Six Sentence Saturday

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.

At the end of each review I will post a

rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.

Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!

4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.

3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal

2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?

Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

When I borrowed the Serenity comics the other day, there were also The Guild comics in

the same plastic protection.

Internet phenomenon The Guild comes to comics, courtesy of series creator, writer, and star Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog)! Chronicling the hilarious on- and offline lives of a group of Internet role-playing gamers, the Knights of Good, The Guild has become a cult hit, and is the winner of numerous awards from SXSW, YouTube, Yahoo, and the Streamys. Now, Day brings the wit and heart of the show to this graphic-novel prequel. In this origin tale of the Knights of Good, we learn about Cyd's life before joining the guild, how she became Codex, her awful breakup with boyfriend Trevor, and how she began to meet the other players who would eventually become her teammates.

The Guild Volume 1 by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg

This was a good introduction to the series. In it you meet the characters and get introduced to the back story. Cyd was a very interesting character, but a little troubled and when nothing else seems to work becomes Codex on a computer game. Cyd is a familiar character with a bad relationship, insecurities, and a need to please everyone. It was an enjoyable little read and sets you up for more fun from the series in the later books. I enjoyed spending time with Cyd because she was a very compelling character and the other characters we are introduced to all have their fun qualities.

The Guild Issue 2 by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg

In this issue we meet some of the characters that will play a major part in the overall story. Zaboo is normally pretty funny and is surprised when Cyd is actually a girl. Vork is the 'hard ass' character who plays to escape issues in his real world and has lots of rules about game playing. Bladezz is funny when up again another character, Tinkerballa. Tinkerballa is a bit of a hard ass and doesn't let anyone mess around with her. Then, there is Clara who has lots of children and plays video games to escape from her crazy life and is very funny in the process.

The Guild Issue 3 by Felicia Day & Jim Rugg

One of the reasons I was interested in this series is because Felicia Day is a member of the Joss Whedon 'alumni' having been in both Buffy The Vampire Slayer (which I haven't really watched) and Dr. Horrible (which I loved). Jim Rugg is the artist of Plain Jane and Janes in Love, so this is a fantastically illustrated graphic novel. By now the characters are becoming a bit more familiar and starting to have personalities of their own, but we also get to know Cyd a lot better. Her psychiatrist thinks that she needs to make friends in the 'real' world, but when that doesn't work out she becomes more and more involved in gaming world. Not a series that I expected to enjoy, but I ended up really liking it!

The Guild: Vork by Felicia Day, Jim Lewis, & Company

This is a single edition about Vork, who is one of the players that Cyd plays with in her game. He is a bit of a strange character, but not a lot is really known about him and the motives behind the person that he is. This comic explains his home situation and what he has to deal with on a regular basis that would lead him to this online world. It was actually an entertaining comic be

cause Vork's grandfather was pretty funny. Overall, it was a fun look at Vork and you can't help feeling a bit bad for him, but at least you can appreciate him for who he is. It made me want to see more from him and the other characters eventually.

These comics are prequels to a television show available online and on DVD. I find myself very curious about it, but it is on the 4th season online right now, so I will have to wait until I can find the first three. Worth looking into, though!

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg

Reason for Reading: Graphic Novel Challenge, Dewey Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge

Noted young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and artist Jim Rugg launch MINX with THE PLAIN JANES, a story about four girls named Jane who sit at the reject table at lunch.When transfer student Jane is forced to move from the confines of Metro City to Suburbia, she thinks her life is over.But there in the lunch room at the reject table she finds her tribe: three other girls named Jane. Main Jane encourages them to form a secret art gang and paint the town P.L.A.I.N. -- People Loving Art In Neighborhoods.But can art attacks really save the hell that is high school?

Dear Dewey,

I wish I had taken more notice back when you reviewed this book, because I was really missing out! It surprised me how much I liked this graphic novel. I am very strict about my graphic novel buying, but I think I might actually buy this one! Not just for the fact that I like it, but because the library doesn't have the sequel and I am probably going to want to read that at some point! This book might not look like much, but when you get inside the pages you find a hidden gem! I am not a huge art fanatic, I will clear that up right now, but I know how horrible high school can be! I think most people can attest to that. The authors of this graphic novel have just came up with a way to make life a little bit better for four young women named Jane. You see, they may fly under the radar, so you might think they are plain, but it is actually P.L.A.I.N.: People Loving Art in Neighborhoods. The things that these women do is actually sort of inspiring, even if the town doesn't think so!

This book actually reminded me of you! Especially now as I am reading your review and writing this letter. Main Jane was all about building a community, when those that were in charge (including her parents) would rather live in fear. While the circumstances are not the same exactly, you were all about community-building, too. Your community building lives on, and hypothetically speaking, the events in this book will, too! Jane finds a way to bring her town together; while you find a way to bring book bloggers and readers from all over the world together. I really enjoyed that parallel. Jane changes the way that people look at things, and you changed the way that people read. Book bloggers can be just as unpopular as the members of P.L.A.I.N., you know. It really makes a person think!

I really liked your last paragraph, so I am going to close with quoting it:

In fact, once it’s discovered who P.L.A.I.N. is, Jane’s new friends try to decide how to restructure themselves now that they’re no longer anonymous. Jane ends by saying, “Of course we can still be an art girl gang.” And she thinks, “I feel a fierce pride. This is my tribe.”

Until next time...

To read Dewey's review of this book, click here.