Book Review: Goldie Vance vol #2

Book: Goldie Vance volume #2 (issues #5-8) by Hope Larson with illustrations by Brittney Williams, colors by Sarah Stern and letters by Jim Campbell

Edition: Single Print Issues

Description:

Sixteen-year-old Marigold “Goldie” Vance has an insatiable curiosity. She lives at a Florida resort with her dad who manages the place, and it’s her dream to one day become the hotel’s in-house detective. In this second story arc, Goldie investigates the mysterious appearance of a lady astronaut on the beach!

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for November: Lumberjanes vol #1

Book: Lumberjanes volume #1: Beware The Kitten Holy (issues #1-4) by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis, illustrations by Brooke Allen, colors by Maarta Laiho and letters by Aubrey Aiese

Cover by Noelle Stevenson

Edition: Trade Paperback

Description:

FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for hardcore lady types, things are not what they seem, Three-Eyed Foxes. Secret Caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

Book Review: Goldie Vance vol #1

Book: Goldie Vance volume #1 (issues #1-4) by Hope Larson with illustration by Brittney Williams, colors by Sarah Stern and letters by Jim Campbell

Edition: Single Print Issues

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I feel like I've really honed my ability in finding good books because this first volume of Goldie Vance was an absolute delight to read.

When Marigold "Goldie" Vance is not at her actual job as one of Crossed Palms Resort's valet drivers, she's "assisting" the hotel's in-house detective Walter Tooey with cases. And they found themselves investigating a really interesting one when hotel guest Dieter Ludwig needed them to find a missing necklace.

Finding the necklace took a little thinking outside the box from Goldie along with a little illegal car racing but retrieving it was probably the easiest thing she had to deal with. Because no sooner than she brought the necklace back to the hotel, they find out Ludwig was missing and his hotel room showed signs of a struggle.

Back in Tooey's office, they found an interesting clue on the back of the necklace but they also realize that someone may have taken Ludwig. Even though the necklace was found, they now believe someone is after it.

Over the course of trying to solve the case, Goldie inadvertently got herself and her father (who manages the hotel) fired from their jobs. I guess there are consequences to Goldie unofficially getting involved with solving cases. But that's not going to stop Goldie from trying to find Ludwig and get the necklace back after it was stolen again.

Besides featuring a great mystery there are a lot of interesting characters in this story such as Goldie's co-worker valet driver Rob who has a crush on her friend Cheryl and he may have done something really stupid in order to get her attention. Meanwhile, Cheryl who is very smart, works at the front desk of the hotel but one day hopes to become an astronaut.

You also find out some interesting things about Goldie along the way. She is very observant but rather impulsive which tends to get her in huge amounts of trouble. Her parents are divorced and although she lives with her father, she has a great relationship with her mother. She has a long standing rivalry with Sugar Maple, the daughter of the hotel owner. She also has a crush on Diane who works at the record store.

This was a great read because the story which was a lot of fun is filled with suspense, twists and humor. What I love about this series is you have a plucky wannabe assistant who is actually the one who is really solving the cases. Poor Walt, it's a wonder he hasn't been fired yet.

As a mystery fan, I really enjoyed this and now I can't wait to read the second volume.

Book Review: The Backstagers issue #4

Book: The Backstagers issue #4 by James Tynion IV with illustrations by Rian Sygh, color by Walter Baiamonte and letters by Jim Campbell

Cover Art by Veronica Fish

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

It's opening night, but the Backstagers have gone so far past the barrier of no return that even the Stage Managers can't find them!

Book Review: The Backstagers issue #3

Book: The Backstagers #3 by James Tynion IV with illustrations by Rian Sygh, color by Walter Baiamonte and letters by Jim Campbell

Cover Art by Veronica Fish

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

It’s Tech Rehearsal for Les Terribles and Beckett is determined to nail every cue, but Sasha’s mistake brings new drama to the stage!


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Have I told you how much I love The Backstagers? This miniseries is great and in this third issue the light and sound technician Beckett got the spotlight. Early on in this issue you find out that the control booth for Beckett is sort of like his Fortress of Solitude. He enjoys being up there displaying his tech expertise while also reveling in the fact that he is absolutely alone.

With only five days to go until opening night of St. Genesius' school play, rehearsal efforts are really underway for the actors and the backstagers. There is also an additional actor who joins their school's plays, Bailey Brentwood, she goes to Penitent Angels an all-girls school. She's also Beckett's friend and I do believe he has a crush on her.

As the stage managers Jaime and Timothy assign jobs for the backstagers Beckett finds his solitude in question when Sasha is assigned to be his assistant. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this series, Sasha is very adorable and childlike, he reminds me of Steven Universe. However, he's very energetic and can be easily distracted. The last thing Beckett wants is to share his space but Timothy wants Beckett to have more experience with running the stage as well as instructing others. It's more than likely Hunter and Beckett will be the new stage managers after Jaime and Timothy graduate and Beckett is going to have to get out of the sound box to do it.

It goes without saying that Sasha being in the control room was a total disaster. As Beckett was trying to show him how to use the controls and explain about the power source (a unique crystal), Sasha carelessly made a huge mistake with the lights and caused not only an accident on stage but it broke the crystal. Beckett was so upset with the mistake as well as Bailey may have been injured that he said some rather mean things to Sasha. Leaving to go check out the stage, Beckett realized the accident was minor and there was no injuries or problems however it was the unexpected praise from Bailey that really had Beckett feeling awful for how he treated Sasha. But returning to the control room to apologize Beckett found a note from Sasha stating that he was going to find a new crystal.

There are a lot things that stood out for me in this issue:

First is you learn so much about Beckett such as he feels the most comfortable in the control room. But what I like is that writer James Tynion IV made the revelation that Beckett is transgender feel normal. It was just a simple statement from Bailey saying that she missed going to the same school as Beckett. He used to attend the all-girls school Penitent Angels and now goes to St. Genesius which is an all-boys school. By not making such a big deal out of the revelation and showing it as a normal everyday thing it actually feels both powerful and humanizing.

Second is that I was surprised that the magical supernatural stuff was almost non-existent. Which was probably expected since the focus was on what was happening on stage for the rehearsal.

Third is Sasha. He might seem like a hyperactive little kid but he's willing to go alone into the backstage tunnels to try to fix his mistake. That's saying something and with the way the tunnels change and all the mysterious and sometimes dangerous things that maybe in there he really is taking a big risk to make things right.

And last, with the huge egos of the McQueen twins I'm surprised they are willing to share the spotlight and stage with Bailey. And I love that she stood up to them when they were bullying another student, that's pretty cool.

The Backstagers continues to be a joy to read with both the writing and the artwork working perfectly together for a great story. And with each issue you find out a little more about the characters and the mysterious backstage. This was a fun read.

Book Review: The Backstagers issue #2

Book: The Backstagers #2 by James Tynion IV with illustrations by Rian Sygh, color by Walter Baiamonte and letters by Jim Campbell

Cover Art by Veronica Fish

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

The rest of the stage crew kids might be used to all the magical weirdness that goes on, but Jory is thrilled to discover more about the worlds backstage.


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

This second issue continues with all the fun and adventure along with a little bit of fright.

As the McQueen twins were complaining to Hunter and Beckett about the wrong paint choices for the stage set The Backstagers created. Jory returns for another day of drama club (more like the magical adventures of being a Backstager) but this time he had a list of questions. He really wanted to know more about what goes on backstage besides just finding out that The Backstagers actually have stage managers.

The guys were now left with trying to find a solution to their paint problem and Hunter may have come up with the answer thanks to Beckett. There is a special paint room somewhere farther into the backstage, problem is, it's out of the safe zone. And anyone who ventures pass there may become lost to never be found again. But Hunter believes he can find it and invites Jory to go along.

Exploring backstage was very eye opening for Jory as Hunter showed him around and explained a little bit about how the magic of the backstage works. The tunnels and corridors are constantly changing making it nearly impossible to keep track of. And it didn't take long before these two were lost but stumbling upon a clue surrounding the legend of the 1987 mysterious disappearance of a group of backstagers may have freaked them out.

Yet that was nothing compared to the terror of seeing a large Echo Spider but being scared out of their minds may have helped them find the special paint they were looking for. If only they can escape the very large spider and find their way back.

The focus for this issue was mainly on Jory and Hunter but there appears to be a mystery about a missing crew of backstagers from the 80s. And after Jory spoke with the Stage Managers Jaime and Timothy, he was even more curious about the mystery. They seemed to down play the mystery as nothing more than a story they pass down but it makes you wonder if they're hiding something.

Now back to Hunter and Jory, you could really see that Hunter has a crush on Jory. And even more so once you find out Hunter's reason for taking on such a risky journey into the farthest parts of the tunnels. But something that I didn't notice before was that Jory most assuredly is crushing on Hunter as well although it more subtle. Time (and issues) will tell if anything more grows between these two as well as unraveling the mystery of the missing 1987 stage crew.

I like the writing, it has a way of drawing the reader in coupled with illustrations that work well with your imagination. I really must congratulate James Tynion IV and Rian Sygh for creating this amazing little miniseries. I'm really hoping The Backstagers will be turned into an ongoing series because two issues in and it's already one of my favorite reads.

Book Review: Abigail and the Snowman

Book: Abigail and the Snowman (issues #1-4) written, illustrated and lettered by Roger Langridge with color by Fred Stresing

Edition: Single Print Issues

Description:

An imaginative young girl makes a new best friend—an invisible yeti!

Abigail is a nine-year-old with a huge imagination but when she and her dad move to a small town, that imagination only makes it harder to fit in at her new school. All that changes when she meets a loveable and sophisticated yeti named Claude who has escaped a top secret government facility. Abigail and Claude quickly become best friends, even if no one believes that he’s real. The fun can’t last and it’s not long before the mysterious Shadow Men chasing Claude are hot on his trail. To keep him safe from his former captors, Abigail and Claude embark on a great adventure to find his real home, but it might not be exactly where they expected. Eisner and Harvey Award-winning cartoonist Roger Langridge takes readers on a heartwarming journey of loyalty and friendship.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I bought the first issue of this miniseries on New Year's Eve of 2014 and the last issue on March 25, 2015. I'm mentioning this because I totally forgot I had this miniseries that is until I recently reorganized my books. This is why I'm trying to get out of the habit of waiting to read miniseries until I have all of the issues. It makes it far too easy to forget about them.

This charming miniseries is a delight to read as the story makes good use of action, adventure and humor as it follows an unusual friendship between a little girl and a yeti. The story opens with a couple of Men in Black looking for escaped specimen 486. From there the story follows nine years old Abigail and her father who recently moved to a new town, Shipton-on-Sea. They moved there because her father got a new job. But things don't seem to be going so well for Abigail and her father. First, she doesn't fit in among her new classmates and part of that has to do her having a very active imagination. Second, her dad was unexpectedly fired from his job due to an accident.

Her father now in the process of looking for a new job was also hoping to take on some part-time electrician work. As a way to both spend time with Abigail and fill out job applications, the two go to a local park. Not having any luck playing with the other kids, Abigail starts playing with her imaginary dog Claude which leads her to a truly unexpected discovery.

Abigail met a yeti (whose designated name is specimen 486) who was perhaps way too big to be hiding behind a tree. He was very surprised that she could see him since he was supposed to be invisible. According to him, he has the ability to turn invisible by clouding people's minds. But apparently it doesn't work on children.

The two quickly started hanging out and specimen 486 got a new name, he's now called Claude (which he thought was better than his old name). Her dad already knows about her imaginary dog named Claude, so it will make it easier to talk to Claude the yeti without her dad getting suspicious.

Abigail and Claude's fun didn't last too long because the Men in Black were approaching the park leaving Abigail, Claude and her very confused father to make a quick get away back home. Unfortunately the MIB overheard some information that may make it easier to find Claude.

Finding Claude is one thing, capturing him is another. The two MIBs had a difficult time trying to do just that when they showed up to Abigail's school trying to recapture specimen 486. Their plan backfired leaving them on an unexpected trip. But that wasn't the end of Abigail and Claude's troubles, the government sent for a new more dangerous agent to bring in the yeti.

This is a fast paced interesting story from the first issue all the way to the last and it becomes more exciting as it goes on with Abigail and Claude having to stay ahead of the agents. I love the cuteness and creativity of this story as it captures the sometimes odd yet tender and wonderful friendship between Abigail and Claude. Plus, there is plenty of humor and action and fun and vivid illustrations to keep the reader's attention.

Book Review: The Backstagers #1

Book: The Backstagers #1 by James Tynion IV with illustrations by Rian Sygh, color by Walter Baiamonte and letters by Jim Campbell

Cover Art by Veronica Fish

Edition: Single Print Issue

Description:

James Tynion IV teams up with artist Rian Sygh for an incredible yet earnest story about finding a place to fit in when you’re kinda an outcast. When Jory transfers to the private, all-boys school St. Genesius, he figures joining the stage crew would involve a lot of just fetching props and getting splinters. To his pleasant surprise, he discovers there’s a door backstage that leads to different worlds, and all of the stagehands know about it! All the world’s a stage...but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic!


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

In this cute and fun first issue of The Backstagers, Jory who is new to St. Genesius, an all-boys private high school, is not looking forward to finding an extracurricular activity. Since his mother will be working late she wanted him to find something to do after school.

He's very nervous and reluctant to do anything besides hide out in the bushes. However, there is one club that he was interested in, the Drama Club. But going to the auditorium didn't make him feel like he belonged. He was ignored by his classmates and then slightly embarrassed by the stars of the club for not showing enough enthusiasm for the school's upcoming production.

Although, Jory didn't know it at the time but he was going to be in for an amazing adventure, when the stars of the club, twins Kevin and Blake McQueen asked him to go backstage to get a prop.

As Jory goes backstage, he immediately finds himself helping Sasha, Aziz, Hunter and Beckett as they deal with a magical pest problem. From that short amount of time he spent with the guys backstage Jory saw how fun and cool they were. He also realized that he didn't fit in with the snooty actors and decided to become part of the stage crew.

I adore this first issue, Jory didn't seem to be enjoying his time at his new school. And if it wasn't for his mother making him join an after school program he would have never met his new friends. From reading this, you get a sense that Aziz, Hunter, Sasha, Beckett and Jory don't exactly fit in at school but they found a place where they can be themselves as Backstagers. I like that each of the five guys have different personalities yet share this love of set building.

I also like that this has a magical/fantasy aspect because there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that no one sees. It feels like the perfect way to add a little magic to the book.

The writing for this was fun and exciting and the illustrations compliment it very well. The illustrations have a very animated/cartoony feel that reminds me of Steven Universe and other similarly drawn cartoons. I'm really looking forward to reading the second issue it looks like the fun and weirdness are just beginning.
 

Book Review: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers issue #0

Book: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers issue #0 cover by Goñi Montes

Edition: Single Print Issue

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

There were three short stories in this first issue:

Story #1: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Kyle Higgins with illustrations by Hendry Prasetya and color by Matt Herms

In this story, which I would consider a teaser introduces the reader to the Power Rangers. The story takes place following Tommy (Green Ranger) leaving Rita Repulsa's team, he still seems to be dealing with the after effects of no longer being under her control. While Tommy was also getting used to being a member of the Power Rangers and trying to work with the team, Rita sent one of her monsters to attack the city. There was a bit of clashing between Jason and Tommy in trying to stop the monster but the ending seemed to have worked in Rita's favor in helping her acquire an artifact.

Even though I really like this story, I feel like it focused more on Tommy, Jason (Red Ranger and team leader) and Kimberly (Pink Ranger). I do hope that Trini (Yellow Ranger), Zack (Black Ranger) and Billy (Blue Ranger) will get an equal amount of time shown in the next issue.



Story #2: The Ongoing Adventures of Bulk & Skull by Steve Orlando with illustrations by Corin Howell and colors by Jeremy Lawson

In this short story, Bulk and Skull are up to their usual mischief causing trouble at school. From getting in trouble for bringing animals to school for a project to pulling a prank on the Principal. However, nothing they do will get them the attention they want from the girls at school but they have a new plan for that, they are going to out hero the Power Ranger. Yeah, like that's ever going to work.



Story #3: What Time Is It? by Mairghread Scott with illustrations by Daniel Bayliss

This story has the Power Rangers trying to stop an attack from Goldar. I thought this was a good story with a lot of action, however it did feel incomplete with the ending being a little abrupt. Granted, I know the Power Rangers will defeat Goldar in the end it just would have been nice to see it.


For an introductory issue, this wasn't bad. You get three good stories with good artwork. Despite the addition of modern gadgets, this still had the feel of the old TV series. I'm really glad they went with the original Rangers instead of focusing on one of the numerous spin-offs. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.