Book Review: The Best of Josie and the Pussycats

Book: The Best of Josie and the Pussycats by various writers and artists

Compilation Editor: Paul Castiglia

Cover Art by Rex W. Lindsay and Color by Rosario "Tito" Peña

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Josie! Melody! Valerie!

Grab yourself a backstage pass, and rock around the globe with the greatest all-girl band the world has ever known! Witness the group's formation and the first time they wore their catsuits! Get to know their hunky roadie Alan M., their shifty manager Alex and his conniving sister, Alexandra! Travel to Tinseltown as the girls shoot their first movie! Help them solve intriguing mysteries, and relieve the antics that have made them the most popular fictional band in comic and cartoon history! From Josie's very first appearance to the day she almost quit the band, this collection of "greatest hits" will be music to your ears!

Comic Book Wednesday: Batman Adventures: Batgirl: A League of Her Own

Something I miss about pre-Covid life is going to the comic book store and I miss my Comic Book Wednesday post. I might not be able to go to the comic book store but I can bring back my CBW post by posting new and old comic books that I want to read like this Batgirl anthology.

Batman Adventures: Batgirl: A League of Her Own is a must read for me. I love the Batman: The Animated Series and the follow up series The New Batman Adventures ;and the Batgirl featured on both of those shows is one of my favorite versions of the character. I can't wait to get this and read it, especially since the book features several Batgirl stories that tie-in to the BTAS and TNBA universe.

Book: Batman Adventures: Batgirl: A League of Her Own by written and illustrated by various writers and artists

Description:

Batgirl takes on Gotham City's toughest villains including Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in these timeless, all-ages stories set in the world of the seminal Batman: The Animated Series!

In these previously uncollected stories inspired by the hit Batman: The Animated Series, Batgirl swings across the rooftops of Gotham City alongside Batman, Nightwing, and Robin to battle the likes of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Ra's al Ghul. She even finds time to team up with her father, Commissioner Gordon, to catch two escaped convicts.

These stories are written and illustrated by top Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Adventures talent, including Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, and Rick Burchett, along with a cover by Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm! Collects the all-ages Batgirl Adventures #1 and Batman: Gotham Adventures #8-9, #22, and 38!

Book Review for Comic Book Club for July: Batman: Harley and Ivy

Book: Batman: Harley and Ivy: The Deluxe Edition by Paul Dini with illustration by Bruce Timm and other writers and artists

Cover Art by Bruce Timm

Edition: Trade Hardcover

Description:

The complete BATMAN: HARLEY AND IVY miniseries, accompanied by more than 100 pages of Paul Dini’s other stories featuring the villainous BFFs. Breaking the law is never more fun than when your best friend’s beside you!

Writer Paul Dini and artist Bruce Timm, the creative minds behind the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, follow up their Eisner-winning BATMAN: MAD LOVE with another tale featuring the loony but loyal moll Harley Quinn, this time teaming up with her best gal pal, Poison Ivy. The duo’s latest scheme will take them from the streets of Gotham to the jungles of South America to the bright lights of Hollywood!

Collects stories from Batman: Harley and Ivy #1-3, Batman Adventures Annual #1, Batman Adventures Holiday Special #1, Batman and Robin Adventures #8, Batgirl Adventures #1, Batman: Gotham Knights #14 and Batman: Black and White #3.

Book Club Picks for July: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Batman: Harley and Ivy and Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void

The postponement is finally over, the book clubs are back! We've had a three month break and now it back to reading. For anyone who doesn't know there are three book clubs: The Book Girl's Book Club, Comic Book Club and Star Wars Book Club. The first club is where we read books from all types of genres except for comic books. Which is why we have the second club and the third club is for reading Star Wars books. Feel free to pick from whatever book club or book selection you find interesting or you could read them all.

For this month, I picked Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli for The Book Girl's Book Club. I wanted to read this last month but my reading slump put and end to that plan. So, I thought why not make it a book club pick instead.

For the Comic Book Club, I picked Batman: Harley and Ivy: The Deluxe Edition by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. It's an anthology that features several stories about the lovable yet deadly duo Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.

As for the Star Wars Book Club, I picked Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. Despite being a big Star Wars fan, I haven't read a lot of the books. Which is the reason why I started this book club because I wanted to inspire other Star Wars fans to read the books as well. This book is set during the Pre-Republic and although these Legends books are no longer canon, they  should still be considered worth reading.


The Book Girl's Book Club Pick:

Book: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Description:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight.

Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.

Book Review for Comic Book Club for February: Betty & Veronica: Shopping Spree!

Book: Betty and Veronica: Shopping Spree! by various writers and artists

Edition: Paperback

Description:

What could Betty & Veronica possibly love more than Archie? That’s easy–shopping!

Get ready to hit the mall with Betty & Veronica! Begin your very own shopping spree with this graphic novel collecting some of the funniest stories featuring Riverdale’s resident super-shoppers! Shop till you drop in this hilarious new collection!

Book Club Picks for February: Ghana Must Go, Betty & Veronica: Shopping Spree! and Star Wars: Rebel Heist

Here at Book Girl, I love to celebrate books. It doesn't matter if it's the newest release or an old classic, I just love books. For February's book club picks, I wanted something different from last month. As a reminder, if there's a book you think we should read for book club, let me know.

For The Book Girl's Book Club I picked Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi, I thought it would be a good read. It seemed interesting and although it was published in 2013, I don't recall ever hearing about it which was one of the reasons why I selected it. I think it's good to read as many books and from different authors as possible.

For the Comic Book Club, I thought we could read Betty & Veronica: Shopping Spree! it has a collection of stories centering on Betty and Veronica's love of shopping. Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are two of my favorite characters and I'm sure this will be a fun read. And for the Star Wars Book Club, I found the comic Star Wars: Rebel Heist by Matt Kindt and Marco Castiello. The funny thing is this book was originally published by Dark Horse Comics (which is the edition I have) but since Disney owns Stars Wars this book is now published by Marvel. It's also no longer considered canon but I figure it would still be a good read.


The Book Girl's Book Club Pick: 

Book: Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi

Description:

A renowned surgeon and failed husband, Kweku Sai dies suddenly at dawn outside his home in suburban Accra. The news of his death sends a ripple around the world, bringing together the family he abandoned years before. Moving with great elegance through time and place, Ghana Must Go charts their circuitous journey to one another and, along the way, teaches us that the truths we speak can heal the wounds we hide.

Electric, exhilarating and beautifully crafted, Ghana Must Go is at once a portrait of a modern family and a testament to the transformative power of unconditional love, from a debut novelist of extraordinary talent, Taiye Selasi.

Book Review: Adventures of Superman issue #8

Book: Adventures of Superman issue #8 by Marc Guggenheim with illustration by Joe Bennett, ink by Belardino Brabo, color by Jason Wright and letter by Wes Abbott

Cover by Joe Bennett with ink by Belardino Brabo and color by Jason Wright

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

Dr. Emil Hamilton seeks out Superman with some shocking news - not only has S.T.A.R. Labs discovered the location of Krypton, but as far as they can tell, the planet remains intact!

Book Review: Adventures of Superman issue #7

Book: Adventures of Superman issue #7

Cover Art by Chris Sprouse, Karl Story and Guy Major

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

Join comics’ finest talents as they celebrate The Man of Steel himself: Superman! First, in a story written and illustrated by Eisner Award-winner David Lapham, Superman discovers a mysterious new cult that worships him as a god! Then, the Last Son of Krypton squares off against Darkseid and visits a very special fan, brought to you by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton!

Book Review: Superman: Daily Planet

Book: Superman: Daily Planet by various writers and artists

Edition: Trade Paperback

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

There is a reason why the Daily Planet is one of the most respected newspapers in the world of DC Comics and that is due to the hard working staff of the Daily Planet. For these characters, journalism is a way of life, they are focused on finding the truth and chasing down stories. And in these 16 stories (which were published from 1952-1999) they range from fun and goofy to deep and concerning.

I really enjoyed reading Superman: Daily Planet there was a good balance of stories that focused on Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White and the Daily Planet staff. I loved reading these stories, especially the older ones because they were fun and sometimes a little wacky for instance in one story Supergirl in her secret identity as Linda Danvers got a job at the Daily Planet to save Jimmy Olsen. From a glimpse into the future she thought she saw Jimmy's death and she was trying to keep that from happening.

In another story, Jimmy was the Editor-in-Chief for a day and had assigned Perry all types of strenuous stories. It seemed like Jimmy was on a power trip but his reason for being so tough on Perry was explained at the end. In another story, Lois was teaching a class on how to be a good reporter and unbeknownst to her two crooks had attended her class in order to kill her. But Lois is certainly not clueless and somehow figured out what those guys were up to.

In another story, Jimmy went undercover disguised as a young woman to find out where a jewel thief had hidden the stolen jewels. Jimmy made a very convincing lady that the thief had become very smitten with him. And then there was one where Clark using his x-ray vision found a file in the Daily Planet archive room that showed that he's Superman. He really wanted to find out who knew his secret identity.

I found in many of the older stories a humorous element that you just don't find in a lot of current stories. There were also several stories where the Daily Planet was either being closed down or taken over by new ownership and the last two stories in the book (which were published in 1998 and 1999) showed the cruelty of Lex Luthor after he bought the newspaper and immediately started firing the staff and implementing other changes.

Even though I wish there had been more than 16 stories in this book, I was surprised there were no stories from the 80s in this, I'm sure there were some that centered around the Daily Planet. Maybe whoever compiled this book didn't feel like looking for any. Anyway, this was still a good read, it had a great group of stories, some made me laugh, others were a bit dramatic while the ones near the end (the ones with Lex taking over the Daily Planet) made me mad.

If you feel like reading a few interesting stories about the staff of the Daily Planet you might want to consider giving this a read.

Currently Reading: Superman: Daily Planet

I know Superman stories feature tons of sci-fi adventures but what I enjoy the most is when Lois and Clark or any other member of the Daily Planet staff are hot on the trail of a hard hitting story.

I can't wait to get started reading this because to me Superman comics and journalism pretty much go hand in hand and this Superman: Daily Planet trade features 16 stories that center around the staff of the legendary newspaper. I'm interested to see which issues were included in this book.

Book: Superman: Daily Planet by various writers and artists

Edition: Trade Paperback

Description:

The Daily Planet is Metropolis' leading newspaper, and home to two of the most famous reporters in the world: LOIS LANE and CLARK KENT. Along with Editor-in-Chief PERRY WHITE, photographer JIMMY OLSEN and the rest of the staff, the Daily Planet is legendary for breaking the most important news stories of the past century -- including the debut of SUPERMAN!

Now you can read the thrilling escapades of the Planet's staff as they do almost anything to achieve the next great scoop!

This collection of sixteen stories features the best-known Superman writers and artists creating headlines.

Book Review: Adventures of Superman issue #6

Book: Adventures of Superman issue #6 by J.T. Krul with illustration by Marcus To, color by Ian Herring and letters by Wes Abbott.

Cover by Mitch Breitweiser and Elizabeth Breitweiser

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

A young Superman faces a threat like he’s never seen before when a powerful alien warlord named Mongul shows up on Earth’s doorstep looking for trouble! Will Superman heed the counsel of his Kryptonian father? Or will the words of a certain silver-tongued Phantom Zone prisoner cloud his judgment?

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #269 (for Tuesday): Batman Arkham: Poison Ivy

I like Poison Ivy, I don't how I always wind up being a fan of underutilized characters and she is definitely one of them. I can't believe I have not bought this yet, Batman Arkham: Poison Ivy is a collection of various stories featuring Ivy.

This book is to celebrate Poison Ivy's 50th anniversary and like Lady Sif, she is yet another character who has not had their own ongoing series.

Book: Batman Arkham: Poison Ivy by various writers and artists

Description:

GOTHAM’S DEADLIEST BEAUTY

Poison Ivy was once Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, a young woman with a unique fascination with botany and toxicology. But then she was seduced and later experimented on by her mentor, Professor Jason Woodrue, also known as the super-villain Floronic Man.

Now a constant thorn in Batman’s side, Poison Ivy uses the toxins in her bloodstream to make her touch fatal to whomever she chooses, giving her the ability to create pheromones that make men her slaves while she stops at nothing to ensure plant life will retake Earth.

BATMAN ARKHAM: POISON IVY collects some of the villain's greatest stories by some of the industry's greatest creators, including Robert Kanigher, Gerry Conway, Neil Gaiman, Guillem March, P. Craig Russell, Mark Buckingham and many more!

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #222: Fresh Romance vol #1

I'm happy Fresh Romance is finally available in print, as the description states it's an anthology based comic filled with a variety of romance stories. I'm a total romantic and would love to read this. I didn't buy it before because it was only available in digital. Although I'm more of print kind of girl, I'll buy digital comics if it's the only option available (i.e. Life with Kevin).

Book: Fresh Romance volume #1 by various writers and artists

Description:

The critically-acclaimed anthology FRESH ROMANCE is finally available in print! Have you been wondering what the fuss is all about? FRESH ROMANCE is an exciting collection of romance comics from some of comics’ most talented creators, including Kate Leth, Arielle Jovellanos, Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle, Sarah Kuhn, Marguerite Bennett, and Trungles. From unhappy historical marriages to covert teenage romances, there’s something for everyone in FRESH ROMANCE.

Book Review: Adventures of Superman issue #5

Book: Adventures of Superman #5

Cover art by Yildiray Cinar with color by Matthew Wilson

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

When an alien baby crashes on Earth, Superman must protect the screaming infant from her pursuers both human and extraterrestrial! Plus: a Lex Luthor tale like you’ve never seen before, written by Kyle Killen, creator of Awake, and drawn by Y: THE LAST MAN’s Pia Guerra!


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

There were two very well-written stories in this issue.

Story #1: Infant in Arms by Nathan Emondson with illustrations by Yildiray Cinar and color by Matthew Wilson

In this first story, a space ship crashed to Earth and inside was a baby girl. Before the baby's protector died he asked Superman to protect the little baby, Princess Aria. He warned that someone was coming for her. It didn't take long before Superman was trying to evade the space ships that were firing on them but his main goal was for the safety of the baby.

I love this story, it was very much Superman trying his best to help. There are these scenes with Superman in the woods trying to calm the baby down that are so cute. He even sang to her a song his mother used to sing to him. The funny thing is, the lyrics to that song are a little disturbing when you actually think about it.

This was an action-packed, exciting and adorable little story. Another thing I loved about this story was the artwork, it was very quintessential Superman.


Story #2: The Way These Things Begin by Kyle Killen with illustration by Pia Guerra and color by Matthew Wilson

In this heartrending story, there were two plots that intertwined. The story opens up in Smallville with two friends sitting in a parked car on a train track. The driver Mike was such a big fan of Superman that he concocted a plan that would have them meeting the Man of Steel. However, his friend Henry was very worried about this plan.

Meanwhile in Metropolis, Lex Luthor set off another one of his schemes to destroy Superman but this time it was not in his usual direct style. While he was attempting to rob a bank, Superman immediately stopped him. However, this robbery was merely a distraction. Luthor had already set in motion a deadly explosion. Will Superman get there in time to save all the people? Unbeknownst to both Superman and Lex Luthor, Mike was still sitting on the train track hoping that Superman would "save" him and Henry from an approaching train.

Luthor's plan worked in a way because Superman can't be everywhere at once which means sometimes it's impossible to save everyone. In the end, a terrible plan resulted in Superman now becoming the most hated person in one person's eyes. 


These were two very good stories with good artwork, the first showed his diligence and compassion in trying to keep the baby safe. Although it was action-packed it had a light-hearted feel to it. While the second had a darker feel even more so by the end. It was also very thought provoking because should Superman take the blame for something that was preventable? Is it Superman's fault that someone did a crazy stunt in order to meet him and he was then unable to save the person in time?

I still can't understand why this series was cancelled, it had some of the best Superman stories.

Book Review: Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars

Book: Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars, edited by Rob Thomas with essays written by various writers

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication Date: Available now

Publisher: Smart Pop Books

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Review:

Even now when I think of Veronica Mars there are a couple of things that pop into my mind, first is the theme song and second is that Veronica was no doormat. Yeah, she did a lot of questionable things (mainly for those who were in need of help) but Neptune was a questionable place to live. While helping out her father, who was a private investigator, she learned more than she did sitting in most of her classes.

This was an interesting book that featured 18 essays written by fans, writers, TV insiders, etc. that focused on the first two seasons of Veronica Mars.

There were a few very well-written essays that made me remember why I had enjoyed watching this show however there were far more that made me wonder why I was still reading this. Many of the essays were written in such a boring clinical way that they started to blend together and feel like a chore to read. There was one that made me mad, in one essay the writer compared the pain of her high school break up to how Veronica felt after being raped. Heartbreak...rape, I'm not really sure you can even compare the two.

In the end, this was okay but I would just rewatch the TV series instead of reading this again. There were some good things about this but not enough to make this a must read.

Book Review: Vampirella Feary Tales

Book: Vampirella Feary Tales (issues #1-5) by various writers and artists

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Description:

Nancy A. Collins (Swamp Thing, Sunglasses After Dark) has called upon some of today's finest creative talents — including Gail Simone, Steve Niles, Joe R. Lansdale, Devin Grayson, Stephen R. Bissette, and many more — to celebrate Vampirella's 45th Anniversary by crafting an anthology of twisted tales, bizarre bedtime stories, and fearsome fables in the tradition of the original Warren magazines, each featuring everyone's favorite sexy, kick-ass vampire-turned-monster hunter. 

While exploring the Transylvanian castle she's recently inherited, Vampirella discovers a strange old book of "Feary Tales" that seems oddly familiar. Upon opening it, she is sucked inside its pages and lands in a weird alternate reality, where she is compelled by a disembodied voice calling itself 'The Storyteller' to live out each of the 'feary tales' if she ever hopes to return to reality. Collects the five-issue Vampirella: Feary Tales comic book series, with a complete cover gallery.



Rating: 2 stars

Review:

First and foremost it's about time that Vampirella had a costume change. She can still be sexy with a new costume.

Anyway on to the review, Vampirella Feary Tales was okay. For a celebration of 45 years of Vampirella, this could have been much better. A bulk of the book contained stories that were a retelling of fairy tales and most of them were hit or miss.

The book begins with Vampirella exploring her new castle with one of her staff with the two heading towards the castle's library. While they were there, they uncovered Feary Tales, a mysterious book that some how seemed familiar to Vampirella. A problem occurred when she opened the book, doing that caused her to literally be sucked into the book.

She soon found herself dealing with an annoying narrator and going from one altered fairy tale to another as she tried to find a way out of the book. Meanwhile, there seemed to be a mystery with Vampirella trying to find out who this blonde woman that many said resembled her was.

Sometimes, I found a small number of the stories to be good or great such as in the case of story "Thirsty, Thirsty Town" (a retelling of the Little Mermaid) but most of the time the stories ranged from okay to awful such as with "Snow-White Revamped" which was really bad from the rhyming to the ridiculous plot.

This book was dark yet very campy usually that's a good mix but not this time. I really wished this had been a better read, instead of it being so mediocre.

Currently Reading: Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars

There is just something about Veronica Mars that makes me a huge fan of the character, maybe it's the blatant way she thumbs her nose at the crooked authority in her town or her simple desire to seek out the truth. Which is why I'm eager to read this, it's filled with numerous essays about both the character and the show (well the first two seasons).

Reading this should be interesting to see how others view Veronica Mars.


Book: Neptune Noir: Unauthorized Investigations into Veronica Mars, edited by Rob Thomas with essays written by various writers

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Smart Pop Books

Description:

Veronica Mars has won the hearts of a small but devoted fanbase drawn to Veronica’s class-torn hometown, where the high school landscape echoes adult patterns of power and privilege, and your best bet for justice is a teenage girl and her private detective father. The show is so snarky, so smart, and so savvy, that the detective show’s biggest mystery is why more people aren’t watching.

This collection of essays on the show’s first two seasons explores the noir roots of Veronica’s blond locks, and the sharp writing and killer plot twists that have catapulted Veronica Mars to the top of smart viewers’ must-watch lists.

Book Review: Women in Clothes

Book: Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, Leanne Shapton and others

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: PEGUIN GROUP Blue Rider Press

Description:

Women in Clothes is a book unlike any other. It is essentially a conversation among hundreds of women of all nationalities—famous, anonymous, religious, secular, married, single, young, old—on the subject of clothing, and how the garments we put on every day define and shape our lives.

It began with a survey. The editors composed a list of more than fifty questions designed to prompt women to think more deeply about their personal style. Writers, activists, and artists including Cindy Sherman, Kim Gordon, Kalpona Akter, Sarah Nicole Prickett, Tavi Gevinson, Miranda July, Roxane Gay, Lena Dunham, and Molly Ringwald answered these questions with photographs, interviews, personal testimonies, and illustrations.

Even our most basic clothing choices can give us confidence, show the connection between our appearance and our habits of mind, express our values and our politics, bond us with our friends, or function as armor or disguise. They are the tools we use to reinvent ourselves and to transform how others see us. Women in Clothes embraces the complexity of women’s style decisions, revealing the sometimes funny, sometimes strange, always thoughtful impulses that influence our daily ritual of getting dressed.


Rating: 1 star

Review:

Women in Clothes would have made a good documentary with the interviews, essays, comments and pictures about how women (and some men) see fashion but in book form it's very long winded (it's over 500 pages) and boring. This is a book that details how women feel not only about fashion (beauty or their image) but about how they feel about what they wear and how they look.

The authors spoke with everyday women (and a few celebrities) about how fashion and style influenced their lives and experiences.

There is a lot in this book from survey research to pictures of people's collections but with so much stuff it never quite seemed to jell. The book just felt so random. Although this didn't quite work, I can see what the authors were trying to do, they didn't want the typical glossy fashion book that instructs women what to buy and how to wear it. They wanted to take a different approach to how women look at fashion, hear how everyday women deal with fashion. But this just seemed like some weird-indie-I'm-trying-not-be-cool-fashion-book instead of being something interesting to read.

Although, I did find the discussions on ethical shopping, worker exploitation, sweatshops and whether it matters to you where and how your clothes are made. Reading the interviews with some of the people who work in the factories did give me something think about in regards to the fashion industry. That was probably the most worthwhile thing I got out of this book.

Ultimately, this book for better or worse gives the reader insight into how some women see fashion. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of things in this that had absolutely nothing to do with fashion and along with the randomness makes this a disappointing read.

Book Review: Adventures of Superman #4

Book: Adventures of Superman #4 by various writers and artists 

Cover by Bruce Timm and Nick Filardi

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Three very good stories in this issue:

1st story: A Day In The Life by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with illustrations by Wes Craig and color by Lee Loughridge

In this story, the reader gets a look into the life of Lex Luthor and as expected his day is full of treachery. For someone as smart and good at business as Lex is, he uses all his abilities to do nothing but take advantage of others and then do everything he can to get rid of Superman. Also, throughout the story you see Superman trying to stop this huge robot.

What I love is the ending because although Clark couldn't prove Lex had anything to do with that robot he certainly let Lex know in a clever way that he knew.



2nd story: The Deniers! by Tom DeFalco with illustrations by Pete Woods

This story opens with Phil and Moze, two regulars at a local diner when they start discussing the news of the day, an impending meteor to strike the city. That's when Phil a total skeptic starts talking about how he doesn't believe that a meteor will strike the city nor does he believe in Superman.

While Phil is mapping out his whole conspiracy theory about Superman and superheroes in general, Superman is going around stopping a couple of emergencies. And while Phil is talking, Superman stops not only that meteor out in space but robbers in a high powered robot trying to steal from a bank.

Again, love the ending of this one as well, just as Phil and Moze were leaving the diner Clark, Lois and Jimmy enter. Turns out Phil is a friend of Clark's and although he doesn't believe in Superman, he knows that Clark is someone you can believe in. He's just that good of a person.



3rd story: Savior by Rob Williams with illustrations by Chris Weston

This story so made me want to rewatch the first Superman movie and the artwork was just amazing. The way Superman was drawn in this resembles George Reeves.

Anyway on to the story, in Savior, Martha Kent narrates this tale. She talks about how Clark barely manages to take time out to relax, he goes non-stop from one emergency to the next. She wishes he could stay for dinner just once before having to rush off.

Meanwhile back in Metropolis, Perry White wants Clark to start working on a new assignment to find out why a judge unexpectedly released a kidnapper. That's when Clark was starting to wonder where Lois Lane was. She was supposed to be finding information about the kidnapper but some how she got a little too close to the story and just might need a little bit of help.

This had a very nice ending with Superman saving the day for Lois and the kidnapped victim to finally making time to have dinner with his mother. Joining them was the adorable Krypto the superdog.


I love this series, it's so much fun to read.

Book Review: Adventures of Superman #3

Book: Adventures of Superman #3 by Matt Kindt with illustrations by Stephen Segovia and color by Jay David Ramos

Edition: Print issue

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

There was only one story in this issue, "Faster Than A Bullet" which follows a simultaneous day in the life of Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

This was such a well-written action packed story but it also had an interesting layout. Nearly half of the page showed the fast-paced heroics of Superman while the last panel of nearly each page showed a more slower paced yet still dramatic and suspenseful day for Lois.

Clark's day starts early with many emergencies out in space, he first stops to help with a rampaging extremely enormous worm who was attacking the home world of a Green Lantern. Also getting an early start to the day was Lois who had a meeting with Lex Luthor.

While Superman was trying to figure out the best way to stop the worm, Lois was finding out the real reason why Lex wanted to meet with her and the reason was beyond brazen. With the worm situation handled, Superman was on to his next emergency, a planet at war.

Lois wasn't surprised in the least by what Lex had to say however it was the threat he attached to it that made her take a pause. Meanwhile back out in space, Superman found a solution that would help counteract the reason for the war.

However, just as Superman was leaving that world, he was caught in one of Darkseid's traps and found himself in prison on Apokolips. Lois was also in danger although she was unaware of it which Lex was counting on because with his threat issued one way or another Lex was hoping to benefit from the results.

Clark's predicament on Apokolips grew even more dire when he received a strange message regarding the fate of Earth from Infinity Man. Is it possible for Superman to escape and return to Earth in enough time to stop a catastrophic event?

I'm not sure how many times I can say how awesome the Adventures of Superman series is. This issue had one amazing story with Clark going from one battle after another to Lois battling intellectually with Luthor and not to mention it had great artwork. I love how both stories play off yet mirror each other. I thought Segovia's artwork is spectacular because for Superman's adventure the art is very dramatic with bold and rich colors and while for Lois the art work appeared light and airy almost as if it were a dream.

With the way Clark Kent and Lois Lane have been treated (i.e. poorly) in the New 52 it was nice to see them as well written characters again in this series. I just wish it had not been cancelled.