Hi everyone! Welcome to another Comic Crossover.

What is Comic Crossover you ask?
Comic Crossover is where we take a YA book and compare it to a comic book up close. Comics sometimes get a bad wrap, and so this feature is designed to shine a light on some amazing comic reads.

Sometimes you may not see straight away why I have matched up books and comics the way I have, but rest assured that there is always method to my madness! Sometimes it’s because of the characters alone, the storyline, the genre or another feature about the YA book that I have found that draws parallel to a comic.

For those of you who are new to comics, the titles that I select to talk about are always comics that you can pick straight up off the shelf without knowing anything prior about them and enjoy. So if comics have made you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the past, you don’t need to feel that way about the comics that feature in Comic Crossover.

In all cases, I have read both the YA books and the comics, so if you have any questions you can comment on this post!

This weeks Comic Crossover:
If you enjoyed Just One Day by Gayle Forman, then you might enjoy Superman/Wonder Woman Volume 1: Power Couple

YA Book Breakdown: Awwww this is one of my favourite YA books. Allyson and Willem’s relationship moved me so much, even though it was as the title suggests Just One Day. There was so much depth to the characters and sweet, tender moments between the two of them. This book stayed with me long after I finished it.

Comic Book Breakdown: The tale of a romance that will shake the stars themselves. These two super-beings love each other, but not everyone shares their joy. Some fear it, some test it-and some will try to kill for it. I reviewed this book recently and gushed about how much I love Superman and Wonder Woman as a couple!

Why the comparison? For the romance. And if I am cheeky, there’s a tiny London overlap between the two as well. But mostly the romance. These two stories are worlds apart in terms of plot. But there’s some really sweet moments in them both, and even though in Superman/Wonder Woman they’re superheroes, they love each other just like any other couple. There is aspects of vulnerability in both of these books and real raw moments that we can all relate to. I really love them both.

Want to grab yourself a copy? Right here (pre-order for September 23rd now) or check with your local library.

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Hi everyone! Welcome to another Comic Crossover.

What is Comic Crossover you ask?
Comic Crossover is where we take a YA book and compare it to a comic book up close. Comics sometimes get a bad wrap, and so this feature is designed to shine a light on some amazing comic reads.

Sometimes you may not see straight away why I have matched up books and comics the way I have, but rest assured that there is always method to my madness! Sometimes it’s because of the characters alone, the storyline, the genre or another feature about the YA book that I have found that draws parallel to a comic.

For those of you who are new to comics, the titles that I select to talk about are always comics that you can pick straight up off the shelf without knowing anything prior about them and enjoy. So if comics have made you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the past, you don’t need to feel that way about the comics that feature in Comic Crossover.

In all cases, I have read both the YA books and the comics, so if you have any questions you can comment on this post!

This weeks Comic Crossover:
If you enjoyed The Devouring by Simon Holt, then you might enjoy Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome To Lovecraft by Joe Hill

YA Book Breakdown: Hands down the best horror YA book I’ve read. When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it’s clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman’s imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life. This book plays like a movie in your mind. It’s such a dark fun read and genuinely plays on some common fears. I’d love to read this series again actually!

Comic Book Breakdown: Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all. Locke & Key is so original and different to other books I have read with a “haunted house” theme.

Why the comparison? Both are deliciously creepy books. If you love spooky reads, then both of these books are fantastic. Not only are they both quite dark reads, but they are both so original and well thought through in terms of the overall story. You’re able to pick up Locke & Key Volume 1 without any prior comic knowledge and it’s a great series in general!

Want to grab yourself a copy? Right here or check with your local library.

Filed under: Comic Chat, Comic Crossover by Melissa
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Hi everyone! Welcome to another Comic Crossover.

What is Comic Crossover you ask?
Comic Crossover is where we take a YA book and compare it to a comic book up close. Comics sometimes get a bad wrap, and so this feature is designed to shine a light on some amazing comic reads.

Sometimes you may not see straight away why I have matched up books and comics the way I have, but rest assured that there is always method to my madness! Sometimes it’s because of the characters alone, the storyline, the genre or another feature about the YA book that I have found that draws parallel to a comic.

For those of you who are new to comics, the titles that I select to talk about are always comics that you can pick straight up off the shelf without knowing anything prior about them and enjoy. So if comics have made you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the past, you don’t need to feel that way about the comics that feature in Comic Crossover.

In all cases, I have read both the YA books and the comics, so if you have any questions you can comment on this post!

This weeks Comic Crossover:
If you enjoyed The Last Girl by Michael Adams, then you might enjoy The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye

YA Book Breakdown: The Last Girl is Danby’s story. She wakes up on Christmas and starts hearing everyone’s thoughts. But this book isn’t about Danby having supernatural powers. Because everyone can hear everyone elses thoughts. Except for some reason no one can hear Danby’s thoughts. This is the end of the world as people know it. People start calling it The Snap. When The Snap happens, suburbs and cities explode into chaos and violence. This is the apocalypse. Danby must protect her little brother and reach the safety of her mother’s mountain retreat. But it’s 100 kilometres away and the highways are blocked by thousands of cars and surrounded by millions of people coming apart at the psychic seams.

Comic Book Breakdown: If you’ve seen the TV show, you’ll have an idea. The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.

Why the comparison? Both of these stories are amazing apocalypse type stories. The Last Girl has a different type of spin on it, and The Walking Dead features many zombies. Both are compelling stories in their own right and there’s a reason The Walking Dead was turned into a TV show. It isn’t a horror comic despite what many believe. It’s actually a drama comic, just about zombies. And it works!

Want to grab yourself a copy? Right here or check with your local library.

Filed under: Comic Chat, Comic Crossover by Melissa
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Release Date: October 23rd 2012
Published By: Image Comics
Pages: 160
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list
Purchase: Book Depository

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan and critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

This specially priced volume collects the first six issues of the smash-hit series The Onion A.V. Club calls “the emotional epic Hollywood wishes it could make.”

Collects Saga issues #1-6.

Review: Saga is absolutely brilliant. Think of it as a sci-fi version of Romeo and Juliet. Star crossed lovers from two different (waring) planets.

Basically, it’s about a horned guy named Marcus who is a prisoner on a planet, and a chick with wings named Alana who was his prison guard. They both come from different planets, and their people are at war. Marcus and Alana fall in love and give birth to baby Hazel, and when the people from their respective planets find out, they’re on the run in an attempt to save their lives and Hazel’s.

The thing that makes Saga so heartwarming and charming is the fact that even though the characters are species from another planet, they are so human at their core. The way they interact with each other is so real and so close to how we interact with one another in real life that it wasn’t like reading a comic, it was like reading a transcript between two of your friends. The humour is so good and the emotions are so real and raw. The characters have depth and are complex.

You form this beautiful bond with the characters so early on, and you really care about them and become quite protective of them. I know personally, I didn’t want anyone to harm them, and so when they had to start running for their lives, you’re automatically gunning for them.

The sci-fi element to this book cannot be ignored. There are all kinds of species from planets in this book, including a prince with a TV for a head, a giant spider who is a bounty hunter, and another bounty hunter that has a giant truth telling cat. There are unique and bizare characters throughout, and I have to admit that even for someone like me who doesn’t like sci-fi - I really got into it and embraced the characters without too much question.

This series should be noted that it is not for children. There are a lot of sex scenes in this book, and in my opinion they aren’t placed there unnecessarily, they do aid in the telling of the story - but just beware that if you’re young or sensitive to that kind of visual that maybe this isn’t the book for you. I do like to warn where possible!

That being said though, this comic is absolutely incredible with a beautiful storyline and a gorgeous illustrations and colour palette. I loved the greens and the blues throughout this book and the illustrator Fiona Staples did a beautiful job with this book and she should be commended for her work in this series.

Filed under: Comic Chat, Comic Review by Melissa
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Hi everyone!

Last week, I posted about how YA and comics really aren’t all that different. It inspired me to want to do a series that we’re going to call Comic Crossover where we take a YA book and compare it to a comic up close.

Sometimes you may not see straight away why I have matched up books and comics the way I have, but rest assured that there is always method to my madness! Sometimes it’s because of the characters alone, the storyline, the genre or another feature about the YA book that I have found that draws parallel to a comic.

AND for those of you who are new to comics, which I think I am about right in assuming it’s most of our audience, in turn, the comics that I select to talk about are always comics that you can pick straight up off the shelf without knowing anything prior about them and enjoy. So if comics have made you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the past, you don’t need to feel that way about the comics that feature in Comic Crossover.

In all cases, I have read both the YA books and the comics, so if you have any questions you can comment on this post!

First of all, and I mentioned this last week, but I wanted the opportunity to go into more depth this week.

If you enjoyed These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, then you might enjoy Saga Volume 1 by Brian K Vaughan.

YA Book Breakdown: These Broken Stars had this element of Romeo and Juliet happening for me. Star crossed lovers (quite literally, they’re in space) Lilac comes from a really rich upper class family and Tarver is a war hero but according to everyone out of Lilac’s league. But when their spaceliner crashes in the middle of nowhere on an unknown planet, and they’re the only ones alive, their worlds collide and they’re forced to stick together if they want to live.

Comic Book Breakdown: Saga hands down is also a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet but with a sci-fi backdrop. If you’re like me, and you’re not really into sci-fi, listen to me pleaaaaaaaaase. Still read it. I am personally not a fan of sci-fi (and if I do read it, it’s very selective on my part), but this book is so beautiful and the characters so ‘human’ given they are alien species that this is absolutely appealing and charming to all kinds of people. Basically, it’s about a horned guy named Marcus who is a prisoner on a planet, and a chick with wings named Alana who was his prison guard. They both come from different planets, and their people are at war. Marcus and Alana fall in love and give birth to baby Hazel, and when the people from their respective planets find out, they’re on the run in an attempt to save their lives and Hazel’s.

Why the comparison? This one is quite obviously the parallels in the story to Romeo and Juliet. Whilst they both put a really unique sci-fi spin on it, and on paper look like they could be the same stories, they are (excuse the pun) worlds apart. I really enjoyed them both though, and in particular Saga is extremely addictive. If you do read Volume 1, you can move straight on to Volume 2 or Volume 3 etc and continue the story as it unfolds. Saga has won so many awards, and rightfully so. It’s utter genius.

Want to grab yourself a copy? Right here, or check your local library. Many have a good stock of current comics. You’ll be asking for Saga Volume 1 not issue one. Saga Volume 1 collects issues 1 through to 6.

Filed under: Comic Chat, Comic Crossover by Melissa
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If you’re a regular reader of YA novels, the thought of reading comics might seem foreign or even unappealing altogether. Being a reader of both though, I think there’s room to enjoy both if you wanted to. A few of my girlfriends are similar to me in that they love comics as well as YA, and I sat down to have a think about why this might have been the case. There are more crossovers between YA and comics than I think people realise.

• YA narratives play like a movie in your mind as you read. Comics are the visual element on paper.
  I’ve read some incredible YA books that open up your imagination as you read them – Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Iron Fey Series, the Soulstice series to name a few. In many ways, this is how comics work. Narrative and illustrations. Only, the illustrations are on paper, and you can visually see the world the author is trying to convey for you. This cuts down on a lot of the narrative when it comes to “world building”. In many ways, comics have an advantage of being able to jump straight into the story itself because they don’t have to work as hard to set it up.

• Just like YA series, comics have series too
  Some of my favourite YA series have 3 books in the series (or more!) or sometimes even spin off series. Comics aren’t disimilar. Comics usually tell a bigger story one chapter at a time in a single issue released usually on a monthly basis. So over 12 months, you’ve read 12 “chapters” if you will. Usually most comic companies will take these “chapters” and pop them into a hard cover book (or volume) in with about 6 or 7 chapters combined in one to create a whole story. I usually buy most comics this way, in a collection or volume where I can then read all of the “chapters” together and enjoy them. And just like some of my favourite YA series, some of these volumes have huge cliffhangers too!

• Both are stereotyped and often misunderstood
  I think the perception is that comics are always based on superheroes or all slapstick. Likewise when I’ve told my adult friends that I read YA novels, I’ve had many people say ‘Oh, like Twilight?’ because they just don’t understand.Both YA and comics have a lot more to offer, which leads me to my next crossover…

• Both YA and comics don’t limit themselves to the here and now with titles ranging from contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi, superpowers, romance, thriller, and supernatural themes.
  What attracted me to YA originally was that the books were exciting and had plots that were complex (trying to explain some of these plots to my non-reader friends over the years has been fun! Lol) and unique and challenge your imagination with all kinds of weird and wonderful storylines that you often don’t find in adult fiction.

As such, I thought it might be a nice guide to comics if I posted a recommendation post. For instance, if you liked These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner then you’ll probably enjoy the comic series Saga Volume 1. I am working on a pretty epic list of comics for next week! I’m also working on a series of other posts for those of you who might be interested in comics and more importantly, where do you get started? They can be overwhelming, but if you know what to pick up they can be incredibly enjoyable, fun and addictive!

Keep your eyes out – these will be weekly features for now as we try and diversify Book Nerd Reviews a bit. Whilst we’ve always been traditionally a YA book blog, I think most of you will see I have been transitioning more to comics for the last 12 months whilst Kristy has stuck with YA books.

With this in mind we’ll be looking to broaden our audience with both comic fans and YA fans alike sharing the same space. We may get some YA fans opening their minds to comics and likewise, we may get some comic fans understanding what YA is all about as well. I’d like to think that we’ll offer a bit of something for everyone all the same!

Filed under: Comic Chat, Feral Friday, Nerd Chat by Melissa
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