Paper Girls: Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
I’ve heard a lot about Saga but I’ve never actually got started on that series (despite owning the first volume…). I was looking for some comics and graphic novels on NetGalley before a holiday earlier in the year and when I saw that this was on and by the man behind Saga, I figured it would be a reasonably safe bet. When I was reading it, I didn’t have a clue what was going on (to be honest, I’m still not sure I do) but not in a way that annoyed me. This volume follows a group of paper girls who are out on their early morning round around Halloween. They’re threatened by a group of young men and ultimately saved by a man in a weird looking costume. As said weird man is fleeing the scene, he drops a strange looking box that baffles the girls but is familiar to readers as an iPod. The story gets and stays weird from there on in! The group of girls are fun to read about but they haven’t a clue what’s going on in the world, where everybody has disappeared off to or what the devil they’re supposed to do now. Their confusion is readers’ confusion and the panels racket about until the final few that hint at where the overarching story might be going. The whole thing was completely bizarre but because I felt as though it was clearly setting the scene for a bigger story, I still enjoyed it. It’s difficult for me to know what else to say, really, given that this was such an unusual story. It looks cool and the popping colours and art have a strong 80s vibe that’s a lot of fun and packed full of nostalgia. A series I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for in future!3 out of 5 stars for keeping me baffled but intrigued
The Jekyll Island Chronicles, Book One: A Machine Age War by Steve Nedvidek
Another NetGalley find, it was the alternate history spin in this graphic novel that drew me in. It’s set in the 1900s and features a host of historical figures, just not as we might know them. As the story opens around World War I, we learn that Jekyll Island is a ‘holiday’ destination to the rich and influential (Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan, Canegie and Ford all hanging out there at various points). As it becomes apparent that the world isn’t quite done pulling itself apart, the ‘Jekyll Island Club’ set about trying to track down those with the skills that could be used to combat emerging new enemies. Their development of the heroes that they find and their forays into battling a lurking evil were entertaining enough. Not necessarily particularly original but enjoyable to read. It reminded me of a steampunk version of the X-Men to be honest so if that sounds like your thing, you’ll probably enjoy this one. I think the main thing that I felt that I was missing out on was knowledge of the American ‘leads of industry’ from the time. I knew the names most of the time but not necessarily what they were famous for and I don’t doubt that there were references that I missed as a result. It wasn’t obstructive and it didn’t detract from my face value enjoyment but maybe there’s more to this for readers who are better versed in American history than I am. I believe that this is the first in a series of six graphic novels and I liked this enough to give another one a go. Especially if there’s more of the lady whose name I’ve forgotten but who can conduct electricity! The art and colour work really add to the vintage, steampunk feel and I liked the way drawing style and how it was more true-to-life than surreal (I feel as though there’s a term for that that I just don’t know…)
3.5 out of 5 stars for the cameos from British historical figures that I did recognise and for giving me a steampunk action fix!
Fables: Volume 2 – Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
The first volume of this series was actually the first comic book volume that I ever read and I loved it so I was curious to see how the second volume would fare now that I have a bit more graphic experimentation under my belt. I was pretty jet-lagged when I finally picked it up and although it didn’t quite manage to stave off the dreaded mid-afternoon sleep, it did a much better job than I expected and than a lesser volume might have done. Where the first volume takes place in New York and focuses on those of the Fable outcasts that can blend into modern society, this volume features more of ‘Animal Farm’, the residence of the talking animals and other creatures that even the more ignorant humans might spot as out of the ordinary. It’s brilliant. It exposes the conflicts between factions of the human Fables and the non-human Fables and the impact that might have on the overall community. The story reveals something deeper and darker lurking behind the ‘fairytale heroes trying to make it in the big city’ front. The characters are still as strong as ever (I *love* the Snow White/Rose Red sister dynamic) and the series continues to be just the right amount of dark that it’s just possible to offset the sense of impending doom with wry humour. Meeting new characters and getting to play ‘Guess the Fairytale’ is as good as ever, too. I can see why this series has continued to maintain its popularity despite the pretty epic number of volumes. I already have the third volume and then this series will become the series into which I have read the furthest to date! My relationship with Fables is seemingly all about the meaningless accolades.4 out of 5 stars for the black humour, the twisted versions of my favourite fairytale characters and just generally being my favourite comic series that I’ve read so far