#BookReview Harley Quinn, Vol. 5: The Joker's Last Laugh by Amanda Conner

Harley Quinn, Vol. 5: The Joker's Last Laugh by Amanda Conner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mason Macabre is more than just Harley Quinn s neighbor in her new Coney Island digs he just might be the man of her dreams. But to save his life, she ll have to face the clown of her nightmares!
With Harley and her gang of merry maidens battling to keep innocents out of the crossfire of her enemies latest vendetta, Mason s been whisked away to the one place our hellacious heroine never wanted to set foot in again: Arkham Asylum. Inside its horrific halls, Mason is at the tender mercies of none other than the Joker and Harley and the Clown Prince of Crime have had the mother of all bad break-ups. 

Will she and the madman who helped make her what she is kiss and make up long enough for her new beau to escape with his life? Or this time, will the joke be on Harley Quinn for good?
It s the reunion you ve been waiting for! Courtesy of acclaimed creative team Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, HARLEY QUINN VOL. 5: THE JOKER S LAST LAUGH proves that when it comes to true love, Harley s not joking around! Collects issue #22-25 of the ongoing series and the special issue, HARLEY QUINN: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR."

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The problem with waiting let's say around two months to write a review is that the memory is a bit hazy. However, there are some things that I do remember from this volume and that's that I was disappointed that the Joker was hardly in it especially when you see the cover and read the description and the description pretty much tells you what will happen. They fight and break up. Ta da! I liked the last part of the volume best, with Harley finding a genie...hilarious.

That doesn't mean that the volume is bad, I did like it, I found it amazing and it was a hell of a lot better than the previous volume. The art is, as usual, good as well. I had when I start to read a comic and the change the artist along the way and ruin everything. But with Harley Quinn, is the art pretty much always good!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!

Harley Quinn Vol. 4: A Call to Arms

Harley Quinn Vol. 4: A Call to Arms by Amanda Conner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys are hitting the road! As if Hollywood wasn't weird enough already, now Harley's made her way to Tinseltown and she's about to have the most destructive fifteen minutes of fame ever. Will the industry survive Harley's Hollywood hijix, or will the City of Angels fall from grace? And will Coney Island be able to contain Harley's newfound celebrity status?

From the best-selling creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Connor (STARFIRE) comes HARLEY QUINN VOL. 4!

Collects HARLEY QUINN #19-26 and HARLEY QUINN ROAD TRIP SPECIAL #1. 

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This is the first volume that I just didn't fancy that much. One sign of my displeasure was that it took me a month to finish it instead of a day or two. And, it has taken me a bloody long time to write it too.

It started off with Harley and her gang trying to stop Popeye, eh I mean some sailor that had mutated into a monster that ate weird green seaweed and it made him crazy and very strong. I'm sorry that story just didn't work for me and I just didn't like the idea of Harley with a gang of Harley copies being vigilantes. So, I was glad when the group disbanded.

it gets a bit better after the mutated seaman is taken down with Harley going to Hollywood and getting into trouble. And, towards the end of the volume Catwoman and Ivy show up for a girl road-trip and that part was the best part in the whole volume. At least that was a bit funny and fun to read.

So, it gets three stars, because the art is still very good and there are some bright moments and I do like reading about Harley Quinn very much. I just hope that the next volume will be better...

I want to thank DC Comics for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review.

Batman: Europa by Brian Azzarello

Batman: Europa by Brian Azzarello

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The greatest talents of American and European comics unite for a Batman story like none other! Written by Matteo Casali (CATWOMAN) and Brian Azzarello (DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE), BATMAN: EUROPA features art by superstar Jim Lee (JUSTICE LEAGUE) as well as European comics artist superstars Giuseppe Camuncoli (Spider-Man), Diego Latorre and Gerard Parel.

The Dark Knight is finally facing an enemy that even he can’t defeat—a deadly, custom-engineered virus that will drive him mad and then kill him within a week. But Batman isn’t the only one infected…the homicidal madman known as the Joker is also stricken.

Now, the two mortal enemies must rely on each other if either one is to survive. As they follow the clues, their search for the man who targeted them has them crisscrossing Europe—following clues in Berlin, fighting automatons in Prague, haunting the Paris catacombs and more.

Can Batman and Joker survive working together? Or will the Dark Knight and his deadliest enemy die together, far from Gotham City?

Collects BATMAN: EUROPA #1-4 of the 4-issue miniseries.

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You know you have procrastinated enough when you can't find the images you have screen capped for a graphic novel. But, never mind that, I can write a review without any images to accompany it. But, it makes the review a little less fun to do and I can't show you all the quality of the art. However, most of Batman: Europa was quite nice, the only part that I found a bit hard to see what has going on was when Batman and Joker were in Paris and they are starting to feel the effect of the virus and the art is showing that. Other than that, pretty much the whole volume was good.

However, the story was nothing really special, which surprised me because here we have two arch nemeses working together for a cure and one would think that it would be pretty cool to read about that, but I actually found myself not really overwhelmed with the story, a bit too much I need to finish this volume rather than I want to finish the volume. Sure, there were some good parts, the fact that the Joker and Batman were "working" together was a cool idea. 

Then we have the ending, to be honest. I was not really impressed with whom was behind it all. No real wow feeling. 

So, not my favourite volume, it had some good parts, the art was good, but the story was not fantastic. A good read, nothing more.

I want to thank DC Comics for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

Love: The Lion by Frederic Brremaud

Le lion by Frédéric Brrémaud
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb from NetGalley: The third volume in the lavishly illustrated series of wildlife graphic novels, each following a single central animal through an adventurous day in their natural environment. Each tale depicts genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling, like a nature documentary in illustration. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this volume focuses on a solitary Lion as it wanders the plains of Africa, handling the daily hunt, and vicious rivalry, without a Pride of its own. The circle of Life takes center stage in a world where predator and prey trade places on a regular basis, and Family is something worth fighting -- and dying -- for. This exciting tale, written by Frederic Brremaud, is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci. A beautiful, powerful tale of survival in the animal kingdom that explores the all-too-identifiable, universal concepts of Life, Courage, Aging, and ultimately Love.

I have previous read Love: The Tiger and Love: The Fox, the two graphic novels before this one and I loved them both. This one is no exception. There is just something so wonderfully beautifully with this graphic novel and I especially love the fact that it's no text, just a story told through art. And, it's not really a happy story, it's sometimes really brutal and sad reading about the life on the savannah. But, it's also very captivating.

I have added some screen caps so you can see just how beautiful and detailed the graphic novel is.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

Aliens / Vampirella by Corinna Sara Bechko

Aliens / Vampirella by Corinna Sara Bechko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb from NetGalley: Two iconic horror franchises collide, as Vampirella - the fan-favorite supernatural heroine - faces the most nightmarish creatures ever to appear in cinema: the Xenomorphs from Alien! As the first human colony on Mars digs deeper into the crimson soil, they discover the catacombs of a hibernating civilization, tens of thousands of years old. The evidence suggests that they are Nosferatu, an ancient and sinister species that Vampirella is all too familiar with. Called to the Red Planet to investigate, the monster hunter and her human allies find a chamber with hundreds of ellipsoidal, leathery eggs... and after they hatch, the true horror begins. In space, no one can hear Vampirella scream!

I have never really cared that much for Vampirella, most seen her as the skimpy dressed vampire and never really bothered with anything to do with her. But, I'm a huge Aliens fan. So, I just knew I just had to read this graphic novel on NetGalley. And, despite me being pretty much sick and tired of the whole vampire culture (please God not another movie or book with vampires in them is usually my reaction nowadays) so was Aliens / Vampirella quite entertaining.

I loved the whole idea of an Aliens / Vampirella crossover. Vampirella realizes quite early on that the Nosferatu is not the big problem on Mars, there is something else dangerous down below, the problem is that when shit hit the fan is it Vampirella that gets the blame for all the dead people. So, now she has to face of Aliens and the humans that are in charge who thinks she is the one that killed the crew. She is the vampire of course, easy to blame.

The art is good, suits the story and I like that Vampirella isn't running around is some skimpy bathing suits kind of costume. Well, she is one the cover and for instance on this pic that I have added, but I guess the artists gets a bit creative when they do cover images and other artistic stuff. And, red skimpy bathing suits kind of costume is her "thing"!



But, in the story, she dresses more normal!



Thanks to Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! 

Buffy: The High School Years - Freaks & Geeks

Buffy: The High School Years - Freaks & Geeks by Faith Erin Hicks
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Moving to a new school and making new friends will create enough anxiety for any teenage girl. But when you’re Buffy Summers, a vampire slayer—the Chosen One (with all that entails)—building a new life can be overwhelming. A group of nerdy vampires, shunned by their cooler brethren, decide to climb the vampire social ladder by taking out the Slayer. They play on Buffy’s insecurities, wearing her down until she is full-on distracted by the mental warfare. But in addition to her Watcher, Giles, this Slayer has a couple of new friends, Willow and Xander, to cheer her on…except, of course, when they’re not getting along. - Blurb from Edelweiss

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Many, many years ago did I start to watch a TV series called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I got hooked and enjoyed watching it, well until Angel got his own TV series and then the TV series got less interesting to watch. I mean Riley...Ugh! Then, it got a bit better and S5 was rally god. Personally, I felt it could have ended there, it would have been a great ending, but no it goes on a couple of seasons more and I'm not even sure I watched the whole last season. 

Anyway, what I want to say that I really really liked the show once upon a time and I knew I wanted to read this volume when I saw it on Edelweiss. Unfortunately, this reminds me of when I tried to watch S1 a while back and realized that I found it bit boring. Some series just doesn't work so well when you're older. 

The story is quite simple, it's about friendship. We have a bunch of vampires that tries to be cool and decides to take on the Slayer, and they manage to get Buffy insecure about her friendship with Xander and Willow. And, that they think will bring her down. 

The art is not really my cup of tea. It's a bit too pastel and bright and almost a bit manga over it. Sometimes the characters almost looked like the actors playing the roles, but most they looked like a nice try to get them to look like the actors, but not really getting the faces right. 

So not my favorite graphic novel!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! 

Death Follows by Cullen Bunn

Death Follows by Cullen Bunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Birdie, her little sister, their pregnant mother and their father live on a struggling farm. And, when a farmhand named Cole comes walking up their road should the children be thankful for some extra help on the farm. But, Birdie feels that the man is evil, there is something wrong with him and when the dead rats start to dance, then she knows for sure that Cole is making the dead restless...

Cullen Bunn has become a name that I recognize after reading The Sixth Gun and Harrow County. So, of course, I had to read Death Follows when I saw this graphic novel on Edelweiss.

And, it's a horrifying and chilling tale and I could hardly stop reading it. You know when you read something, and you want to read, but at the same time, you feel dread about turning the page? Reading Death Follows is just like that. Have you read Pet Sematary by Stephen King? If you have, then you probably know what I mean, it's a great book, but still I'm not sure I want to read it again since it's such a dreadful story. And, Death Follows is also dreadful to read. So, Cullen Bunn has really succeeded with writing a page-turning story with a heartbreaking good story. Birdie us such a great characters, and I really felt for her throughout the book, worrying about Cole, seeing things in the dark. And, the last thrilling issue in this volume just broke my heart. And, that ending...well let's say that it's a bit...creepy...

I also really like the art, the colors, the way the characters are drawn, the whole thing. It suits the story so well.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review.

The Beauty Volume 1 by Jeremy Haun

The Beauty, Vol. 1 by Jeremy Haun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What if a sexually transmitted disease was also a way for anyone to get beautiful? Just sleep with someone and suddenly you would be thin, your nose and teeth would be perfect, etc. You would be beautiful. In Beauty is this reality and the vast majority of the population has taken advantage of that, but Detectives Vaughn and Foster discover that being beautiful has a dangerous side-effect.

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I think that beauty being a side-effect to a sexually transmitted disease a very interesting idea. Especially since we live in a world where being beautiful is quite important. And, would you, despite it being a sexually transmitted disease go for it? I mean the only known side-effect would be a slight fever and you will be a lot more hungry, but you would always be beautiful. Well, until it kills you of course because that's what Detectives Vaughn and Foster discover and it's a discovery that some would do anything to stop getting public knowledge.

It's a really interesting story, both thoughtful and action-filled and the art is also good. There are some nudity and violence in it and it's defiantly not for younger children. I found it enthralling to read and I could hardly put it down when I started to read it and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review.

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Star-crossed lovers Marko and Alana and their baby Hazel are still on the run in Saga, Volume 2. In this volume, we also get a chance to get to know Marko's parents and of course there is a lot of action going since Marko and Alana are still being hunted across the universe.

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It has actually taken me quite a long time to read this volume. I bought it last summer and I have just dragged out reading it since I knew that as soon as I read it would I want the next volume to read. And, I have been trying to be frugal so it has been sitting on a shelf for a long time. Also, quite a lot of books have come between, I have a tendency to read more on my iPad than the books I buy...

How was the volume? I can honestly say that this is one of the best series I have ever read when it comes to graphic novels. The art and the story both rocks my socks. It's science fiction, with adventure and romance, strange creature and sweet moments. And, it totally surprising and absolutely nothing that children should read. I mean there are some pretty graphic images in the volume so letting this one or any of the other volumes lying around is probably a bad idea if you have curious children.

There are many great moments in the volume, both funny and sad ones. And, I think it's time for me to check up volume 3...

Harley Quinn, Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab by Amanda Conner

Harley Quinn, Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab by Amanda Conner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harley was certain she could have it all: She could be the world's best landlord, protect Coney Island from the scum of the Earth, woo Mason Macabre, work her day job as a psychiatrist, volunteer at the puppy shelter...but that's a whole lot of spinning plates, and eventually they're bound to start breaking! What happens when a psychopath cracks up? Is it possible for Harley to go even more insane?!

Collects HARLEY QUINN #14-15, HARLEY QUINN ANNUAL #1, HARLEY QUINN VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL #1, and HARLEY QUINN HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1.

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This is the best Harley Quinn volume I read so far! Unfortunately, for some reason did I wait 3 months to write this review, but thanks to screen shots can I retell some of the best parts of this volume where Harley has to save Ivy, puppies, and Bruce Wayne? Yes, Bruce is being auctioned off and Harley of course just have to buy him, especially since the money will go to helping animals...

But first, let's start off with Poison Ivy losing her memory and Harley is trying, in her own way, to help get Ivy's memory back. Since Ivy isn't really Sleeping Beauty doesn't this really work as planned.

Oh, and here is the big bad...head that is behind Ivy's memory loss. He is actually just a misunderstood...head.

But the best part is at the Charity gala where Bruce Wayne is auctioned off. Of course, the gala is crashed by two bad men trying to rob it. But luckily for Bruce is Harley there to save him.

And, of course, she just has to end the night with a kiss...

or two...

All and all a truly wonderful volume loved it very much and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. I just hope that Harley's puddin' is in it! ;)

Some bonus screenshots:

I want to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay by Harlan Ellison

Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay by Harlan Ellison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For the first time ever, a visual presentation of the much-discussed, unrevised, unadulterated version of Harlan Ellison's award-winning Star Trek teleplay script, "The City on the Edge of Forever!" See the story as Mr. Ellison originally intended!

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I thought that Star Trek: City on the Edge of Forever would be a graphic novel about the episode. What I didn't know was that it would be instead a graphic novel of Harlan Ellison's Star Trek teleplay script; “The City on the Edge of Forever”. I may have glossed over the fact in my joy of finding a Star Trek graphic novel on Netgalley...

What about the graphic novel then? 

I loved it, I loved the story, I loved the changes in the story from the episode I have seen to the version Harlan Ellison has written. I mean the episode is epic but damn it, this graphic novel is just as good and frankly in some way better because it isn't restricted to a time limit instead it can have many more wonderful scenes (I do miss Kirk's explanation for Spock's ears to the policeman)...

The art?

Breathtaking! I mean it's so gorgeous and so well drawn that every expression on Spock and Kirk's faces is just perfect, it's almost uncanny watching the art and seeing how well the expressions are drawn.

The verdict?

5 stars! I want this volume, I need this volume!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review