It's All About the Graphic Novels... Part 1

I have mostly only read graphic novels this year. It is all I seem remotely interested in. It is my mood more than anything. Graphic novels are short and you feel accomplished when you manage to finish them. I thought in my effort to get back into a blogging groove (and hopefully a reading one at some point) I would share some brief thoughts about the graphic novels I have read so far this year.

Adam Chamberlain is a 20-year-old youth minister, a best-selling author, and most important, the head of a rabid national virginity movement. But practicing virgin or not, Adam is about to lose it when his girlfriend is killed.

I read:
American Virgin - Volume 1: Head (January 1, 2013)
American Virgin - Volume 2: Going Down (January 2, 2013)
American Virgin - Volume 3: Wet (January 5, 2013)
American Virgin - Volume 4: Around the World (January 6, 2013)

My Thoughts:
Well, this comic book series was really strange. There is no other way to look at it! I wasn't a huge fan of the over-arching religious aspect. I don't tend to read a lot of religious-type books, but I was curious enough about the overall story to keep reading. I think this series grew on me with each new edition and I couldn't imagine not finding out how it all ended. If I only had had the first book, though, I might have never read the rest of the series. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. The story gets going, though, and there are lots of odd moments and strange story-lines and entertaining characters. And then there is the ending...

What Fables does for fairy tales, Kill Shakespeare does with the greatest writer of all time. This dark take on the Bard pits his greatest heroes (Hamlet, Juliet, Othello Falstaff) against his most menacing villains (Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Iago) in an epic adventure to find and kill a reclusive wizard named William Shakespeare.

I read:
Kill Shakespeare - Volume 1 (January 6, 2013)
Kill Shakespeare - Volume 2: The Blast of War (January 7, 2013)

My Thoughts:
I have always been curious about this series because it is compared to Fables and I LOVE Fables. I just wasn't entirely possible about the Shakespeare aspect because I have not read all of his plays by any stretch. I had planned to read 12 last year, but that didn't happen. This is not anything new when it comes to me and actually reading Shakespeare. I got the comics for Christmas, though, and decided it was as good a time as any to see what I thought. And, wow, they are awesome. The artwork is just stellar and I didn't find I lacked anything from the story-line. I loved it! I wish there was more than two volumes... If you want a good new series to try go for this one!

New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female FABLES. Balancing horror, humor and adventure in the FABLES tradition, FAIREST explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others.The first 6-issue tale follows the misadventures of Briar Rose immediately after the events of FABLES #107(collected in Fables Volume 16: Super Team), in which she was stolen away by the goblin army. Following this first collection, Willingham will serve as a consultant on all story arcs and introduce new writers from other mediums to the FABLES mythos.

I read: 
Fairest - Volume 1: Wide Awake (January 18, 2013)
Fairest - Issue 8: The Hidden Kingdom Part 1 (January 18, 2013)
Fairest - Issue 9 (January 18, 2013)
Fairest - Issue 10 (January 18, 2013)
Fairest - Issue 11 (January 18, 2013)

My Thoughts:
I had read the issues that made up Fairest last year, but I wanted to catch-up on the series overall. I am behind again, but for a moment there I was caught-up. It is mostly complications with getting the issues because I don't have a comic book store here and I think I lost my comic book store connection. I am not sure I will be able to keep up with the issues, but at least I can still buy the trades when they come out. I am really enjoying this series overall. I like that it focuses on the girls that make up Fables. I am really looking forward to where the comic will go next and what other adventures they will have. It's been a good ride so far and I am looking forward to more!