Star Wars: Darth Vader, Vol 1: Vader by Kieron Gillen

Synopsis:

The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader's first on-screen appearance, he has become one of pop-culture's most popular villains. Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own solo adventures — showing the Empire's war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! But when a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? As Vader pursues a very personal vengeance against the Rebels and investigates the Emperor's secret machinations, he clashes with weapons scavenger Aphra and deadly Battle Droids, and returns to Geonosis to build an army. But some very powerful people don't want him to learn the truths he seeks! Guest-starring Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and more!

Rating:★★★★

Review:

First of all, I was never one to jump aboard the Star Wars wagon so I only know what I've heard other's say about it and of course the infamous Family Guy interpretation. Long story short, I only know the just and the basic concept of the story.

Oddly enough the first thought that came to my mind when I opened this comic was just that the graphics were absolutely awesome and matched up perfectly with the theme of the story. We are taught as humans to, without a shadow of a doubt, hate the villains of any story so for an author to have me seriously rooting for a villain, Darth freaking Vader to be exact, is just mind blowing all by itself and it really speaks on the capability of Kieron Gillen as an author to deliver a story.

The only thing that I can think of that really bothered me in this volume was how repetitive the mini prefaces or summaries at the beginning of each individual comic were. It was almost like copying and pasting the exact same thing over and over, just adding an extra sentence or two at the end and I find repetitiveness very irritating which is why I only gave this 4 stars instead of 5.

On my recommendation scale I absolutely recommend this to everyone 😁 because this was a really nice read to see things from a villain's point of view. It definitely leveled the playing field of good and bad motives.

A Justified Bitch(A Las Vegs Mystery #1) by: H.G. McKinnis

Synopsis:

It takes a guilty bastard to make a justified bitch.

When a severed finger shows up on her doorstep in a seedy section of Las Vegas, Helen Taylor does not freak out. She’s already crazy, as evidenced by her junk-stuffed house and its ever-growing population of cats. There’s also Bobby, her long-dead husband. Helen talks to him regularly, and Bobby talks back.

The finger and the brutal murder it reveals are more than a hoarding cat lady with a phantom husband can ignore. Helen’s a suspect, and she ends up in jail. Summoned by the detective on the case, Helen’s sister Pat arrives from Phoenix with two teen-age boys in tow.

While Helen is AWOL from a mental facility, another gruesome murder is discovered. Pat, the boys, and the detective struggle to separate fact from insanity, but it takes power beyond the ordinary to bring the truth to light.

Publishing Co.: Imbrifex Books

Release Date: August 8, 2017

Rating: ★★★★

Description:

I received this book from Netgalley and Imbrifex Books in exchange for my honest review. I'm also a tad bit late posting my review for this book so bare with me. I thought this was a really good adult murder mystery and it was handled very well.

I really liked the whole drama on top of drama role this book took on because not only are we focusing on finding this killer but we are also dealing with all of the family craziness going on. With that being said that really took this murder mystery and turned it into so much more for me. There was always something grabbing for my attention so I didn't really have the opportunity to get bored.

Character wise I think H. G. McKinnis did a great job of giving her characters roles and keeping them playing their OWN roles. Unfortunately, I didn't really feel connected with the characters, even though I knew all about them, something was still missing that made me lack sympathy for them.   

On the predictability scale I don't think it was easy to guess who the killer was but when you find out who it actually is you're left kicking yourself because you feel like you should have known all along. Because I honestly thought I knew who the killer was but the joke was on me. 

I absolutely loved the gruesome descriptions of the two murder scenes! It was something that really made me wince and cringe even though I wasn't literally seeing anything. Reading this was honestly like watching criminal minds and it was greatly appreciated. 

I think this book is great for those YA addicts looking to test the waters in the adult genre, especially those in love with mystery novels. I'm not quite sure how the rest of the series is supposed to work out but I'm excited and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

A Castle In England by: Jamie Rhodes; Briony May Smith; Isabel Greenberg; Issac Lenkiewicz; Will Exley

Synopsis:

A collaboration between writer Jamie Rhodes and the National Trust, A Castle in England is a unique and fascinating graphic fiction project inspired by Scotney Castle in Kent.

Using the rich history of this fourteenth-century castle as a starting point, Rhodes has created five short stories that take place over different eras in the castle's past: The Labourer(Medieval), The Priest (Elizabethan), The Smuggler (Georgian), The Widow (Victorian), and The Hunter (Edwardian). Each of these stories has been illustrated by experienced comic and graphic novel artists Isaac Lenkiewicz, Briony May Smith, William Exley, Becky Palmer, and Isabel Greenberg, creating a visually striking graphic collection that is steeped in historical context.

Publishing Co.: Nobrow Press

Release Date: May 1, 2017

Rating: ★

Review:

     I received this book from Nobrow Press in exchange for my honest review. I did like and appreciate that this is split up into 5 different short stories in 5 different time eras all in the same castle. 

     But from the beginning I did not like the time taken to do a family tree for ever story, I honestly just think it was a waste a space and it hurt the book. I understand this is a Historical Fiction Graphic Novel but I was not expecting a whole history lesson. As in I did not think there would be actual factual information sections after each story. The graphics were very underwhelming and lacking an abundance of color. 

     I tried to keep myself interested in the story but this book did not capture my attention like I thought it would. I found my self skimming through the rest of the book after the second story. This is sadly not a book that I would recommend because it is a good concept of mixing a collection of short stories with a graphic novel but it's utterly a disappointment in too many ways to turn a blind eye.

What Does Consent Really Mean by: Pete Wallis & Thalia Wallis; Art by Joseph Wilkins

Synopsis:

"Consent is not the absence of 'NO', it is an enthusiastic YES!!"

While seemingly straightforward, Tia and Bryony hadn't considered this subject too seriously until it comes up in conversation with their friends and they realise just how important it is.

Following the sexual assault of a classmate, a group of teenage girls find themselves discussing the term consent, what it actually means for them in their current relationships, and how they act and make decisions with peer influence. Joined by their male friends who offer another perspective, this rich graphic novel uncovers the need for more informed conversations with young people around consent and healthy relationships. Accompanying the graphics are sexual health resources for students and teachers, which make this a perfect tool for broaching the subject with teens.

Publishing Co.: Singing Dragon 
Release Date: Nov. 21, 2017
Rating:★★★★

Review:

     I received this book form Singing Dragon and Edleweiss in exchange for my review. I was so disgusted for about the first 5 or 6 pages of this graphic novel. This is obviously to cure the younger audience's curiosity about consent because the naiveness of the characters were just baffling to me. Even though the beginning was disgusting to me I do think this is a good teaching tool for younger tweens and teens because these are huge but common misconceptions about sex and consent that goes on through the mind of younger audiences. This was informative and I think it answers a lot of questions that kids may have about sexual activities and feelings. I recommend this for people that have kids or maybe know kids that are of the age to be curious about sex.

Garbage Night (Vacancy #2) by: Jen Lee

Synopsis:

In a barren and ransacked backyard, a dog named Simon lives with his two best friends: a raccoon and a deer. The unlikely gang spends their days looting the desolate supermarket and waiting for the return of the hallowed ‘garbage night’ – but week after week, the bins remain empty. While scavenging one day, the trio meet Barnaby – another abandoned dog who tells them about the ‘other town’ where humans are still rumored to live. Spurred on by hunger and the promise of food, the trio joins up with Barnaby and set off into the unknown…

With echoes of post-war, derelict places, Garbage Night explores how animals may internalize their changing environment and express their thoughts, fears and hopes.

Publishing Co.: Nobrow Press
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Rating: ★★

Review:

     I received this book from Edelweiss and Nobrow Press in exchange for my review. Honestly, I didn't enjoy the story line for this one as much as did for Vacancy but I did like the graphics better in Garbage Night versus the graphics in Vacancy. I felt as if the story line need to go through more development, action wise, in order to really capture me. I also wish that I knew a little more about the character's previous lives since we are on book #2 and we still don't know them from a bag of rocks, just that Simon was abandoned and this is as far as background information goes with these characters.

     The art was really cutesy and had kind of a laid back effect on me. If only the story line would have been more interesting and worth my wild this would have definitely gotten a higher rating from me. Because I feel like the story line is not up to par I do not recommend this graphic novel only for the graphics.    

Vacancy by: Jen Lee

Synopsis:

In a disheveled and ransacked backyard, a dog named Simon has been forgotten by his owners. Simon breaks free and partners with a raccoon and a deer who take him into the woods. But Simon realizes he is not quite ready to live in the wild. And in the abandoned areas of the town strange things begin to happen. . . .

Vacancy explores the ways that animals think; how they internalize their changing environment and express their thoughts, fears, or excitement.

Publishing Co.: Nobrow Press
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Rating:★★★

Review:

     I received this book from Edelweiss and Nobrow press in exchange for my review. I really liked the story line of this comic but the graphics did fall short for me. I liked the sort of ominous meeting of the characters but I do want to know more about them before I can get emotionally invested with them. Something is lacking in this story for me and it's very frustrating because I can't exactly put my finger on what it is.

     Overall, this is a cut-throat, cutesy, graphic novel that I think is worthy of a quick read. I don't believe it will have you giving a standing ovation but I do think that it's something that is quick and interesting to read when you want something different yet short.

A Place Called No Homeland by: Kai Cheng Thom

Synopsis: 

This powerful poetry collection seeks to map the emotional and spiritual territory of diaspora, violence, abuse, and exile. Kai Cheng incorporates autobiographical details from her own childhood and adult life with the rhythms of the oral storytelling tradition and fairytale motifs, poignantly depicting the plight of trans women of color.

Publishing Company: Arsenal Pulp Press 
Release Date: April 17, 2017
Rating: ★★★

Review:

     I received this book from Eldeweiss and Arsenal Pulp Press. This was the first book I've ever read that is centered around the struggles of trans culture and I really enjoyed it. I just loved the poetic rawness and non existence of a filter in this book. I could clearly see that the author was filled with so much emotion and hurt just reminiscing on all her hard times. My favorite poems were In Your Mouth, What the Moon Saw, and Dear White Gay Men. 

     At some points throughout the book I did feel a little disengaged and distant which why I only gave this collection 3 out of 5 stars. But I was always replunged back into the the realness of this book. 

     I would still recommend this book even though I only gave it 3 stars but I would like to warn readers there are TRIGGERS for RAPE VIOLENCE and there is major foul language. So if you have a problem with PROFANITY this is NOT the book for you.