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Madame Xanadu (Vol 4): Extra-Sensory Graphic Novel Review

Madame Xanadu (Vol 4): Extra-SensoryErica gives this comic five starsMadame Xanadu (Vol 4): Extra-Sensory by Matt Wagner
Art: Marley Zarcone, Laurenn McCubbin, Chrissie Zullo, Celia Calle, Marian Churchland, Amy Reeder, Richard Friend, and Guy Major

I appreciated this as the long form of saying goodbye to the Madame Xanadu comic book and Wagner’s time with her. And I can say that I greatly miss his take on her character, especially given how horrible the reboot has been with the magical characters. (It’s not their powers, but their back-stories that make them interesting.)

I enjoyed that the stories varied in how Madame Xanadu could really help these characters. Some needed her to calm their powers. Others needed her to stop the evil around them. Some accepted her guidance and others rejected her or were forces of evil she needed to banish.

Each story really reflected 1963-1966 and the different facets of culture from that time, depending on who you were or where you were. The variety of art was just gorgeous. In a lot of other stories, I might’ve been throw off by the switching artists. But the choices here just enhanced the book. Continue reading “Madame Xanadu (Vol 4): Extra-Sensory Graphic Novel Review”

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Fables: Super Team (Vol 16) Graphic Novel Review

Fables: Super Team (Vol 16) Erica gives this comic three stars

Fables: Super Team (Vol 16) by Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Eric Shanower, Terry Moore, Andrew Pepoy, and Richard Friend

This entire volume of Fables felt like a filler. And not in a good way. There wasn’t anything particularly bad about this volume; it just seemed to not really go anywhere.

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Bufkin. First, I don’t like monkeys. And second, I don’t like unnecessary male heroes who have the type of story that a woman character would never have. Now Bufkin is apparently going to take over pan-Oz from its evil rulers. I really hope this storyline is not cut-and-dry or evil-vs-good. (Good, of course, being whatever side Bufkin is on.)

I love the twist that Beast has lost his curse to his daughter, Bliss. I’m really curious at where this will go. Of course, with Bliss being a baby, it’s probably not going anywhere very quickly. Continue reading “Fables: Super Team (Vol 16) Graphic Novel Review”

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Madame Xanadu: Broken House of Cards (Vol 3) Graphic Novel Review

Madame Xanadu Vol 3Erica gives this comic five stars

Madame Xanadu: Broken House of Cards (Vol 3) by Matt Wagner
Art: Amy Reeder and Richard Friend

Madame Xanadu was back in form for this volume. Reeder’s art was a re-welcomed addition. She just captures Madame Xanadu and her world so wonderfully. I love the facial expressions and the angles. Friend’s art was also a nice addition to the story.

I loved this 1950s story. It felt right for the era. The focus on the suburban wackiness. The need to have all the newest appliances, the perfect relationships, the dresses, the sexist gender roles, and of course, the casual obsession with Satanism. I adore that Madame Xanadu takes the latter with a grain of salt. She knows this is not “Satan” probably because she doesn’t believe any such creature exists. Continue reading “Madame Xanadu: Broken House of Cards (Vol 3) Graphic Novel Review”