BooksOfTheMoon

Rivers Of London: Deadly Ever After (Graphic Novel)

By Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 3 stars

This tenth (tenth!) graphic novel in Aaronovitch’s long-running Rivers of London series moves the focus to a couple of side-characters we’ve not seen much of until now – Mama Thames’ twin daughters, Chelsea and Olympia. They accidentally undo the enchantment on a mulberry tree which releases something that had been trapped for over a hundred years. And as the Folly are too busy with ghosts in the Underground, the twins have to investigate themselves.

I didn’t think this was one of the stronger instalments of this series. The twins are supposed to be insipid layabouts, but they acquit themselves quite well, I thought. And I never entirely believed Jeter’s transformation from loving father to evil fairy-tale master. We didn’t really spend enough time around the people affected by the fairy-tale magic to care about them either, and I didn’t think the Little Mermaid metaphor worked at all.

We only get cameos of Peter and Nightingale, although the excellent Abigail gets a slightly bigger role. The narrative knows what it’s talking about when it calls her a fan-favourite (along with the brilliant military foxes).

They’ve got the same artist as the last few volumes and I’ve definitely enjoyed that style, so was happy to see them back.

I’ll continue to read these, but I hope the next one goes back to the main cast. Or maybe a Molly special. Can’t ever have enough Molly.

Book details

ISBN: 9781787738591

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 9

By Kamome Shirahama

Rating: 4 stars

Hoo boy, things have suddenly got tense in Coco’s world. Everybody is gathering for Silver Eve, a great festival, celebrated by witches and common folk alike. Coco and friends are travelling to help Nolnoa and Tartah with their shop and we see their joy and astonishment at the festival; as well as this there’s the politics that the Wise get involved with alongside the monarchs of the lands; and a side story about the Knights Moralis and a really sleazy creep with glasses that let you see through clothes. And then we have an ending that brings back Custas, the boy with the damaged legs from last time, and things are starting to really heat up.

There’s some really nice artistic flourishes this time round, like a little game of the apprentices running around the fair before arriving at their destination, and a panel where they’re looking at it in awe, holding on to the edges of the panel. It’s little things like that that make this series continue to be a joy to the eyes. Can’t wait to see where it goes from here!

Book details

ISBN: 9781646514472
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Year of publication: 2022

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 8

By Kamome Shirahama

Rating: 4 stars

I’ve had a lingering sympathy with the motives (if not the actions) of the Brimmed Caps for some time now, and this volume brings it into sharp relief, despite them not actually making an appearance. Instead, we focus on Custas (who, apparently, we’ve met before, although I have no memory of that), a boy without the use of his legs, who uses a walking chair to get around. Circumstances bring him back into contact with Coco and her friend Tartah and she’s forced to confront that it’s not a lack of power stopping witches from helping him, but a refusal to.

Medical intervention is the obvious one where magic has the opportunity to do the greatest good in this world, although I suppose it also has the ability to cause the most harm too. Coco is already in two minds about this, since she needs to be able to undo the spell cast on her mother, but it looks like circumstances are going to force their hand in the near future, if the mysterious Ininia has her way.

It feels like things are starting to come together here, and there’s definitely confrontation in the air. After a little pause, I think the overall plot is going to start moving quickly now. I can’t wait for the next volume.

Book details

ISBN: 9781646512690
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Year of publication: 2021

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 7

By Kamome Shirahama

Rating: 4 stars

In volume 7 of this ongoing series, Beldaruit the Wise tells Coco the story of how Qifrey came to be his apprentice, leading to her making a break for the Tower of Tomes, all bookended by Olruggio and Qifrey having a heart to heart. Coco, presented with a problem with two options at the end of the last volume ends up striking her own path, something which shines a light on her personality and the sort of witch she’s going to be. We get a little standalone story about Olruggio doing some work for a local lord, and that conversation at the end, along with Qifrey’s actions, undo a lot of work in the middle of the volume and make me suspect his motivations (and more!) all over again.

The art is as adorable as ever (even if I do have to rely on the hairstyles to distinguish the apprentices) and the story definitely seems to be moving apace. Qifrey’s actions definitely mark a change in the reader’s perception of him, and, along with learning about his tragic past, make me suspect there’s going to be no good outcome for him. I’m still enjoying the story and the characters a lot. I look forward to see where it goes next.

Book details

ISBN: 9781646510788
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Year of publication: 2021

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 6

By Kamome Shirahama

Rating: 4 stars

Volume six of this delightful series has the apprentices, along with Master Olruggio, travel to the Great Hall of the witches, where Qifrey is taken for healing after the events of the previous volume. One of the Three Wise Ones offers to let the apprentices retake the test (all of them, not just the ones who were doing it previously), by creating a spell that can surprise him.

We learn more about Agott in this volume, particular why she’s so driven, and the four apprentices grow closer together as they try to find something to impress Beldaruit. It’s a lovely conceit, the idea that despite being this very powerful witch, he still retains a childlike sense of wonder with magic, something which makes it hard to find things that surprise him, as he’s constantly seeking out .

The art continues to be a joy, and the story is drip-feeding us answers while adding in new questions all the time. It’s a very fun series and we end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I look forward to seeing Coco’s answer to the proposal that’s been put to her.

Book details

ISBN: 9781646510108
Year of publication: 2020

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 5

By Kamome Shirahama

Rating: 4 stars

Volume five of this delightful series has Coco and Tetia try to help Master Qifrey fend off the creatures that were surrounding them at end of the last volume, while Richeh and Agott try to save Euini. And, of course, the Brimmed Caps are also causing mischief. Each of the apprentices makes realisations about their inner lives and grows as a person, which is pleasing progression for long term readers.

I found myself fairly sympathetic to the motive, if not the methods, of the Brimmed Caps (as, I assume, I’m being primed to be, by the author). The forbidden magics seem like they could be very useful, and the absolute ban on them seems unreasonable. I don’t entirely see why they’re focussing on Coco, but I expect that will become clear over time.

The art is still lovely, although sometimes action sequences can be a little hard to follow. I’m looking forward to seeing what our formidable apprentices get up to next.

Book details

ISBN: 9781632369291

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 4

By Kamome Shirahama

Rating: 4 stars

Volume 4 of this charming series moves the focus from Coco to her fellow apprentices Agott and Richeh, as they take the Second Test, along with, Euini, an apprentice of a different master who has crippling anxiety. Richeh has no interest in learning other people’s magic but focusses entirely on perfecting her own spells, and is initially furious that she’s been put forward for the test. The three of them have to put their differences aside, however, once the Brimmed Caps show up, and work together to save themselves, and the baby penguin-like myrphons that they’ve been in charge of.

The story here moves on at quite a pace, and we get an insight into why Richeh is fixated on using her own magic and becoming her own kind of witch. The art is lovely and we get another (pair of) cliffhangers at the end. Very readable and a lot of fun.

Book details

ISBN: 9781632368607
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Year of publication: 2019

Saga, Volume 10

By Brian K. Vaughan

Rating: 3 stars

It sort of breaks my heart to say it, but after waiting four full years for a resolution to the massive cliffhanger that the story got left on back in 2018, I think I might be done with Saga. I was desperately hoping that Marco would have had some way to get out of the situation he was in, but, if he did, it wasn’t in this volume. And the misery porn keeps piling up. As much as I adore Hazel and Alana, their story is getting darker and darker, and the bodies are piling up. The number of people who want to kill a ten year old girl is sickening. And sure, that might be part of the point, of what unending war does to people, and to societies, but it’s not something I want to read any more. I might come back one day, once the story is complete but for the moment, I’m bowing out.

That’s not to say anything bad about Staples’ art or Vaughan’s storytelling. The art is as consistently good as ever and Vaugan is good at what he does. The overall story is moving along, and some of the dialogue is just brilliant, but the story no longer makes me want to eagerly read the next volume.

Call me back when The Will gets a much more horrible death than the one Marco refused to give him.

Book details

ISBN: 9781534323346
Publisher: Image Comics
Year of publication: 2022

My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise

By Ian Flynn

Rating: 4 stars

This is an extremely fun graphic novel. A magical misfire interferes with a malfunctioning space bridge, to bring a load of Cybertronians to Equestria. Each of the Mane Six has their own adventure with an Autobot chum, as they fight the Decepticons, and Spike (the dragon, not the human also called Spike), goes the other way and finds himself paired up with Grimlock to defend the Ark.

As you’d expect, lasers and Decepticon evil are no match for friendship and love, with the ponies and their new Autobot friends winning the day. The art is clean and colourful (appropriate for Equestria) and the whole volume is quick to read. It’s a lot of fun for fans of both MLP and Transformers.

Book details

ISBN: 9781684057597
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Year of publication: 2021

The Dreaming

By Caitlín R. Kiernan

Rating: 3 stars

This volume collects five stories featuring characters from the Sandman, and the Dreaming, but not Dream himself. It’s a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. I didn’t really get on with either Caitlín R. Kiernan’s stories, which make up the bulk of the book, being three parts each. The first was the story of the second Corinthian being sent to deal with fallout from the first Corinthian’s actions and the second was a sort of sequel where Matthew the raven gets sucked back into the waking world, in his old human form, and Eve and Lucien following him to rescue him. To be honest, I didn’t really understand that one at all. There was a malevolent force after Matthew but I didn’t know why or what it was. I wonder if more recent memory of Sandman might help here? And both of them had what we could now call a trans woman being referred to with male pronouns and casual disgust. That may have been a reflection of the characters’ view, but it still left me uncomfortable.

The first story was of a businessman who just dreams of honest blue collar labour. It was interesting enough, but romanticising hard labour isn’t my idea of fun, and I didn’t really get on with the art style here.

We also had a split story of the Faeries. We have Nuala, tending a bar on Eath, meeting up with Lucien, and the Cluracan’s death finding him in an inn between the worlds, but for a drink, not to kill him. Again, I get the feeling that I’m missing context here, since it’s been so long since I read Sandman but both parts of that story were fun, even if they didn’t really seem to go anywhere.

The final story was probably my favourite, telling of Dream’s first raven, Aristeas and the year of being mortal that Dream grants him to decide if he wants to continue being a raven or to return to the waking world as a mortal.

So an interesting collection, but it didn’t intrigue me enough to search out any more of it.

Book details

ISBN: 9781840230765
Publisher: Titan Books Ltd
Year of publication: 1999

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