pickHeck of a mix in this one.
Leather Bound is dark, grotesque, heavy on the violence to animals and involves one person with icky rash and one guy with multiple limbs getting eaten. There's a message and a hint of psychological musing in there, but I'd be less nauseous if I skipped it.
1/?
Does anybody else see a happy little bug?
Like the palette of an autumn day brushed over the scene of new visitors. 🍂🍁
pickI loved this SO MUCH! You know that phrase 'brain teaser'? Well this was a cross between a 'brain engager' and a 'brain happy-er'. 😁 I honestly think the the title and cover do the book a disservice because it's a such a clever, well-crafted little collection of poems. On top of both the title and the poem itself in each case indicating an image related to the subject matter, most of the poems had a pleasant rhythm and a rhyming scheme. 1/2
You know that quote from Last Holiday, where Queen Latifah's character is admiring the hotel and asks : “don't that ceiling ever just make you want to cry?“
THAT'S how I feel about John Harris's impressionist sci fi art. Forgive the genre pun, but I find a lot of typical, modern sci fi art to be alienating. It's sharp and cold. Even if the subject matter is about what is unknown, I need to know there can be warmth and softness and colour.
pickAs seems to be happening more often these days, the non-fiction that has been staring at me from the depths of my TBR for years, are turning out to be great reads that I wish I read earlier.
In this case, I'm very glad I have the full picture of what this book offers by reading it 'in one go', but I think its strength will be in its use as a manual, something to refer back to repeatedly along the craftivist journey, in addition to the online 1/?
pickPleasantly pointless. There's a meandering humour to the task not going to plan, and then the somewhat abstract ending. It gave me a giggle and a chance to see more of Klassen's art, so mission accomplished. ☺️
pickSuch an adorable screwball time! An even more appealing mix of endearing effort on the part of a male family figure with an ultra-violent past that somehow winds up in slapstick situations with uncanny facial expressions than Spy x Family. [If there are any more manga in this vein, please tell me! ]
I will definitely be continuing in the series.
Lookit! Gangster with the warm gloves! 🥹
Batsy, honey, you KNOW that's not the lamest Bat-name to exist for a tool in the Bat arsenal. 😏 Remember the Whirly-Bats?!
pickAn absolute joy to read. Exactly what you hope to find in non-fiction by someone with a poetry background.
Such a warm appreciation for food, connecting to remembrances shared with family and friends, of travel, of being the child of immigrants, of discovering the cultures and places of your family tree. 1/?
He 👏🏻just 👏🏻steps 👏🏻up. Bare minimum is showing you care, taking note of the details, “ignore prescribed gender caretaking roles“, but it's still good to see.
Today's 'scratched my brain just right' sentence.
Reminding myself that it's best not to interfere with a wild species in its native habitat does not prevent me from now really wanting to Boop the boops boops. ☺️
so-soA pleasant meander. Sort of an extended interview/conversation, using individual songs to talk either specifically about the story behind the song or some aspect of Dolly's life.
I'll admit to wishing the production had been a bit different: the beginnings of songs start the various conversations, and maybe it's a rights or length concern, but after a while you just find yourself wishing you could hear the whole song 1/?
pickOh, yes. I am now confident I could happily listen to Natalie Haynes talk about any Greek myth or mythical figure. Her blend of a critical feminist lens, and an appreciation for myth depicted in both ancient and modern literary sources, as well as art from the ancient and modern world, i.e artifacts, film, is such a joy to experience, especially in her own voice. Highly recommend the audio book. 1/2
pickI don't think the book needed a different title, but it might have needed a different editor. There is a significant portion of the book, say from 75 pages in to the last 20 pages, where the chapters focus directly on issues related to rewilding, for the most part in a UK context, though international concerns and stats are introduced as supplementary examples. 1/?
pickOh yes. I love the vintage feel, the sense of going back to Batgirl's orgins now, in a way that obviously plays off lore that has developed over the years, e.g. the Oracle/Cassandra references, the hint of something with Dick, the ominous whisper in references to the Joker.
The writers and artists did a great job of presenting a recognizable character with a bit more youthful hubris and pep, 1/?
pickThere's something cheeky about the repeated imagery and text in this book, like Barnett and Klassen knew they were such a good pairing that we'd read anything from them. And dammit, they're right! I loved the art, I had fun reading it. That's enough for me.💁🏼♂️
pickI understand that given the setting and the plot that historical horror is how this book will be described, but my main feelings were not dread or disgust but sadness and anger.
Abhorrent deeds from history are retold, the reader is well-placed by the author in a position to look on helpless, infuriated that it is occurring, grief-stricken by so much loss, and yet suspecting some internal bias, blood connection, makes them complicit. 1/?
pickAaaarrggh cliffhanger! The only reason the writers and artists are forgiven is because I can get the next volume immediately from my library. Yet another benefit of reading backlist!
This was off the chain, just ridiculously improbable survival in action-packed scenarios, Brucie baby having officially planned TOO MUCH and yet too little, creating a Matryoshka doll of Batmans with various levels of advisable approaches to the criminal element, 1/?
pickHonestly, a much easier and more straightforward read than I thought to was going to be.
It definitely brings the facts and the stats, and not all of them are encouraging, but in proposing better ideas for the future it helps to present, and properly frame, the mistakes and misconceptions of the past.
An overwhelming proportion of this book is about money and work, but that makes a great deal of sense, from at the very least a subjective 1/?
pickA silly, fun moment right when I needed it. The illustrations make me think of Shel Silverstein, but the poetry, the overall tone feels...gentler, less chaotic.
pickAbsolutely GORGEOUS!!! 😍 I LOVED it. 💖 Would not be surprised if it was my favourite graphic novel of the year.
The art: the style range, the colours, switching from more moody and sedate to lovely neon, the playing with panel layout, the intricacies and then the pause for a big splashy moment, UGH, SO GOOD. 1/?
Art majors sound off in the comments: It's giving Art Deco, yes?
Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies! 🐰An excellent addition to this narrative. 😁
Learning is improved when silly goosery is involved. 🤪
pickA lot of wonderful family reunion moments in this volume, more warm fuzzies given than I expected, always a pleasant surprise.
The Signal and the Outsiders gave me a good closing arc to Signal lore I was vaguely aware of; heartfelt message in there about asking for help that I really appreciated. 1/?
so-soEmotional damage! Honestly if you want to get a flavour for what this book is going to do to you, just go to the two page author's note On Black Cats and Books at the back, you'll get a feel for the devastation.
There are still moments where what made the first book special to me reappears, but this is a second book in a trilogy? series? and while it ends one arc of conflict, it makes the book mostly about said conflict. 1/?
pickOh, they spoiled us on this one. I've no idea how many different times DC may have introduced 'the first meeting/team up of Batman and Superman', but I'm sure I'll never get tired of it. There was a definite vintage flair to the art and costuming on this one which I enjoyed, and they definitely went more earnest and cautiously optimistic than antagonistic with it, which is more this particular series' speed anyway. As for the other stories 1/?
Okay, already in love with the colour palette and the art style. 🤩
Yeah- yep, that's Abe Lincoln from the giant penny and the robot dinosaur facing off in the Batcave. 🤯
The boxers are a nice touch. 🤦🏼♂️🦇😵
Yeah, I ship it. Was it the artists' intention? Don't care. 💁🏼♂️
Pfft, ah, Damian, truly a terrifying little gremlin. 🤫
Damian saying all the nice things when Bruce isn't around to hear them. Typical. 🥹
The Wheelman of Gotham: It's the simple things, sometimes it's just enjoyable to see Batman wreck two Batmobiles in pursuit of a young woman of colour who bested him more than once, and ends 5h
Nightwing Presenting: The Director:
I mean it's a Nightwing story, kind of automatically a favourite. Jamal Campbell has earned my interest as a writer and artist after this one. Oh, and evidently there's a sharply dressed villain called The Flamingo that eats faces. Still adjusting to this fact. 5h
The first, Belle & Beau: sort of a Bonnie & Clyde/Robin Hood mashup with millenial/Gen Z angst, young people not seeing much future in the imbalance of wealth and opportunity of late stage capitalism exacerbated by Gotham's villain scene, deciding on the direct approach for personal wealth redistribution to themselves, and I always love when you can see the Bat pause 5h
⚠️animal death, suicide, dismemberment 5h