Showing posts with label graphic novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graphic novel. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Graphic Novel Review - Tango Volume 1, An Ocean of Stone by Phillipe Xavier and Matz

I've always been impressed with European comics and graphic novels. They tend to be more grounded in the real world than American comics, they tend to have a high level of draftsmanship, and they tend to be sold in large volumes that contain an entire story.

Tango Volume 1, An Ocean of Stone by Phillipe Xavier and Matz is a tough guy drama graphic novel from Europe Comics. It is available as an eBook.

The Good


Characters. There isn't a lot of plot, but for this particular story there doesn't need to be, because the characters and their interactions are all so interesting. Each has a lot of character, each is unique and not just another troupe, and all have great chemistry with each other.

Art. The artwork is beautiful. Everything is so skillfully rendered, and yet this still looks and feels like a comic book and not illustrations or paintings. There is so much emotion communicated in the art, and the movement is so fluid and lifelike.

Multiple Stories Come Together. This story is actually the convergence of several stories that cross at one point. While they are independent, they come together in a very natural and enjoyable way.

Twist. I am really good at seeing twists early on in stories. It's rare I'm surprised by anything at the end. This book surprised me at the very end, and I was really glad for it.



The Bad

...


What I Would Like to Have Seen


I was very satisfied.


Overall


Tango Volume 1, An Ocean of Stone by Phillipe Xavier and Matz is a tough guy drama graphic novel from Europe Comics. There isn't a lot of plot, but for this particular story there doesn't need to be, because the characters and their interactions are all so interesting. Each has a lot of character, each is unique and not just another troupe, and all have great chemistry with each other. The artwork is beautiful. Everything is so skillfully rendered, and yet this still looks and feels like a comic book and not illustrations or paintings. There is so much emotion communicated in the art, and the movement is so fluid and lifelike. This story is actually the convergence of several stories that cross at one point. While they are independent, they come together in a very natural and enjoyable way. I am really good at seeing twists early on in stories. It's rare I'm surprised by anything at the end. This book surprised me at the very end, and I was really glad for it. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.


  

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/

Monday, December 28, 2020

Book Review - The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet 3. How to Commit the Perfect Murder by Zidrou and Van Liemt

I love superhero comics, but I think I enjoy humor comics and slice of life mystery comics even more.

The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet 3. How to Commit the Perfect Murder by Zidrou and Van Liemt is a mystery graphic novel and a reinvention of the classic Belgium Ric Hochet title. It is available digitally in English.

The Good


Art. Van Liemt is a great artist and does the perfect job of capturing the look and feel of the old Ric Hochet comics from Tibet while still looking modern. His figure work is both anatomically accurate and cartoony enough to have great flow and emotion. The backgrounds are all well rendered, and the colors only add to the beautiful line work.

Story. The story is a really clever concept--someone commits murder by planting a how-to guide on murder in amongst books and magazines. People pick them up and follow the instructions leading to a rash of crime. Not only is the concept great, but the execution is so well done. The story flows so smoothly and moves at a great pace. And it is long enough that the entire story is told in these nearly 60 pages so you don't have to track down another issue to see what happens.

Characters. This graphic novel has some really fun characters who are not characteratures nor exaggerations, yet they aren't boring or unmemorable. The balance the creators struck between realism to ground the story and cartoony fantasy to take full advantage of the medium is truly incredible.

 

The Bad

 
Only three issues are available.


What I Would Like to Have Seen


One hundred issues.


Overall


The Mighty Return of Ric Hochet 3. How to Commit the Perfect Murder by Zidrou and Van Liemt is a mystery graphic novel and a reinvention of the classic Belgium Ric Hochet title. The story is a really clever concept--someone commits murder by planting a how-to guide on murder in amongst books and magazines. People pick them up and follow the instructions leading to a rash of crime. Not only is the concept great, but the execution is so well done. The story flows so smoothly and moves at a great pace. And it is long enough that the entire story is told in these nearly 60 pages so you don't have to track down another issue to see what happens. Van Liemt is a great artist and does the perfect job of capturing the look and feel of the old Ric Hochet comics from Tibet while still looking modern. His figure work is both anatomically accurate and cartoony enough to have great flow and emotion. The backgrounds are all well rendered, and the colors only add to the beautiful line work. This graphic novel has some really fun characters who are not characteratures nor exaggerations, yet they aren't boring or unmemorable. The balance the creators struck between realism to ground the story and cartoony fantasy to take full advantage of the medium is truly incredible. The only negative is only three issues are available. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.


  

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Book Review - Young Mozart by William Augel

I'm a big fan of independent comics, music, and clever jokes. So to find all three in one book was a HUGE find!

Young Mozart by William Augel is a graphic novel featuring daily and Sunday comics about a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is available as an eBook and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good


Jokes. The jokes are pretty funny. While they are specific to Young Mozart and his challenges in a previous century, they are relatable to a modern audience, even a non-musical one.

Artwork. The artwork is really fun and cartoony. It's got a great rhythm.

Design. Being a designer myself, I always notice the design of a book, and this one is so well thought out and clever with musical staffs covered in whatever trouble Mozart is dealing with and full page illustrations with a clever concept.

The Bad


...

What I Would Like to Have Seen


I'd have liked some of the sequences to go on a little longer.

Overall


Young Mozart by William Augel is a fun, well-drawn graphic novel containing both daily comics and Sunday comics featuring a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The jokes are pretty funny. While they are specific to Young Mozart and his challenges in a previous century, they are relatable to a modern audience, even a non-musical one. The design of this book is so well thought out and clever with musical staffs covered in whatever trouble Mozart is dealing with and full page illustrations with a clever concept. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.


   

 

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Book Review - Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander

I remember the first time I discovered 300. I had walked into a comic shop, and they had a short bookshelf with graphic novels and comic book trade paperbacks on it. I was instantly drawn to a book that looked like a children's storybook but for adults. It was by Frank Miller, someone who I knew from his run on DareDevil. I was instantly a fan. I had never seen a more beautifully rendered comic book story.

Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander by Frank Miller and Alex Sinclair is a collection of 5 comic book issues that were always meant to be collected in a widescreen hardback. It is available in Hardcover and digital formats.

The Good


The Art. The art is some of Frank's loosest, but it is still really beautiful, especially with Alex Sinclair's colors making it look painted.

Narration. This story is mostly narration, a storyteller telling the overall story of Darius, Xerxes, and Alexander with pauses for a few specific events. The narration is some of Frank's best. It's quick, it's clean, it's clever, and it includes the Greek gods in a really clever way.

Color. The colors in the first issue are a little overdone, but by issue three they just sing.

The Bad

Disjointed Story. Frank began this story years ago completing two issues before moving on to other projects and then finally returning to complete it, and the story shows. The first two issues are a completely different style and story than the last three. They read like comic books telling a sequel to 300 while the last three issues feel like a storybook that gives a brief overview of the events from Darius to Alexandre.

Large Brush strokes. 300 told a tale that lasted a little over 3 days. This one covers decades and so tells the story with large brush strokes leaving out so many of the smaller stories and characters and character developments fans fo the first story were expecting.

Loose/Shaky Art. Frank's art has always been loose and shaky, but it's gotten near intelligible in some parts. His sense of design isn't as strong as it used to be, but it still light years ahead of most current comic book artists.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


I wish the story had continued like the first two issues to tell a story instead of a broad overview of history the last three issues painted. I also wish the art in the first two issues had been as strong as the last three.

Overall


Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander by Frank Miller and colors by Alex Sinclair is a visual delight with epic narration. The art is some of Frank's loosest and ranges from nearly indecipherable images to gorgeous designs. The story is a bit disjointed with the first two issues reading like a comic book sequel to 300 while the last three issues feel like a storybook that gives a brief overview of the events from Darius to Alexandre. While not as good as the first, it's still a beautiful volume to look at and a lot of fun to read. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.