[Comic Book Review] Fence Vol. 2 by C.S., Johanna the Mad, & Joana LaFuente

Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place on the Kings Row fencing team, alongside sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama, to win the right to go up against his golden-boy half-brother.

Tryouts are well underway at King’s Row for a spot on the prodigious fencing team, and scrappy fencer Nicholas isn’t sure he’s going to make the grade in the face of surly upperclassmen, nearly impossibly odds, and his seemingly unstoppable roommate, the surly, sullen Seiji Katayama. It’ll take more than sheer determination to overcome a challenge this big!

From the superstar team of C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad comes the second volume of this acclaimed, dynamic series.

[Comic Book Review] Fence Volume 1 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, and Joana LaFuente

Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama...

Through clashes, rivalries, and romance between teammates, Nicholas and the boys of Kings Row will discover there’s much more to fencing than just foils and lunges. From acclaimed writer C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad.

[Comic Book Review] Bee and Puppycat by Natasha Allegri

Natasha Allegri's smash hit YouTube animated series comes to comic books!

A quirky new take on the magical girl genre with Bee, the forever unemployed main character who can't seem to figure out life, and the mysterious PuppyCat, a stray...whatever it is...that she stumbled across who has a powerful secret. You might already love it if you're one of the thousands who supported the Kickstarter campaign, but for those of you just joining us, if you like stories that feature magical girls like SAILOR MOON, MADOKA MAGICA, and POWERPUFF GIRLS, you will enjoy BEE AND PUPPYCAT! It's a slice-of-life story with a twist, and it has so much comedy and enchantment you can't help but be swept up. Natasha Allegri is simply amazing. She built up a big fan-following on Tumblr while working on the Adventure Time cartoon, then created gender-swapped characters (FIONNA AND CAKE) that became so popular they put them into the show. Then, she created BEE AND PUPPYCAT and it became the most funded web series project in Kickstarter history. How could we NOT publish it?

[Comic Book Review] Moonstruck Vol. 2: Some Enchanted Evening by Grace Ellis

Werewolf barista Julie and her supernatural friends try to unwind at a party, but a conniving fraternity of fairy bros has other plans for our heroes. With one of their friends trapped in the frat house and the winter solstice (a notable night of magical mischief) looming ever-closer, it's up to the amorous werewolves and gregarious centaur to save the day.

[Comic Book Review] Thor: God of Thunder Volume 1: The God Butcher by Jason Aaron & Esad Ribić

Throughout the ages, gods have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. Now, Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future. The only hope for these ravaged worlds is for Thor to unravel the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher!

In the distant past, Thor follows the bloody wake of murdered gods across the depths of space. In the present, the Thunder God discovers a forgotten cave that echoes with the cries of tortured gods...and is shocked to find himself among them! And thousands of years from now, the last god-king of a ruined Asgard makes his final stand against the God Butcher's beserker legions. As three Thors from three eras race to stop the God Butcher, the full extent of his vicious scheme takes terrifying shape!

[Comic Review] Shades of Magic Vol 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab

Delve into the thrilling, epic tale of the young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, long before he became the king of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic!

The youthful Maresh is sent to a violent and unmanageable port city on the Blood Coast of Verose, on strict orders from his father, King Nokil Maresh, to cut his military teeth in this lawless landscape.

There, he encounters an unruly band of soldiers, a lawless landscape, and the intoxicatingly deadly presence of the newly returned pirate queen, Arisa...

[Comic Book Review] Black AF: America's Sweetheart by Kwanza Osajyefo, Jennifer Johnson, and Sho Murase

Can a black woman be America's first superhero?

Eli Franklin is a 15-year-old girl living in rural Montana - and she just happens to be the most powerful person on the planet. In the aftermath of the world learning that only black people have superpowers, Eli makes her debut as the superhero Good Girl, on a mission to help people and quell the fear of empowered blacks. When a super-terrorist threatens to take away everything Eli has worked toward, will donning a patriotic costume be enough for her to find acceptance?

America's Sweetheart expands BLACK into a universe of heroes.

[Comic Book Review] Goldie Vance Vol 1 by Hope Larson & Brittany Williams

GOLDIE VANCE IS ON THE CASE

Sixteen-year-old Marigold "Goldie" Vance has an insatiable curiosity. She lives at a Florida resort with her dad, who manages the place, and it's her dream to one day be the hotel's in-house detective. When Walter, the current detective, encounters a case he can't crack, together they utilize her smarts, skills, and connections to solve the mystery...even if it means getting into a drag race, solving puzzles, or chasing a helicopter to do it!

[Comic Book Review] The Backstagers Vol. 1: Rebels Without Applause by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh, & Walter Baiamonte

All the world's a stage . . . but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic literally!

When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he's taken in by the only ones who don't treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen.

James Tynion IV (Detective Comics, The Woods) teams up with artist Rian Sygh (Munchkin, Stolen Forest) for an incredibly earnest story that explores what it means to find a place to fit in when you're kinda an outcast.

[Comic Book Review] Moonstruck Volume One: Magic to Brew by Grace Ellis

Werewolf barista Julie and her new girlfriend go on a date to a close-up magic show, but all heck breaks loose when the magician casts a horrible spell on their friend Chet. Now it's up to the team of mythical pals to stop the illicit illusionist before it's too late.

[Graphic Novel Review] The Ghost, The Owl by Franco & Sara Richard

On a cool evening on the swamp, a figure appears dancing across the water. A human figure, but far from a human form. A Ghost, a young girl spirit that seems to have lost its way. A good Samaritan owl decides to help against the wishes of his animal brethren. What mysteries does the ghost girl hold the secrets to and what will happen when she and the owl unlock them together? Will they find out what happened to her? Will she find her way to where she needs to be? What will happen to the animals in the swamp and surrounding forest? An adventure with the most unlikely of pairs, The Ghost, the Owl.

Free Comic Book Day 2018

Free Comic Book Day has passed for another year, making it the fifth one  I have participated in with my friend and fiancé! This year, I decided to take more photos and try to document the day a bit more so I can make a proper post about it! If you are unsure what Free Comic Book Day is, it's a day each year (first Saturday of May) where comic books all over America give away free comics that are made specifically for the day! It's a great way to get together with all your friends, see (or make) amazing cosplays, get some free comics, or even support your local comic book store by buying something if you can. Let's jump right into how my day went!

[Comic Book Review] Jessica Jones: Alias Volume 1 by Brian Michael Bendis

Meet Jessica Jones. Once upon a time, she was a costumed super hero — but not a very good one. Her powers were unremarkable compared to the amazing abilities of the costumed icons that populate the Marvel Universe. In a city of Marvels, she never found her niche. The self-destructive would-be Avenger is now the owner and sole employee of Alias Investigations — a small, private-investigative firm specializing in superhuman cases. When she uncovers the potentially explosive secret of one hero’s true identity, Jessica’s life immediately becomes expendable. But her wit, charm and intelligence just may help her survive another day. Thrust into the midst of a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels, has Jessica burned too many bridges to turn to old friends for help?

[Comic Book Review] Paper Girls Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Cliff Chiang

In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash-hit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.

[Comic Book Review] Faith Volume 3: Superstar by Jody Houser

Review for Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine
Review for Volume 2: California Scheming

As Los Angeles' high-flying protector, Faith as inspired the dreams of an entire metropolis... Now get ready to meet its worst nightmare When an escaped psiot prisoner starts tearing through the streets, Faith must stop her fiery rampage before all hell breaks loose! But this isn't just any ordinary threat... Not only can this empowered escapee drain the energy of everything in sight, she's one of L.A.'s most controversial pop stars to boot!

[Comic Book Review] Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen

Sarah Andersen's hugely popular, world-famous Sarah's Scribbles comics are for those of us who boast bookstore-ready bodies and Netflix-ready hair, who are always down for all-night reading-in-bed parties and extremely exclusive after-hour one-person music festivals. In addition to the most recent Sarah's Scribbles fan favorites and dozens of all-new comics, this volume contains illustrated personal essays on Sarah's real-life experiences with anxiety, career, relationships and other adulthood challenges that will remind readers of Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half and Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened. The same uniquely frank, real, yet humorous and uplifting tone that makes Sarah's Scribbles so relatable blooms beautifully in this new longer form. 

[Comic Book Review] Faith Volume 2: California Scheming by Jody Houser

Review for Volume 1

In a city under siege by robots, aliens, monsters, and even worse... celebrities, there is only one woman the people of Los Angeles can count on: the stratospheric superhero called Faith! Aspiring reporter by day and dedicated crime-fighter by night, Faith has tackled every obstacle in her path with confidence like those crushing deadlines at work, the long-distance boyfriend half a world away, and the missing back issues that plague her comics collection! But, unbeknownst to her, Faith is about to collide with the one force she never saw coming: an up-and-coming super-villain bent on snuffing her out once and for all! But who is lurking behind the mask of her new foe and could they just be the one person capable of rendering Faith powerless?

[Comic Book Review] Spider-Man: Family Business by Mark Waid, James Robinson, and Gabriele Dell'Otto

Someone has Spider-Man in their crosshairs and the only person in the Marvel Universe who can save him is Peter Parker's sister?! As the web-slinger meets family he never knew, will she end up becoming his greatest ally or the one who damns him? And what does the Kingpin have to do with it?

[Comic Book Review] The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá

Forty Seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who had previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children to "save the world" but doesn't explain what they're supposed to save the world from. These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a group of misfit superheroes with bizarre powers.

[Comic Book Review] The Legend of Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Origins by Renae De Liz & Ray Dillon

The Legend of Wonder Woman is the origins of Diana's life. From her mother's past, how Diana was born, and how she became the infamous Wonder Woman we all know and love. With help from Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, Diana becomes Wonder Woman as she has to defeat the Duke of Deception.