Top Ten Tuesday - Holiday Gift Guide - Ten Books to Buy the Graphic Novel Reader in Your Life

 A Game for Swallows ~ Good story and art. Talks about an important aspect of history from the view of someone there.

Batgirl - I am enjoying this run of Batgirl. The one before it, not as good, but still readable.

Deadpool - Pretty much anything Deadpool. He is a fun character.

Giant Days - Fun series about a group of university students. Believable, but also a bit of the unbelievable thrown in.

Hexed - I was listing comics I read this year, so since I reread this series earlier this year... It counts! One of my favourite series!

Lazarus - Love series with strong female leads. Definitely recommend this one!

Lumberjanes - Another series I reread this year, so it counts. A mix of the believable and the unbelievable. Good for the slightly younger and older reading crowd.

Morning Glories - Things are not all as they seem at this boarding school. Each volume brings new things to discover!

Paper Girls - Brian K. Vaughan in general is awesome. This series is off to a good start!

Saga - Another series that I reread this year, so totally counts. Love this series and it just gets better and better!

This is just a random collection of books I have read this year. There are many other awesome series out there.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke & the Bookish

My Top Ten Favourite Graphic Novels

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

My Top Ten Favourite Graphic Novels

(This is supposed to be ten favourites in a particular genre. I am tweaking the rules a bit... I was going to do fantasy but that is hard! lol)

1. | My favourite graphic novel series is Fables by Bill Willingham and all the others that joined in over its reign. I started the series in 2009. It finished in 2015. I still have not found another series that compares. It will always be my favourite, I think. The spin-offs are all fun, but they are not as good as the original.

2. | I love Saga, though! I think it is not competing with Fables because one is a fairy tale retelling and this one is a space adventure. It is not quite the same thing at all, so it is hard to compare the two. I enjoy their adventures and cannot wait for more!

3. | And now for something completely different... lol I love Maus. It was one of the first graphic novels I read when I decided to get more into the genre. I am a big fan of anything WWI and WWII related and this really worked for me. I think my graphic novel reading could have gone very differently if I had started with this and Fables in 2009.

4. | I think my favourite character with all the Marvel reading I have done in the last couple years is Deadpool. He is funny and sarcastic and I just love him. I have been reading him on Marvel Unlimited, but one day I would love to own him in trade... (The movie was fun, too!)

5. | After Christmas this year, I splurged and decided to try this series... And then bought all the sequels. I love it! I am a big fan of strong, female characters. Lazarus might not be all that she seems, but she is such a compelling character and I am so excited for Volume 5 in January. 

6. In 2015, Comixology had some really good sales and I grabbed the first two volumes of this series really cheap. They compare it to Saga and Buffy. It was so good! I quickly upgraded to trade copies and bought Volume 3 as soon as it was released. I can't wait for a volume 4!

7. One of my goals was to catch up on this series in 2016. And, I did it. YAY! Now if the newest volume would just release all ready. It was supposed to be out a while ago... Then it was supposed to be out today. I still have not received it. It is a series set in a school and all sorts of strange things happen. It is a fun series!

8. Another series I set the goal to catch-up with in 2016 and accomplished. This series is so well done and I definitely recommend it. It is a super hero comic, yes, but it is a diverse super hero comic and the world needs more of those!

9. Another series set in a school! I only started this series this year, but I love it and the fun characters. Compared to what I normally read, this is a very 'normal' comic. lol It is not really, though. On the service it is about the adventures of being in university, but there is a lot more happening!

10. I love Hexed!! I almost forgot to include it because I read it on Scribd and still have not bought all the trades... It is such a good story and I love Lucifer and I wish it was longer!

This was a lot harder than I expected it to be... There were a lot of other ones I wanted to include! 

So, honourable mentions:

... And many more...

30 Days of Books ~ Day 27

Day 27 ~ The Most Surprising Plot Twist or Ending

This is a really hard question... I am sure something has surprised me, but I am usually pretty good at guessing endings and plot twists ahead of time. Days from now something will pop in my mind, but at the moment I am drawing a blank... So, I am going to go with this book. The ending was the closest to surprising of anything that I have read so far this year. (If you haven't read this, you should!!)

Saying Good Bye to Fables...

Every year for Christmas I get a gift card to buy books. It is one of my very favourite traditions. For Christmas 2008, I decided to finally see if all the fuss about Fables applied to me. In 2009 I read and reviewed the first two books in the famous series. And, I was hooked. It took me a bit longer than most to come to the series, but by the end of 2009 I was all caught up and eagerly awaiting the new releases. It became my series. I don't necessarily love the spin-offs as much, but the main series clicked with me and opened up graphic novels to me as a whole. I used to think because they were so short that they were a waste of money. (My pocket book would likely wish for me to still think like that...)

Fables is a graphic novel series written by Bill Willingham and pulled off by a team of talented artists, editors, etc. It takes the fairy tales that we know and completely reinvents them. When the series first opened we meet a group of fairy tale creatures that are displaced to New York because there are wars in their own worlds. The infamous King Cole is the mayor, Snow White is the deputy mayor, and the wolf of many fairy tales is the sheriff, Bigby. Then there is Rose Red, Beauty, Beast, Goldilocks, Cinderella, Brier Rose, and the list goes on... Willingham and his team found a way to include many of the characters that we grew up with in creative ways. And, we leave them in a very different way than we first met them... There were wars, deaths, marriages, births, destruction, heartache, and so much more. The series always kept you on the end of your seat and kept reinventing itself. I didn't necessarily love every character, story-line, or issue; but as a whole I loved the series and looked forward to every new release.

In 2015, Fables came to an end. And, while I am very sad to see it end, I am glad that it went on a high note instead of losing its momentum and not ending as well as it started. When Volume 21 came out I bought it like normal, but then I couldn't bring myself to read it. And, then Volume 22 came out when I was dealing with a broken ankle so it took me a bit to get a copy. When Volume 22 arrived it still took me a few days to sit down and say good-bye.  I was so appreciative of how they ended, though. There was an overall story, but they also took time to bring back characters so they could have their final story. It worked in well and gave us a chance to visit with some old friends. There were a few endings that I would love to express my sadness over, but I won't spoil the series for those that haven't read it yet. I will say that some characters died that I wish hadn't.

I found that Fables pushed the envelope in many ways. For starters, I loved the kick-ass female characters. They were not the damsels in distress that needed the help of their Prince Charming, even though Prince Charming was a character, but were capable of accomplishing things for themselves. I mentioned that in the beginning Snow White was the deputy mayor and her character continued to grow during the series. Her sister, Rose Red, developed as well and became the leader of The Farm. Then, there was Cinderella who was an assassin and earned her own side comics. There was also Goldilocks, Brier Rose, Thumbelina, and the list goes on. They were not the women of old finding themselves in grave peril and needed a male to come to their rescue and marry them. They fought for themselves and were very successful. That is not to say that the men were not there to battle it out or marry them if that was the path taken, but it was more of an equal society than we are used to in the classic tales. And that is just one of the main reasons that I loved the series. There were many others!

And, now, I have had to say good bye to most of these characters. There are still some of the spin-offs being released, so it is not good bye entirely, but it is good bye to the huge cast of characters that I have read since 2009 and loved visiting with a couple times of year. I am sad, though. It was a highlight to my reading and was one of my favourite series ever. I am glad I took a chance on the series in 2009 and there is still time to give it a try for yourself if you were initially reluctant.

Graphic Novel February - The Final Week - Six Sentence Saturday Style

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - Volume 2 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Completed: February 8, 2014
Length: 127

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Looper, 500 Days of Summer) made a big splash with The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories - so now he’s back with volume 2! One of the most ingenious and successful projects to come out of Gordon-Levitt's online creative coalition hitRECord - an international collaboration of artists and writers - The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 2 offers more quirky, delightfully small, ingeniously illustrated haiku-like tales, proving once more that the universe isn’t made of atoms; it’s made of tiny stories. The best things do come in small packages.

(I know this is not technically a graphic novel, but if I don't post about it now, I probably never will.)

I have wanted to read these forever, but I have never been able to talk me into buying one. When I randomly got a chance to try one, though, I jumped at the chance! And, this was as good as I expected. The art is very intense and memorable, for starters. And then, there are the stories. I am terrible at saying great things in short lengths, but this book does an amazing job!

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Completed: February 10, 2014
Length: 232 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A fresh and brilliantly told memoir from a cult favorite comic artist, marked by gothic twists, a family funeral home, sexual angst, and great books.

This breakout book by Alison Bechdel is a darkly funny family tale, pitch-perfectly illustrated with Bechdel's sweetly gothic drawings. Like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, it's a story exhilaratingly suited to graphic memoir form.

Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescense, the denouement is swift, graphic — and redemptive.

I actually reread this because I didn't love it the first time I read it and I felt like maybe I was missing something? I liked it better this time! It is basically the story of a long girl growing up with a mostly in the closet gay father and then coming to accept her own coming out later. Her family is dysfunctional, crazy things happen over the years, and I am still sort of surprised she airs her dirty laundry so publicly. The art is low-key, but really good. Overall, while I still didn't love this comic, I am glad I gave it a second chance.

Archie Americana Series: Best of the Nineties - Volume by George Gladir and Company

Completed: February 8, 2014
Length: 98 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Get ready to party like it's the 1990s with Archie and the Gang!

The '90s were a decade of innovation and invention. Personal computers and virtual reality were no longer science fiction. Popular music was transformed into a world of grungy college rock and poppy boy bands. Relive all of the trends, fads and fashions that defined the decade with America's orange-haired icon, Archie!

Revisit the virtual world with Jughead as he devours digital delicacies in "Simulation Stimulation." Archie goes Hollywood in "Ratman" and "Duggy Wuggy, M.D.", and Betty pierces her nose in "That Certain Ring." All this and more awaits in this collection of the best stories of the 1990s!

Another random choice, but one I decided to read for nostalgia sake. I used to read Archie comics all the time, but they are ridiculously overpriced now. It was still nice to go back and revisit the decade in which I would have been reading them and the stories that I had sometimes read before. It was like visiting with old friends and I enjoyed how some things never change. This series will always be memorable and I hope that it is around for many more years. A fun read!

House of Mystery - Volume 1: Room and Boredom by Bill Willingham & Company

Completed: February 15, 2014
Length: 128 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Matthew Sturges, writer of the Eisner-nominated JACK OF FABLES, and his JACK co-writer Bill Willingham, proudly unlock the doors to the HOUSE OF MYSTERY, a series that reinvents a classic DC Comics comic. HOUSE OF MYSTERY focuses on five characters trapped in a supernatural bar, trying to solve the mystery of how and why they're imprisoned there. Each one has a terrible past they'd like to forget, and with no books, newspapers or TV allowed in the House, they face an eternity of boredom. But stories become the new currency, and fortunately, the House attracts only the finest storytellers.

This is a comic I read on my mission to find a new comic book series, but was kind of unsuccessful because it turns out this series is largely out-of-print! I liked this first volume, though. It is kind of like Fables and The Unwritten in the sense that stories play a large roll, but it is a darker book that those two series. This book gives the reader a chance to meet the five main characters, sets up the darkness of the house, and makes you curious about the stories and adventures that will show up in the future. This volume was more atmospheric than scary, but there is definitely the potential for some darker moments in the future. Overall, I still love some other series better, but I am curious enough about this series that I would like to read more.

House of Mystery - Volume 2: Love Stories for Dead People by Matthew Sturges

Completed: February 15, 2014
Length: 128 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Matthew Sturges, writer of the Eisner-nominated JACK OF FABLES, and his JACK co-writer Bill Willingham, the creator of FABLES, proudly unlock the doors to the HOUSE OF MYSTERY, a new graphic novel series that reinvents the classic DC Comics concept. It focuses on five characters trapped in a supernatural bar, trying to solve the mystery of how and why they're imprisoned there. Each one has a terrible past they'd like to forget, and with no books, newspapers or TV allowed in the House, they face an eternity of boredom. But stories become the new currency, and fortunately, the House attracts only the finest storytellers.

(That is totally the same synopsis... Good ole originality, Goodreads.)

In the first volume we met all the characters, so, in this volume it was time to get to know them a bit better and get to understand the house more. The house is essentially another character in the book, an important character, so it was important to get a feel for why it was important. Again, a very atmospheric story, but creepier than the first volume. There are some seriously strange things that happen in this book! The characters are starting to get meshed out more, so you find yourself curious about how they are all going to play out with each other. I am curious enough about this series to read Volume 3.

Locke & Key - Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

Completed: February 28, 2014
Length: 158 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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...

(You know, I never noticed that I bought two graphic novels about creepy houses in the same order!)

Oh, my, yay, I loved this intro! I have wanted to read this series forever and I am so happy that I finally did. There is so much happening in this comic, and it is another spooky and atmospheric story, that I cannot wait to see what happens next! Keyhouse is a cool, old house that I am so intrigued by and can't wait to see what we learn about it next. If there wasn't murder involved and a creepy creature that you imagine will be wrecking havoc in the later volumes, I would love to visit this place. Joe Hill definitely brought the spirit of old houses alive and I can't wait until I let myself buy Volume 2!

Bayou Volume 1 by Jeremy Love

Completed: February 28, 2014
Length: 160 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

South of the Mason-Dixon Line lies a strange land of gods and monsters; a world parallel to our own, born from centuries of slavery, civil war, and hate.

Lee Wagstaff is the daughter of a black sharecropper in the depression-era town of Charon, Mississippi. When Lily Westmoreland, her white playmate, is snatched by agents of an evil creature known as Bog, Lee's father is accused of kidnapping. Lee's only hope is to follow Lily's trail into this fantastic and frightening alternate world. Along the way she enlists the help of a benevolent, blues singing, swamp monster called Bayou. Together, Lee and Bayou trek across a hauntingly familiar Southern Neverland, confronting creatures both benign and malevolent, in an effort to rescue Lily and save Lee's father from being lynched.

BAYOU VOL. 1 collects the first four chapters of the critically acclaimed webcomic series by Glyph Award nominee Jeremy Love.

(Full confession... I claimed I wasn't going to go to the library this year because my TBR is insane, but we were out for a walk the other day and I FINALLY went to check out the new-to-me library and would have felt rude not borrowing a couple things...)

I have wanted to read Bayou for ages because many bloggers that I trust have recommended it. I was very surprised to see it just sitting on the shelf at the library, so I had to finally give it a try. Set during the Depression in Mississippi, this starts out about the hardships of being black during that time, but then an entirely different world opens up. I really enjoyed the mesh of the 'real' and the magic realism that this volume weaves together. Lee is a great, strong female character in a time when she really shouldn't be, so you can't help wanting to follow her on all of her adventures. I am so glad I gave this a try and strongly recommend it!

Graphic Novel February - Week 2 - Six Sentence Saturday Style

(I decided that I was going to review the graphic novels I read in January this week.)

Fables - Volume 19: Snow White by Bill Willingham & Company

Completed: January 1, 2014

Length: 168 Pages

With Castle Dark now back in the hands of the Fables, mysteries both young and old begin to challenge the residents of Fabletown. Bigsby and Stinky set off from Fabletown in Rose Red's blood-fueled sports car to track down the two abducted cubs. Unfortunately for Snow White, besides suffering the trauma of having two of her cubs go missing, a long forgotten secret uncovered in Castle Dark threatens to sabatoge her and Bigsby's marriage.

This volume also collects the backup adventures of Bufkin and Lily from issues #114-121, as well as their full length adventures found in issue #124.

Collected here are Fables issues #114-123 (back-up stories only) and issues #124-129.

I didn't love Volume 18 of Fables as much as others in the series, so I was worried I wouldn't like this one, but all was well. I didn't like the adventures of Bufkin and Lily as much as the actual story where we got a chance to see more about Snow White who has been one of the central characters since the very beginning. Oh, how I love Fables and its strong female characters! I found the art a bit lacking in this one, though, and just didn't find the cover as eye-catching as other volumes. This one definitely leaves you wanted Volume 20 yesterday. I can't wait until later this year to see where Fables goes next.

Fables - Volume 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham & Company

Completed: January 2, 2014
Length: 128 Pages

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the "mundys," their name for normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their own secret society that they call Fabletown. From their exclusive luxury apartment buildings on Manhattan's Upper West Side, these creatures of legend must fight for their survival in the new world.

(Just FYI: I have seen the 10th Anniversary Edition and it just is not as pretty as the 'original' one. It doesn't even seem like the binding is done as well. If you can, I would get the one pictured above and get the special one for collector purposes.)

This was a reread done almost exactly five years after I read this book for the very first time. I still loved it and am so happy I have been slowly rereading the series this year. This is where you meet everyone and see the beginnings of what would quickly become one of my favourite series ever! I think it made an interesting contrast reading the earliest one and the latest one so close to each other. The art is fantastic, the writing is stellar, and this is a great introduction to the series. And, these volumes stand up to rereads!

Fables - Volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham & Company

Completed: January 5, 2014
Length: 112 Pages

Collecting FABLES #6-10, the second story arc of the fan-favorite, critically acclaimed VERTIGO series. Travel to upstate New York, where the non-human Fable characters have found refuge on a farm, miles from mankind. But all is not well on the farm — and a conspiracy to free them from the shackles of their perceived imprisonment may lead to a war that could wrest control of the Fables community away from Snow White. Starring Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Plus, a sketchbook section featuring art by Willingham, Buckingham and Jean.

This is another reread of a favourite series. This was the first volume that made me aware of just how wide Fables spreads and that it is not just about fairy tale-retelling. This was the first volume that impressed on me the fact that Willingham, and his team, write strong female characters. I think that is one of the reasons why I love Fables so much. The art is also fantastic! Again, I am so happy I reread this!

Ex Machina - Volume 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian K. Vaughan & Company

Completed: January 7, 2014
Length: 136 Pages

The first volume of the Eisner Award-winning series featuring Eisner Award-winners author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Tony Harris. Set in our modern-day world, EX MACHINA tells the story of civil engineer Mitchell Hundred, who becomes America's first living, breathing super-hero after a strange accident gives him amazing powers. Eventually Mitchell tires of risking his life merely to maintain the status quo, retires from masked crimefighting and runs for mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide. But Mayor Hundred has to worry about more than just budget problems and an antagonistic governor, especially when a mysterious hooded figure begins assassinating plow drivers during the worst snowstorm in the city's history!

After Bill Willingham, I think Brian K. Vaughan is my favourite comic author (and, with the awesomeness of Saga that is a very, very close second). So, I am always eager to try different works by these authors. I didn't know very much about this series before it was thrust into my hands, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this intro to a new series. I don't read a lot of 'superhero' comics, but this was a different type of story-line: Mitchell Hundred is character you want to learn more about, and it takes place during a snowstorm which I can definitely relate to at this time of year. I always find the first volume of graphic novel series hard to talk about because they are really all about introducing things, but I am really interested to see what happens further in this series.

The Escapists by Brian K. Vaughan

Completed: January 8, 2014
Pages: 176 Pages

The Escapists tells the tale of three aspiring comics creators with big dreams, small cash, and publishing rights to one forgotten Golden Age hero-The Escapist! Inspired by Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, this is Vaughan's love letter to his chosen medium, a story about what it takes to start out with nothing in Cleveland, Ohio, and end up with a comic so hot a major corporation wants to steal it from you! Brilliantly interweaving the lives of the creators with the world of their creation, artists Steve Rolston and Philip Bond bring the comic-booking trio Maxwell Roth, Case Weaver, and Denny Jones to life, while the inimitable Jason Shawn Alexander and Eduardo Barreto illustrate the thrilling trials and exciting extrications of the new-and old-Escapist!

First of all, I am not sure what this comic would be like if you have actually read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay because I never have and only sort of even know what it is about. I do see a trend now with Brian K. Vaughan being into superhero-type comics and I think this is my favourite so far. It is a comic book about comic books, actually, and talks about what it is to be just starting out and wind up with a comic so popular that you run the risk of losing it. The art was fun and the story is both the creators of the comic and the comic itself. I really liked Maxwell, Case, and Denny as characters and enjoyed seeing them go through their 'adventures'. I am really happy I read this and really wish I could find more!

That's it for now! I only read 2 graphic novels this week, so I will mention them next Saturday.