[BOOK REVIEW] Irredeemable Volume 1 by Mark Waid

Title:  Irredeemable Volume 1

Author: Mark Waid

Artist: Peter Krause

Genre:  Superheroes / Action / Adventure

Year Published:  2009

Year Read: 9/20/2014

Series:  Irredeemable #1

Publisher:  Boom Studios

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 12+ (Mature Themes and Violence)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

Introduction:

I have read many comic books from different companies including Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse, but this was honestly the first time I had read a comic book series from Boom Studios!  This comic book happens to be called “Irredeemable,” which is an Eisner Nominated Comic Book Series that is written by Mark Waid along with artwork by Peter Krause and man, was I in for one heck of a surprise when I started reading this comic book!

What is this story about?

In this volume, the Plutonian was once the World’s greatest superhero, but then one day, he suddenly went insane and started killing many innocent people.  His former teammates then try to come up with a plan to find out about what made the Plutonian snap and try to learn more about who he really is and how to stop him before he destroys the world!

What I loved about this story:

Mark Waid’s writing: Now, I will admit that I have read many comic books where the superheroes go bad (some stories were good and some stories were bad and should have never been printed in the first place), but this was probably one of the most unique takes on the classic “superhero going rogue” story line that I have ever read.  Mark Waid has done a great job at presenting the readers with a premise that would sound preposterous to some superhero fans, but ended up making this story pretty interesting to read!  I liked the way that Mark Waid explored the idea of a superhero going rogue through the Plutonian and the affect it had on his former teammates and his loved ones.  It is like seeing a close friend of yours suddenly going insane and you have no idea how or why your friend is going insane, which really makes this situation pretty personal for anyone who had to go through that in real life.  I also loved the mystery that Mark Waid provided in this story such as trying to figure out why the Plutonian went insane and what could possibly stop his rampage across the world, which I figure might be the main plot of this whole series.

Peter Krause’s artwork:  Peter Krause’s artwork was just amazing in this volume!  I loved how realistic the characters look and I also loved how Peter Krause drew the scenes where the Plutonian caused mass destruction all over the world, which was both chilling and mesmerizing to watch!  I also loved the way that the characters’ faces and bodies are shadowed whenever they are in the dark during the night scenes as they make the images much more effective to look at.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off a star from this book was because while I enjoyed the story about a superhero suddenly going rogue, I would have liked to know more about the Plutonian as a character and about his teammates also.  It felt like they just threw the characters into this situation without really explaining about why this is all happening.  Maybe the plot about finding out more about the Plutonian as a character and why he went on a rampage is a part of the big mystery for this series, but I still would have liked to learn more about the Plutonian in this volume just so I could care more about his character when he did go rogue.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Irredeemable Volume One” is an interesting comic book about what would happen if a superhero goes rogue and the lengths one must take to stop that superhero from destroying the world.  I am definitely going to check out the next volume to see what happens next!

[BOOK REVIEW] Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume 2 by Robert Kirkman

Title:  Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume 2

Author:  Robert Kirkman

Artists: Ryan Ottley and Bill Crabtree


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure

Year Published: 2006

Year Read: 2012

Series: Invincible #2

Publisher: Image Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

 

Brief Introduction:

After reading the first volume of Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s classic superhero comic “Invincible,” I just had to read the second volume of this fantastic series and see more of Mark Grayson and his family after the explosive and tragic revealation at the end of the first volume!  “Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume Two” is definitely one volume you do not want to put down!

What is the story?

After the tragic events in the first volume, Mark Grayson is starting to look at life in a different light now and must take over his father’s job of protecting Earth from villains.  Throughout this volume, Mark will have to face various foes that he has never faced before, while trying to graduate from high school and make it to college!

What I loved about this comic:

Robert Kirkman’s writing!:  As with the first volume, Robert Kirkman’s writing is just fantastic as not only are we shown more action scenes than we were shown in the first volume, but we also get so many emotional moments from the characters themselves.  I loved the way that Robert Kirkman actually explored the turmoil that Mark and his mother suffered after what happened in the first volume (I really do not want to spoil the ending of the first volume since I want everyone to check this series out, but let me tell you, it truly was a shocker).  Just seeing both Mark and his mother become so upset after the events of the first volume and trying to cope with the situation the best they can truly shows that these are characters who strongly relate to any person.  Even though most superhero comics do deal with your typical super heroic action scenes, this was one of the few times I have actually read a superhero comic that actually explores a character’s emotions on a certain situation (okay, I actually read emotional content from some of the X-Men comics) and it was a truly sad experience to sit through when I was reading this comic and I often found myself sympathizing with Mark and his mother.  I also loved the way that Robert Kirkman created many action scenes in this volume so that way you can stay interested in the storylines and enjoy the constant action scenes being shown in this volume!  Again, I loved the way that Robert Kirkman wrote Mark Grayson’s character as Mark is shown to be an average teenage boy trying to juggle his time with high school and being a superhero and I love how he shows enthusiasm in being a superhero while trying to stay close to his friends despite his constant superhero duties.

Ryan Ottley and Bill Crabtree’s artwork: Done in about the same style as Cory Walker’s artwork in the first volume, Ryan Ottley has done a brilliant job at doing the artwork for this volume as the characters look a bit realistic and the facial expressions that shows whenever a character is upset or shocked is extremely well done.  Bill Crabtree’s coloring is just as brilliant as before as the characters are brightly colored and I also loved the dark coloring being done whenever the characters are shown during the night time.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

Like the first volume, there are many scenes of blood and gore, especially with various killings in this volume where characters are ripped apart and their insides are showing.  Also, one small nitpick I had with this volume was that there were so many different stories being shown all at one time.  In the first volume, we had one storyline that had several small events happening to the characters while each event led up to a bigger storyline that was unfolding.  In the second volume, there are so many storylines going on at the same time such as Mark and his mother dealing with the tragic events of the last volume, Mark almost being married to the Queen of the Underwater Kingdom, and a time traveler named Angstrom Levy trying to save his timeline from a catastrophe.  All of these events happening in one volume is often confusing and sometimes, half of the storylines do not really wrap up, which is irritating if you want to see the storyline all the way through.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume Two” is a truly brilliant follow up to the first volume and anyone who is a huge fan of Robert Kirkman’s works or is a huge fan of superhero comics will definitely get a kick out of this series!

[BOOK REVIEW] Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume 1 by Robert Kirkman

Title:  Invincible: Ultimate Collection Volume 1

Author: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley


Genre: Superhero / Action / Adventure

Year Published: 2005

Year Read: 2012

Series: Invincible #1

Publisher: Image Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 
 

Brief Introduction:

For a long time now, I had always believed that the only comic book companies that created superhero comics were Marvel and DC and it is true that they have been creating superhero comics for many years now.  However, when I found Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s latest creation and Eisner Award nominated series “Invincible” from Image comics; I was actually shocked that an independent comic book company would produce a superhero comic!  “Invincible” is a superhero comic book to be sure, but it was one superhero comic that had many plot twists that you would not normally see in any other superhero comic book and those plot twists really made this graphic novel truly unique and exciting to read!

What is the story?

Mark Grayson was a normal teenage boy who goes to high school, has crush on girls and has a dull after school job like everyone else. However, what makes Mark different from everyone else is that his father, Omni-Man is the world’s most powerful superhero and Mark seems to have inherited his powers!  After Mark discovers his powers, he finds the life of being a superhero fun; but then once a dark secret is exposed, Mark’s life will soon change forever!

What I loved about this comic:

Robert Kirkman’s writing!:  Now, I am not too familiar with Robert Kirkman’s work since “Invincible” is the first comic I have read by him,  but now that I had just finished reading this graphic novel, I am totally hooked on Robert Kirkman’s writing style!  Robert Kirkman has done a brilliant job at developing the characters to the point where we can really sympathize and care about their situations.  I loved the character portrayal of Mark Grayson as he is portrayed as being a free spirited character that enjoys having superpowers while trying to balance his life at school and I loved seeing that side of Mark as he knows he has responsibilities, but he still wants to enjoy life.  I also loved the way that Robert Kirkman would make parodies of superheroes in this comic such as the superhero team “Guardians of the Globe” being a slight parody of the Justice League and yet, these superhero teams are not like carbon copies of the superheroes we see in Marvel and DC as they seem to have qualities that separates them from the other superheroes.  Robert Kirkman also did a fantastic job at providing humor in this story as I found myself laughing at the statements being made by the characters, especially by Mark Grayson when he made comments about finding out about his powers for the first time and he just casually told his parents about his powers like it is no big deal.  What I really loved about Robert Kirkman’s writing is his ability to provide plot twists to the story and the plot twists were done extremely well as I was literally shocked at the various secrets that were exposed about the characters. 

Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley’s artwork:  Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley’s artwork is a bit unique as it has a simplistic look and yet during the action scenes, is drawn in an effective way.  I loved the artwork of the characters’ expressions whenever they are confused about something as their eyes are drawn as little black dots instead of having their normal eye shapes which really brings out the humor in the situations.  I also loved the coloring done by Bill Crabtree as the artwork looks extremely colorful and I loved the shadowing on the characters’ faces whenever they are in dark places such as being outside during the nighttime.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

This graphic novel is surprisingly gory as there are many scenes of characters being torn apart and you can see blood squirt out everywhere and their innards being pulled from their bodies.  Anyone who does not like seeing gore in any graphic novel might want to skim over these scenes.

Final Thoughts:

“Invincible” is not your average superhero comic as it contains more humor and a lighter tone than what I usually see in superhero comics, but this is definitely one of the most unique and interesting superhero comics I have ever read and I am sure that many fans of superhero comics will definitely enjoy this graphic novel!

 

[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom

Author:  Joe Hill

Artist:  Gabriel Rodriguez


Genre: Supernatural / Horror / Family


Year Published: 2011


Year Read: 2012


Series: Locke and Key #4


Publisher: IDW Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language and Gory Violence)

 

I have been reading Joe Hill’s fantastic “Locke and Key” series for awhile and so far, this series has been nothing but brilliant so far and I am enjoying every single story coming out of this series!  The fourth volume “Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom” is an Eisner nominated book by Joe Hill that proves to be the huge turning point for this series as Zack Wells, who turns out to be Lucas Don Caravaggio in a new body, starts showing his true colors!  “Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom” is a brilliant volume that will definitely turn the tides for this series!

There are a total of five chapters in this volume and here are the chapters:

Chapter One: Sparrow:

In this chapter, Joe Hill makes a tribute to Bill Watterson’s famous comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes” by detailing a story where Bode tries to make new friends but there appears to be a key that can turn anyone into a wolf and Zack happens to obtain the key to transform himself into a wolf and attack Tyler and Kinsey! Meanwhile, Bode is able to transform himself into a bird and has crazy adventures in his bird form!

Chapter Two: White

When an elderly woman named Erin Voss started acting crazy every time she is near something white, Kinsey encounters the subject of racism, while she is curious about how Erin Voss knows about her father Rendell.  So to approach Erin Voss, Kinsey finds a key that allows her to change the color of her skin.  But what secrets is Erin Voss hiding?

Chapter Three: February

During this month, the Locke kids go through so many supernatural activities where they are attacked by various monsters.  Meanwhile, the kids try to tell their friends about the keys, but they end up facing the consequences of their actions.

Chapter Four: Casualties

When Rufus, Coach Whedon’s son is visited by the ghost of Sam Lesser, he finds out that Zack Wells is not all he is cracked up to be and Rufus must find a way to warn the Locke kids about Zack.

Chapter Five: Detectives

When Tyler discovers something foul about Zack Wells, he goes to find out more about Zack Wells and his connection with the murders in the town.  Unfortunately, Tyler will soon realize that Zack might be up to some sinister tricks that could endanger his family!

Oh my goodness!  Did I mention before that this series just keeps getting better and better every time I read them?  The fourth volume in the “Locke and Key” series is definitely no exception to this as it serves to be a huge turning point for our favorite Locke kids!  Joe Hill has once again done an excellent job at balancing the supernatural nature of this story with the everyday problems that the Locke kids have to face after the death of their father.  I loved the way that Joe Hill portrayed the relationships between Tyler, Kinsey and Bode as they all care about each other and it was great seeing them protect each other from any danger that comes towards them.  I also loved seeing the relationships that the Locke kids have with their friends, especially Kinsey with Jamal and Scot as they are extremely close with each other and I loved the dialogues that Joe Hill sets up between the three of them as they are extremely funny and thought-provoking to read.  I also loved the tension that Joe Hill builds up with Zack Wells as it seems that his true nature is beginning the show in the most terrifying way possible (there was one scene where Zack seems to do something to a person that made me really cringe – you have to read it for yourself!)  Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is as always truly dramatic and gorgeous to look at as all the coloring is dark which fits the gloomy feel of this story and I loved the way that the characters look semi-realistic which really gives the story a more mature feel.  I also loved the way that Gabriel Rodriguez was able to portray the Locke kids as characters from “Calvin and Hobbes” in the first chapter “Sparrow” and the artwork in that chapter truly portrayed the spirit and humor that came from the “Calvin and Hobbes” comics.

As with the majority of the “Locke and Key” series, this volume has extremely strong language and many violent and disturbing scenes that would cause anyone who is not used to gory images to feel uncomfortable.  I have mentioned before that there was a little scene where Zack does something horrible to another character and it might disturb many readers (it definitely disturbed me a bit, although the artwork was fantastic for that scene).

Overall, “Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom” is a brilliant volume that really turns this series to a new direction and I cannot wait to see what will become of the Locke kids at this point!  Now, I am definitely excited for the fifth volume “Clockworks!”

[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft Volume 1 by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key:  Welcome to Lovecraft Volume 1

Author: Joe Hill

Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez 


Genre: Supernatural / Horror / Fantasy


Year Published: 2008

Year Read: 2012

Series: Locke and Key #1

Publisher: IDW Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language, Murder and Mature Themes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 
 

After reading Neil Gaiman’s fantastic “Sandman” series, I never would have thought that there would be another graphic novel that blends horror and mystery perfectly together.  But I was wrong as I soon discovered a new graphic novel that does just that called “Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft!”  “Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft” is an Eisner Award nominated graphic novel superbly written by Joe Hill along with dramatic artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez and it is definitely a horror/mystery story that is definitely worth checking out!

The story starts off with three siblings named Tyler, the oldest son, Kinsey, the middle daughter, and Bode, the youngest son and how when they were spending the summer at their family’s home, their father was brutally murdered by two strangers right before their very eyes.  After their father’s funeral, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode had a hard time coping with life after their father was killed and they along with their mother who managed to survive the tragedy, decided to move to the city of Lovecraft to leave their old life behind.  However, it turns out that the home that Tyler, Bode and Kinsey all moved into is no ordinary home as Bode soon discovers that the house has dark secrets that only he knows about and those secrets will soon change all three siblings’ lives forever!

Words just cannot describe my feelings and my love for this graphic novel!  I have never read a comic series that really knows how to blend horror, loss and mystery all into one glorious story that will remain to be an all-time favorite among comic fans!  Joe Hill has certainly done a brilliant job at writing this story as it is full of suspense and mystery that will keep you wanting more from the story!  I loved the way that Joe Hill focused on how the three siblings Tyler, Kinsey and Bode all deal with the murder of their father and how they all reacted differently to the situation such as Tyler blaming himself for his father’s death, Kinsey not knowing about what to do with her life without her father and Bode, being extremely young, not quite understanding the seriousness of the situation.  I felt that knowing what these characters are going through after the tragedy that has taken place really gave them so much depth in their characters and I actually felt sad for Tyler, Kinsey, Bode and their mother as they had to deal with the loss of the person they love so dearly.  I also loved the way that Joe Hill brought the supernatural themes into the story without really interrupting the tragedy that the characters were going through as I was practically on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how the keys provide a sort of alternative dimension portable for the characters and I want to see how collecting all the keys to the house would change events for the characters.  Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is brilliant as the artwork has dark coloring that fits the gloomy mood of this story extremely well.  I also loved the way that Gabriel Rodriguez drew the images of the supernatural activities taken place such as the images of characters turning into ghosts and you can see the blue wisps of the characters themselves floating towards the reader. 

Probably the only issues with this book is that it surprisingly has some really strong language that you would not find in mainstream comic books and that makes it more difficult for younger readers to get to read this story.  Also, there are some disturbing moments in this book that not only involves the brutal murder of Tyler, Kinsey and Bode’s father, but also has many scenes of innocent people being killed throughout the book.  Also, the supernatural elements such as the characters becoming ghosts might be a bit disturbing.

Overall, “Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft” is a brilliant introduction to the “Locke and Key” series and now that this volume has ended on a huge cliffhanger, I am now looking forward to reading more adventures of Tyler, Bode and Kinsey and will soon be picking up the second volume “Head Games” pretty soon!