Wild Symphonic

Hmm. Here's another book I wish I could give a 3.5 to. I did enjoy it, but it was just a little light on the science for me and a bit heavy on the self-help. That said, it offers a lot of perspective about the powerful effects of positive psychology and reviews the causes/process of suffering. Beginning meditators will probably find a ton of useful techniques here, though I do wish the authors had made a point to suggest that the safest way to develop a meditation practice is under the supervision of a teacher.

I did definitely enjoy it though, and will be checking out the companion website.

I both blame and thank Matt Fraction for getting me back into comic books after almost ten years. Blame because now I can't stop spending money on comics. Thank because there are a ton of really amazing titles out there right now. And Hawkeye is my very favorite. So the following is going to be a gushing love letter to this comic book. Just so there's no confusion.

One of the best things about Hawkeye is that this is about Clint Barton the dude, not Hawkeye the Avenger. In the first issue, Clint shakes down his shady landlord to protect his neighbors, beats up some thugs, and rescues a dog. That's it. He still works with the Avengers, but that's all treated as his day job. This is a story about a guy who just tries to do the right thing even though he can't seem to get out of his own way. He is deeply flawed, deeply decent, and deeply human.

Matt Fraction's writing is the heart of what makes "hawkguy" so awesome. Clint's narrative is sarcastic and self-deprecating. Every issue starts with the line "Okay, this looks bad." He manages to make some pretty deep commentary on the human condition without giving off the air that he takes himself too seriously. The cast of characters surrounding Clint are amazing as well, from the dog he rescues to his snarky/fantastic protege Kate Bishop. Other heroes from the Marvel Universe make cameos, of course, but even these manage to be humanized in a frame or two (Dog Cops. That's all I'm gonna say).

Everyone who reads my reviews might also noticed that I'm a huge fan of David Aja's art. Like fangirl huge. It's classic, minimalist, and the frames are so carefully laid out. It's a perfect compliment to the writing. I also love the tiny details; arrows, bullseyes, and other cool little visuals worked in subtly. And the covers! I don't know if this is a coincidence, but the colors on the covers actually lead from one to another. They start out predominantly white and purple and eventually begin to integrate red, leading to the most recent issue which is predominantly red. Sorry, I'm crazy but I love that.

Speaking of colors. THE COLORS, DUKE. The colorist for Hawkeye is a genius. Also pretty minimalist, the colors are flat and there is tons of purple...a fun nod to his avengerness.

Okay, and since I'm on a big gushing roll, I'd also like to bring up the letters. They are wonderful and there is no weird bolding on every other word. Like the images and colors, they just fit so nicely with the story.

In short, I super like this book and you should read it.

So, this book was actually really good. A writer, Bill O'Reilly is not. A HUGE fanboy of history, he is. No matter how you feel about his politics, he totally shows his history nerd roots here.

What I liked: I had no clue how huge a conspiracy this was. Like...huge. From what I can tell, He's mostly careful to point out what's been proven and what hasn't, thought I'd love to see some of his sourcing for the dialogue. Which brings me to the other thing I liked: it reads like a novel at many points rather than the usual detached scholarly recounting.

What I didn't like: some of the details were just superfluous for me. I really didnt need to know every drink every man got at every bar.

I think it's worth the read for my history nerdlings out there.

Okay, I loved this. Probably the best Black Widow arc I've read. All my favorite Marvel characters tend to be the ones who have no/limited super powers. Of these, Natasha Romanoff's stories all seem rooted in themes of memory, loyalty, and perhaps most interestingly, agency. Every bit of control she has over her life, including her body and mind, have been hard-won. The problem I have with her portrayal most of the time (even in her own stories), is the fact that despite her rich history, she's so often portrayed as this kind of one-dimensional, icy femme-fatale. I was happy to see that her character was explored more deeply here.

Cutting here for some (super minor) spoilers.

Liu does a fantastic job with her character. The overarching narrative shows a Natasha who is hard-bitten, competent, tough, and ruthless, but also deeply reflective. Instead of letting the pain she's endured close her off to the world, it grounds her in compassion and love. She's lived, loved, and suffered, and she's stronger and wiser for it.

Natasha knows how to manipulate and inflict pain, and even refers to it as an art. She makes no apologies for this. Cross her, and she'll wipe the floor with you. On the other side of the coin, her bonds with her friends and close allies are so strong that when she's in trouble and her loyalty is in question, they defend her viciously. This adds an awesome complexity to the characters and story.

Here's a quote from the lovely blogger at Fuck Yeah Black Widow over on tumblr that makes this point much better than I did, specifically commenting on the fate of poor Lady Bullseye:

"This is Liu’s Natasha at her most cruel, her most savage. More than any other modern writer, Liu really detached Black Widow from the perfectly programmed secret agent mythos; the cold, precise automaton. Liu’s Natasha is anything but unfeeling. What that means is: Natasha isn’t scary because she’s killed her own emotions. What that means is: she’s scary because she feels every second of this, but does it anyway."

Daniel Acuna's art is a perfect compliment to the story. It reads like a spy thriller, and the art has a beautiful action/noir feel to it. There's a little bit of the 30's, a little bit of the 50's and a little bit of modern fashion all mixed in to the clothing and presentation; a constant reminder that Natasha has been alive for almost 100 years. Gorgeous.

I could go on, but I feel like I've rambled enough. Goreadit.

So. Good. I may wait to finish the last one before writing any reviews.

I love it when a graphic novel really makes me pay attention. Gaiman is such a masterful storyteller.

I was NOT expecting the story to go in this direction. It's not that it was terribly surprising from a plot perspective, but rather that the author was brave enough to go to such bleak places. The first several chapters of the first book had me cringing in anticipation of a teen-angst, trope fest. Then, suddenly, it becomes awesome. Days of Blood & Starlight picks up days from where Daughter of Smoke and Bone left off. So, essentially, the central character has just learned about the genocide of her people. So yes, this is a dark, depressing chapter in these characters' lives, and we're offered very few reprieves. By the time Issa showed up, I needed her. I needed Karou to have one unabashed chimera ally. I do wish we'd spent a bit more time with the displaced and hunted chimera, but it felt as though the author made the choice to spend more time fleshing out the seraphim, who were a peripheral menace in the first story. Definitely necessary. I also loved the character growth of Liraz. And this has been a terrible stream-of-consciousness that makes little sense. But I loved the book, and can't waaait for the next.

This volume collects the first six issues/chapters of Saga. The story is sweet, the characters are engaging, but what struck me most about this graphic novel was the art. It's is, put simply, gorgeous. There were pages that made me stare. I've discovered a new favorite artist, right up there with Aja.

I stayed up until 1am to finish this book. I'm just not sure what to say other than I possibly need a bit more time to process all of the elements before I write a coherent review. So. Good.

Warning: Spoilers.

I actually ended up really liking this book a lot. Totally fun. The first 25% or so dragged so slowly for me. I couldn't get into the characters and felt that the plot was winding all over the place. As soon as the author gets back into the meat of the overarching mystery/conspiracy though, the pace picks right back up again. From the second Tris surrenders herself to Erudite to keep other members of Dauntless from being remotely controlled, I was on board again. The plot and action are much tighter from that point on.

Tris also continues to be a pretty cool protagonist.

The big reveal at the end made me raise an eyebrow though. Hmmm, Reavers? Anyway, I'm having fun theorizing about breeding grounds for specific genetic neural traits. :)

I loved the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay and the Fraction/Aja portions of this book...but I didn't connect as much with the Danny Rand origin story. I just felt like there was too much camp injected into an otherwise dramatic story. I found myself really missing Fraction's narrative.

SO GOOD UGH.

I love Matt Fraction's storytelling. The pacing is perfect, and he always manages to write characters that you care about. Even a character who appears in only one scene is a rich part of the larger tapestry. This combined with David Aja's art (Aja is artistic patronus, sorrynotsorry)and the wonderfulness that is Danny Rand's character makes this one of my all time favorite graphic novels.

I am so in love with David Aja's art that I'm probably slightly biased, but this is an amazing, amazing book. Can't wait to read the others.

I liked it. I did feel like Cornell set up an amazing story, but the resolution felt a little cheap and irritating. Ahh well, Natasha is one of my favorite characters, so it was still a fun read. Loved the chronicle of her life in the back of the book as well.

Some cute stories. I really like Duane Swierczynski's characterization of her.

I almost can't believe I had never heard of this before. Absolutely incredible story, amazing illustrations (you so rarely see gouache in graphic novels!). The story takes place 30 years after Superman has retired. The world has descended into chaos, and Clark is forced to come out of hiding to restore the Justice League and world order. The contrast between Superman's absolute dedication to the preservation of life at all cost and Diana's more warlike approach to peace was wonderful, and the narrator, Norman, was an incredible character. My favorite, though, was absolutely Bruce Wayne. Witty, cynical, and broken, Batman was the sole character aside from the narrator (and the angel) who was calculating enough to see the entire picture and play the best cards in his hand.

I did think it was slightly irritating that no one called out Diana for her actions toward the end of the story. I suppose when one is an actual goddess, they get a pass.

Anyway. Awesome.