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Stumptown Vol 4 Graphic Novel Review

Stumptown Vol 4

Erica gives this comic five starsStumptown Vol 4 by Greg Rucka (writer)
Art: Justin Greenwood (illustrator), Ryan Hill (colorist), and Crank! (letterer)

Stumptown Volume 4 has been sitting on my to-read shelf, wrapped in plastic, since it came out. I thought about reading it before the show aired, but I didn’t. Volume 3 disappointed me in both not connecting with the story and not caring for Greenwood’s art. But then my friend Max read Volume 4 and immediately texted me, asking if I had. He then encouraged me to read it.

Max, my friend, you were right. I did really like this volume. There’s nothing more perfect than coffee snobs in the Pacific Northwest. Or, as my partner said, “You’ve never heard of cat shit coffee?!” Continue reading “Stumptown Vol 4 Graphic Novel Review”

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The Best and the Worst of 2016 Comic Books

Yes, the time has come to say goodbye to (aka light on fire) 2016 and ring in 2017. Here’s a look back at the Best and the Worst of 2016* Comic Books.

I reviewed 265 pieces of individual media on this blog this year. Giant Days, Jem and the Holograms, and Lumberjanes had the most individual issue reviews at 12 issues each. Technically, I reviewed 16 Wonder Woman comics; but the New 52 and Rebirth comics are vastly different stories and one was close to the top 5 and the other at the bottom rating-wise.

I changed the format a bit as some stories start off or end strong, which might be my only reviews. But for series where I reviewed many issues, I can be tough even on series that I love, and I wanted this list to reflect consistency in storytelling.

The Best Series (reviewing 6+ issues)

26 different series eligible in this category.

Monstress #11. Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Average rating: 5/5

This book is gorgeous with its fantasy, art deco, and manga influences in Takeda’s pencils. It’s horrifying with plots of a post-war world and a land of broken people. Mostly women, it’s full of women and their stories. It’s a challenge read for the soul. But also for the mind, as Liu’s world building and plots build bit-by-bit. You are immersed in them. Your hand isn’t held. You figure out how to use your feet while running just like the characters.

Read all my reviews for Monstress. Continue reading “The Best and the Worst of 2016 Comic Books”

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Stumptown Vol 3 Graphic Novel Review

Stumptown Vol 3Erica gives this comic three starsStumptown Vol 3 by Greg Rucka
Art: Justin Greenwood

I really loved the other two volumes of Stumptown, and this one let me down. The story wasn’t as intriguing as the others. I also didn’t enjoy Greenwood’s art as much as Southworth’s. Southworth’s art brought the city of Portland to life as another character, but Greenwood’s didn’t have the familiarity with the city. Instead the intensity of the Timbers’ game filled in.

I’m not a soccer fan, and there were a ton of references which I didn’t get. I got a couple because I’ve been to some Sounders’ games and work with some soccer fanatics. It’s hard to care about sports when you aren’t into them. I felt there was some assumptions about the audience actually understanding more.

The mystery of who beat up Mercury felt light. Or perhaps too tied to the other plot threads. I couldn’t tell if it was the actual mystery here or that I’d forgotten a lot about the other volumes, which I’d read a while ago. There wasn’t enough issues for me settle back into the book. Continue reading “Stumptown Vol 3 Graphic Novel Review”