Release Day Review

It has been awhile since I have reviewed graphic novels on this blog. Growing up with a huge passion for fantasy books and Japanese cartoons, it seemed a likely path for me to get into comics; yet I never did. Then a decade later my husband and I branched into Magic: The Gathering, which is commonly sold in comic stores. I tried again to complete my nerd status by getting into comics. Now, graphic novels are more popular, and their subscription rate became better balanced between content and cost. I was willing to give them a try.

The Looking Glass Wars: Crossfire by Frank Beddor, et. al.


I love the "Looking Glass Wars" series in regular print format. They are an amazing series that twists the tale of Alice in Wonderland. Beddor sees it as how Alyss influenced Lewis Carroll to write his story from her life, not as a retelling of the tale itself.

Weekly, I receive a digest on graphic novels from Netgalley. I was hyper excited when last week included the "Looking Glass Wars" continuation. Thank you to the publisher for granting my wish. With The Looking Glass Wars: Crossfire, we go beyond Alyss's adventures and into her life as queen of Wonderland.

For the obvious points: 

  • It is a graphic novel, so the meat of the story is not as fully fleshed out as a print format would be able to cover.
  • Art is aesthetically pleasing in vastly different ways to every individual.

Now that those points are out there, I can honestly review this book. I would recommend it to all while my actual enjoyment was mediocre. I was pleased with the characters and their plot development. There was plenty of background information with thrilling new adventures. We get a continuation of the story diluted down to a fraction of the pages, but none of it feels cramped. All the magic of Wonderland is still present. Their are thought-provoking conversations and a range of emotions for such limited space. The pages just fly by without realizing time has passed. 

 What made the experience lackluster for me was the graphic embodiment of Wonderland. The art style is not my favorite as I prefer much cleaner lines and brighter colors. This is a completely personal observation for the book and no way detracts from the quality of the writing or story. Many may find the art appealing and heighten their experience. I want to make sure those who flip through it and dismiss it for the washed out feel DO NOT pass up the chance at a great story.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The most mind-boggling book I've ever read

Image
... and the mind-boggled review to go with it. This book was the most unique reading experience I have ever had in decades of reading. Assassin Queen by Anna Kashina This week we have the final novel of the "Majat Code" trilogy. I previously reviewed the first and second novels and have read a short companion novella as well. Some may recall me raving about the first novel and being slightly disappointed about the turn of the second novel. The novella was more in tune with Blades of the Old Empire  and added to the hype for The Guild of Assassins . So with the letdown from the latter book, why did I get the third? More importantly, how did I feel about it? Redeemed and exacerbated. How can you feel both of those at once? That is the mystery of the third novel of the "Majat Code." There were some extremely awesome, butt-kicking scenes reminiscent of "Blades," and the romance from "Guild" was still included. I was excited and disappoint
Read more

Ga-ga-ga-gas-Lit City

Image
Welcome to February everyone. Hope you have all unburied from the snowmagedpocalypse readers in the Northeast. Just in time for some new powder to flurry down and send you back indoors to read my reviews on what to read to get you through the winter doldrums. Today we certainly have just that. The Custodian of Marvels by Rod Duncan And my world has been righted! We are back with Elizabeth Barnabus as she was in The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter. I'm all tingly. Not that Unseemly Science  was a complete let down; I just really feel that the magic (or circus dust?) wasn't there from the first novel. Apparently that is because it all built up and got swept to this novel.  We have the original troupe together for some Ocean's Eleven shenanigans as they attempt to rob the International Patent Office (gasp for dramatic effect). The humor and wit have returned to the original level because everyone knows all about best laid plans. While I like Julia, her relegation back to
Read more

Uncanny Collateral by Brian McClellan

Image
I have recently been watching a group of authors playing D&D on Twitch (the group is called TypecastRPG ) because of Charlie Holmberg. As I have watched, I decided to start reading books by the other authors. I started with Brian McClellan's new book Uncanny Collateral .  The premise is urban fantasy--not my ideal fantasy category, though I do love Buffy so it seemed like a worthy try. A reaper seeks out those who have sold their souls to the underworld. Interesting enough. Add to that the reaper has a mystical ring stuck to his finger that houses a djinn. My interest continued to mount. I take points off for the author basing the book in Cleveland, but add points back for the armpit jokes that only an Ohioan can understand. I didn't appreciate the profanity, but it is an urban fantasy so it wasn't surprising. The actual storytelling more than makes up for it, though. The snarkiness, the characters, the action; all terrifically written. I love the dynamics between
Read more