Brina the Cat

The middle grade graphic novel about a cat wanting freedom is cute and simple. When Brina's owners take her on a vacation into the mountains she is happy and content - that is until they take her outside and she can play. Then she never wants to go back in. One day she runs away and decides to run around with three outdoor cats and join their little gang. At first it's all fun and games, but after a while she starts to miss her owners and she realizes that the stray cat in charge of the gang is a real jerk. Brina's human owners meanwhile have been gong nuts looking for her. Is it time for Brina to go home? Will she miss the freedom of outside? This graphic novel answers a lot of questions that kids may have about their cats. Cute and easy.

Labyrinth Coronation vol 2

The middle one is probably my least favorite. Things get more muddled and suddenly the the cowardly husband is involved again and we find out that the goblin who has been assisting Maria, might have some dark secrets that he is hiding. I like the little worm and that storyline, but there is just a lot of moving pieces to this story. 

Labyrinth Coronation vol 1

So I don't know what I was expecting but this graphic novel series shows two storylines side by side - what we know happened in the movie with Jareth and Sarah and an eerily similar storyline that takes place nearly two centuries prior starting in Venice, Italy. A young woman is bound and determined to save her baby from the Owl King after her cowardly husband offered up their baby to the demons in her head. The Owl King is looking for a successor and thinks letting Maria into his labyrinth to search for her baby might provide amusement to his goblin subjects before the new successor takes the throne. Only he doesn't count on Maria being so quick-witted and determined on getting her baby back. The storyline is a little so so - but the artwork is top notch!

Titan

A graphic novel that shows what can happen when tensions rise between two different groups; one of which has been ignored and overshadowed for decades. When MNGR Joao da Silva gets sent to the moon of Titan to try and get the Homestead colony back on track and profitable he can't believe how tense it is between the genetically made giant Titan workers and their Terran management. The Titan workers are angry and waiting to strike. They've been over worked and under paid. The Terran management are frightened and distrustful of their workers. The whole situation is a powder keg. Phoebe Mackintosh is a Titan with a history of fighting but when she is sent as liaison to Joao da Silva she finds something alluring in him and he in her. They have to work together to save their planet and find a better way - but what if they're too late. A wonderfully illustrated graphic novel that proves how relevant science fiction can be to the world we live in now.  

Frankie Comics

Cute and relatable - especially for cat owner. Frankie gets into all kinds of feline shenanigans and her two loving owners play along. Jumping on the table, stealing hair ties, puking everywhere, chasing mice, etc. The graphics are good (although it's weird that the cat has no nose or whiskers) but each of the short comic series (they all are 2 to 4 pages long) are only so so. They aren't laugh out loud funny or ground breaking - they are just cute and okay. It's not a collection I'd read again and I would recommend getting this book from the library rather than purchasing it - it's good to read once, but I can't see anyone going back to it.

American Vampire

Vampires - the Wild West - Hollywood - Blade. Skinner Sweet is an outlaw - an American Vampire with a bone to pick. After mistakenly being turned by some pompous rich European Vampires - he is left trapped in the dessert for years. When he finally get's freed he seeks vengeance and destruction. Fast forward to 1920s Los Angeles where an aspiring actress is about to have her life drastically altered by some goons and possibly the weird man who has been hanging around her pool. A bloody nightmare and a damned good read!

Diabolical Summer

The artwork alone is 5 stars - bright, whimsical drawings grace every page and really help set the tone for what a groovy summer 1967 was. 15 year old Antoine is about to have an unforgettable summer under the sun. A devious new friend, a stunning blond, and mystery after mystery. One thing led to another and the way it all wraps up at the end is truly impressive. This graphic novel is thrilling, colorful, and makes you want to re-watch all the classic James Bond movies. A total knock out!

Doomsday Clock: Part 2

Supremely ambitious. There is a lot to unpack in this graphic novel and I think I need yo re-read it a time or two before I fully understand all the implications and meanings. Doomsday Clock Part 2 weds Watchmen and DC as Dr. Manhattan takes an interest in the DC multiverse and rewrites histories, changes fates and timelines for no apparent reason. What is he really up to and why does the meddling Ozymandias care so much? Unique, but like I said - I need to give this another read through.

The Plot

Ominous and unsettling this story of a cursed family is compelling, but leaves the readers full of questions. When a successful businessman and his wife are killed by a weird swamp creature, the man's estranged brother becomes caretakers for the two children he left behind while the police investigate to figure out what happened. Chase doesn't want to take them back to his stuffy studio and he doesn't want to stay in the house where they were murdered so he takes the kids to Maine, where the old family home is. Right off the bat weird stuff starts happening and the head of the police department is not happy to see Chase, accusing his family of always being trouble. Visions and monsters lurk around every corner. What is going on with the house and the surrounding bog and does it have anything to do with the death of his brother. The artwork is great but I have a lot of questions, I guess, I'll have to wait for part two to come out!

Dancing at the Pity Party

What a poignant heartfelt book. Unlike anything else out there; the graphic novel is a memoir of loss. One girl trying to come to terms with the loss of her mom, the anger, the platitudes, the awkwardness, the sadness is all brilliantly captured through comic art. Funny, moving, and exceptionally deep and nuanced. Sometimes you need to let it all out and this book perfectly captures what it's like to suffer the loss of a parent. Even if you're lucky enough not to have lost one, reading this can help how you interact with friends and loved ones as they're coping with loss. An absolutely exceptional read!

CatStronauts: Race to Mars

Another witty and adorable installment in the CatStronauts series. This middle grade graphic novel features - you guessed it - cats in space. In their newest adventure other teams of space cats decide they all want to be the first to Mars. The CatStronauts are blindsided and hurry to catch up. They can't let the CosmoCats beat them! Witty, punny, and too cute. Kids and adults will love these adorable illustrations!

Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper

Interesting take at Jane Austen's love life told in comic format. Personally, I loved that there was no color and really enjoyed the inking and the story line. Because so many of Jane Austen's letters were burned after her death we'll never know the full story of her first and probably only true love, but Manuela Santoni did a wonderful job re-imagining what that romance may have looked at. Fun graphic novel that Austenites will love!

The Forbidden Harbor

Based on the cover alone, I thought this was going to be a graphic novel for younger readers; but I was pleasantly surprised that this had some adult content (nudity and murder). This is a "salty adventure" set in 1807 that follows a young man washed up on the shores of Siam. He has no recollection of anything other than his first name, but a kindly naval crew and they take him on as a cabin boy. He picks up sea life with frightening ease and familiarity; but he struggles to make sense of who he is and how he ended up there. As the graphic novel progresses lots of kind people take young Abel under their wing and soon along with the help of a madame and three wonderful sisters; he finds he might actually have a purpose. Gorgeously illustrated and full of prose and poetry; this sea faring graphic novel is one of a kind!

Locke & Key: Clockworks

This series continues to shine and build up its characters and its plot. Plus in this one we start to get the backstory on Keyhouse and understand more about the keys and what happened to the Locke kid's father when he was a teenager. Wonderful, captivating, and brilliant storytelling. This series continues to be a MUST READ!

Stage Dreams

Queer. Western. Graphic Novel.... Have I drawn you in yet? Relatively short for a graphic novel; Stage Dreams tells the story of a trans deserter who is kidnapped by an indigenous woman and her hawk. When Ghost Hawk realizes that Grace is trans, she isn't upset; in fact the two start to work together to steal maps and gold along their way to California. What neither of them expected was to start falling for each other. A super short, charming story that looks wonderful in colored pencil rather than the usual color of graphic novels.

Mooncakes

I was just not feeling this, so this is one of those reviews that's really on me the reader, and not the author. A teenage witch rekindles a friendship with her long lost friend who is dealing with identity issues; from being a werewolf to changing some pronouns. Nova and Tam (along with the nanas) are working together to fight some weird creature in the woods and as they get magical, them two teens start to develop feelings for each other. This graphic novel has all the calling cards for teens; witchcraft, friendship, identity crisis, LGBTQ+, and more. Cute, but I was not in the mood.

Snow, Glass, Apples

A really dark, twisted, and satisfying twist on the old Snow White tale told in gorgeous graphic novel illustrations and written by the insanely talented Neil Gaiman. It honestly sells itself. I can't get over how beautiful it was, very art deco and intricate; the illustrations jump right off the page. Told from the "evil" Queen's perspective, this reversal of storytelling leads to some very surprising twists and finds readers definitely siding with the Queen. I will say there is a lot of nudity and sexual content so this is for mature teens and up; I personally didn't mind it, but I can see a parent's head exploding if they caught their 6th grader reading it. I hope Neil Gaiman does more fairy tale spin offs like this one; I really really liked it!

Stumptown: Volume One

Wow, I fell write into this book and was sad when I stumbled out of it at the end. Dex Parios is a private investigator and she's really stepped into it this time. Her gambling debts have gotten ahead of her and the owner of the casino is calling Dex in to make good on them. Her granddaughter has gone missing and she wants Dex to clear her schedule immediately and find her. Easier said then done. The granddaughter was running with some bad people and its only going to get worse before it gets better. Gritty, witty, and all around bad-ass. I want to continue reading this series and I definitely want to watch the TV adaptation. So glad to have a new graphic novel series to devour. I'm all in!

Are You Listening?

I will say the illustrations in this graphic novel are lush and gorgeous. But as for the story itself, I couldn't really get into it. Maybe because I couldn't necessarily relate or because I didn't care, I'm not sure. Bea is running away and she lucks into Lou who gives her a ride. Together the two annoy each other and rely on each other in equal measure. They find a stray cat on their journey and they find themselves bonding over that and over past trauma they've both experienced. Soon they're no longer on the map and the only thing they have is each other. But is that enough? I was very underwhelmed but I didn't hate it. I think you need the right reader for this one. A

Sea Sirens

A cute middle grade novel about a Vietnamese American surfer girl named Trot who is accidentally engulfed in a big wave and cast underseas with her trusty cats. What she discovers is a fantastical palace ruled by mermaids, when her trusty kitty, Cap'n Bill, fends off some dastardly serpents, the mermaids welcome the unlikely duo. At first Trot is apprehensive about staying underwater too long, she cant leave her grandfather alone for too long and her mother is at work, but soon she is having too much fun with her new friends. That is until disaster strikes! Cap'n Trot's services will once again be needed to take care of the serpents that threaten the realm. Cute, whimsical, but not terribly action packed. It's fun and I think younger teens will be intrigued.