Manga Review: Stitch and the Samurai, Vol. 1

About the manga

Title: Disney Manga: Stitch and the Samurai
Series: Stitch and the Samurai, Volume 1
Author & Illustrator: Hiroto Wada
Genres: Manga, Disney
Expected Publication: April 27th, 2021
Pages: 176
Read: March 2021

My Copy

Publisher: Disney Manga
Edition: Ebook
Purchase Location: Netgalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

While fleeing the Galactic Federation, Stitch's spaceship malfunctions and he makes an emergency landing... not in Hawaii, but in sengoku-era Japan! Discovered by the brutal warlord Lord Yamato and his clan, Stitch's incomparable cuteness is no match for the battle-weary samurai, who decides to bring the "blue tanuki" home with him. Will Stitch's love of chaos turn into a formidable advantage for the samurai's influence? Or will his cute and fluffy form disarm the noble lord's stern façade?

My Spoiler Free Review

Hmm okay, I have to be very honest. As much as I love Stitch (he’s my favourite Disney character ever) and as much as I wanted to love this, it just wasn’t for me. I think young children, maybe around the age of 3-7, would enjoy this (but honestly, I don’t really know a lot about what kids read as I don’t have any kids around me). The story is simple, the art is cute and very well done, and any young child would probably pick up great things from this manga.

However, for adults like me, this is missing some plot and sense to the story. In Stitch and the Samurai, Stitch lands in Japan instead of Hawaii. When Stitch’s spaceship malfunctions it crash lands right in front of a warlord called Lord Yamato, who immediately is consumed by Stitch’s cuteness (who can blame him?). But it goes so far, that he grows obsessed with Stitch, and trying to pet and feed him. This obsession leads him to absolutely ignore the war that he’s actually leading and his samurai don’t know how to handle the situation.

What I had some troubles with, was that Stitch knew the words “Ohana – Family” and there were some other small references to Lilo… But if this is a story about him landing in Japan instead of in Hawaii, how would he know this? Lilo taught him the meaning of Ohana… So this felt a bit more just for sales than for actual story telling, which was a bit of a shame.

Overall I enjoyed this as a quick read, and it truly did make me laugh at some ridiculous parts, but I don’t think I would read this again (however, if this is an on-going series I might pick up the next parts anyways). It’s a nice way to relax after a tiring day, if you don’t want to have to think about too much plot twists and drama.

I'd like to know

Who else has requested a copy of this on NetGalley? Did you enjoy reading it? And are you also as obsessed with Stitch as I am? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Comic Book Review: Supergirl (Reign Of The Cyborg Supermen)

About the comic book

Title: Reign Of The Cyborg Supermen
Series: Supergirl (2016 - #)
Author: Steve Orlando
Artist: Brian Ching and others
Genres: Comics, DC Comics, Superheroes
Publication: April 4th, 2017
Pages: 166
Read: February 2021

My Copy

Publisher: DC Comics
Edition: Kindle
Purchase Location: Netgalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Supergirl moves to National City! As Kara Danvers, average American teenager and high school student, Supergirl must balance her life as a superhero with her new life on Earth. But some demons from her Kryptonian past are coming back to haunt her, and Kara will find herself face-to-face with her father: the sinister Cyborg Superman! Critically acclaimed writer Steve Orlando (Midnighter) comes a new beginning for Kara Zor-El in Supergirl, Volume 1, Reign Of The Cyborg Super-Men a new series that is sure to appeal to fans of the TV series! (Collecting: Supergirl 1-6, Rebirth)

My Spoiler Free Review

So back in 2017 I was very actively reviewing and reading a lot of comics and books. Back then I was also active on NetGalley and sadly after I started University, I fell into a blogging hiatus, that just wouldn’t stop. Now I’m in my last semester of my bachelor’s and I finally found the motivation again to spend more time on reading and reviewing books (and graphic novels). I found out that I still had a couple of ARCs on my NetGalley account that I never reviewed, so I’m gonna try to battle that specific TBR pile.

I actually had already read Supergirl back in 2017, but never got around to reviewing it, so I decided to start with this volume and reread it today! I honestly couldn’t remember much of the story anyways. And rightfully so, it’s a bit confusing, even for the Rebirth series. Supergirl once again battles the Cyborg Superman, who she battled in the New 52 area already. But now he appears to be her father? And he’s obsessed with bringing Argo back to life and basically “revived” the entire population with Brainiac’s technology. But for them to actually come alive they need the people of earth’s life force and attack Earth in order to kill National City’s citizens in Zor-El’s personal vendetta against Supergirl. It seems very strange to me that in such a massive alien/robot attack, no other superhero from Earth tries to save the city. It’s all left to Supergirl, the D.E.O. and CatCo to save the citizens. I feel like this would have been a scenario where the Justice League should have been involved?

But, there’s also good in this volume. I really liked the Artwork! However, I now am surer than ever, I don’t particularly like Steve Orlando’s writing (also after having read his Wonder Woman stories). I had bigger hopes for this volume, as I’m a big fan of the TV show!

I'd like to know

Is anybody else still on NetGalley? How are you keeping up with your reviews? And have you read Supergirl or watched the TV shows? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Book Review: Flame in the Mist

About the book

Title: Flame in the Mist
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: Flame in the Mist #1
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings
Publication: May 16th, 2017
Pages: 416
Read: August 2017

My Copy

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Edition: Ebook
Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

My Spoiler Free Review

When I tried to get a copy of this book everybody was talking about it. The cover looks absolutely stunning so my interest was caught right away. And the summary sounded pretty decent, too. I LOVE Mulan and it’s one of my favourite Disney stories so I had some expectations for this book to meet. It still took me a few weeks to finally start reading this after receiving a copy (due to the stressful time I had been going through with Uni and my results and stuff).

From the beginning on I was quite confused and had some difficulties remembering who was who and which characters were supposed to be the good guys / bad guys. I also didn’t really appreciate all the instant changes of point of views. I barely had enough time to register one character when we were already reading from somebody else’s view. Those povs were kind of tumbling in on themselves.

And the probably most important reason that made it so hard for me to enjoy reading Flame in the Mist: I do not like the protagonist. I find Mariko annoying and quite unreliable and she just simply did not make it easy for me to like her. (More about this in the spoilery part.)

I know that I’m one of the very few who did not really enjoy this book and I hope that all of you who still have it on their tbr will love it! It just didn’t have the wow-effect on me that I wish it had. Me not liking this book can definitely be blamed on the rough time I went through when I read it. I do plan on continuing with the series when the sequel gets out because I think it’s an interesting plot, it just didn’t fit me at the time and I hope I’ll enjoy it better if I re-read it one day.

My favourite quote from the book is very inspiring and I love it!

Okami: “I deny being a slave to any one thing. In any situation we can choose who we are and choose who we want to be.” - p.265

The Part That Might Contain Spoilers

Back to the part where I don’t like Mariko. I questioned every single decision she made starting with the very first (and probably most irrational) one; to follow the Black Clan although she thought of them as dangerous murderers. Let’s face it, if they were exactly how she imagined them, she wouldn’t have survived 5 minutes with them.

And I couldn’t take it seriously that NOBODY noticed she wasn’t a boy. If I remember correctly she should be around 17 years old and at that age you can see a woman’s feature very accentuated in a girl’s face , so why didn’t any of the guys look at her close enough? But I decided to let it be and find myself at peace with this because Mulan also managed to hide that (and it’s also kind of bothering me there so…).

Also I kind of feel like there were not enough character developments in the story..? Basically the only ones that really “changed” were Mariko, her brother and Okami. All the others just had hidden background stories that came to light to mark who they were, but they didn’t evolve throughout the pages...

In the sequel I would very much like to see more of the bromance between Takeda Ranmaru and Okami because that’s true friendship right there. And I want to know more about their history. Although this might seem like a very negative review (and I apologise if it really does come across like that), I hope to see the sequel perform better and that Ahdieh digs a little deeper into the characters’ feelings. This is my first time reading a book by her and I’m not sure how this makes me feel about The Wrath and the Dawn series that’s still on my tbr…

I'd like to know

Have you read Flame in the Mist? I’d love to hear what you think about the book! Or do you know any of Renee Ahdieh’s other works? This actually reminds me that I really need to rewatch Mulan again! Anybody with me?

Comic Reviews: Superman (Path of Doom) & Suicide Squad (The Black Vault)

Hey guys! It's been a while. Sorry for being absent for a while, but Uni is really taking up all of my free time (more on this in a future post). Today I've got two comic reviews of two awesome DC stories and I hope you'll enjoy them. I've been holding back quite some reviews, so I'm going to post a few next week, too and hope you don't mind too much. I've got some book reviews in store too, but I don't know when I'll be able to finally finalize and post them. Without anymore excuses, you shall continue with reading the reviews now if you please :)

About the comic

Title: Superman: Path of Doom

Edition: Action Comics, Volume 1
Author: Dan Jurgens

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes

Published: February 17th, 2017

Read: March 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC Comics

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Superman returns to Metropolis just in time to meet the city of tomorrow's newest protector: Lex Luthor. But it's not long before these dueling titans meet someone unexpected -- the new Clark Kent! The two arch-enemies must put aside their differences and face the common threat of Doomsday, as Jimmy Olsen and the Planet staff try to uncover the truth: who is the man claiming to be Clark Kent? Writer Dan Jurgens (The Death of Superman) returns to the Man of Steel along with illustrators Tyler Kirkham (Deathstroke) and Patrick Zircher (Green Arrow) for the next great Superman chapter in Superman: Action Comics, Volume 1: Path of Doom! (Collecting: Action Comics 957-962)

My Review

Superman is and always will be my Number One superhero. I grew up with so many stories of Superman and Clark Kent was probably one of my first TV crushes ever (in Smallville). I still haven’t brought it over myself to read the last few issues of the New 52 era surrounding Superman’s happenings… Although I wasn’t able to keep all the spoilers out of my life (the internet made that pretty impossible). So now having to adjust to new kinds of Supermen (and Superwomen of course) is kind of … well, unnerving.

But this “new” (do I actually call this new or is it rather “continuing”?) Action Comics story arc did a pretty good job at catching my attention. I’ve never been a Lex Luthor fan, in fact I despise this character. Having to see him pretend to be the new Superman and not having any bad intentions whatsoever does not go well for me. He’s basically the Dan Scott in the superhero world compared to One Tree Hill. And then there is another Clark Kent running around, claiming not to know anything about himself actually being Superman and not showing any traces of super-abilities, what’s that about?

I can’t wait to see where this goes and I’ll definitely be following the next part of the story!

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About the comic Title: Suicide Squad: The Black Vault Edition: Volume 1 (Rebirth) Author: Rob Williams Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes Published: February 28th, 2017 Read: March 2017 My Copy Publisher: DC Comics Edition: Kindle Purchase Location: NetGalley I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

The government has once again handpicked the worst of the worst for its Task Force X. Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Katana and Killer Croc. All deadly criminals sent on the most dangerous missions possible by a governement that wants them killed. But their newest challenge? A teammate so powerful that even this group of murderers and thieves can't control. Behind the pencils of Jim Lee and Philip Tan, as well as the pen of writer Rob Williams comes Suicide Squad, Volume 1: The Black Vault! (Collecting: Suicide Squad 1-4, Rebirth)

My Review

At first I didn’t really understand where the Suicide Squad came from. Then, last year, I went to the movies and saw the movie (which was okay, but not the best DC has to offer) and I got a little more curious about the background stories. So I decided I wanted to start reading the comics, and what better way then to start with the Rebirth series?

When I picked this volume up I didn’t know what I was getting into and didn’t have very high hopes. But the story actually turned out to be very interesting. Especially, I enjoyed reading those reintroductions of the characters so well known as the Suicide Squad! Except for Harley Quinn, I didn’t really know any of these characters very well so it was nice to get to know them a little better.

This volume had a lot of humour to offer and that sorted it all out, in my opinion. I’m interested in where this is going and hope that I’ll like it better with time.

I'd like to know

I'll be back on Monday with the next couple of reviews. In the meantime I'd like to know: Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Are you Team Batman or Team Superman? Or have you read any other Rebirth series? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Comic Reviews: Wonder Woman (Her Greatest Battles) & WW (The Lies)

I know I know I know. I'm so sorry about not posting actively all my reviews right now! I'm really swamped with the huge amount of work load I should be doing for University, which makes it very hard to focuss on actually writing reviews for all those books and comics I read. But today I've got two little reviews about one of the greatest superheroes ever! Who else could it be than Wonder Woman? Hope you'll enjoy!

About the comic

Title: Wonder Woman: Her Greatest Battles

Edition: Collection of several different stories
Author: Various

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes

Published: February 14th, 2017

Read: February 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC Comics

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

The perfect companion piece to 2017’s highly anticipated film Wonder Woman is here. With the powers of a god and the fighting spirit of an Amazon, Wonder Woman is Earth’s fiercest defender. On Themyscira, Diana was trained from birth to be a warrior. Her skills in battle are unmatched, as are her bullet-stopping bracelets and Lasso of Truth. Now, relive her greatest triumphs! In these stories from such top-tier comics talents as Greg Rucka, George Pérez, John Byrne, Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang and Gail Simone, the Amazing Amazon must use every ounce of her strength and steel to bring down gods, monsters and—when mind-controlling villains take control—even her friends. (Collecting WONDER WOMAN #6, #119, #210, #219; WONDER WOMAN #41; JUSTICE LEAGUE: PART THREE #3; WONDER WOMAN #23.)

My Review

Such a fun collection of so many great different fights with Wonder Woman. Seeing her battle so many different foes in just one collection really made me want to read more and more. I will definitely have to try to check out some of the older stories because I got very curious about some of these fights.

Reading about Diana fighting against Superman (and nearly killing each other) or her fighting next to Power Girl against evil children amongst many other different stories showed me quite a few things I didn’t know about Wonder Woman yet. I haven’t read a lot of her stories yet, sadly (I actually only really started with the Rebirth series) so there’s so much still for me to discover and this served as some kind of guide to where I should pick up some of her older stories.

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About the comic Title: Wonder Woman: The Lies Edition: Volume 1 (Rebirth) Author: Greg Rucka Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes Published: February 28th, 2017 Read: March 2017 My Copy Publisher: DC Comics Edition: Kindle Purchase Location: NetGalley I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

New York Times best-selling writer Greg Rucka returns to Wonder Woman! After suffering an unimaginable loss, Diana must rebuild her mission as Earth's ultimate protector and champion. However, in the midst of her grief, her Lasso of Truth stopped working! Start down the rabbit hole as dark secrets from Wonder Woman's past unravel her present! From the ashes of DC Universe: Rebirth, critically acclaimed writer Greg Rucka along with illustrator Liam Sharpunveil a tale that will forever alter the DC icon in Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies! (Collecting: Wonder Woman 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, Rebirth)

My Review

Wonder Woman is probably one of the greatest heroes ever. She’s also one of the first I ever knew. Next to Superman and Batman she belongs to the Big Three. I didn’t hesitate to pick this copy up! I’ve actually read it in singles when I got them from my local bookstore, but I also got a digital copy via NetGalley and I loved rereading it!

The art is so beautiful and Liam Sharp did an amazing job! This isn’t the first story I’ve read written by Greck Rucka and once again he made me a very happy reader. :)

This is my first time getting to know Cheetah (as I’ve only read about her character passively in the past) and to find out how intertwined her story with Diana is, was really interesting. I’m a big Steve and Diana fan and I can’t wait to find out how it continues (as I’ve said above: I’ve got the Wonder Woman Rebirth series on my Pull list (basically my local comic bookstore just orders the series for me and puts my issues on the side until I can go and collect them) and I need to pick up reading them again, because I’ve fallen quite behind because of Uni).

And I must mention: I was so confused at the beginning because the single issues skipped this story every other issue so that another story could be told in parallel. My review of that story will be up when the next collecting-volume gets published.

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Have you read any Wonder Woman stories? Or have you read any other Rebirth series? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Comic Review: Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1

About the comic

Title: Scooby Apocalypse

Edition: Volume 1
Author: Keith Giffen

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Apocalypse

Published: February 7th, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC Comics

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Fred. Daphne. Velma. Shaggy. Scooby-Doo. Roaming the globe in their lime-green Mystery Machine, they've solved countless crimes and debunked dozens of sketchy supernatural shenanigans. But what if the horror was real? Something terrible has transformed our world, turning millions of people into mindless zombie hordes. And only five people--well, four people and one mangy mutt--have the smarts, the skills and the sheer crazy courage to stare down doomsday. Can these pesky kids and their canine companion--using every incredible contraption in their arsenal--defeat the evil that has overwhelmed planet Earth? We've got only one thing to say about that: ZOINKS! (Collecting #1-6)

My Review

As a child I used to love to watch the Scooby Doo tv series on Cartoon Network. Okay, who am I kidding, I still love to watch that series and when I find it on whilst zapping through the channels, I immediately stop and cherish whatever episode’s just running. So when I saw this new comic I just had to request it. And luckily, I got accepted.

Sadly, I didn’t quite enjoy it ass much as I’d hoped to. I guess I’m just too stuck on my favourite Monster Inc gang from the television that I’m used to. This story by Keith Giffen takes the characters I adore so much and gives them new personalities and a new story. It’s quite inventive and it was really good thought-through. But I like my versions that I’ve known for so long already of Shaggy, Daphne, Velma, Fred and Scoob a little better.

The best part of the series for me used to be the ending when the “monsters” would reveal themselves as whichever human crazy-head had a reason to haunt his victims. This story takes on real monsters instead. Some kind of zombies slash vampire monster thingies that try to eat everyone. The Monster Inc gang which doesn’t use this name, though, tries to find a way to save the world and although they’re not really friends, they save each other.

The story is fast-paced, has great artwork and has a lot of plot twists, some that I never saw coming. The Mystery Machine got a serious upgrade and Scooby Doo is revealed to be a human experiment on dogs to enhance them for military purposes. (Say whaaaat? :P)

All in all, I’d say if you love the Scooby Doo series, you should pick up this new “revival” and check it out for yourself! Everybody has their own opinions and I’m going to rewatch some episodes right now because this comic made me miss the TV series so much (in a good way!).

I'd like to know

Did you watch the Scooby Doo tv series, too? Do you have in mind picking up this comic? What's your favourite childhood cartoon series? I'd love to talk about this more with you in the comments! :))

Comic Reviews: Batman (Rise of the Batmen) & Nightwing (Better Than Batman)

About the comic

Title: Batman: Rise of the Batmen

Edition: Detective Comics (Rebirth), Volume 1
Author: James Tynion IV

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes

Published: February 7th, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC Comics

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

The Dark Knight and series co-star Batwoman team up to take new protégés Red Robin, Spoiler and the villainous Clayface under their leathery wings! The only problem is, neither new super-instructor knows exactly what they're in for as the attempt to train these wiould-be heroes before a mysterious army takes Gotham for themselves. (Collecting: Detective Comics 934-940)

My Review

With Rebirth there comes a lot of responsibility. And James Tynion IV did a wonderful job in turning that responsibility into a great new story arc. The new team Batman puts together includes a lot of awesome people (Batwoman, Spoiler, Red Robin and Orphan) and to my surprise Clay Face. Somehow it works out great.

With a lot of turning events and tension the story goes along pretty fast paced and doesn’t leave you hanging. (Except at the end of course with a major cliffhanger which I still don’t know how to handle.)

A father would do anything to keep “his little girl” save, even though she might already be a grown woman and can make choices of her own. The complex story between Kate and her dad ensures an interesting plot. A lot of great fight scenes are involved which are executed perfectly with the beautiful artwork.

I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions about this new installment in the Rebirth series, but I for one am really glad to have picked it up because it was such a great read! I’m sure a lot of people would enjoy this, too, if they’d give it a chance. The Batman family is displayed in such a great way in this new story!

I need to know how the story goes on because that cliffhanger sure wasn’t nice at all. I do not know where the Batman family stands right now or how their future looks like. I’m very excited for the next volume.

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About the comic Title: Nightwing: Better Than Batman Edition: Volume 1 (Rebirth) Author: Tim Seeley Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes Published: January 25th, 2017 Read: January 2017 My Copy Publisher: DC Comics Edition: Kindle Purchase Location: NetGalley I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

He's been Robin, he's been a super spy, a ghost. Now, Dick Grayson finds himself back in Gotham City fighting to reclaim the life that was taken from him. But when a new evil threatens those closest to Dick, as Nightwing he must once again choose whether or not to tear himself away from his home in order to combat this dark force. Everything Dick thought he knew about being Nightwing will be brought to bear, and his relationship to his former mentor Batman will be put to the test in Nightwing: Volume 1, Better Than Batman! (Collecting: Nightwing 1-4, 7-8, Rebirth)

My Review

I don’t know exactly when, but somewhere along the line of me discovering more and more of the DC universe Nightwing, or better Dick Grayson, has become one of my favourites in the Batman family. I haven’t read a lot of him yet, sadly, but his charm that I got to know in the Batgirl series hasn’t left me yet. So I decided to pick up the Nightwing Rebirth series, too.

I must admit, I’ve read better stories involving him, but there’s something about this first installment in his rebirth series that I like. It’s definitely not Raptor, because that’s a character I do not understand or like at all.

The plot is a little predictable, but I like Batman’s involvement in it. Him being a big part of Dick’s life makes him so much more likeable for me, although I’ve been a big Batman fan a long time already.

This story arc tells us a lot about Dick and who he is, or who he wants to be. Batgirl (who I LOVE) has some appearances and we get to know a little about his parents, too. Which I must admit I didn’t know anything about before. As I’ve mentioned, this is my first time reading a Nightwing story on its own. But Grayson is still high on my TBR list.

I can’t wait to tell you how it continues with Nightwing because I’ve started collecting the singles and they’re awesome. The story definitely picks up after this one, and in my opinion this is a great way for newbies (like me at the beginning) to get to know Dick Grayson.

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Are you a (secret) Nightwing fan yourself? Or have you read any other Rebirth series? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Book Review: The Adventures of Technicality Man

About the book

Title: The Adventures of Technicality Man

Author: Jessica Meats

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fiction, Superheroes, Humour

Published: December 19th, 2016

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: -

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Everyone knows how the stories are supposed to go. The good guys win in the end, the hero ends up with the designated love interest, and the plucky band of misfits pulls together to save the world. But what happens when a villain targets the nature of stories themselves? All the tropes that the heroes have come to rely on are under threat. Technicality Man and his trusty companion Continuity Leopard must join forces with a group of minor heroes to save the day. They won’t let any barrier stop them. Not even the fourth wall.

My Review

I'm really sorry to have to say that this book wasn't my cup of tea. I only finished it because of the short amount of pages. Had it been longer, I would probably have stopped reading and just DNFed it.

The author has no doubt a lot of creativity and skills in the application of narrative devices which I have a lot of respect for. But the story just wasn't as captivating as I'd wished it to be (pun not intended). And you'll only be able to understand that pun, when you've read the book, so hey maybe check it out? (Don't let my negative review deter you from reading this book.

Honestly, I wanted to write a longer review about this book, but I just can’t find any motivation because I really didn’t enjoy it all to well. I hope you guys will like it better and give it a shot anyways. I’ve seen a lot of great reviews of this book, mine’s just not one of them.

I'd like to know

Have you heard of this book and is it on your TBR? What are your latest reads and do you have any recommendations for me? How do you deal with books you don't enjoy? And especially: how do you tend to write those reviews? I'd love to talk about this with you in the comments! :)

Comic Review: Green Lanterns, Vol. 1

About the comic

Title: Green Lanterns: Rage Planet

Edition: Volume 1 (Rebirth)
Author: Sam Humphries

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes

Published: January 25th, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC Comics

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

New Green Lanterns Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz debut a new era of emerald greatness, tackling the universe's toughest beat: Earth. These rookie Lanterns promised to protect others in brightest day or blackest night, but as the "Red Planet" begins to rise, the duo finds themselves confronted with an unimaginable threat from Bleez and the Red Lanterns!

My Review

A few years back, I watched the Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds and honestly, I thought it was really bad. I thought the idea was kind of cool, but the implementation didn’t do it justice. Since then, I never picked up a Green Lantern comic, either because I didn’t feel like reading it or because I’ve only heard negative criticism. Probably because of both.

When the Rebirth series launched I was overwhelmed by all the new stories, but wasn’t interested in reading Green Lanterns at first. Then, I kept hearing good things about the rebirth singles and the people at my local comic store advised me to read it. So when I saw the first Volume on NetGalley I gave it a shot and re quested to read it. And how glad I am, that I did.

The story of Earth’s two new Green Lanterns Simon Baz (I chuckled at the name because I still can’t get over Carry On by Rainbow Rowell) and Jessica Cruz is quite enjoyable. Having to fight together against evil trying to take over the world without liking each other can bring some obstacles more, than you’d like. The story had a natural flow, you understand quite a lot even if you didn’t read the New 52 Comics (although, there are still a lot of lacking background information, naturally) and the artwork is pretty good and impressive.

I think it’s great to see a superhero fighting her anxiety and shows that everybody can be a hero by overcoming their fears in certain situation. Classic interpretation, but the implementation in the story is very important and beautifully done!

I’m really interested in seeing where the story continues with Jessica and Simon and the rogue Guardian. Maybe this’ll shed some light on the whole Rebirth evolution?

I’m really glad I picked this up and so should you! :)

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Do you think you'd pick up Green Lanterns? Or have you read any other Rebirth series? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Book Review: Millie Vanilla's Cupcake Café - Spring Beginnings

About the novella

Title: Millie Vanilla's Cupcake Café, Spring Beginnings

Author: Georgia Hill

Series: Millie Vanilla's Cupcake Café #1
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fiction

Expected Publication: February 3rd, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Edition: Paperback

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

A new charming three part series for fans of sweet romance! Is this the start of something wonderful? Millie’s working all hours to make her seaside café a success, so when a rival multi-national café chain opens its latest branch just around the corner, stealing away her customers, it means WAR! Millie’s remaining loyal customers step up – and a new arrival in town, the gorgeous, enigmatic Jed Henville, is also keen on helping Millie solve her business crisis. But it’s only after Jed sweeps her off her feet that Millie suddenly realises how little she knows about him…

My Review

In January I decided to read more books out of my usual comfort zone (like Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Graphic Novels and Young Adult lit). When I stumbled upon Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Café I was intrigued right away. I got hooked on the story after two pages and couldn’t put down the book until I finished it in one sitting. That hasn’t happened to me in a long time. Often I need a break to do something else, but not with this lovely story.

It’s a sweet, light read and one that you should definitely read accompanied by some biscuits or cake, because I can promise you you’ll crave them. Novellas like these make me miss all the lovely cafés I’ve visited in the UK and I really wished I could go to Millie’s Café right about now.

The story had the right pace and you get to know the characters pretty well. It’s written in such a good way and of course there had to be a cliffhanger in the end. I really need to get my hands on the sequel!

This makes for a fantastic read between all of your highly-concentrated fantasy and sci-fi reads and the romance is pretty perfect for a February feeling (with Valentine’s Day coming up and all). I suggest you pick up a copy as soon as it’s published (which will be tomorrow, by the way).

I'd like to know

Do you think you'd pick up this novella? What are your thoughts on romantic contemporaries in general? Do you like to read books out of your comfort zone from now and then?

Book Review: Hidden Universe Travel Guides

About the book

Title: Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos

Special: With Notes by the Guardians of the Galaxy
Author: Marc Sumerak

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Marvel

Published: October 25th, 2016

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Insight Editions

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

The ultimate guidebook to Earth, the Nine Realms, and other dimensions from Marvel Comics, as told by Peter Quill, Rocket, Groot, and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Ever since Super Heroes like Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy started stomping around planet Earth, we’ve had to open our horizons a little and embrace the wider reaches of space. If you’re thinking of journeying to one of the many new realms for a little R’n’R, then don’t leave home without Hidden Universe’s guide to the cosmos. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the divine splendor of Asgard or soak up the multicultural atmosphere of intergalactic waypoint Knowhere, this is the book for you. It even provides some tips on surviving excursions to Planet Moord and Chitauri Prime, if you like your vacations to be on the extreme side.

My Review

Looking back at my reading updates on Goodreads, I would say it’s clear that I enjoyed this book. Thanks to a glitch in my app it seems like I’m overexcited on page 41. What better way to express your feelings, right?

But I actually really did enjoy reading this book. I like to read travel guides in my freetime anyway, and what better travel guide than one explaining the entire Galaxy? (At least how it exists in the Marvel world…) With really great artwork and a brilliant layout you can easily spot what you want to read, and get all the tips you need if you ever plan to visit Planet Moord, Halfworld, Ego or Knowhere (most of which I’d actually advise you not to visit…).

The description of the different planets and worlds didn’t bore me at all, but after a while I had to concentrate on not slipping away with my thoughts. Thankfully, there were the (comical) comments by the Guardians of the Galaxy team to lighten up the mood.

This can be a fun read which you definitely don’t have to read in one sitting and can leave and pick up again anytime you want. If you’re interested in the Marvel Cosmos, I recommend you to have a look at this fun travel guide. It might even help you explain some of the different power sources of our beloved superheroes and villains.

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

At one point in the book I spent five minutes singing “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain”. If you read The Complete Marvel Cosmos and have seen Dr. Strange then you will probably too. (If you haven’t seen the movie then I demand you drop everything you’re doing right now and watch it!)

This is me staring at you until you watch the movie!

At another point Rocket used a rather colourful vocabulary to question the author’s thoughts behind putting a place like Cancerverse in a travel guide (my thoughts exactly when I read about that place. I definitely would NOT recommend you going there for a vacation..).

I was thrilled at the appearance and mentions of some superheroes that I knew, like Captain Marvel, the X-Men and Spiderman (described as one of Earth’s legendary superheroes!). And I really enjoyed reading more about the Kree’s background and their planet.

I'd like to know

First of all: Have you seen Dr. Strange?? ;) Second, what are your thoughts on this intergallactiv travel guide? Will you pick it up? Are you a Marvel fan, like me? And who is your favourite superhero by Marvel? (I know, stupid question because I can't even answer it myself.. Probably right at the top would be Spiderman and Captain America (Steve), but there are SO MANY I adore!

Graphic Novel Review: Mer

About the book

Title: Mer

Author: Joelle Sellner

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy

Expected Publication: April 19th, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Twilight meets the legend of Atlantis in this gripping graphic novel from writer Joelle Sellner and artist Abby Boeh. After the death of her beloved mother, Aryn’s father has moved her family to a new town hoping for a fresh start. At first things seem to be going well—Aryn is making friends and has even caught the eye of one of the hottest guys in school. But there are dark forces moving under the surface that Aryn cannot see; and her new crush may not be … human.

My Review

The story captures your attention right from the beginning. With a brutal intro, I couldn’t stop reading on and enjoyed Mer very much. The story concept contains a very cute idea and the artwork was quite my taste. However, there wasn’t a natural flow between the change of sceneries and I missed the time & place stamps I’m so used to in comics. But bear in mind, I just read a non-final copy so here's hoping they’ll change that before the final edition.

In my opinion Joelle Sellner did a wonderful job writing this story and if you enjoy reading fast paced comics without having to wait too long for action scenes, then you should definitely pick up Mer!

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

There were two big plot twists. One, when it was first assumed that Julia was on the dark side, and two, when it was revealed that everything was just an act to save her friends. Although it was kind of an obvious plot line, I didn’t quite know if I should trust her character or not, which made it much more interesting and suspenseful.

I really liked the characters, and although the story was quite fast paced I think I got to know them quite well. There are still so many open questions, though, like did Arwyn’s dad also have feelings for Ophelia? Did she make it out alive? What’s happening in Atlantis? And is that Adrian in the end rising from the water? Hopefully, I’ll get my answers some day!

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Do you think you'd pick up Mer? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

DC Essential Graphic Novels 2017

About the novel

Title: DC Essential Graphic Novels 2017

Author: Various

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes

Published: January 10th 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

For years, DC has been synonymous with the greatest graphic novels ever created. Now you can start with the basics—DC's top-notch, must-read, absolute cream of the crop—all listed in this DC ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS 2017 catalog. Anyone can experience DC from the best starting points possible with 25 graphic novels vital to any collection. From there, check out our list of the most important books for understanding your favorite characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League and more. From DC's Young Animal, to MAD and Vertigo imprints, to DC Super Hero Girls, DC has the most diverse library of graphic novels in all of comics. The DC ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS 2017 catalog makes it easy to find the perfect story for everyone!

My Review

A lot of people would love to start reading comics, but are overwhelmed with the amount of comics and graphic novels already out there and don’t know where to start. This catalog is a fantastic way for newbies to create their first impression of our beloved DC world. As a total newbie in the comic departement you should have no trouble getting an overview of the superhero world by DC and finding some awesome stories to begin with.

By no means do you have to begin at the very beginning of the first comic to have been published. This catalog gives you a lot of great suggestions based on the different superheroes and highlights the greatest comics in the series. The recommendation of the reading order also picks out a red line which you can follow whilst following up with your favourite superheroes.

From my personal favourites such as The Flash, Batgirl, and Superman to the other “Big Stars” like Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, all are covered in the catalog and introduced shortly. As a huge DC fan myself, I now know exactly which soon-to-be-released Graphic Novels I’m waiting for (im)patiently and which ones I still have to buy that have been released in the past.

With a creative layout and short commentaries I enjoyed reading this catalog as much as the actual comics themselves and the introduction story at the beginning starring The Flash and The Rogues is a beautiful way to start a catalog and makes it so much more alive.

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Are you a big DC fan yourself and who are your favourite superheroes? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)