Nerdy Werewolf

Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire My rating: 4 of 5 stars "God? I don't think so, Doctor Quon...it's a machine ." First of all....that artwork, tho!! Dustin Ngyuen has been on my radar for a while, but I've never read a book he's done all the artwork for. This was an absolute treat!! I was a little apprehensive going in, because I just read Jeff Lemire's Gideon Falls, Vol. 1: The Black Barn , and it wasn't really my cup of tea. Apparently, when he's writing straight-up sci-fi, it's much more "my bag." It's about a little boy robot extremely reminiscent of Haley Joel Osment's character in the movie A.I. . While that was technically a retelling of 'Pinocchio' , this was quite a lot more. I would say it's a mix between that and 'Battlestar Galactica' . I'm definitely reading more of this series. View all my reviews

Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown My rating: 4 of 5 stars "The first game pieces were made from sheep and goat bones. Knuckles and ankles carved into something new for the purpose of fun." This was SO much fun to read! I could not put it down and I am firmly a head-in-the-clouds fantasy reader. I don't even think you have to be into the game Tetris to enjoy this book. The story is told in a very conversational manner with introductions to new "characters" in between each chapter. The exploration of each new subject is extremely easy to follow without making you feel like a total idiot for being interested. If I only had a couple of words to describe this completely-out-of-my-wheelhouse tale, I would say it's optimistic and charming above all else. I can hardly imagine how someone could appreciate it if they loved either video games or biographies. View all my reviews

Kill or be Killed, Vol. 1 by Ed Brubaker My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Now I just had to find someone who deserved to die and kill them...How hard could that be?" My thought process went something like this throughout the book: ::Wow, this guy is an asshole. Oh no, he's an asshole because he's sad. Wait, is this like Memento? Oh, okay...Oh my gosh, I love this! Wait, what?!:: I'm trying to think of things or characters to compare this to. It's like a really young Dexter Morgan (minus the actual need to kill) with a Death Note-type twist. Did you get both of those references? If not, your tastes aren't as dark as mine, OR you have some pop culture to catch up on. :D While I didn't always agree with the main character, I was completely sucked into his story. The way it was told was very laid-back and engaging. As if he were sitting across from you, only he had these really detailed panel-style visual aids. A+++ I love stuff like this! View all my review...

Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman My rating: 4 of 5 stars "You'd rather die than go to jail? Fine. But I'm still getting those names." You know how you hear about a "good" story and then dismiss it, only to discover that you should have listened and read it the first time someone mentioned it to you? That's Chew for me. The humor is bone-dry and the protagonist isn't prestented as physically strong or classicly handsome. He appears average in almost every way, which is, immediately, charming. He is described as "by-the-book", but his actions can be extremely rebellious at times. I like that he's not just any one thing. The art was amazingly and cartoonishly exaggerated and it was dead-on. The plot threw me. I expected a current-day story and got a current-day alternate history revolving around poultry. Not to mention the very specific, very awkward powers of the protagonists. I'm extremely interested in where thi...

Sex Criminals: Volume One: One Weird Trick by Matt Fraction My rating: 3 of 5 stars "I know how this looks. Don't judge us." This was probably the most original concept in a book I've seen in a while. Either that means we're all digging from the same brainspace or I need to expand my horizons. You decide. I really liked both main characters. Suzie seemed a little more comfortable with her erotic side, but Jon was more comfortable with the idea of crime. It could have been the other way around and I still would've loved the complicated way they complimented each other. How completely human and believable. You know what else surprised me? The authority represented. I just expected something the way Suzie kind-of imagined and it was really shocking when we discovered who they were. The art was so/so for me. It wasn't by any stretch "bad," just not my cup of tea. While I did think the idea was crazy-refreshing, I don't know if I'll contin...

Heathen, Vol. 1 by Natasha Alterici My rating: 5 of 5 stars "On some mountain top, a Valkyrie waits alone. And I intend to free her." Oh man, oh MAN! Where to start? This is one of my new favorite books. Firstly, the artwork and the colors used were absolutely breathtaking. It fit with the story being told so well! When the art can compliment a tone and a setting in this way, it should absolutely be praised! The story...I am a sucker for mythologies. I just love when some creative person brings them to life or puts a new spin on them. The plot flowed quite well for me and I wasn't confused or pulled out of it at any point. I really can't wait to find out what happens next. This is a great find. I adored the aside with the wolves who chased the Sun. What a lovely little wink in our direction! View all my reviews

  Gotham Academy, Volume 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy  by  Becky Cloonan My rating:  5 of 5 stars "All of my dungeon-crawling fantasies are about to come true. I'm gonna loot the crap out of this place." I really should have expected more, but as it was, this was a very pleasant surprise. I'm already a fan of  Brenden Fletcher , but I've been turned on to a new co-writer and artist and I'll be eagerly following them, too, now. The art was astounding! The tone was perfect, especially if you're already a Gotham City fan. You believe this school of wayward Gotham kids really lives there. There were some great tie-ins to the established citizens of this creepy city that I didn't see coming, either. I really enjoyed finding out the clues along with the two main heroines-Olive and Maps. Their journey felt organic and the outcome of several different mysteries were surprising and rewarding. I'm looking forward to getting to know these characters (includin...

Zodiac Starforce Volume 1: By the Power of Astra by Kevin Panetta My rating: 2 of 5 stars Kim: "Why couldn't it have been something cool, like a Sasquatch or a Chupacabra or something?" Molly: "Maybe next time we're outnumbered and about to be killed , it will be by a more obscure monster..." So, mixed feelings... On one hand, the art is a treasure. It's vibrant and expressive and it flows and the color-schemes are completely appropriate. Just beautiful. Paulina Ganucheau is responsible for the cover as well as all the panel-art. I love finding new artists to watch! However , I've read/watched this story before. The premise is similar to a Sailor Moon/She-Ra/Steven Universe -type-thing. These girls (high-school/college-age) have been gifted with powers from a goddess so they can stop this evil lady named Cimmeria that they had banished to another dimension a couple of years earlier before falling out of touch. It's not bad, and I ...