BooksOfTheMoon

Rivers of London: Here Be Dragons

By Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 3 stars

This was fun but pretty inessential. I’m a bit disappointed that Aaronovitch himself has stepped back from the graphic novels, and now even his friend and collaborator Andrew Cartmel has moved to “script editor” rather than writer. This was a fun enough story about dragons (sorry, wyverns) running around London, with added rock stars and roadies. I enjoyed it, but it felt slight. Peter had his internal monologue, but it didn’t sparkle the way that it has done in the past (although I did enjoy his er, edited retelling to himself of the creatures he’s faced in the past).

I might not preorder the next one, but wait and see what people say once it’s out.

Book details

ISBN: 9781787740921

Marvel 1602

By Neil Gaiman

Rating: 3 stars

This was an interesting experiment: transplanting several of Marvel’s most well-known characters back to the 16th century, but it’s one that left me mostly cold. It’s taken me quite a while to read, because I’d keep putting it down and not want to pick it back up again. Towards the end the pace picked up and I started to enjoy it more, but the first half or more felt slow and ponderous. Lots of portents of doom but it didn’t feel like the plot was going anywhere.

It was a nice touch to make James VI & I one of the villains of the piece, since he’s noted in the historical record as believing in the supernatural and writing on the matter, as well as personally supervising the torture of people he believed to be witches. And how could a 16th century mind interpret mutants and superheroes, but as witches.

The art is very pretty, and the artist did a good job of rendering traditional superhero costumes into something that looked appropriate for 16th century Europe, while simultaneously staying true to the characters we know and love in the present, mostly by use of colour and texture.

It’s something that may be served by a reread, but I don’t know if it’ll ever get it. I’m a casual comic reader at best, being more familiar with the MCU than the source material, but this didn’t really grab my attention, so I doubt I’ll revisit it any time soon.

Book details

ISBN: 9780785123118

Wynonna Earp: All In

By Beau Smith

Rating: 3 stars

This volume collects the entire Wynonna Earp comics from the start of the TV show. Wynonna is now modelled after Melanie Scrofano and we have TV favourites Doc Holliday and Agent Dolls in the cast, as well as some of the characters from the previous comics (Smitty and Valdez). This series also introduces Waverly (who was always my favourite character) to the mix.

Still very different to the TV show, this has more of the gung-ho, badge-waving, gun-toting feel of the original comics. There’s different origin stories for both Earp sisters and no mention of Dolls being anything out of the ordinary (in fact, Dolls doesn’t get an awful lot to do in this series, with Smitty and Valdez, between them, taking his mentor-figure role).

It was a fun run of comics though, even if some of the storylines didn’t actually seem to go anywhere (the Immortalis Consortium one, for example). It was just nice to catch up with the characters that I enjoyed hanging out with for four years (and I couldn’t help but read Doc’s dialogue in his very distinctive TV show accent).

Book details

ISBN: 9781684058686

Wynonna Earp Volume 1: Homecoming (Wynonna Earp #1-6)

By Beau Smith

Rating: 3 stars

Following the disappointing Strange Inheritance, this newer set of Wynonna Earp comics ties into the TV show. Wynonna now looks like Melanie Scrofano and both Agent Dolls and Doc Holliday appear for the first time.

To be honest, the stories in this volume are nothing to get too excited about. There are a number of supernatural events around the country that mean Wynonna has to run around shooting things, and getting shouted at by Dolls when the good guys die. These lead up to her being called back to Tombstone for another showdown at the OK Corral. This also results in her finally getting hold of Peacemaker, the magic gun she wields in the TV series.

The art is decent, but workmanlike, rather than special. It’s an enjoyable read for fans of the TV series, but it doesn’t tie particularly closely into it (no WayHaught, for a start). Hopefully that will change with later volumes.

Book details

ISBN: 9781631407499

Wynonna Earp: Strange Inheritance

By Beau Smith

Rating: 2 stars

I suspect like many people, I came to this via the TV show from the mid 2010s, and in that context, it’s a bit of a shock to the system. The 90s and early 00s were not great for women in comics, as the awful representation of Wynonna here show. In the first two thirds of the book, she’s pure cheesecake: scantily clad, with physics-defying breasts and big guns. The final third, which was written in 2011 fares better. The art now depicts Wynonna with a more believable body shape and sensible dress. The big guns are still around though. It also really leans into that 90s/00s ultra-violence thing as well.

In terms of storytelling, it’s also very different to the TV show. Rather than an unwilling member of the Black Badge Division, Wynonna is recruited and is an enthusiastic member of the Division, travelling the country, shooting paranormal things until they stop arguing. Whereas the TV show restricts the action to a single town and its surrounding areas, the comic goes all over the US, from the mid-west to New York to Alaska. I do wonder what made some TV execs look at this comic and decide that they wanted to buy the rights to it. Especially given how differently the TV show turned out from the source material.

It’s maybe interesting from an historical perspective, but it’s not that great, to be honest, and maybe only one for a completist. I’m just glad that I read it through Kindle Unlimited and didn’t pay any money for it.

Book details

Year of publication: 2016

The Exorcism Engines (Girl Genius, #20)

By Phil Foglio

Rating: 4 stars

Volume 20 (20!) of Agatha’s adventures see us under the sea, with a big confrontation between Agatha and her mother, as well as finally getting Gil free of his father’s influence. Albia shows us some of what she can do and the deep dwellers come to the surface. In amongst all this, there’s time for some quieter moments too. Unexpectedly poignant is Oggie’s revelation about being married while being a Jagermonster, and the story he tells about his wife. And Airman Higgs finally comes clean about who he is to Agatha.

I’m really impressed at how well the plot coheres, despite how long-running the series is. Running a strip three days a week for decades at this point must make it difficult to keep track of. And I do always enjoy these paper collections that let us catch up with the story and read a year’s worth of story in an afternoon.

Book details

ISBN: 9781890856731
Publisher: Airship Entertainment
Year of publication: 2022

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

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress