Movie Review: The Wolverine

Rating: 1 star

Marvel doesn't always make good movies and the Wolverine trilogy is a prime example of that. The Wolverine was really awful. I had the misfortune of watching this movie a few hours ago. Hey, it's a freezing cold day and I thought I would watch something really good. And to think, I thought the first movie was bad but the second one was even worse. It was so boring. I can't believe someone actually wrote that screenplay and then actually filmed it.

I know Mariko is one of Logan's love interest in the comics but in the movie there was no chemistry between the two characters and I was so tired of Mariko being abducted and being the damsel in the distress. It dragged the movie down. I was also tired of looking at all the scenes with Jean Grey, that was just so annoying. Why was Logan seeing her "spirit" more than Cyclops ever did?

This movie should not have been about Wolverine but about Yukio played by actress Rila Fukushima. She totally stole the movie which is not that hard to do with such a slow moving boring film.

I'm so glad I didn't see this in the movie theaters, because I would have really wanted my money back. Why was the best part of the movie the after credit scene with Professor Xavier and Magneto?

This movie was so disappointing. If they make a third movie they really need to make it exceptional because it's really pitiful that Wolverine has had two very mediocre movies. If the movie execs can continue to give Wolverine more movies why can't Yukio have her own movie.

Wolverine is one of the best (when he's not being overused) so it's hard to fathom why they can't seem to make a good movie for the character.

Currently Reading: Lazarus vol #1 and The Tyrant's Daughter

Okay, I'm going to attempt reading this again. I had to buy the trade edition because my copy of the 4th issue had been damaged and I couldn't read it.

Book: Lazarus volume #1: Family (issues #1-4) by Greg Rucka with illustrations by Michael Lark and colors by Santi Arcas

Edition: I'm reading the trade

Description:

In a dystopian near-future, government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and possession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains. Forever Carlyle defends her family's holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever's day goes downhill from there...

This seems like it will be interesting, looking forward to reading it.

Book: The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

From a former CIA officer comes the riveting account of a royal Middle Eastern family exiled to the American suburbs.

When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She’s conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can’t bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations?

Art of the day: Lois and Clark

Artwork: METROPOLIS MORNING NEWS...With Lois and Clark by Des Taylor

I can't say it enough times how much I love Des Taylor's art.  His art work is just so bright and colorful and amazing.  I totally love this picture, it reminds me of the Smallville episode Crossfire (season 9) when Lois and a reluctant Clark were auditioning for a morning news show.

Book Review: The Lost Art of Dress

Book: The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish by Linda Przybyszewski

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: April 29, 2014

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

It was nice reading about the history in fashion and the Dress Doctors, the women who help shaped how women dress. I feel that although the Dress Doctors were trying to help women dress I found many of their rules or principles to be constrictive and unimaginative. I felt they limited women's creative progress and made everyone look like everyone else. I can't believe the Dress Doctors thought shoes to be unimportant, if they could see women now who are truly shoe crazy they probably wouldn't know what to do.

I'm glad the author (who is a professor) didn't gloss over the racial attitudes and prejudices that occurred back then. I think it would have been so amazing if some of those Dress Doctors could have championed or fought for all women to look their best instead of following along with the prevailing attitudes. I found it disappointing that many of the books written by and for black women would not even be published by the publishing companies due to racism. The ones that were published were only little 30 page pamphlets instead of full size books. 

It was really eye opening to see why so many people (including most of the Dress Doctors) who were against women wearing pants. Women were supposed to look like ladies and wearing pants were for the men. I'm so glad times have changed because women can wear whatever they want.

This was a very smart and thorough look at the history of fashion and I found it to be enlightening to see how women went from being constrictive with so many rules to now where women can pretty much wear whatever they chose to.

It was nice to see all the effort that was put into looking good compared to now how some just throw on a pair of pajama pants and go out in the world (which is not flattering on anyone, just look at an episode of "What Not To Wear" to see plenty of examples).

The Lost Art of Dress is full of information and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fashion or history. I enjoyed reading this.

Book Girl Thoughts: I'm a Mood Reader!!!

I know that sounds like some kind of new age thing but I'm not talking about reading other peoples moods. I'm talking about reading something that fits my mood.

I don't read like this all the time but sometimes when I'm feeling a little down, I want something that might pick up my mood or if I'm feeling a little happy and nostalgic I might read a children's book.

It all depends on how I'm feeling. Sometimes I might want to read something that is calming, romantic, energizing or something that's total kick-butt and there are books that will go perfectly with how I'm feeling.

That's the beauty of books, no matter how you're feeling there is always one that will complement your mood.

Art of the Day: Billy and Teddy

Artwork: Same Old by Cris-Art

Those two are so adorable.

Comic Book Wednesday: 17 books on my to read list

There are so many good books out today and the one I can't wait to read is Lois Lane. It's time Lois is given the spotlight in the New 52. Dark Horse Comics is premiering the Tomb Raider series based on the video game and it's written by Gail Simone. I'm happy that Gail is getting so many opportunities to write different books but I do wish more women writers are getting more chances too.

Lastly, if you read Batman: The Dark Knight, the issue that's out today is the one of the last two issues before the series ends. It's another series that's been canceled.



Archie Comics

Book: Jughead Double Double Digest #200

Description:

Celebrate 200 issues of Jughead's Double Digest with this extra special double double digest! While vacationing at an exclusive ski resort, Mr. Lodge confesses that he's made a 'checkout' list of things to do before he, well, 'checks out.'

Archie and Jughead take that one step further and make a list of things they plan to do before they literally check out of the resort!

Leave it to Reggie to raise the stakes and make their challenges even more interesting. Find out how much they can accomplish in 'The Jughead List'!

Features a 200th issue milestone 5th color cover!

Art of the Day: Korra from The Legend of Korra

Artwork: Korra Aura by Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau

Korra is still one of my favorite characters especially when she's written well. I hope the third seasons brings a much better Korra than what was shown in the second season.

Currently Reading: Gilbert and the Scepter of Silence and The Lost Art of Dress

I like reading children/middle grade books because they have such imaginative and fun stories. Which is why I'm looking forward to reading Gilbert and the Scepter of Silence, it seems like a really interesting book.

Now as for the second book The Lost Art of Dress, I can't wait to start that because the world has changed and people no longer dress up like they used to. Sometimes, when I watch some of those retro shows, I see the characters dressed up just to go to the movies or when they're going to be traveling. I find that interesting because it's not that we as a society have let ourselves go it's that the world is a more casual place than it once was. So, I think reading this will be interesting.

Book: Gilbert and the Scepter of Silence by Dahlia Huh and Sunmee Huh with illustrations by Christopher Huh

Description:

Gilbert has never taken a bath — only showers.

He is a Mermid, but has been hidden away on land for eleven years. When he returns underwater, he stumbles upon the terrifying truth: that others like him are being persecuted — and no one knows by whom. He befriends a Leviathan, gets swallowed by a whale, and discovers the horrible secret in the original Statue of Liberty — but the danger to both worlds grows greater with every day that passes. Guided by a mysterious age-old text, Gilbert unravels an incredible destiny that has been waiting for him... but the pieces have fallen into the wrong hands. Gilbert just has one of those faces that you can't remember even if you tried. He might as well not exist — but good thing he does.

Book: The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish by Linda Przybyszewski

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: April 29, 2014

Description:

As a glance down any street in America quickly reveals, American women have forgotten how to dress. We chase fads, choose inappropriate materials and unattractive cuts, and waste energy tottering in heels when we could be moving gracefully. Quite simply, we lack the fashion know-how we need to dress professionally and flatteringly.

As historian and expert dressmaker Linda Przybyszewski reveals in The Lost Art of Dress, it wasn’t always like this. In the first half of the twentieth century, a remarkable group of women—the so-called Dress Doctors—taught American women how to stretch each yard of fabric and dress well on a budget. Knowledge not money, they insisted, is the key to timeless fashion. Based in Home Economics departments across the country, the Dress Doctors offered advice on radio shows, at women’s clubs, and in magazines. Millions of young girls read their books in school and at 4-H clothing clubs. As Przybyszewski shows, the Dress Doctors’ concerns weren’t purely superficial: they prized practicality, and empowered women to design and make clothing for both the workplace and the home. They championed skirts that would allow women to move about freely and campaigned against impractical and painful shoes. Armed with the Dress Doctors’ simple design principles—harmony, proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis—modern American women from all classes could learn to dress for all occasions in a way that made them confident, engaged members of society.

A captivating and beautifully-illustrated look at the world of the Dress Doctors, The Lost Art of Dress introduces a new audience to their timeless rules of fashion and beauty—rules which, with a little help, we can certainly learn again.

Book Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly

Book: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 25, 2014

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Mark of the Dragonfly held my interest all the way through to the end. It's the story of an orphaned 13 years old girl named Piper who tries to get by as a scrapper, which is someone who goes out to the meter fields and tries to find something that's of some value that they can take to the markets and sell. The story takes place on an alternate Earth or an Earth like planet and there's a field near Scrap Town number 16 (where Piper lives), where meters drop out of the sky and embedded in the meters are things from our Earth and possibly other planets.

So on the day of the latest meter shower that was to rain down on them, Piper left the shelter to go find her friend Micah who had went out to the field to get a head start on scavenging. While trying to stay safe during the storm, Micah had been injured as well as Piper saw a caravan being destroyed by the meters.

In the caravan wreckage, Piper found a girl who was unconscious but breathing. After taking a seriously injured Micah home where a healer looked over him, Piper returned home to check on the girl. Turns out this mysterious girl had a special tattoo on her arm, a dragonfly, which meant that she was protected by King Aron of the Dragonfly territories.

Finding the girl who's name is Anna turned out to be the beginning of a whole new life for Piper. First, they had to escape from Piper's house to get away from a menacing guy who not only survived the caravan destruction but also claimed he was Anna's father. Anna was so afraid of him that Piper knew there was no way she was going to let him leave with the girl. The two girls quickly escaped on a train and soon set out on a highflying adventure.

I enjoyed the unique world the author created because it's new and different yet still familiar and relatable. I thought the characters Piper, Anna, Gee, Jayne and Trimble were all interesting. They each had different personalities and quirks that I liked and I even found the villain to be quite interesting.

I thought this was a very well written daring adventure that had two girls going from strangers to finding a sort of family out in this eclectic world.

Although, this is geared towards younger readers (middle grade) it's written in a way that I think anyone who might enjoy a good sci-fi story may also enjoy reading this.

Picture: Mako and Asami Sato from The Legend of Korra

(picture from The Legend of Korra second season episode The Guide)

One of things I liked about the ending of the second season of The Legend of Korra was that Mako and Asami are back together.

I know that's not the most popular opinion but I prefer them together instead of Mako and Korra being together. Korra was just too immature and I always thought Asami and Mako were better suited and I felt like the writers made a mistake pairing Korra up with Mako. That relationship just felt forced and it's felt like the creative team/writers put them together to sort of appease many of the fans (not me) that had wanted Katara and Zuko to be together from the original Avatar series.

Hopefully in the third season the creative team/writers don't decide to ruin Asami and Mako's relationship again.

(picture from The Legend of Korra first season episode The Voice in the Night)

Book Review: The Call of the Mild

Book: The Call of the Mild (Psych book #3) by William Rabkin

Rating: 1 star

Review:

I never thought I would be giving Psych a 1 star rating but this book was not very good. It was extremely boring and I thought the story and the mystery were poorly written and the characterizations were off. Shawn and Gus didn't even seem like themselves at all. The beauty of the Psych TV series is that it's not just Shawn and Gus, it's also Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara, Chief Vick and Shawn's dad Henry, all of these wonderful and amazing characters are written into an equally wonderful and amazing show.

This book failed to capture what's great about these characters, in fact it nearly ignored Detective Juliet O'Hara and Chief Vick. It took forever for the mystery to begin and as the story dragged on I was getting to the place where I didn't care what was happening and who the murderer was.

The mystery started with Psych being hired by a teacher, Ellen Svaco to retrieve a lost necklace that she believed she lost during a school field trip. Once, they found the necklace which Shawn found at the lost and found (all while Gus had been searching the grounds), they had been held-up by a mime who took their clothes all in an attempt to get the necklace.

After they got their clothes back, they went to Ellen Svaco's home where they not only found Detective Lassiter waiting for them but also the home owner dead. From there a very diluted and very boring mystery follows.

I enjoyed reading the first book but this one was really boring, hopefully the other books in the series are not as bad as this one was because I would like to read more.

Book Review: Transformers: Dark Cybertron vol #1

Book: Transformers: Dark Cybertron volume #1 by James Roberts, John Barber, Phil Jimenez (Illustrations), Andrew Griffith (Illustrations), Brendan Cahill (Illustrations), James Raiz (Illustrations), Atilio Rojo (Illustrations), Livio Ramondelli (Illustrations)

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: April 29, 2014

Description:

THE END OF EVERYTHING!

Shockwave makes a move millions of years in the planning — an ultimate strategy to remake Cybertron and destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons!


Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Review:

Reading this was like watching an episode from the 80s Transformers cartoon series. It was nice seeing familiar characters as well as being introduced to new characters. I like that a lot of my favorite characters were shown in this. Transformers: Dark Cybertron was a fast paced story that made me want to know why Shockwave was going to such extremes to try to take over Cybertron and if anyone will be able to stop him (most likely in future issues).

In this, there are three interconnecting stories:

The first has Shockwave working on his plan to take over Cybertron which may or may not coincide with a prophesy. The second story has Starscream trying to protect Cybertron from a Titan. As the newly elected leader of Cybertron the citizens are counting on him but will he be able to help them. But he's not alone in trying to protect the planet because in a separate incident, a small group of Autobots that are lead by Bumblebee were trying to go up against the Titan they even got some help from a small group of Decepticons that were being lead by Soundwave. The third story had Optimus Prime (who is going by his original name of Orion Pax) joining up with a traveling fleet of Autobots.

This is one of those books where unless you know who these characters are and what's going you will probably be lost. However, it is written in a way that someone who may be a bit new to Transformers may still be able to follow along with the story.

I thought this was a fun read the only problem I have is I wish the story was longer. But it did leave me wanting to read more.

Art of the Day: Misty Knight

Artwork: Misty Knight by ACZamudio

Book Review: Voodoo vol #1 (New 52)

Book: Voodoo volume #1: What Lies Beneath (issues #1-6) written by Ron Marz (issues #1-4) and Josh Williamson (issues #5-6) with illustrations by Sami Basri with color by Jessica Kholinne

Edition: Reading the Single Issues

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

I had read the first two issues back when the New 52 first started but put the series in the read later pile but never got back around to finish reading the series until now.

I thought the story was actually pretty good, if you can get pass the first issue which was just an ode to a strip club. The first issue didn't really offer any insight into who Voodoo or Priscilla Kitaen was except she was a shape-shifting alien and a murderer. The second issue and on at least focused on the reason why these government people are after her (besides her being a murderer) and what Voodoo is really up to.

So not only were the government after her but also the Guardians on Oa found out about her illegal transmissions and sent Green Lantern Kyle Rayner to investigate. He was unable to capture her since he was dealing with trying to stop the other alien hybrids from leaving Earth.

I had mixed feeling about the character because she did some questionable things yet justified them by saying she's a soldier. There were times I was rooting for her and other times I despised her. What I find interesting is not only is Voodoo a shape-shifting alien hybrid but also a spy but there's more to her story than that.

This series kind of reminds me of The X-Files with the sci-fi angle but also has a nice spy vibe going on. Although this series was canceled some time ago, it was off to a fairly good start and issues #5 and 6 introduced a new development that I hope is followed up on in the next issue.

I thought the artwork was really good but still not a fan of that first issue. That was just too much T & A for a comic book or first issue. Not really sure what DC Comics was doing except maybe trying to garner more attention for their New 52 regardless if they offend anyone. That first issue really hit a nerve with some fans because it was the beginning to what many saw as DC promoting sexism with their reboot.

I still think these are a good group of issues and as I said before, if you can get pass the first issue then the story really starts.

Guardians of the Galaxy Official Trailer

Release Date: August 1st

Aside from seeing the Guardians on an episode of The Ultimate Spider-Man I don't know too much about them. I think the trailer looks good, I'm looking forward to seeing this.

Throwback Thursday: Lois and Superman from Superman: The Movie

The first Superman movie continues to be one of my favorite film adaptations of Superman. It was just a wonderful movie and I thought Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder were perfect as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane.

Currently Reading: The Mark of the Dragonfly

I started reading a few pages of this earlier and it's off to a good start. Hopefully it will continue that way.

Book: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 25, 2014

Description:

Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.

The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home.

The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.

Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

Book Girl Thoughts: Being Declined for Books on NetGalley

I have a question for anyone else who request books from NetGalley. Do you ever feel a little bad about not getting approved for a book? I'm usually a glass half full type of person, so I don't get down about the books I don't get to read but happy for the books I do get the chance to read.

But every now and then even us optimist can get a little down. A friend told me, not to worry I'm sure you're going to forget about it in like 2 seconds. Which is probably true but for now my glass is a little half empty.

:)

Hit-Girl Should Have Her Own movie

After the way Kick-Ass 2 ended, it would be perfect for Hit-Girl to have her own movie before she's seen in the third Kick-Ass movie. Why not? Hit-Girl is a fan favorite as well as being a great character. 

I think Chloë Grace Moretz has done an absolutely stellar job as Mindy McCready a.k.a. Hit-Girl and she could definitely carry her own movie.

Even with all the fan enthusiasm (like with Black Widow), it's still up to the executives if they think a profit will be made. If so, maybe there will be one (although I'm not going to hold my breath waiting because female lead action movies don't seem to be what movie execs want to make).

So what do you guys think? Should Hit-Girl have her own movie?

Comic Book Wednesday: 18 books on my to read list

How can you not love Comic Book Wednesday? I love that all the new releases are out today.

I'm also excited about the new series New Warriors from Marvel, it's another teen team book. Hopefully it will be good.


DC Comics

Book: Batman '66 #8

Description:

From the sands of the ages and halls of higher learning comes one of Batman's deadliest foes--King Tut! Tut returns to Gotham City to assert his royal status and challenge the Dynamic Duo with his most far reaching plan yet to rule the modern Thebes known as Gotham City!

Currently Reading: Voodoo vol #1 (New 52)

Yes, I'm reading another set of issues I should have read when they were first published. I told you I'm working on trying to get through all the comic books I've set aside. This is another series from the New 52 that was canceled. These are first six issues.

Book: Voodoo volume #1: What Lies Beneath (issues #1-6) written by Ron Marz

Edition: Reading the Single Issues

Description:

Priscilla Kitaen is Voodoo, a mysterious beauty whose origins and motivations are unknown, seemingly even to her. Regardless of whether she is a hero, villain (or both) Voodoo is on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, using all of her considerable skills to complete a mission that will put the entire Earth in danger. Will even her shapeshifting powers be enough to keep her pursuers, including Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, at bay?

Book Review: The Happy Endings Book Club

Book: The Happy Endings Book Club by Jane Tara

Source: Borrowed from NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

This Christmas, the women of the Happy Endings Book Club are about to uncover a world of love and magic as they discover how to have their own happy ending … or beginning, as they're often the same thing.

Once a month, seven very different women come together to discuss books. They all love a happy ending, but have lost sight of how to get their own. Paige misses glimpsing the magic in the world. Sadie doesn't see the beauty inside people. Amanda wonders what she ever saw in her ex husband. Tilda literally can't see herself. Michi can't bear looking at her family, while Clementine is blind to what's right in front of her. And Eva looks for romance in all the wrong places.
But things are about to change ...

Meet the women of the Happy Endings Book Club as they celebrate Christmas, and themselves, in London, Paris, Vienna, New York, Sydney … and in love.


Rating: 3 stars

Review:

I had been really looking forward to reading this because these seven London women who had formed a book club had realized that they were tired of fading into the background or tired of living a dreary life and had wanted more out of their lives.

However, the story makes the mistake of trying to follow too many different story lines. It jumps from one person to the next. I think this would have been better if it was a collection of short stories instead of a jumbled up complete story because the individual stories are just not long enough to really get to know these characters. Also, the story premise was also a bit misleading, because it doesn't say anywhere that there is a magical element to this.

Out of all the ladies stories, I liked Eva's story the best. She was spending Christmas in Vienna but it was hard for her to enjoy herself because it kept bring up memories of her late husband. Who although loved her was not a very overly romantic person. It was sad yet beautiful written.

Another story I really liked was Tilda's, she was dealing with becoming invisible. After she was diagnosed by her doctor she went to Paige's bookstore to talk with her friend. What I found a little annoying was the inconsistency with the Paige in the Tilda story because she was not like the Paige that was in her own story. In her own story she didn't seem to think magic was real and now all of a sudden she has some other customers who are dealing with the same magical problem. While Tilda was dealing with her invisibility issues she met Patrick a nice guy. It turns out he's blind and with her invisibility would it be a good idea to continue getting to know him.

I liked this story because Tilda after realizing she had just let her life slip away, she started taking better care of herself and even took a two-day trip to Paris.

I thought the other ladies stories were okay but they just were not as interesting as the two that I liked. So, in the end I gave this book three stars because I really liked those two stories they were very well-written and had a wonderful sense of whimsy to them.

Another Sad Death in Hollywood

It's sad to hear about actress Mary Grace Canfield dying from lung cancer at age 89. She was best known for her role on Green Acres (one of my favorite shows). She was so funny in her role as Ralph Monroe always trying to get Hank Kimble to marry her.

I was searching through my blog earlier because I thought I wrote something about when actor James Avery (who played Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) died last month. I really thought I did. Who didn't watch the 'Fresh Prince' and remember Uncle Phil trying not to get angry over one of Will's stupid stunts.

Can't forget about actress Shirley Temple who died early this month. I have not seen many of her movies but I did enjoy watching The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer which also starred Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. It was great.

These actors left the world something that we can remember them by which is something that most people don't get a chance to do.

Book Review: Red Sonja vol #1

Book: Red Sonja volume #1 Queen of Plagues (issues #1-6) by Gail Simone with illustrations by Walter Geovani

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication:  March 4, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

This may have started out a little slow but once it got past that it became a non-stop action packed exciting story that showed you why Red Sonja should be feared.

Initially, I thought Gail Simone had created a rare dud or stinker because it didn't start out very good. But I'm glad I didn't stop reading this because it's a wonderful take on the legendary warrior. This first group of stories show who she is and what motivates her. In a flashback scene the reader saw Sonja starting out as the daughter of a farmer who wasn't quite ready for hunting with her father and brothers. But if it wasn't for a group of murders and marauders laying siege to her village and killing everyone (including her family). Then Red Sonja would not have been created.

The story opens with a flashback scene of King Dimath freeing two prisoners who were once made to fight for the amusement of the once now fleeing King Bazrat, one of the prisoners was Red Sonja.

From there the reader is moved to the present, were Red Sonja while sleeping is about to be robbed by three bandits. The funny thing is she told them to take the food and gold if there was any but just don't touch her sword or her. But of course, some jerk didn't want to heed her advice and ended up paying for with his life as well as a second bandit. Not only did they not listen to her they also tried to killer two teenage girls who claim to be trying to protect Sonja as they were sent by King Dimath to be her bodyguards. They also tell her the King needs to speak with her.

After sparing the third guy's life she set off with the two teens to the castle to speak with King Dimath. He was in dire need of her help, his kingdom was being attacked. He needed her help with training what remains of his people against the fast approaching Zamorans.

Once they arrive, the Zamorans were being lead by Dark Annisia, who was the other prisoner that was freed by King Dimath (in the beginning of the story). As the two sides fight, Sonja is trying to stop Annisia but she notices that there is something not quite stable about Annisia.

In the end, the King is dead and Sonja is banished from the city. But that's only just the beginning. I truly don't want to spoil the rest. This was a well written re-take on Red Sonja, it's a good mix of drama and action but there is also humor infused in this. I also thought the artwork was really good, it was full of color and action.

This was a really good read.

Currently Reading: The Call of the Mild

I love watching Psych it's one of my favorite shows and now it will be ending soon.

This will be the second book I will be reading from the Psych book series, the other book was "A Mind is Terrible Thing to Read (Psych book #1)". I really enjoyed reading that, hopefully this one will be just as good.


Book: The Call of the Mild (Psych book #3) by William Rabkin

Description:

Trained to be a detective by his father, blessed with astounding powers of observation and deduction, and cursed with a refusal to take anything seriously, Shawn Spencer has convinced everyone he's psychic. Now, with his best friend, Burton 'Gus' Guster, he's either going to clean up...or be found out.

Shawn Spencer has always hated the wilderness--and by wilderness he means anything outside the delivery radius of his favorite pizza place. But Psych has been hired to solve a baffling case of industrial espionage, and the only way to catch the spy is to join their client's bonding retreat--a grueling seven-day backpacking trek through the mountains.

An entire week without cable already sounds like hell to the boys. But when one of the campers turns up with a knife in the chest, Shawn and Gus realize that sheer cliffs, rampaging bears, and freeze-dried pineapple aren't the greatest threats they face. They're lost in the wild with a killer. And if they can't figure out who it is fast, they may never make it out of the woods.

Book Review: The Colossus Rises

Book: The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders book #1) by Peter Lerangis with illustrations by Torstein Norstrand and Mike Reagan

Source: Library

Rating: 1 star (Did Not Finish)

Review:

I read up until the 18th chapter before giving up. I really wanted to like this book especially since I like fantasy adventure series like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, and surprisingly many readers compare this book to the Percy Jackson series. However, I could not image comparing this book to Percy at all, that would be like comparing apples to onions (with The Colossus Rises being the onion). This book is really, really boring with lackluster characters.

The story began with 13 years old Jack waking from a terrible dream only to realize he's going to be late for school and to add to that his dad is calling via Skype. He barely ended his call with his father before getting dizzy, seeing his son in poor health his father who was Singapore saying he's going to book a flight back to Indiana.

Before Jack could leave, he finds out his live in babysitter has quit (there has been several others who have quite as well). What annoys me is the reader doesn't find out why his father is away perhaps he couldn't deal with the death of his wife (which the reader doesn't know how or why she died). The other thing that is annoying is why do all the babysitters keep quitting, the story doesn't give the reader any detail at all.

Continuing with the story, as Jack arrives at school he finds himself dealing with a bully when he starts to pass out, he then wakes up in the hospital to hear his family physician talking with another doctor about Jack seems to be suffering from a rare disorder. Then the other doctor and a mysterious chaplain do something that causes Jack to be sick. Then the next thing you know Jack wakes up in another facility that some where on a remote island. 

After meeting three other 13 year old kids (Marco, Aly and Cass) and then trying to escape, Jack is told he as well as the other three kids are descendants of the people from Atlantis and they may develop powers. In order to prevent their deaths they have to go on a quest to find seven lost objects.

This story was so boring that I stopped reading it. This is a slow moving story that tries to be an action packed suspenseful story however, nothing really happens. I feel like this story suffered from too much over telling and not enough showing.

There's also no character development other than telling the reader about the characters special skills which are: Marco the ultimate jock , Aly the computer genius, Cass the geography genius and Jack the inventor. The characters were just so one-dimensional, they weren't fleshed out and have no personality. They also have no descriptions aside from Aly's bright pink hair (which was as far as the descriptions went). I had no connection to these characters because they never became anything more than one-dimensional.

I didn't feel like waiting around until they finally left to go on their quest. There was so much potential here but it feels like the story never had a good foundation to build on. It's a boring go nowhere story with equally boring characters.

Currently Reading: Red Sonja vol #1

Okay you can't hear my squeals of excitement about being happy to read this. I can't wait to start this. Red Sonja is such an amazing character and I'm interested in seeing Gail Simone's take on the character.

Book: Red Sonja volume #1 Queen of Plagues (issues #1-6) by Gail Simone with illustrations by Walter Geovani

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication:  March 4, 2014

Description:

Gail Simone (Batgirl, Birds of Prey) gives the iconic fantasy heroine a fresh new attitude!

Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, intends to pay back a blood debt owed to the one man who has gained her respect... even if it means leading a doomed army to their certain deaths! Who is Dark Annisia, and how has this fearsome warrior accomplished what no god nor demon has been able to do: force Sonja to her knees in surrender? An epic tale of blood, lust, and vengeance, Queen of the Plagues takes Red Sonja from the depths of her own grave to the heights of battlefield glory.

PR: Earth Hour And Spider-Man Join Forces To Save The Planet

CULVER CITY, Calif. Feb. 13, 2014 -- In a first of its kind partnership, Spider-Man will be the first Super Hero ambassador for Earth Hour, the global movement organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), with a message to inspire individuals to use their power to become Super Heroes for the planet.

Andy Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour, and Jeff Blake, Chairman, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, Sony Pictures Entertainment, made the announcement in conjunction with the launch of Earth Hour Blue – a radical new digital crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform for the planet, launched to engage people around the world and participants in the famous lights out event, which this year will be held on Saturday March 29, at 8:30pm.

This year, Earth Hour and the hero of the highly anticipated motion picture The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – along with the film's stars, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and director Marc Webb – are throwing their support behind Earth Hour Blue, which aims to harness the power of the crowd to raise funds for on-the-ground environmental projects from across the world.

"I'm proud Spider-Man is the first Super Hero ambassador for Earth Hour because he shows we can all be Super Heroes when we realize the power we all have," says Andrew Garfield, who plays Spider-Man in the upcoming film. "Earth Hour is a movement that has created massive impact around the world, so imagine what we can do this year with Spider-Man by our side."

Book Review: The Savage Hawkman vol #1 (New 52)

Book: The Savage Hawkman volume #1: The Darkness Rising (issues #1-8) by Tony Daniel with illustrations by Philip Tan (issues #1-6 and 8) and Cliff Richards (issue #7)

Edition: I'm reading the single issues

Rating: 3 stars

Review:

Prior to reading this, I had heard some pretty bad things about this series. I really had expected this to be really awful but the first eight issues turned out to be good. It was times the writing was a bit corny or hokey or something you might hear in one of those 70s cop shows but I did find the stories interesting. There was probably two things that I didn't like, the artwork being one and the constant mention of Nth Metal being the other.

The first story (issues #1-4) had a down on his luck Carter Hall deciding that he wanted to stop being Hawkman. He made the decision to burn the suit but it backfired and the suit somehow became a part of him. Side note: There seems to be a lot of characters in the New 52 that are down on their luck.

Carter became a whole new different Hawkman instead of putting on the suit he now transforms into being Hawkman. A new villain Morphicius was also introduced who many have had some help escaping from his encased prison from Dr. Kane, a scientist and Askana, the scientist's alien shape shifting assistant.

The second story (issues #5-7) had Hawkman trying to stop Gentlemen Ghost who was trying to find the Mortis Orb. He also had to deal with the dead rising but got some help from Static (Virgil Hawkins).

The last story was surprisingly a stand alone piece, it had Hawkman trying to help Askana who said she needed his help however it turned out to be a trap.

In short, I thought this was a good start to the (already canceled) series.

Happy President's Day

Happy President's Day!!!!

Currently Reading: The Colossus Rises

I will not be reading this until sometime tomorrow or at the latest Monday. I might take a little reading break especially since I've ran into some really boring books. But this one hopefully will be a much better read.


Book: The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders book #1) by Peter Lerangis with illustrations by Torstein Norstrand and Mike Reagan

Source: Library

Description:


One Boy

Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die.

One Mission

Jack needs to find seven magic loculi that, when combined, have the power to cure him.

One Problem

The loculi are the relics of a lost civilization and haven’t been seen in thousands of years.

Seven Wonders

Because they’re hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Book Review: The Undiscovered Goddess

Book: The Undiscovered Goddess by Michelle Colston

Source: Borrowed from NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Rating: 1 star

Review:

Why do I keep running into these boring awful books? I thought this was going to be a fun and light-hearted inspirational read where the main character Holly wanted to make changes in her life after taking a quiz that said she was shallow. However, this turned into nothing more than the main character complaining about her life as she journals her way through the exercises in the book. And boy did she complain, from everything to her kids to the weather. She didn't enjoy anything. This reminded me so much of Gulliver's Travels where all he did was complain about everything.

I found Holly's self-centered, egotistical, condescending and haughty writing truly unappealing. She acts like she was better than everyone when she's the one whose in need of a life make-over. The only reason why I think she hasn't made any changes to her life prior to the journaling is because she's lazy. She doesn't really want to make the effort so she didn't do anything.

That quiz she took was so right, Holly really is shallow and she's also a jerk.

This book is one part self-help and the other part chick-lit but without an interesting character or story. The best parts of the book is the self-help lessons that precede Holly's journaling.

I thought she was a total hypocrite when she didn't feel like staying at lunch with her friends because she said (to herself) that all they do is complain. Really, she's the biggest complainer around but she's the one who got tired of the complaining. And even when she was making improvement in her life she was still complaining and being a jerk.

This book was a total waste of time and all it did was make me feel like complaining. What a total disappointment this was.

Comic Book News: Marvel is planning a Black Widow spin-off (sort of)

This is an article from Entertainment Weekly.

Marvel is planning a Black Widow spin-off, kind of

by Darren Franich

To be clear, Marvel is probably planning about 50 different spin-offs right now, ballpark. “Planning” is a vague term in Hollywood, all the more so when you’re talking about the Marvel Studios franchise factory. But if you’re a fan of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow — or just a fan of the idea of a female superhero movie — then take heart! The new issue of Total Film takes a close look at Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and in the process reveals that Marvel has big plans going forward for the ginger-haired spy.

The trailer for the Cap sequel already indicated that Widow had a big role in the movie, and studio head honcho Kevin Feige explicitly states that her role in the greater linked universe will keep on expanding. “We start filming the next Avengers film at the end of March,” says Feige. “Widow’s part in that is very big. We learn more about her past and learn more about where she came from.” This in itself is intriguing, since over the course of Iron Man 2 and Avengers all we really learned about the character was that she was sort of Russian, maybe. (The character in the comics was originally a Russian spy.) But Feige also teases the ambient possibility of a standalone Widow film: “The notion of exploring that even further in her own film would be great, and we have some development work with that.”

Now, this is a vague statement, filled with words like “notion” and “some development work.” Marvel Studios has probably done “some development work” on a Darkhawk movie. (The studio did not respond to EW’s request for comment.) Still, it’s clear that Marvel is investing a lot of time in building up her character — she’s come a long way from her strong-silent-hottie role in Iron Man 2. And if nothing else, she’s getting an awful lot more onscreen real estate than Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. Let’s assume that any substantive move toward a Black Widow movie is a couple of years away, which means it’s way too early to say things like “Clearly Kathryn Bigelow should direct” and “the bad guy should be Baron Zemo played by Werner Herzog.”

-------------------------

My Opinion:

I think it would be great to see a Black Widow movie but I wonder if Marvel would take the chance of making it. Hollywood is about making money and even though fans might want a Black Widow movie, doesn't mean we might get one especially if the execs don't think they will see a profit.

Currently Reading: The Undiscovered Goddess and The Savage Hawkman vol #1 (New 52)

I wanted to read something a bit more light-hearted after reading that boring book, The Signature of All Things. And The Undiscovered Goddess seems like it will be and I'm going to be reading Hawkman because truth be told, I bought the issues (when the New 52 started) but never got around to reading them.

Book: The Undiscovered Goddess by Michelle Colston

Source: Borrowed from NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Who knew a Cosmo quiz and a bottle of wine could change a woman’s life?

Holly, housewife and frazzled mother of three, is determined to discredit the lackluster result of a Cosmopolitan magazine quiz. After buying a workbook geared toward helping her find her inner goddess, Holly sets off on a year of self-discovery, journaling through each exercise as she goes. Facing inner demons, yoga, an explosive colon cleanse and REALLY spicy curry, the lessons are hard on her emotions, not to mention her digestive system. But does she succeed in the end? Beyond the superficial, what important lesson does Holly’s inner goddess have the power to teach her…and what can Holly teach you?

Book: The Savage Hawkman volume #1: The Darkness Rising (issues #1-8) by Tony Daniel

Edition: I'm reading the single issues

Description:

Carter Hall is back as the savage Hawkman! Carter's skill at deciphering lost languages has led him to a job with an archaeologist who specializes in alien ruins. But one of his latest discoveries is Morphicus, whose deadly power helps to spread an alien plague through New York City. With innocent lives in the balance, Carter Hall must use the power of the Nth metal bonded to his body to don his wings and become Hawkman!

Art of the Day: Reading Outside

Artwork: Reading on the Veranda by John Michael Carter  (you can find this portrait for purchase by clicking here)

I can't wait for the summer so I can sit outside and read. It's so relaxing. This painting captures the moment perfectly.

Book Review: The Signature of All Things

Book: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Source: Library

Rating: 1 star (Did Not Finish)

Review:

At the moment, I have decide not to continue reading The Signature of All Things, there are things I find fascinating but mainly it's rather boring. I might decide to borrow it from the library again at a later time.

I did think the writing was good but the story was just so dry and boring and the characters didn't seem that interesting.

Book Review: The Rocketeer & The Spirit: Pulp Friction

Book: The Rocketeer & The Spirit: Pulp Friction (issues #1-4) by Mark Waid with illustrations by Paul Smith (issue #1), Loston Wallace (issue #2) and J. Bone (issues #3 & #4)

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 25, 2014

Description:

These two great, pulp-inspired heroes meet for the very first time!

A Central City Councilman disappears and is found dead in Los Angeles. Commissioner Dolan, along with Denny Colt (AKA: The Spirit), and his daughter Ellen trek out to the City of Angels to investigate.

Meanwhile, Cliff Secord (The Rocketeer) consoles his sweetheart Betty… who is traumatized after accidentally discovering the politician's body.









Rating: 4 stars

Review:

I thought this was rather charming and delightful story, it has a film noir feel to it but also a bit of sci-fi. I think it's really great to see these two characters together, it highlights the heroes perfectly. The story was funny and a little wacky and goofy but that made me like it even more. It was certainly entertaining. Even though the artwork changed from the first two issues to a more cartoonish look, it didn't take away from the story.

The story set during the 1940s, opens in Central City with Alderman Cunningham strongly voicing his opinion in opposed to the public airwaves being privatized. Unfortunately, his strong opinions got him noticed by the bad guys resulting in the councilman being killed.

His body was found in Los Angeles, CA unluckily by Betty who was on a beach modeling photo shoot. That news about the body being found had the The Spirit along with Commissioner Dolan (who was friends with the man) and his daughter Ellen take a plane to the west coast. They planned on trying to find out what happened to the councilman.

However, as soon as they were off the plane they were over heard by Peevy (a friend of The Rocketeer) as they were walking to their car, talking about trying to find Betty. Peevy thinking they were bad guys out to get Betty, go to Cliff Secord (The Rocketeer) and tell him. Cliff swiftly changes into his costume and goes after the trio.

The two heroes are soon battling until everything is cleared up, then the trio plus Cliff and Peevy are off to speak with Betty. She told them all she knew (all while flirting with The Spirit). The trio along with Cliff went to identify the body and to start hunting down clues. Meanwhile, the villains have plan brewing for Betty.

The story shifts from LA back to Central City where the two heroes are on the trail of the villain, who is ready to set their plan for Betty into play. The story and the action intensify as they try to stop the villains' master plan.

This was a fun read and it has an interesting take on the development of TV but with a more sinister approach. As much as I like the story, the inconsistency in artwork doesn't help. It would have been nice if only one artist was used preferably Paul Smith or Loston Wallace, their artwork gave that perfect noir feel.

Book Review: Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight vol #1 (New 52)

Book: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight volume #1 (issues #1-5) written and illustrated by various authors and illustrators

Edition: I'm reading the single issues


Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

Although these stories technically are not part of the New 52, I only included the New 52 (in parenthesis) so as not to confuse them with the older version with the same title. They are a part of the digital first series which usually don't having anything to do with what's happening over in the main universe.

Anyway on with the review:

Issue #1 "The Butler Did It" written by Damon Lindelof with illustrations by Jeff Lemire and color by Jose Villarrubia

The story had Batman out on patrol, seeing a family (a mother, father and son) being held at gun point but it turned out to be a trap. The family were not want they seemed, in fact they were villains. Someone, knows his deepest darkest secret and is exploiting it. But who? It was someone he wouldn't have suspected but I think it taught him a much needed lesson on humility.



Issue #2 "Crisis in Identity" written by B. Clay Moore with illustrations by Ben Templesmith

What's the reason for several of the city's social and political elite men going out dressed as Batman and subsequent being murdered by Killer Croc? Why are these some what normal guys out there? With the media focusing negative attention on Batman's possible involvement and the police being unable to figure out what's going on, will the caped crusader be able to solve the mystery? 

He did figure it out but it nearly resulted in him revealing his secret in the process.



Issue #3 "Letters to Batman" written by Steve Niles with illustrations by Trevor Hairsine and color by Antonio Fabela

The story opened with the Joker trying to blow up a school but thanks to Batman he was able to stop him. After handing the Joker over to the police, Batman headed back to the cave but only to hear from Alfred that the Joker escaped from Arkham, again. Bruce started to feel like nothing he's doing out there matters especially after he opened a gift and read a note that were both from the Joker.

He was still feeling a little dejected when he left for his meeting with Commissioner Gordon as well as when he returned back to the cave with three large bags of letters all addressed to him. Thankfully, Alfred decided to read one of those letters because it was a wonderful letter thanking Batman.

Bruce finally read the letters and they were exactly what he needed and they were also the key to helping him figure out where the Joker was.



Issue #4 includes three stories:

Story #1: "A Game To Die For" by TJ Fixman with illustrations by Christopher Mitten and colors by David Lopez and Santi Casas

The first story had Batman racing to try to stop the superhero Paetorian from trying to kill the Joker but as the story reveals it's not at all what the reader is seeing. This was pretty interesting you get to see the Joker's mind games working at their best.


Story #2: "Batman: The Movie" by Andrew Dabb with illustrations by Giorgio Pontrelli and colors by Antonio Fabela

Like filming a Batman movie in Gotham is not going to lead to trouble. Especially when the Joker and Harley Quinn show up planning  to bomb the movie set for no apparent reason but to have some fun.


Story #3: "Together" by Jonathan Larsen with illustrations by Tan Eng Huat with colors by David Lopez and Santi Casas

Story three opens with the police investigating the abduction of two children (on separate accounts). Both children had recently had surgery and the surgeries had been performed by the same doctor. Tracking down the doctor lead to finding out he had been abducted as well. With an inkling to who may be behind everything, Batman set out to find them and stop what he believe is the motive to everything.



Issue #5 "A Slam Bradley Mystery..." by Joshua Hale Fialkov with illustrations by Phil Hester, inks by Eric Gapstur and colors by Jim Charalampidis

This reminded me of one of those old detective movies where someone was framed for murder and no one will believe them. That's exactly what happened, when private detective (and former cop) Slam Bradley finds himself the prime suspect in the murder of a young woman. He had been following the husband of his client to provide proof that the husband had been cheating. Slam was right in the process of photographing the husband with his mistress when the couple started fighting. Slam kicked into police mode and went to go stop it but once he got there the woman was dead and the guy was gone. Despite Slam doing the right thing and calling the police and also leaving the flash drive with photos of the incident somehow he became the prime suspect. Which had Batman on his trail, so how can he prove he didn't do it when the police are looking for him along with Batman.


I really enjoyed reading all five issues, they were all really good. It's so nice to read one issue stories again. You don't have to read four or more issues to complete a story. It was interesting to read the  take on Batman from different writers. To read the next group of issues or volume two, I'm actually going to have to buy the trade edition, since I'm not sure I will be able to find them all at the comic book store. Well, that's what I get for letting these issues sit around on my shelf before I finally got around to reading them. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to reading the second volume.

Picture: Nick Fury Poster for the Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie

Still can't wait to see this.

Book Review: Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm Knights

Book: Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm Knights (issues #1-4 and includes the one-shot issue Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Realm Knights) written by Pat Shand with illustrations by Butch Mapa and color by Kevin Volo (issue #1) and Rohvel Yumul (issues #2-4)

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: July 8, 2014

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

This story has the Realm Knights which includes the four most powerful agents: Agent Red/Britney Waters (Red Riding Hood),Agent Hook/Nathan Cross (the infamous Neverland Captain Hook), Agent Snow/Sela Mathers (Snow White) and Agent Robyn Hood/Robyn Locksley (the legendary Robin Hood) with assistance from Liesel Van Helsing (the monster hunter) were tasked by the Knights Task Force with trying to retrieve the mythical scythes that were left by the Highborns (Greek Gods) in hopes of keeping them out of enemy hands. However, it seems like some one may have already beat them to the punch and was leaving a deadly trail as he acquired the first scythe. That man turned out to be Cronus who was looking to regain his throne by taking back both scythes.

To acquire the second scythe, the Knights had to travel to Hades where they had to go up against Hades to try to get it away from him. But Cronus ended up joining the fight to also get the scythe leading in tragedy for three of the Knights along with Hades.

Believing the three members to be dead, the Knights Task Force brought in Neptune (the God of the Sea) to help them deal with Cronus. So while the remaining were trying to create a plan, the other three and Hades were stuck in the underworld trying to stay out of Cronus' radar as he tries to get the scythe from Hades.

Once, Cronus caught up with them they were no match and couldn't stop him from getting the last scythe. From there it took both groups to try to take down Cronus and his minions as they rampaged in Greece.

I found this to be a rather exciting story that had these characters who usually work alone work together to stop a villain. Yes, I know the superhero team-up is nothing new in the world of comic books but I enjoyed this story because it's interesting and I liked all the characters. I like that the story included Greek Mythology and that the heroes weren't fighting just a regular fairy tale villain. There is also something else going on in the story because the head of the Task Force is up to something as well as Hades and I would be interested in knowing what they both are up to.

After the main story, this book includes the Grimm Fairy Tales Present: Realm Knights one-shot which showed the first time the Realm Knights (Agent Snow, Agent Hook, Agent Red, Agent Robyn Hood and Agent Hecate) joined up to stop Cindy, Nox and the Necromancer. The three villians were holding hostage The United Nations. This was a good story but I felt like it should have preceded the first issue in this book instead of being a bonus story at the end of the book.

Overall, I enjoy reading this, it had a good story and it was funny and action packed. I think the artwork is beautiful but it can be a bit boobalicious at times. I think it's totally cool to see that the majority of the team is female as well as the team leader (Agent Snow), which is rare on both accounts in the comic book world. These are trul kick-butt heroines and Agent Hook is pretty cool too.

Happy Valentine's Day

Whether your coupled or single, I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Currently Reading: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight vol #1 (New 52)

Like I'm not already reading two other books (I'm almost finished with one and will have my review up tomorrow).

Book: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight volume #1 (issues #1-5) written and illustrated by various authors and illustrators

Edition: I'm reading the single issues

Description:

These new tales of Batman from writers including Damon Lindelof (Lost, Prometheus), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) Andrew Dabb (Supernatural), and others explore unusual sides of The Dark Knight, including his relationship with Alfred during his early years as a crime fighter, his method of dealing with super-powered foes, and more.

Book Review: Lights Over Emerald Creek

Book: Lights Over Emerald Creek by Shelley Davidow

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: February 28, 2014

Description:

Lucy Wright, sixteen and a paraplegic after a recent car accident that took her mother's life, lives in Queensland on a 10,000 acre farm with her father. When Lucy investigates strange lights over the creek at the bottom of the property, she discovers a mystery that links the lights to the science of cymatics and Scotland’s ancient Rosslyn Chapel.

But beyond Chapel is an even larger mystery. One that links the music the Chapel contains to Norway’s mysterious Hessdalen lights, and beyond that to Saturn and to the stars. Lucy’s discoveries catapult her into a parallel universe connected to our own by means of resonance and sound, where a newly emerging world trembles on the edge of disaster. As realities divide, her mission in this new world is revealed and she finds herself part of a love story that will span the galaxy.







Rating: 2 stars (Did Not Finish)

Review:

This was such a disappointing read because it started out so good. It was exciting and had me really interested in what was going on.

The story was about a 16 years old Australian girl Lucy Wright who had been in a tragic car accident that killed her mother and left her in a wheel chair. It left her feeling sort of disconnected and depressed which is understandable. But then something really strange started happening, she came into contact with glowing spheres of light and she had found a strange hexagon shape in the sand near the river where she saw the lights.

After doing some research on the strange shape in the sand, she found a website that was created by a 20 year old Scottish music student named Jonathan Barkley. The website provided details about cymatic and some of the strange things.

The two started exchanging information and research through e-mails and phone calls. I thought the research was really interesting in fact it had me doing a little research on what they were talking about such as the hexagonal storms on Saturn, Rosslyn Motet, Stave Angel and more.

In fact here is a couple of pictures of a hexagonal storm on Saturn, cool right.

(Photo source: http://www.space.com/18674-saturn-vortex-hexagon-storm-photos.html)

Anyway, after Lucy mysteriously disappeared (I won't say where she went, I don't want to spoil anything) and returned, the story seemed to lose focus. The next thing you know Lucy somehow has superpowers and can fly. Then the story was trying to work in a romance between Lucy and Jonathan, which I thought was creepy and weird since she's sixteen and he's twenty. And what was even weirder was the fact that her father wasn't angry or anything that his daughter had ran off with a older guy (this was the lie she gave to her father to explain her disappearance). There was also something not quite right about Danielle, a lady who liked Lucy's father. But I wasn't interested in finding out why Lucy didn't like her and what Danielle was really up to.

I think the most disappointing thing about this was I had instantly been drawn into the story because it was well written fast paced and was a original story, however it started to falter. This started out as a science fiction mystery but quickly turned into a same old run of the mill fantasy romance novel.

I initially liked Lucy, I thought she was dealing with a lot and her life had changed but she was trying her best. But after her disappearance and reappearance, she changed and not for the better. She was okay with constantly lying to and hiding things from her father. I didn't understand Jonathan's motivation with going along with Lucy's lies, he could have wound up getting arrested for taking off with a 16 year old (if the police believed that lie).

Overall, I felt like the story was trying to do too many things and the characters and the story were no longer interesting. I just couldn't finish reading this and unfortunately it was not for me. I gave it two stars because it had started out really good.

Art of the day: Supergirl

Artwork: Superlift by Des Taylor

Why doesn't Amazon have a $35 or $40 gift card?

I was just wondering why Amazon hasn't created a $35 gift card especially since they have increased the free shipping minimum from $25 to $35. I prefer to shop on there using gift cards, for 1) you don't have to worry about charging things to your credit/debit card and 2) it keeps me from going over budget. It would be really great if I could buy a either a $35 or $40 gift card from a store, but they don't have any.

I wonder if the idea has ever been raised at one of their meetings. It certainly would be a good idea if you ask me.

Quote: Alice (clone) from Resident Evil

"Hey, Boys! Is that anyway to treat a lady?"

~ Alice (clone), from Resident Evil: Afterlife

Read-a-thon book 12 review: Dinosaurs Before Dark

Book: Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House book #1) by Mary Pope Osborne with illustrations by Sal Murdocca

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

This is the last book for my read-a-thon and I'm glad I picked a fun book to end with.


I think Dinosaurs Before Dark is a great book for young children who may not quite be ready to read Harry Potter but still want to read a fun fantasy adventure.

In this first book, eight (and a 1/2) years old Jack and his seven years old sister Annie were walking back from school when they find a tree house sitting in a very tall tree. Annie decides to go up to the tree house despite her brother's objections and inside she found a lot books. Being a book lover this caught Jack's attention and despite his previous objections he was soon climbing up to the tree house.

Once, Jack joined Annie in the tree house he saw all the books and the one that drew him was a book on dinosaurs and as soon as he wished he could  he see one for real they were whisked away to another time.

I thought both Jack and Annie were fun and interesting characters. They have different personalities which adds to the story because Jack is a bit analytical while Annie thinks with her heart.

I enjoyed this adventure, so I am going to try to pick up the second book in this series. It's very cute and it also included various brief facts and information about dinosaurs throughout the story. I also really liked all the illustrations, they fit the story perfectly.

Comic Book Wednesday: 14 books on my to read list

I already bought a few digital comics earlier today but they were mostly back issues. But here is my list for some of the non-digital books I want to pick up.

As much as I want to read all the books on my list, there is one that I can't wait to read: She-Hulk #1

Archie Comics

Book: Archie Funhouse Double Digest #2

Description:

Archie's known for being an accident-prone, girl-crazy romantic, but here's something about Archie we'll bet you couldn't guess - he's also a mind-reader!

Dilton's working on the ultimate science fair experiment and it's up to Archie to be his dutiful guinea pig. But can Archie's newfound ESP help out or only cause him more grief?

If you're not a psychic, you'll need to find out by reading 'Mind Games,' the crazy first story to this fun and new double digest series!