Comic Book Wednesday: Aug. 19th Picks

I'm really hoping I can make it to the comic book store today because there are some good books out today. Such as Bizarro, Secret Wars: Secret Love, Archie, Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows and Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman just to name a few.

And here is the rest of my list:



Archie Comics

Book: Archie #2

Description:

Comic superstar Mark Waid and Fiona Staples continues their reimagining of an icon!

The new school year continues to bring with it daunting new challenges and interesting changes for the teens of Riverdale High. But there’s one thing that remains constant: Archie’s car is still a piece of garbage! With car problems comes money problems, which means that Archie’s on the hunt for a new job. Fortunately, a mysterious new building in Riverdale is offering some career opportunities for Archie and his friends. Who’s behind this new conglomerate and what are their intentions for Riverdale? Find out in the second issue of this all-new Archie series!

Art of the Day: Jem and the Holograms

Artwork: Jem and the Holograms by BemiTellove

Happy Birthday, Lois Lane!

Happy Birthday to Lois Lane, one of the best journalist in the world of DC Comics. Lois Joanne Lane is a powerhouse for sure. Bold and to the point, she fights for truth and justice through her words as a award winning reporter for the Daily Planet.

Lois is far from perfect and that's what I believe is her charm. She's not trying to be this perfect person, she has flaws like the rest of us but that doesn't stop her from going after what she wants including a great career and a great love.

She knows the importance of being a good journalist and enjoying life. She's headstrong, passionate, confident, assertive and inspiring.

So, Happy Birthday to the Queen of DC Comics!

Book Review: King issue #1

Book: King issue #1 by Joshua Hale Fialkov with illustration by Bernard Chang with color by Marcelo Maiolo

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: August 19, 2015 (digital)  January 20, 2016 (completed paperback)

Publisher: Jet City Comics

Description:

This graphic novel is a Kindle Serial published in five issues for one price. This serial currently contains one issue out of five total issues, with future issues delivered every month at no additional cost until the collected series is complete.

From critically acclaimed comic book writer Joshua Hale Fialkov (The Bunker, Echoes, and I, Vampire) and superstar artists Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo (Green Lantern Corps, Batman Beyond) comes a postapocalyptic action/adventure comedy.

King just wants what anybody wants: not to get fired, eaten, or forced to mate with a cheetah lady. For Earth’s sole human survivor after the apocalypse, life among Los Angeles’s strange new populace ain’t easy. Working for the LA Department of Reclamation, King gets a lot of crappy jobs going on quests and searching for artifacts from the “old world,” which can range from the mythical (Excalibur!) to the absurd (an iPod shuffle—which, let’s be honest, was a terrible, terrible invention). The commute can be a real pain in the asphalt, too; the 405 freeway is filled with mutants, monsters, mayhem, and tentacled Elder Gods. And that’s all before you hit the horrors of the San Fernando Valley. As the world’s freakish inhabitants battle for supremacy, King searches for the “seed of life,” which may give Earth the second chance it probably doesn’t even deserve.

Issue #1: King is the sole human survivor of the apocalypse. While working for the LA Department of Reclamation, he scours the wasteland in search of the “life seed”—but discovers his deadliest foe instead.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

In this first issue, King who is the only human left following a devastating apocalyptic event must go about his day avoiding death and dismemberment from all the Gods, monsters and mutants who despise him just so he can get to his job. He works for the LA Department of Reclamation and his latest assignment is to go over to Encino to acquire the "seed of life". Trying to find this "seed of life" is yet another in a long line of attempts to restart the Earth into re-growing natural resources amongst other things.

This job isn't without danger because if the robotic bear doesn't kill him then reuniting with someone close to him that he hasn't seen in years just might.

The first issue of King is both smart and funny as it sets up what will be I hope a rather interesting fantasy adventure with King most likely trying to stay alive long enough to find this "seed of life". I like the writing for this, it has a nice sort of sarcastic feel to it with the story being fast-paced and action packed.

This is exactly what I've been looking for, something different to read. I can't wait to see what happens in the second issue.

Book Review: Hexes and Hemlines

Book: Hexes and Hemlines (A Witchcraft Mystery book #3) by Juliet Blackwell

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Although, there was more magic than mystery in this third book it was still a good read. Hexes and Hemlines finds Lily Ivory, vintage clothing store owner and witch, being asked by her police detective friend Carlos Romero to find out what she could about the murder of the mysterious Malachi Zazi. He wanted to know if perhaps the murder was caused by the supernatural.

Zazi was found dead in his penthouse apartment surrounded by symbols of bad luck. He had created an organization, the Serpentarian Society whose main goal was to debunk superstitions. As she investigated she kept finding several coincidences with the murder including her employee and friend Browyn's son-in-law Gregory being considered a person of interest as well as she kept running into a powerful witch named Doura.

She got some unlikely assistance from psychic Sailor but also found herself running into conflict with Aiden Rhodes, a powerful witch who wanted her to stay away from the mystery.

This case may put Lily's life and her friends in danger if she doesn't figure out what's really going on. With a hex appearing on her friend's doorstep and hearing that she has a curse placed on her, it's not going to be an easy case to solve with so many obstacles in her way.

There was a lot going in the story from Lily's relationship with journalist Max Carmichael possibly fizzling to her growing distrust of Aiden who is supposed to be helping her with her powers but she's not sure if it's for his benefit or hers. She also found herself caring for Zazi's cat despite her allergies but doing her best to find it a caring home.

I like that in this book you got a little more insight into Lily's past because she always mentions that she didn't get a chance to complete her training with her grandmother and the story showed why. There was also a little more information given about her familiar Oscar and the psychic Sailor.

I feel like this series is a little different from other cozy mysteries because although it fits into that category it has a very dark and serious feel to it. There are light and happy moments throughout but the supernatural threats seem to be even more menacing.

This was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Art of the Day: Zuko and Mai

Artwork: Zuko and Mai by nini-pooh

Book Review: Focus on Me

Book: Focus on Me (In Focus book #2) by Megan Erickson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: PEGUIN GROUP Berkley: InterMix

Description:

Colin Hartman can now add college to his list of failures. On the coast-to-coast trek home from California, Colin stops at a gas station in the Nevada desert, and can’t help noticing the guy in tight jeans looking like he just stepped off a catwalk. When he realizes Catwalk is stranded, Colin offers a ride.

Riley only intended to take a short ride in Colin’s Jeep to the Grand Canyon. But one detour leads to another until they finally find themselves tumbling into bed together. However there are shadows in Riley’s eyes that hide a troubled past. And when those shadows threaten to bury the man whom Colin has fallen in love with, he vows to get Riley the help he needs. For once in his life, quitting isn’t an option…  


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

21 year old Colin Hartman got more than he bargained for when he offered to give 23 year old Riley Sorenson, a stranded young man at a Las Vegas gas station, a ride to the Grand Canyon.

Colin had been traveling from California on his way back home to North Carolina after he flunked out of college. He never seems to succeed at anything and so before he goes back home to work at his family's restaurant, which he actually enjoys working at, he wants to enjoy the trip.

What started out as Colin trying to get to know his rather mysterious passenger Riley, turned into a friendship that turned into something romantic. Although at times you can tell that Riley was hiding things from Colin. What Riley was hiding was the fact that he was dealing with mental health issues along with having an eating disorder. Riley had been a model but decided to quit because it wasn't working for him anymore and was making his problems even worse.

As the story moved along, the guys were enjoying the road trip with Riley trying to complete a sort of bucket list. Unbeknownst to Colin, the list is something Riley hopes will help him be able to feel something because he feels so dead inside and just wants to feel alive. With Colin in no hurry to head home that gave them plenty of time to explore not only their growing attraction but the places they were visiting. However, after some time Riley's erratic behavior and mood swings were starting to make Colin wonder if everything was okay with Riley.

Some days Riley would be happy but other days he would be depressed and withdrawn with nothing being able to bring him around. Even the cute little dog they found on the side of the road couldn't help with his really bad days. When their relationship turned serious, Riley seemed to become really dependent on Colin almost as a lifeline for him. This unnerved Colin because what he thought was romantic was quickly revealing itself to be something really unhealthy.

This story is told from Colin's point of view as it focused on two 20-somethings who were both trying to figure out what they wanted out of life. Colin who usually fails or quits just about everything he attempts decided that he was not going to give up on Riley who truly needs professional help. However, Riley is resistant to seeking help but Colin knows that to help the person he loves he needs to do something even if it may result in Riley never wanting to see him ever again.

Focus on Me is a sequel to Trust the Focus with it connecting to the previous book with Justin and Landry (the couple from the first book) showing up at a critical point in the story. Riley is friends with Landry and had been sending e-mails to him throughout the story.

This was slightly darker than the first book with Riley dealing with a lot of issues. But the subject matter aside, the author created an interesting story (albeit with a bit of instant love) that's part road trip and part self discovery with romance added on. Similar to the first book this is a touching story that is filled with drama, humor and romance intertwined with emotional turmoil. There is a lot of good character development in this for both Colin and Riley, the author did do a good job with making these characters seem real instead of being stereotypical or one-dimensional.

Please note, there are some steamy/racy scenes in this.

Art of the Day: Wolverine and the Hulk

Artwork: Wolverine and the Hulk by Tom Fowler

Happy Blogaversary!!!

Wow, can you believe it. My little book blog is three years old today. I started this blog as a way to share my opinions about the books that I love and even the ones that I didn't. As well as a place to express my love of all things geeky from comic books to home décor.

As a way to mark this special occasion, I cut my hair. It's been long for quite a while and I wanted a change. So, I went into the salon today and showed my hairstylist a picture of what I wanted which was a really cute bob. 

I want to thank everyone who has visited my blog and I want to wish everyone a happy Saturday.

Best Wishes,

Book Girl

Illustration of the Day: Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor (New 52)

Illustration: Justice League issue #41

How long is DC Comics going to continue with the fauxmance? Because looking at this panel even Wonder Woman would like to be with Steve Trevor over that farce of a relationship she's in with Superman.

Currently Reading: Marvel Knights: Spider-Man

Here is another miniseries I waited until now to read. I'm trying to change my tendency to wait to read my books, I have no idea why I do that (I guess we all have our little quirks).


Book: Marvel Knights: Spider-Man: Fight Night (issues #1-5) by Matt Kindt with illustration by Marco Rudy and color by Val Staples

Edition: Single print issues

Description:

It's an all-new Spider-Man event in the magnificent Marvel Knights style! From the haunted heights of a mysterious castle to the dizzying depths of the deep seas, the Amazing Spider-Man has to take on not one, not six, not twelve - but ninety-nine of the Marvel Universe's deadliest villains to save the lives of countless innocents! Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) and Marco Rudy (Swamp Thing) bring you a defining hour in the life of the webbed wonder in a race against time and a battle against evil.

Art of the Day: Optimus Prime and Skyfire

Artwork: Skyfire and Optimus Prime by Dan-the-artguy with color by Josh Perez

Book Review: Teen Titans vol #3

Book: Teen Titans volume #3: Beast Boys & Girls (issues: Beast Boy #1-4, Teen Titans #13-15)

Beast Boy issues by Ben Raab and Geoff Johns with illustration by Justiniano and color by Jason Wright

Teen Titans issues by Geoff Johns with illustrations by Tom Grummett with color by Jeromy Cox


Edition: Trade

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

This was great. In this third volume of Teen Titans you not only get two Beast Boy centric stories but they were very well written.

In the first story, Beast Boy (Garfield Logan) decides to return to Hollywood to try to restart his acting career but all he found there was zero opportunities. Adding to that, Gar will be staying with his slacker cousin Matt in his cousin's rundown apartment.

One night the guys went out to a nightclub but things were continuing to look bad for Beast Boy when he found himself being arrested for murder. He had been trying to rescue a young woman when he was knocked out and awoke surrounded by the police.

His arrest turned into a media frenzy because the actor and hero had succumbed to the pressure of Hollywood or that's the way the media was making it out to be.

Beast Boy knows he's innocent but after a daring escape from jail to go after someone who look suspiciously just like him he was once again sought after by the police. And add to that, two of his former co-stars from his old TV series had been abducted with him being blamed for it as well as he had a couple of bounty hunters after him. Will anyone believe that he's innocent?

He does get some help from Flamebird (Betty Kane), a former Teen Titans West member who was more known for being a screw up and having a huge crush on Nightwing (Dick Grayson). And speaking of Nightwing, he does make an appearance, he traveled to Hollywood trying to figure out what was going on with Beast Boy after his arrest was publicized. However, he may have ran into the one person that may be responsible for all of Gar's troubles, if Flamebird didn't get in his way.

This was a good story and it had a great mystery. I also like that Flamebird got a chance to prove that she was more than just the screw up that everyone thought she was. The story had a good mix of drama, action and humor as it put a spotlight on Beast Boy, one of my favorite characters, as he set about moving on from being a hero and living in the shadows of his past.


In the second story, Beast Boy's origin was the focus, showing how a rare and poisonous animal had bitten Gar when he was a little boy. But thanks to his parents quick thinking they were able to save his life although he did end up turning green and acquiring the ability to turn into any animal he could imagine.

Which brings the story up to the present, with Beast Boy some how losing his shape shifting abilities along with his green coloring. Everything he lost seemed to have transferred to the children in the San Francisco area as well as the rare disease that nearly killed him. While Gar seemed to be cured the rest of the Teen Titans (Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash) were out trying to round up all the infected children who had turned into animals. To help find a cure for the children a doctor from Gar's past had been called in but with time running out will the Titans be able to find out what's really going on.

The story also focused on the God Ares who seems to have a hidden agenda for wanting to help Wonder Girl (Cassandra Sandsmark) to figure out the power of her lasso. Meanwhile Raven is still trying to adjust to not only her new body but getting a handle on her powers.

While all of that was going on, in a side plot Superboy (Conner Kent) went to Gotham trying to track down Robin (Tim Drake) who did not show up that weekend to Titans' Tower. However, all he found was a girl (Stephanie Brown) wearing a Robin costume as well as the unfortunate opportunity of running into Batman who not so kindly told him to use his mind and abilities to track down his former protégé.

This was another good story because not only do you get to see the team working together to solve this problem but you're learning more about these characters. Again this story had a good blend of drama, action and humor.