s review is of the book I Kill Giants, created by Joe Kelly, and JM Ken Nimura                    Published by Image in 2009; 184 pages

The protagonist, Barbara Thorson is not like the other girls at her school.  She wears animal ear headbands and plays Dungeons and Dragons with the loser boys.  She is an outcast, picked on relentlessly by the school bully.  Barbara is a giant killer.  Her giant slaying kit is a small hammer that she carries in a heart shaped purse.  She calls the hammer Coveleski, named for a baseball player, Harry Coveleski, who was nicknamed the “Giant Killer” after he helped his team defeat the NY Giants 3 times in 5 days in the NL playoffs of 1908.  Barbara Thorson’s name can be related to the god Thor.  Thor used a hammer to battle the giants who were enemies to the gods.

At first, I assumed that Barbara has a special gift.  She protects the world from monstrous           giants that no one but she can see.  As the story progresses, you get the feeling that the giants she is fighting are really demons in her life that she won’t face.  We come to think that maybe Barbara’s giants aren’t real, as we get closer to the truth behind her troubling home life.

I found the story funny, sad, and touching.  I got me very emotional.  The artwork has a manga vibe to it.  The drawings evoke emotions on their own, regardless of the dialog.  One thing I should add here, because you don’t really know me yet.  I find that many, many things get me emotional.  Deadpool makes me emotional because he is so misunderstood.  Same with Spiderman.  I hate that Peter Parker got bit by a radioactive spider.  It’s so sad. So that’s where I’m coming from.

I recommend I Kill Giants because it’s not your typical super hero comic, yet Barbara uses her powers to rescue herself.  There are a lot of metaphors in the story.  It gets you thinking, and feeling from the very start.