Bookshelf Tour, Pt. 24 | Comics (continues)

I took a break from the bookshelf tour last week because I was unprepared (Monday crept up on me), but I’m back with it now because…

I have more comics to you! 😀

I kind of jumped headlong into comics once I started getting into them. The format really appeals to me and, shortly after getting into comics, I began to give in to my love of picture books as well and started to collect them (that’s coming up on the next shelf).

With comics, I’ve realized that I tend to lean toward fantasy stories (no surprise there) and stray away from superhero comics, which is a bit weird since I enjoy the Marvel movies. But I just prefer stories that aren’t about superheroes, and I enjoy seeing what creators do with the comic book format. So far, I keep collecting and not reading, so I really need to schedule a time where I focus on nothing but comics.

Anyway, the second bookcase:

We’re on the second row of the comics shelf, which is the fifth shelf from the bottom or the first one from the top. Let’s check it out:

Isn’t it beautiful? (Takes a guess at how many comics I managed to fit in this row.) Look at all those comics waiting for us to explore them, lol!

I got the square of polka-dots on the right from one of my favorite art exhibits, which was of Yayoi Kusuma’s work at the Hirshhorn museum. It was such a wonderful exhibit but, man, tickets were hard to come by. The event was free, but tickets would go in a matter of seconds when they dropped. I counted myself lucky to see the exhibit.

The square of polka-dots (I don’t know what these things are called. It looks different depending on how you turn it) is of Kusuma’s iconic giant pumpkin sculpture, see below.

SITTING ON TOP

Illegal by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin, illus. by Giovanni Rigano

Your Black Friend and Other Strangers  by Ben Passmore (illus.)

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STACKED: LEFT TO RIGHT

Ajala by Robert Garrett, illus. by N. Steven Harris & Walt Msonza Barna

Rivers of London, Vol. 1: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch & Andrew Cartmel, illus. by Lee Sullivan

The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes, illus. by D.J. Kirkland

Black, Vol. 1 by Kwanza Osajyefo, illus. by Jamal Igle

1602: Witch Hunter Angela, Vol. 1 by Marguerite Bennett, illus. by Stephanie Hans

Archie, Vol. 1: The New Riverdale by Mark Waid, illus. by Annie Wu, Veronica Fish, & Fiona Staples ★★☆☆☆ ½

These were the only comics I used to read when I was younger. The New Riverdale updates it some. This volume introduces us to the characters. The story is about what led to Archie and Betty breaking up. I was bored by it but loved Staples’s illustrations (of course). Wu and Fish did a good job too. I’m tempted to unhaul it since I didn’t like the story, but… this is the first Archie comic I’ve owned that’s not the usual small ones so… I don’t know.

Mystery Society by Steve Niles, illus. by Fiona Staples

Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill, illus. by Gabriel Rodriguez ★★★★★

A horror comic about a family that relocates to New England following a tragic incident. They take up residence in a very interesting mansion. But despite their move, it seems that their past is still haunting them. I really enjoyed the story and liked the art. I intend to continue with the series (both the comics and the TV show).

Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games by Joe Hill, illus. by Gabriel Rodriguez

Afar by Leila del Duca, illus. by Kit Seaton

The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw by Kurt Busiek, illus. by Benjamin Dewey

Birthright, Vol. 1: Homecoming by Joshua Williamson, illus. by Andrei Bressan ★★★★☆

A fantasy comic about a boy named Mikey who disappeared into the woods, which rips his family apart. A year later, a man pops up claiming to be Mikey, a hero returned from a world called Terrenos. I really enjoyed this story, liked the art. I intended to continue with it too.

Birthright, Vol. 2: Call to Adventure by Joshua Williamson, illus. by Andrei Bressan

The Black Monday Murders, Vol. 1: All Hail, God Mammon by Jonathan Hickman, illus. by Tomm Coker

Copperhead, Vol. 1 by Jay Faerber, illus. by Scott Godlewski ★★★★☆ ½

A sci-fi, Western comic set on a backwater planet that gets a new sheriff — Clara Bronson, who’s a single mom. This volume is about Clara getting used to the town and its the citizens. I liked the story. The underlying tension between the aliens and humans appealed to me: humans colonizing planets, displacing aliens and discriminating against them. An interesting story, but I wasn’t a big fan of the art. I intend to continue with it and have already gotten volume 2.

Curse Words, Vol. 1: The Devil’s Devil by Charles Soule, illus. by Ryan Browne

Deadly Class, Vol. 1: Reagan Youth by Rick Remender, illus. by Wes Craig

East of West, Vol. 1: The Promise by Jonathan Hickman, illus. by Nick Dragotta

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young (illus.) ★★★☆☆

Fantasy comic book about a 40-year-old woman stuck in a 6-year-old’s body in fairyland. It’s a fun, silly story that appealed to everyone except me, and I wasn’t a fan of the bright, cartoony illustrations. I was considering to unhaul this, but I’ll reread it first. I think the hype around this one spoiled it for me when I first read it.

Isola, Vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher & Karl Kerschl, illus. by Karl Kerschl & M.Sassy.K

Kabuki, Vol. 2: Dreams by David Mack (illus.)

Low, Vol. 1: The Delirium of Hope by Rick Remender, illus. by Greg Tocchini

The Monstress comic book series are among my favorites. It’s a fantasy series with some horror elements about a young woman named Maika Halfwolf who has a monster instead her. Maika is trying to find out more about the monster as well as her mom. I love the story. It’s like an epic fantasy. It’s very detailed and has a slow build. I also love the illustrations, which are beautiful and have a lot of art deco influences in them. I HIGHLY recommend this one. The fifth volume was recently published, so I’ll get caught up on this soon.

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda ★★★★★

Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda ★★★★★

Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda ★★★★★

Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Vol. 1: BFF by Brandon Montclare & Amy Reeder, illus. by Natacha Bustos ★☆☆☆☆

This one is based in the Marvel universe and is about Lunella Lafayette, a preteen genius who befriends a dinosaur that was sent through time to protect an orb that Lunella calls an Omni-Wave Projector from prehistoric savages. I got this because the protagonist is Black and wanted to read some comics with a protagonist who’s not White, but I was bored by it. The only thing I liked was the art. I will unhaul this.

Moonstruck, Vol. 1: Magic to Brew by Grace Ellis, illus. by Shae Beagle ★★☆☆☆

A fantasy comic book set in a college town populated by fantasy creatures (like werewolves, centaurs, etc.) as well as humans. The protagonist, a werewolf barista named Julie, has a disastrous first date with Selena when a magician casts a spell on Julie’s friend Chet, a centaur. The story is about the characters trying to reverse the spell. I liked certain parts of the story, but I think it suffers from pacing issues. I LOVE the art, so despite the low rating I gave it, I will hold onto this and might even read the next one in the series. It has some fun moments, and I like the diverse and positive LGBT representation in it.

Motor Crush, Vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr (illus.), & Cameron Stewart (illus.)

Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan, illus. by Cliff Chiang

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STACKED: LEFT TO RIGHT (CONTINUED)

Rasputin, Vol. 1: The Road to the Winter Palace by Alex Grecian, illus. by Riley Rossmo ★★★☆☆

A historical fiction, paranormal comic about the historical figure Rasputin. The first volume mixes Russian folklore with some historical facts to give quite a supernatural background for Rasputin. I didn’t like the art much, but the story certainly caught and held my interest.

Rasputin, Vol. 2: The Road to the White House by Alex Grecian, illus. by Riley Rossmo

Rat Queens is one of my favorite comic book series. I absolutely loved the first volume. It’s a fantasy comic about a group of female mercenaries of diverse backgrounds: “a hippy smidgen thief” (a gnome, I guess — now that I know some DnD stuff, lol!), a “hipster dwarven fighter,” a “rockabilly elven mage,” and an “Atheist human cleric” (lol!). The story is humorous, and the illustrations in the first volume are great. The illustration style changes about halfway through the second volume, I think.

Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illus. by Roc Upchurch ★★★★★

Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far-Reaching Tentacles of N’Rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illus. by Roc Upchurch & Stjepan Sejic ★★★☆☆

Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons by Kurtis J. Wiebe, illus. by Tess Fowler

Saga 🙂 It’s another of my favorite comics and it’s so popular that almost everyone has heard about it. It’s a sci-fi-fantasy mashup about a couple on the run from their respective governments that are at war against each other. The couple have a child together, but both governments do not want this news to be known. Both the story and art are great. HIGHLY recommend.

Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples ★★★★★

Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples ★★★★★

Saga, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples ★★★★★

Saga, Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples ★★★★★

Saga, Vol. 5 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples ★★★★☆ ½

Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples ★★★★☆

Saga, Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples

Saga, Vol. 8 by Brian K. Vaughan, illus. by Fiona Staples

The Tithe, Vol. 1 by Matt Hawkins, illus. by Rahsan Ekedal

Velvet is another favorite. It’s a historical fiction, mystery comic about a woman named Velvet who works at a spy agency as a secretary. One day, she’s framed for a murder. The story is about her trying to find out who the killer is. I loved it. I was easily hooked on the story and quickly liked Velvet. I didn’t care much for the art.

Velvet, Vol. 3: The Man Who Stole the World by Ed Brubaker, illus. by Steve Epting

Velvet, Vol. 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men by Ed Brubaker, illus. by Steve Epting ★★★★★

Velvet, Vol. 1: Before the Living End by Ed Brubaker, illus. by Steve Epting ★★★★★

Wayward, Vol. 1: String Theory by Jim Zub, illus. by Steve Cummings

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 9: Okay by Kieron Gillen, illus. by Jamie McKelvie

Wytches, Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder, illus. by Jock ★★★☆☆ ½

A horror comic about a family that moves to Litchfield, N.H., after a traumatic event and learn that there’s something evil in the woods outside the town. I liked the story and loved the father-daughter relationship in it because we hardly get stories about great dads. I wasn’t a big fan of the art, but I love the colors used. I wonder if there’s a volume 2 of this comic. I’d like to continue with it.

The Battle of Blood and Ink: A Fable of the Flying City by Jared Axelrod, illus. by Steve Walker ★★★☆☆

A steampunk comic about a young woman who runs a printing press and uses it to publish a newspaper that exposes the corruption in her flying city, Amperstam. I liked the story but didn’t like the art.

New Spring by Robert Jordan & Chuck Dixon, illus. by Mike Miller, Harvey Tolibao, & Joseph Cooper ★★☆☆☆

This is the comic book version of the prequel to Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series, Wheel of Time. In New Spring we learn what set Moiraine and Lan on their quest to find the Dragon Reborn that eventually led them to Emond’s Field. I gave the novel the same rating. I wouldn’t recommend this comic book version. The story, art, and typography are all inconsistent. I’ll unhaul this. I don’t know why I even got it.

The Valiant by Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt, illus. by Paolo Rivera & Joe Rivera

Harbinger, Vol. 2: Renegades by Joshua Dysart, illus. by Phil Briones, Barry Kitson, Lee Garbett, Khari Evans, Pere Pérez, Matthew Clark, Alvaro Martínez, Dimi Macheras, & Brian Thies

Harbinger, Vol. 1: Omega Rising by Joshua Dysart, illus. by Khari Evans, Lewis LaRosa, Matthew Clark, Jim Muniz

Faith, Vol. 1: Hollywood and Vine by Jody Houser, illus. by Francis Portela

Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, Vol. 1: Risen by Robert Venditti, illus. by Raúl Allén & Patricia Martín

The Delinquents by James Asmus & Fred Van Lente, illus. by Kano

Daytripper by Fábio Moon (illus.) & Gabriel Bá (illus.)

Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham, illus. by Lan Medina

The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, & Malcolm Jones III

Is’nana: The Were-Spider by Gregory Anderson-Elysee, illus. by Walter Ostlie & Lee Milewski

Fullmetal Alchemist is my favorite manga. I watched the anime first and loved it and decided to read the manga to get familiar with that form. It’s a YA sci-fi-fantasy story about the Elric brothers who are trying to regain their original bodies after an experiment backfired resulting in the older brother, Ed, losing an arm and a leg and the younger brother, Alphonse, losing his entire body. Luckily, Ed was able to attach Alphonse’s spirit to a suit of armor. The story and art are fantastic and the characters are all great. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 1-3 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe ★★★★★

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 4-6 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe ★★★★★

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 7-9 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe ★★★★★

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 10-12 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe ★★★★★

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 13-15 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 16-18 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 19-21 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vols. 22-24 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.), transl. by Akira Watanbe

Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda, illus. by Yu, transl. by Jocelyne Allen ★★★☆☆ ½

A fantasy manga about a single mom raising two half-wolf children. I can’t remember if I ended up watching the anime or not, but I really like the story and love the art.

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← Bookshelf Tour, Pt. 23 | Comics (begins)

Bookshelf Tour, Pt. 25 | Picture Books & Graphic Novels, Pt. 2 →

SOME STATS

Total books in this row(s) = 73
How many I completed = 29
How many I will unhaul = 4

Total shelves so far = 11
Total books so far = 916
How many completed = 407
How many I will unhaul = 30

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