Graphic Novel Review: Fearbook Club

Fearbook Club by Richard Ashley Hamilton

Fearbook Club
by Richard Ashley Hamilton, Marco Matrone (Illustrator), Dave Sharpe (Letterer)

3 out of 5 stars

Whit joins the yearbook club and takes some pictures around school, but when he develops the photos he sees children in the background who were not actually there. Could there be ghosts haunting the old abandoned sections of the school? With the help of this fellow students in yearbook club, he begins to investigate the missing children who have disappeared from the school over the years, and finds that the ghosts are trapped in a shadow realm. Could there be a way to save them?

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Graphic Novel Review: Thunderous

Thunderous by M.L. Smoker

Thunderous
by M.L. Smoker, Natalie Peeterse, Dale DeForest (Artist)

3 out of 5 stars

Aiyana is tired of hearing Lakota stories and legends about her ancestors. She wishes her family would just focus on the modern world. When her class goes on a field trip to the mountains, she worries more about hanging out with the popular girls rather than with her cousin. She suffers a fall and is somehow transported to the world of the Lakota legends, where the trickster Raven tries to trick her into staying forever. To make her way back to the human world, Aiyana will have to complete several quests and befriend some talking animals along the way.

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Graphic Novel Review: The Day of the Unicorn

The World of Yaxin by Man Arenas

The World of Yaxin: Day of the Unicorn
by Man Arenas

3 out of 5 stars

This graphic novel doesn’t really have a story. It’s more like a collection of poetic lines with a loose story line of a lady unicorn, who gazes at the moon with her princess friend and little fauns. She meets a male unicorn and the artwork shows the male jumping over her while she rolls on her back on the ground. This is suggestive, but the text just says that “Love meets Life”. Then we understand that the lady unicorn is pregnant.

When the baby unicorn is born, the illustrations show the baby coming out of the mother in the process of birth. It’s quite graphic but beautiful. The text describes the pain and blood, and the artwork shows the placenta. But it doesn’t feel inappropriate or gross. It shows the miracle of birth in a special way.

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Book Review: Loki A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame

Loki by Louie Stowell

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame
by Louie Stowell

4 out of 5 stars

Loki has been banished from Asgard. Odin has given Loki the form of an 11-year-old human, and sent Thor, Heimdall, and Hyrrokkin (also in the form of humans) to keep an eye on him. Loki must learn to be good and keep a record of his good or bad deeds in a magical journal. In this second book of the series, Loki is trying to make some new friends, but he goes about it in all the wrong ways.

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Graphic Novel Review: We Live #1

We Live, Volume One by Inaki Miranda

We Live, Volume One
by Inaki Miranda (Writer/Artist), Roy Miranda

3.5 stars
Tala and her little brother, Hototo, have to travel through many dangers to reach the Beacon, an alien rendezvous that will rescue five thousand children from the coming disasters which will cause the extinction of all humanity. They are attacked by wild animals and greedy humans, but Tala vows to protect her little brother. Hototo wears a cape and pretends to be a superhero. Along the way they team up with Humbo and Alice, who are also trying to reach the Beacon. But time is running out, and the countdown for the end of the world has already begun.

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Graphic Novel Review: Tekis

Tekis by Gómez

Tekis
by Gómez

4 out of 5 stars

Tres chicas se unen como inventoras para descubrir cosas nuevas e inventar aparatos especiales. Un invento ata tus zapatos. Se supone que otro invento te cepilla los dientes, pero no funciona. Las niñas envían su caballo de juguete a Marte en un cohete, pero el caballo de juguete desaparece. Ahora están en una misión a Marte para salvar su juguete favorito. En el camino, usan todos sus inventos para ayudar en su aventura.

¡Esta es una novela gráfica tan linda! La historia es imaginativa y divertida. Me encantaron las chicas inteligentes y sus actitudes amistosas. Son ingeniosos a través de todas sus aventuras. ¡Hay tantas escenas divertidas que me hicieron reír!

Keep Reading for the Review in English!

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Comic Review: If Ur Stabby

If Ur Stabby by Kaz Windness

If Ur Stabby
by Kaz Windness

2 out of 5 stars

Stabby the unicorn ends up stabbing everyone in the eye, and he gets jaded and dark and depressed. He can’t keep a job. He accidentally burst his birthday balloons with his horn. He is full of angst and anxiety. And it’s hilarious!

I have to admit, this book did make me laugh. But there were many parts that I couldn’t enjoy because of the profanity and and vulgarity and general disgustingness. I’m not sure why this is marketed as “teen and adult humor”. It’s definitely adult humor. I would never give this to a teen to read.

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Graphic Novel Review: The Orphan King

The Orphan King by Tyler Chin-Tanner

The Orphan King (The Orphan King, #1)
by Tyler Chin-Tanner, James Boyle (Illustrator), Andrew Dalhouse (Color Artist), Pete Carlsson (Letterer)

4 out of 5 stars

This graphic novel follows Prince Kaidan, who travels to a faraway island for combat training with his aunt. When he returns, he finds the kingdom in ruins and his parents dead or missing. With a price on his head, Kaidan can trust no one, and he is being hunted wherever he goes.

I loved the legendary tropes in this book! Kaidan is like a young King Arthur, and there is also a Robin Hood type character, but the story isn’t really a retelling of either of those stories. There are elements from those legends, but this story stands on its own. I can’t wait to read the next volume in the series!

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Graphic Novel Review: Pixels of You

Pixels of You by Ananth Hirsh

Pixels of You
by Ananth Hirsh, Yuko Ota, J.R. Doyle (Illustrations)

3 out of 5 stars

Indira is not thrilled when she has to team up with an android to put together an art show, but she quickly learns that Fawn is more than just a android. They learn to work together and explore their artistic sides through photography. Eventually, the two girls discover that friendship is possible no matter if you are cyborg, human, or android. They begin to have romantic feelings for each other as well.

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Graphic Novel Review: Unearthed

Unearthed by Lilliam Rivera

Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story
by Lilliam Rivera (Goodreads Author), Steph C. (Illustrator)
1 out of 5 stars- HATED IT

Jessica Cruz is terrified that her family will be deported, because they are illegal immigrants in the United States. She doesn’t think her friends will understand, and is afraid to tell them that her family is undocumented. When she visits the history museum, she begins to have visions of the ancient Aztec gods who guide her in controlling her fear.

I am so angry at this book! This is some of the worst representation of Hispanics that I have ever seen. I grew up in Mexico as a child, and I am a United States citizen. Many of my friends are legal or illegal immigrants. I have an intimate knowledge of these issues and the people who deal with them. I am appalled at the horrible way the Hispanic culture is represented in this book.

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