Archive for the ‘Comic Review’ Category:

Comic Review: Superman/Wonder Woman Volume 1 Power Couple - Charles Soule

Release Date: September 23rd 2014
Published By: DC Comics
Pages: 192
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: Beginning a bold new series that details the relationship between The Man of Steel and the Warrior Princess as writer Charles Soule (Swamp Thing) is joined by artist Tony S. Daniel (Batman) to tell 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. Some say love is a battlefield, but where Superman and Wonder Woman are concerned it spells Doomsday!

Collects Issues #1-7 of Superman/Wonder Woman

Review: Let me preface this review by saying that whilst I consider myself a pretty big Wonder Woman fan, I’ve never really been much of a Superman fan. I’ve always found him to be quite boy scouty and lacking much of a personality if I am honest. Probably explains why I love Batman so much. ;)

Now that I’ve gotten out of the way, if you too don’t love Superman, this is a GREAT reason to read Superman/Wonder Woman Volume 1. I know that doesn’t make sense on the surface. But honestly, this book helped me really like Superman as a character. I saw so much more depth in his character than I’ve ever seen in any standalone Superman comic.

The reason this book is different to most, is that it’s ultimately a romance. If you’re new to comics, I’ll say it now. Romance and comics don’t often come together in a story. Especially in a DC Superheroes story! So to have this series, it’s quite exciting.

We still see so much action and we see Superman and Wonder Woman team up to take on their enemies together, so it’s not lacking ANY of the standard action you should come to expect in a superhero comic. In actual fact, this had plenty of action scenes and some very worth adversaries in Doomsday and Zod.

It’s really interesting for me personally to see the Internets reaction to this comic title in general, because so many people love Superman and Lois Lane together. I am going to say it now… I think Lois Lane is needy, clingy and desperate. There. I said it. I feel so much better for having gotten that off my chest.

The thing I love about Wonder Woman and Superman together is that they are both equals. Wonder Woman does not need Superman. She wants him. She is a strong and independent woman who is constantly showing Superman that she can take care of herself and doesn’t need to be protected. Interestingly enough, it’s when they’re out of uniform where we see that she too can be vulnerable at times when she gets upset that Clark wants to keep their relationship a secret. We als0 get to see Diana’s (Wonder Woman) ex Steve Trevor getting all jealous of her relationship with Superman as well which showed a very different side to these characters.

The art is beautiful, and I truly believe that a comic book is more enjoyable when the art is good to look at also. I thought there was some really beautiful scenes in this comic. :)

I really enjoyed this book; if you’ve never read a comic before, this can be picked off the shelf and enjoyed - you don’t have to know much about comics to understand this! It’s a pure love story. :)

 

 

 

Comic Review: Saga Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan

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.

 

 

 

Comic Review: Chew Volume One - Taster’s Choice - John Layman & Rob Guillory

Release Date: December 8th 2009
Published By: Image Comics
Pages: 128
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he’s a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn’t mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He’s been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

Collects CHEW issues #1-5.

Review: Chew is a dark, gristly but humorous read that comes across as unassuming but had me hooked from issue one.

It took me a while to get around to reading this, and it was the hype from everyone who had previously read it that finally convinced me to pick it up. I’m so glad I did, because it’s quickly become one of my favourite reads for 2014 so far.

Imagine a world where chicken is banned, and just eating it could send you to prison, let alone the hard time those who “deal chicken” are up for. There was an avian flu which killed about 116 million people, and as a result, the consumption of poultry is now outlawed. That’s the world we enter in Chew.

Our main character is Tony Chu. He is a detective with a talent. Although his talents tend to gross people out a bit. He is a Cibopathic. What that means, in a nutshell is that he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It makes it really hard for him to eat normal food without knowing how his meat was killed.

The only food that Tony doesn’t get impressions off for some reason is beats. And so, this is all Tony eats.

 

The Special Crimes Division of the FDA get wind of Tony’s abilities and they want him on board to investigate some of the strangest crimes. They have become a huge force to deal with, and police all crimes to do with the consumption of chicken. Even murder. It also means Tony has to eat some really disgusting things to help solve murders… disgusting things as in body parts sometimes.

Not for the faint at heart, there’s some really gross moments in this comic, I won’t lie! But these scenes aren’t just thrown in to gross you out unnecessarily. The story line is well thought through - clever and well planned, and so I didn’t mind the gross parts so much because it was relevant and contributed to the story as a whole.

I absolutely loved the creativeness of this story, I can say hand on heart that it was such a one of a kind story, and the fact that I couldn’t even really compare it to anything else I have read is a good enough reason why you should pick this up and read it for yourself!

I will say if you’re a little queasy, it’s probably not the book for you. Keeping in mind though it’s a graphic novel and so the illustrations themselves aren’t all that realistic. If you’re not easily grossed out, give this a try. It’s one of those gems that you stumble across and think to yourself… wow. I am really happy I gave this a chance. It surprised me in the best possible way.

The illustrations themselves are quite cartoonish and there’s a look of dirt or a layer of grime about them as well that really adds to the aesthetic of the story itself. It’s quite visually appealing, I personally really loved the style of drawing throughout.

This volume collects the first 5 issues of Chew and left us on a huge cliffhanger!! It was an amazing read - definitely worth checking out for yourself.

 

 

 

Comic Review: Harley Quinn (New 52) #0 - 4 - Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti

Release Date: November 20th 2013 (each issue thereafter published monthly through to current)
Published By: DC Comics
Pages: 32 pages per issue
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: Harley is set to begin her new life, but she needs a job first! Enter the Coney Island Roller Derby! It’s game time as Harley sets out to destroy her competition—literally!

Review: This is the first time I have tried to review multiple issues of comics in one hit (when it hasn’t been published into a graphic novel that is). But I freaking love this series so so much that I really just wanted to talk to you about it and let you know what I thought!

Now I am familiar with the fact that most of you read YA, and I love my YA (obviously). But I also read a lot of comics, and I try to talk about comics here that I think if you like YA you’ll be able to relate or transition to easily enough if you wanted to take an interest. Harley Quinn is one of them.

DC Comics recently (in November last year) decided to give Harley Quinn her very own monthly comic series for the first time. So if you’re new to comics, this is perfect, because you can jump on board from issue #0 onwards and enjoy it the issues at the same time as everyone else without feeling out of the loop!

Harley Quinn is the ex-girlfriend of The Joker who you’ll all be familiar with from the Batman franchise. Harley Quinn was formerly known as Dr Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist working at Arkham Asylum. She was The Joker’s psychiatrist. However, it turns out The Joker was the one to get into her head instead and she fell head over heels in love with him. And she’s a little crazy herself. Going by Harley Quinn (harlequin, get it?) she dresses up as a clown like The Joker and helps him create mayhem. So that’s the back story for those of you who have never heard of her before. She’s one of my favourite characters because she’s mischievous, ridiculous and cartoonish in nature. She’s a lot of fun!

So Harley Quinn issue #0 is basically an introduction. There’s no real storyline, but what is impressive is the HUGE amount of artists they have drawing their version of Harley onto the pages. The art in this issue is mind blowing and I really just loved it for the artists being able to showcase their talent really. But if it’s storyline you want - start at issue 1.

Harley has left The Joker for good (Mistah J or Puddin’ as she calls him), and she’s packed up her belongings and is moving to Coney Island - so fitting for her. She decides she needs to get a job and she tries out as a roller derby chick, and nearly takes down the whole team! She also has hitmen coming after her trying to kill her after someone has put a hit out on her and there’s a fair amount of action happening right in the first issue.

The subsequent issues all follow on from the first, with some highlights for me being in issue 2 where she decides to rescue 50 animals from being euthanised and adopts them ALL (the antics that follow are quite funny), and my favourite issue in general was issue 3 which was a valentines day special, and Harley eats some of Poison Ivy’s berries that make every man fall in love with her, including the criminally insane.

The issues are all a bit of fun, and I actually find myself giggling out loud when I read them - which doesn’t happen a whole lot! The writting is fantastic, I love that even though each issue could be read stand alone with different things happening, there’s an overall storyline that is coming through loud and clear, and that is - who is the hitman who is trying to kill Harley? She is sassy, kicks ass and is strong. Overall, she’s the type of girl that I love in my comics!

The art in this series is also incredible. It’s probably up there with my favourite art in any series, and even though you read for the stories, in comics, the art is so important because if you’re not into it, it can be a deal breaker. I love that we’re seeing a more realistic side to Harley than in previous comics where she’s SUPER cartoony. I liked old Harley. But I love new Harley better.

Even if you’re not sure about comics or skeptical, this is a great series to pick up because it’s light, funny and I dare you to not want to continue reading! There’s a quality about the writing that makes you want more.

I really love this series… and look, normally I would wait until issue 7 or so, when the first “hard cover book” of this series is published as Volume 1. They put all the single issues into one book. But I love this series so much that not only am I buying each issue as they come out monthly (something I don’t normally do), but I want to share my thoughts now!

Comic Review: Wolverine - Chris Claremont & Frank Miller

Release Date: January 3rd 2007
Published By: Marvel Comics
Pages: 144
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: The master of mutants joins the master of ninjas in Wolverine’s first solo series - replete with romance, intrigue, and mayhem! Our beleaguered berserker’s in Japan on a mission of the heart, if he can survive the Hand first! Plus: the introduction of everyone’s favorite riotous ronin, Yukio! Collects Wolverine #1-4, plus Uncanny X-Men #172-173.

Review: This is the first X-Men comic I have ever read! So if you’ve not read X-Men either, this is just as good a time as any to jump on board!

The thing I really loved about Wolverine was that this had a really strong story line and so even if you didn’t really know much about Wolverine as a character, the story is told in such a way that it makes sense.

Wolverine is a mutant, a man with superhuman abilities. He has adamantium flowing through his bones which makes him almost indestructible. He has blades which can retract from his hands which he uses as weapons to take down his enemies. And he is also in love.

This story has both strength as well as a vulnerability about it which I thought was really powerful as a reader. Logan (Wolverine) is a strong character and he stands up for what he believes in. In this story, he flies to Japan to seek out the woman he loves, Mariko Yashida. She loves him as well, but the issue, is that Mariko’s father has married her off to another man. A man that doesn’t treat her very well. Refusing to accept that she doesn’t love him anymore, Logan wants answers.

Not happy that Logan has turned up, Mariko’s father is after blood. There is some epic sword fights and samurai henchmen sent after Logan to try and kill him for once and for all, which means we see heaps of action throughout to balance the romance!

There’s a really compelling love story presented in Wolverine as well as a love triangle of sorts, between martial artist Yukio and Logan, and of course Logan and Mariko. We see some really sweet and tender moments, but don’t get too comfortable because there’s some double crossing that takes place as well. It made for a really exciting read!

The art presented throughout is a little “old school”, remembering that this comic is older and art styles change all the time. I normally am not such a huge fan of this style of art, but I think a real redeeming factor about it is the big bold colours used throughout, the dark bold lines and the style of the panels themselves. They’re not just boxes, but really creatively placed.

Even things like the shadowing in this book was really detailed. These are things that normally I wouldn’t care too much for, but it really jumped at me, and I appreciated that.

I definitely recommend this read - even if you’ve not read a comic before, there’s some fantastic story telling throughout this book and you don’t need prior knowledge of Wolverine to know what’s happening.

I’ve included some more images below of what you can expect with this book if you should pick it up!

Quotes:

“I can still see her face — The sorrow in her eyes, her voice, as she condemns me. I didn’t know it was possible to feel such shame. To feel so sick at heart. I’m lost inside, my soul — all that I thought I was, and am, and ever will be — shattered, cast to the winds. Compared to this, death is a mercy.”

“The key isn’t winning — or losing, it’s making the attempt. I may never be what I ought to be, want to be — but how will I know unless I try?

Sure, it’s scary, but what’s the alternative? Stagnation - A safer, more terrible form of death. Not of the body, but of the spirit.

An animal knows what it is, and accepts it. A man may know what he is — but he questions. He dreams. He strives. Changes. Grows.”

Comic Review: Injustice: The Gods Among Us Vol. 1 - Tom Taylor

Release Date: November 19th 2013
Published By: DC Comics
Pages: 192
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Synopsis: From the makers of Mortal Kombat comes the critically acclaimed prequel comic to the smash hit fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us!

Things in the DC Universe have changed after Superman is tricked into destroying the one thing he loves the most. Now unwilling to let crime go unpunished, the heroes of our world must choose if they are with Superman or against him. But not every country will submit to his new world order and neither will Superman’s greatest threat—Batman!

Review: Thank you to DC Comics for this Advanced Readers Comic of the first volume of Injustice.

Being a big fan of the PS3 game of the same name, I was really keen to read this graphic novel. The story is the prequel to the game essentially and tells us what happened before the game takes place.

I love that so many of my favourite characters feature in this comic - Batman, Joker, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn Superman, Flash, Green Lantern to name a few.

Lines become blurred between good and bad when Superman loses control. A pregnant Lois is killed by the Joker, and Superman is out for revenge on everyone and everything. The rest of the justice league have a difficult decision to make. Are they going to stand by and watch Superman wreck havoc on the world or are they going to take a stand against the worlds strongest man?

The graphics did the job, but weren’t my favourite of the comics I have read previously. To me, they didn’t feel as polished or as defined as others that I have loved in the past. That being said, they were fine and they didn’t effect how I felt about the storyline overall - but it did change how I rated this graphic novel overall. Instead of 3.5 I probably would have bumped it to 4 or 4.5 for the graphics. I won’t lie in saying I get really excited over great illustrations. Every artist is different and there’s always going to be art I don’t love though I figure.

Harley Quinn, whilst not a major character, proved to me why I love her so much. She goes from making me laugh one moment (fake moustache - love it), and leads me straight into the feels in the next. Her erratic and crazy ways are why we love her, and we can’t help but feel sorry for her sometimes. I don’t think she always wants to be bad - but she does love the Joker unconditionally, and we all know he is a bad bad man.

The Flash gets a special mention from me in this one - he’s not usually a character I care too much for one way or the other, but Australia does get featured a fair bit in this comic, which is kinda awesome, since that never normally happens. So not only does The Flash apparently love to run laps of the Nullabor desert, the Justice League grace the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne. So that made this girl pretty happy!

Wonder Woman and Superman have an interesting dynamic in this one… Superman has just lost Lois, the love of his life as well as his unborn baby, and Wonder Woman is already trying to sink her claws in. Geez, calm down lady! haha However, I will give her credit for standing by Superman whilst he’s going through some amazingly tough times. We very rarely ever see a vulnerable or weak side to Superman, since he is virtually indestructible. This is probably the most emotional book I’ve read involving Superman. They work together in tandem throughout this story which in turn strengthens their bond.

All in all, I really enjoyed this first installment, and I am looking forward to reading more Injustice. The point where this graphic novel finishes leaves us in a really interesting place, and so I’ll definitely be continuing this series.

Probably not a graphic novel that I’d recommend to someone who is not at least a little well verse in the DC Universe (There are other comics out there that are better suited for first time readers like any of the New 52 titles by DC Comics), however as someone who has delved into this world quite a bit now, I can say it was really well written.

Comic Review: Batman: The Killing Joke - Alan Moore

Release Date: December 1st 1995
Published By: DC Comics
Pages: 64
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: For the first time the Joker’s origin is revealed in this tale of insanity and human perseverance. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point and go mad, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.

After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man.

But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to beset the madman.

Review: The Killing Joke is probably one of my favourite Batman comics that I’ve ever read. This is the perfect comic to read if you’re new to comics in general, because this story tells us a little about the mysterious Joker.

Probably one of the most famous comics out there, The Killing Joke tells the story of how The Joker lashes out against Commissioner Jim Gordon’s daughter Barbara Gordon (also known as Batgirl for those of you playing at home), by putting a bullet in her spine, and then degrading her by taking photographs of her lying bleeding on the ground. Joker then kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and is hellbent on driving him crazy, the same way that The Joker was driven crazy when his wife and unborn baby were killed. That’s where Batman intervenes…

As a longtime fan of Batman, prior to reading The Killing Joke, I often wondered why we didn’t know much about The Joker. I mean, every other main character has their story that is pretty well known, but I never knew all that much about him. And I thought initially this was by design - that he was a man of mystery and he is what he is and not to question this. But The Killing Joke answered so many questions I had about the man he was before he was The Joker.

In this, you see a really deranged and crazy Joker - and rather than just seeing his maniacal side, you really see his evil side in this story, unrelenting and uncaring about how he treats others. The illustrations really helped to tell this story as well as it did, and I found myself really gripped.

This story has become so ingrained and integral in the DC Universe that I am seeing references to this comic through comics I am reading right now (In particular Batgirl Vol 1 and Vol 2). Definitely an important comic to read if you’re wanting to learn more about Batman!

Also worth mentioning is that under the dust jacket of the hardcover graphic novel, is the most beautiful purple foil front and back cover. It’s the little touches like this that make a big difference.

Quotes:

“So when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember there’s always madness. Madness is the emergency exit.”

“See, there were these two guys in a lunatic asylum… and one night, one night they decide they don’t like living in an asylum any more. They decide they’re going to escape! So, like, they get up onto the roof, and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moon light… stretching away to freedom. Now, the first guy, he jumps right across with no problem. But his friend, his friend didn’t dare make the leap. Y’see… Y’see, he’s afraid of falling. So then, the first guy has an idea… He says ‘Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I’ll shine it across the gap between the buildings. You can walk along the beam and join me!’ B-but the second guy just shakes his head. He suh-says… He says ‘Wh-what do you think I am? Crazy? You’d turn it off when I was half way across!”

“It’s all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for… it’s all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can’t you see the funny side? Why aren’t you laughing?”

Comic Review: Batgirl Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection - Gail Simone

Release Date: February 12th 2013
Published By: DC Comics
Pages: 144
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Barbara Gordon is finally back as Batgirl!The nightmare-inducing brute known as Mirror is destroying the lives of Gotham City citizens seemingly at random. Will Barbara be able to survive her explosive confrontation with this new villain, as well as facing dark secrets from her past? A new chapter in the riveting adventures of Batgirl continue in stunning fashion, with script by fan-favorite Gail Simone and stellar art by superstar Ardian Syaf!

This volume collects issues 1-6 of Batgirl, part of the DC Comics—The New 52 event.

Review: Barbara Gordon is the daughter of Gotham City’s police Chief Commissioner Jim Gordon. Jim Gordon forbade Barbara to ever become a police officer herself due to the level of danger involved, so going behind her father’s back she donned a mask and outfit and became Batgirl, trained by the one and only Batman. In The Darkest Reflection, we meet a Batgirl who’s confidence is shaken. It was only months before when Joker shot her in the spine and rendering the use of her legs useless. Through relentless rehabilitation though, Barbara has the use of her legs back and she’s Batgirl once more - however she’s still got her own issues to deal with.

Batgirl is trying to deal with a an evil vigilante known only as The Mirror who is crossing victims off his list one by one. He challenges Batgirl at a time where she’s mentally not at her strongest and the back and forth between the two adds to the action throughout the story. The Mirror ends up being a formidable foe to Batgirl, taunting her at every opportunity and using innocent people as pawns in his game. The thing I like about Batgirl throughout this comic is that she’s vulnerable at times. She’s not perfect and she makes mistakes.

There’s a slight hint at romance also between Batgirl and Nightwing (formally known as Robin), and I really enjoyed their flirty banter with each other. I am interested to see the progression between these two as the stories continue on in volume 2 onwards!

The illustrations in this book deserve a mention. I love the drawings and the way that Batgirl has been portrayed in this version. Illustrated by Ardian Syaf and Vicentre Cifuentes there’s some beautiful pieces in this book - some of my favourite images from the book are below.

I think the thing I liked the most about this was it was written by Gail Simone. I don’t mean to sound sexist, but in an industry so heavily dominated by men, it’s awesome to see female comic writers out there, and especially writing the voice of a female character. I think it’s her writing that was able to give Batgirl a voice that was honest and vulnerable but also strong and resilient. I am a fan of her work after reading this! Batgirl is one of my most favourite characters in the DC Universe. After reading Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection it only reinforced how much I love her character.

Comic Review: The Walking Dead Vol 1: Days Gone Bye - Robert Kirkman

Release Date: September 26th 2006
Published By: Image Comics
Pages: 144
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: 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: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living.

Review: I truly feel that even if you don’t enjoy reading comics (or even if you have never read a comic before), you would still love The Walking Dead.

The introduction, written by the author Robert Kirkman tells us that this is the most emotional story he has had to write, with good reason. This might be a series about zombies, yes. But it’s about so much more than that. It’s about people and their relationships. It’s about surviving the worst imaginable elements and trying to protect your loved ones at any cost. And it’s a story of death and loss also. It’s as real and emotional as any fiction book out there with the added benefit of illustrations.

We’re introduced in the beginning to police officer Rick Grimes who was shot and ends up in hospital. Rick has been in a coma for three months and when he wakes up, the hospital is absolutely deserted. He ventures out into the streets, and sees… humans, that aren’t quite human. Without really understanding what has happened, Rick at least understands that something seriously is not right. He runs into some assistance from Morgan and his son Duane who find Rick in the street and explain to him that what he is seeing are “walkers”. Zombies. Rick’s son and wife are missing, and he soon decides he is going to head into the city by all means to see if he can be reunited with his family at a refuge.

Yeah, there’s a whole lot of carnage that ensues. Many zombies, many heads explode. Many of you will be happy to know this comic is in black and white. lol And if the TV show is too gruesome for you, then I highly recommend checking out the comic, since it was easy to digest!

What sets The Walking Dead apart from every other zombie comic on earth is the feels. This book is filled with emotion, and you become emotionally invested in each one of the characters, so when something happens to them or their lives are at risk, you’re right there with them hoping for the best.

I loved this so much, that I’ve gone out and ordered the whole Walking Dead Omnibus Vol 1 from The Book Depository ($50!) which contains this volume, plus more (it’s a whopping 1088 pages), and I intend on ordering the second volume of the Omninus also to complete my collection at some point.

Amazing series!

 

This is my first graphic novel/comic review. I’m interested in feedback from you - my readers! I normally review only YA novels, but comics are a big part of my life also, and I am keen to add a review every now and then of a comic that has grabbed my interest. I think this will add a new dimension to Book Nerd Reviews. The YA novels are here to stay - these are my passion. But I am interested in adding diversity also!