Tag: comic

I’ll Have What She’s Having by Chelsea Handler

I’ll Have What She’s Having by Chelsea Handler

In I’ll Have What She’s Having, Chelsea Handler shares amusing (often hilarious) stories and anecdotes about her family, relationships, pets and other memories from her life. The focus of the essays is all about uplifting and encouraging others through sharing the gifts and love that Chelsea has experienced throughout her life.

“This woman I’ll become, she will never be silent.” pg 4

Through the use of meditation, exercise, professional therapy, and various psychedelics, Ms. Handler has reached a relatively stable and positive stage of her life. As someone who has enjoyed her books and stand-up comedy for years, it is such a pleasure to read that she is both happy and thriving.

“None of the things other people have called me has ever really mattered. What other people say about you only matters if you believe what they are saying is true.” pg 18

She not only stands up for herself in these pages- defending her choices and lifestyle from both naysayers and judgey people of all types, but she also stands up for others. Ms. Handler has a talent for seeing how someone else is hurting and bringing them the comfort that they need most at that time.

It is a rare gift.

“Sitting around and thinking of all the people who don’t love you or don’t want to hang out with you diminishes your own light. … There are many moments in life when your own light is all you need.” pg 104

As someone who is childless by choice, Ms. Handler does not use this as an excuse to be standoffish when the young people in her life need assistance. In this book, she discusses at length how she is a matriarch/patriarch to both her family and her friends’ children. She sets an example for how to be and interact in the world- as a strong woman and parental figure.

I believe it is this type of behavior that builds strong communities, which uplifts everyone. Well done, Chelsea!

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy Ms. Handler’s comedy but also anyone who is looking for a pick-me-up in book form. I took great courage from I’ll Have What She’s Having and I hope others do too.

Thanks for reading!

Your Highness by Sean Phillips

Your Highness by Sean Phillips

Your Highness, a two comic collection, is the prequel to a film called, you guessed it, “Your Highness”.

In these pages, Fabious, the elder prince, goes on a quest to slay a monster who was unleashed by an evil sorcerer. The younger brother, Thadeous, is sent by his father, the king, to secure a treaty with a nearby dwarven kingdom.

Both princes encounter adventures that they were not prepared for.

I wish, in preparation for reading this slim tome, that I had had the chance to rewatch the movie. But I didn’t. So, until then, I’ll just have to rely on my memory of the film from twelve plus years ago.

In the comic, as in the movie, both princes are caricatures of the angel/devil archetype of consciousness.

Fabious, the elder brother, stands in for our “angelic nature”. He is driven to bring justice and safety to those around him while carefully protecting his honor throughout the quest. The flipside to this personality is he suppresses his baser urges, leading to some amusing innuendo with his fellow knights.

(Sexual innuendo and clever word play isn’t something I necessarily find funny, but for those who do, Fabious provides this in spades.)

The other brother, Thadeous, represents humanity’s shadow mode of consciousness. He delights in excess whether that is food, marijuana, or sex. And though he is tasked by his father with as important a mission as his brother, readers know immediately that he will probably fail- not because he’s is incapable of doing what is required, but because he will most likely chose to indulge in his baser instincts to the detriment of his goal.

Overall, I liked the artwork in Your Highness. I thought the panels flowed nicely and the dialogue was well done too.

As for the story itself, I felt it was a tad predictable, but still enjoyable.

I wish, in the Thadeous storyline, the dwarves’ weed had had some magical properties that elevated it beyond bringing an excellent high. Maybe using it could cause one to see where minerals were hidden beneath the earth?

Anyway, recommended for fans of the movie and readers who enjoy fantasy comics in general.

Scurry by Mac Smith

Scurry by Mac Smith

Wix is a mouse with a major problem: there aren’t enough resources to feed the colony he lives with. He braves hungry cats and birds, mysterious foxes and roaming wolves, as well as a myriad of other dangers in his quest to find food for his people.

Pict is the daughter of the leader of the colony whose name is Orim. Pict longs to be out in the wilderness but her many duties keep her at home. This is her life until something extraordinary happens and then she must go forth to warn Wix, as well as the others, about what has transpired.

The story in this graphic novel has been told before. However, the artwork that accompanies the tale is beautiful. I especially liked the panels that contain flames. The light that shines on the characters brings additional depth to the drawings. It is worth picking the book up for that alone.

From the book’s cover, I learned Scurry was initially a webcomic. It definitely deserved getting its own printed medium.

Recommended for middle grade children.

Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)

Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)

When the Maestros and his entire extended family are killed in an inter-dimensional fight, the only part of the Wizard King’s bloodline remains with a young man named Will who was banished to Earth with his mother, Margaret.

Now as Will takes the throne, his enemies, and his father’s enemies, are on the move. Will he be able to retain power or, in these uncertain times, his life? We shall see.

The artwork of this series is amazing. From the colors to the style, each page has eye-catching illustrations. Well done, Steve Skroce!

This graphic novel is rated Mature and it is easy to see why. There’s nudity, graphic violence, and some depictions of torture. So, librarians, please categorize it correctly.

Despite its mature, and occasionally disturbing, elements, I enjoyed the story in this comic quite a lot. It is a fantasy-laden coming-of-age tale that asks the question: does absolute power corrupt absolutely?

Highly recommended for mature comic book readers. Thanks for reading!

Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman (Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman (Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Shadowy art elevates this superhero graphic novel written by the incomparable Neil Gaiman.

Susan Linden is a crime fighter named the Black Orchid. In the first pages of the story, she is killed by gangsters. She spends the rest of the book trying to remember who she is and why she has extraordinary abilities- including reincarnation.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The graphic novel brings in numerous heroes from the DC universe including Batman, Poison Ivy, and Lex Luthor. It was fun to read those interactions.

The overall feel of the story is very dark which makes the bright, almost electric purple of the Black Orchid panels stick out so much. Black Orchid and the other flower women are nude and it is handled tastefully throughout.

Here’s the Black Orchid and a friend from the graphic novel:

Before this graphic novel, I had never even heard of Black Orchid. This story makes a great introduction, but it doesn’t go fully into her abilities- some are still a mystery.

At first, I thought it didn’t fit the character that Black Orchid could fly because I associate plants with earth and being tied into the ground. However, in the supplemental materials at the back of the book, it explained that plants can change their density. Then, that particular superhero ability made more sense to me.

This isn’t a story for kids. I’d recommend it for readers 18+ because of the violence and some disturbing dialogue.

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons is fun. I’m not a big fan of the Rick and Morty show, but even I found plenty to love in this graphic novel.

In this book, Rick, Morty, and their family explore different dimensions that represent various editions of the fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. If you have some experience playing the game, you’ll find lots of inside jokes to enjoy.

I personally have minimal game play time with Dungeons and Dragons, but again, it was still fun.

My favorite story from this collection was the last in the book, which dealt with a character named Mr. Meeseeks. He’s from the Rick and Morty show so those who have seen the episodes with him can probably guess what happens.

It still made a great impression on me.

There’s some vulgarity and language in this book, which might make it appropriate for teens and up. That’s for you all to decide.

Thanks for reading!

The Paradox of Getting Better by Raven Lyn Clemens

The Paradox of Getting Better by Raven Lyn Clemens

The Paradox of Getting Better is about a young person who is struggling with mental health issues. These struggles are symbolized in the comic by strangely shaped bodies and surreal art.

The artwork itself is done in pencil with words crossed out and rough edges with lines coming off of it. There’s a definite style to this comic. It didn’t resonate with me.

I understand this is an indie comic, but I wanted to see a little more polish to the presentation. As it is, the book felt like an art project in its early stages- more like a book proposal than a finished project.

The writing in this comic is fantastic by the end. However, at the beginning, the main character can’t even speak in words. They just keep saying, “XXXX”, over and over.

I get this is supposed to represent an inability to communicate in the midst of a mental health crisis, but it didn’t quite work. The family members of the individual were able to understand what the sufferer was saying, but the readers weren’t. It didn’t feel fair. I wanted to understand that person too.

This work is very imaginative. I liked the shapes the author incorporated and I also liked the message in the final panels.

If you’re going to read this one, I recommend borrowing it from your local library. Thanks for reading!

DPS Only! by Xiao Tong Kong

DPS Only! by Xiao Tong Kong

Vicky lives with her brother, Vergil, who is a renowned e-sports player of the game “Xenith Orion.” Though Vicky loves to play video games too, she is too shy and self deprecating to tell him.

When an opportunity arises for Vicky to join an e-sports team of her own, she takes it, and uses a mask to conceal her identity. But she knows, it is only a matter of time until her secret comes out.

What will she do then?

I very much enjoyed this coming-of-age graphic novel. Readers get to see Vicky really coming into her own in the video game scene, while handling her personal relationships, particularly the one with her brother.

Photo by Florenz Mendoza on Pexels.com

This story touched on the potential sexism of e-sports. So few young women play, and when they do, they can draw all sorts of negative or toxic attention. Vicky avoids some of this with her costume, but other parts of it she can’t escape- like when one of the members of her brother’s team presses her for her phone number, though she doesn’t want to give it.

Or the negative comments arising from spectators to the tournament which are specifically directed to a female member of another team who isn’t hiding her gender behind a mask.

I experienced this type of thing first-hand in some of my gaming days. I was big into EverQuest in the early 2000’s. Luckily for me, that was before head-set communication during gaming was a thing, so, even though I played female avatars, most of the people I gamed with just assumed I was a guy.

Photo by Matilda Wormwood on Pexels.com

It was easy for me to hide. I never felt like I had to, like Vicky, but looking back on it all now, it saved me from negative attention for years.

News articles about e-sports have reported women comprise about half of casual gamers but only a handful of professional gamers. Here’s hoping more young women find the courage to follow their dreams!

The video game portions of this book were the most difficult to follow. It cut quickly from one character to the next with little explanation of what is going on except the kill.

Other than that, I thought this book was well done.

Highly recommended for reluctant readers, fans of video games, and readers who enjoy graphic novels.

Thanks for reading!

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Three friends from the sea go on a magical adventure on the land- and can’t recall the magic to return to the sea.

Thirsty Mermaids is a fun tale for teens or the young at heart that explores the themes of friendship, self sufficiency and belonging.

At first, the merfolk and sea witch believe they don’t have any skills that could translate to jobs on land. But after exploring what they are already inclined to do, they find their way into situations that fit them quite well.

The sea witch’s task, to find a way to break the spell, is more difficult. She has to go on a soul-searching mission which, as we all know, is one of the hardest tasks of all.

The artwork of Thirsty Mermaids is quite similar to Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy, another graphic novel which I love. The reason for this is because Kat Leyh is a co-author of Lumberjanes.

Both works share messages of acceptance and body positivity, the kind of messages which always deserve reminders.

I enjoyed this graphic novel very much. Highly recommended.