1:100 Ghost-Spider: Dog Days Are Over by Seanan McGuire

 Gwyn Stacy, the Spider-Woman of Universe 65, has been outed in her own universe which makes leading anything resembling a normal life impossible. She just wants to go to school and get an education without the hassle so decides to jump over to the regular Marvel universe, 616, and go to school at Empire State University with the help of Peter Parker. So during the day, Gwyn can be found in U-616's ESU doing the school thing but then she returns home to U-65 for homework, band practice, and crime fighting. Unfortunately, jumping between dimensions has the additional problem of having two versions of Miles Warren after her. The one from her home dimension wants to take her out and the one from U-616 seems to have the hots for the Gwyn Stacy of his universe who is no longer and is willing to transfer his affections to this new one.  Neither seems to be ideal for Gwyn's plans.

As stated before, I have only recently started reading Marvel comics and even then tend to limit to characters I'm interested in by authors I like. I just don't have the time or brain power to deal with the constant reboots and artwork/story lines that don't work for me so I tend to not know a lot of the backstories or previous information. This means that I'm kind of lost on what is up with either version of Miles Warren in this collection. There is enough filled in that I have an idea but not much more than that. Also not really sure what is up with Jameson and the Man-Wolf. Again, there was enough that I could figure out basic motivations but there is obviously a lot that I am missing. It made certain things less clear so this was less enjoyable than the last couple of volumes I read. I think a little less time spent on setting up the cross-dimensional stuff and a little more on understanding these villains motivations would have helped tremendously.

Page count: 112p/112p ytd/347,493p lifetime

48:100 Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi

Graphic novel of the story of the author's great-uncle's final days.  A lifetime of memories after he decides to give up living upon the destruction of his beloved instrument.  A future lifetime of memories he will not share with his children.  Last hellos and good-byes.  A poignant tale of love and music and life.


Page count: 84p/11,253p ytd/321,948p lifetime

46:100 Saga Vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!!

And did I mention NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Seriously, I can't give any other review to this.  It's fabulous but heartbreaking and I many never be okay again.

And then it's going to be who knows when before we get the next installment.  I just can't.


Page count: 152p/11,145p ytd/321,840p lifetime

2:100 Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet book 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Illustrated by Brain Stelfreeze

I have so much to say about this but it's hard to nail it all down.  Having read Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and completely loved the Black Panther movie, I was super excited when I saw that Mr. Coates would be writing for the comic.  I was not disappointed.  The story was a bit slow in this as it was the first installment but that is because there was so much being set-up.  There is a lot of depth to T'Challa (from my understanding drawing from many different comic versions of the character), the "villains" are ones that are understandable even sympathetic, the questions being asked are not simply answered and force T'Challa to question so much of what he thinks he knows and understands.  Layers upon layers.  On another note, I also really enjoyed the art which I tend to be incredibly picky about (or why I don't read tons of comics).



Page count: 144p/496p ytd/311,401p lifetime

99:100 House of M by Brian Michael Bendis

Wanda Maximoff's powers have grown but as they have, her grasp on reality has become very loose.  Now, whatever she thinks or wants to be reality is the way things are.  Unfortunately, that ends up changing the reality for everyone and it is possible for others, like her father, to nudge her version of reality to match what they want.  Now the New Avengers and Astonishing X-Mex have come together at Wolverine's insistence that things are not right in the world.  It takes a lot of convincing but many of them have been having the feeling that things aren't right so they agree to find Wanda and try to stop her and put things back to the way it was.

Story was interesting, lots going on but yet still easy to follow, and I was even ok with the artistic style (usually my big issue with comics).

Page count: 224p/18,857p ytd/310,873p lifetime

93:100 Blankets by Craig Thompson

The story of a boy growing up in rural Wisconsin, of having a brother, of being raised in a very religious house, of a first love.  The story starts when Craig is 8 or so and we see how he and his brother fight but are then drawn back together again.  We see Craig searching for meaning in the things that are happening to him and committing fully to the Church to the point of considering the ministry. When Craig falls in love for the first time, there is a sweetness to it and it hurts when it doesn't last and then leads to his abandonment of his faith.  Craig doesn't get his HEA in this but when you see the young man he has become, you realize that he is learning to be content with his life which is really all anyone can ask for.

This was another one in the Comics as Literature college class my son took and he thought I would enjoy.  It's a quiet story, not flashy or super exciting but it draws you in with the depth of its characters.



Page count: 592p/17,410p ytd/309,426p lifetime

86:100 All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant

Superman has saved the planet again but this time taken a lethal dose of radiation that will kill him as soon as he finishes his 12 great tasks.  Of course his parents, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olson are there but so is Lex Luthor, Bizarro from the backwards planet with Zibarro, Ultra-Sphinx, alternate Supermans from may other dimensions and time lines, and so much more.

This was another in my son's college Comics as Literature class. The stories were good and solid and well illustrated but none really stood out for me but I can definitely see what it was part of the class.


Page count: 304p/15,456p ytd/307,472p lifetime

70:100 Saga Vol. 8 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

During a violent jump, Alana was thrown against a wall and her baby has died.  They have to find a way to remove the dead child before it kills her but finding someone to perform the procedure with as far along as she is and under their fugitive conditions will not be easy.  It has also had the unexpected side effect of giving Alana some Wreath magic abilities including being able to conjure up a ghost version of their son that is visible to the whole family. Unfortunately, that may just kill her if they don't do something soon.

The Will has been kidnapped by the fiance of someone he killed and they are looking to kill everyone he ever loved before finishing him off.  It didn't take long before they found out about Gwyn, Sophie, and Lying Cat.

Prince Robot needs to get back home to Squire and after his behavior with Alana, he is left of find his own way but ends up coming back and then...

Well, you just need to read it.


Page count: 146p/12,064p ytd/304,080p lifetime

69:100 Saga Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

The ship needs fuel and the family needs a rest so they manage one last jump to a comet named Phang to try and get both while Alana continues along with her new pregnancy.  However, The March is a new freelancer trying to find them for all the different parties who want them all dead and their new home is scheduled for termination.  Now might be a good time to try and get off Phang.

The Will has reunited briefly with Gwyn and Sophie but only to try and get Lying Cat back and pick up Sophie to train her to be a freelancer like he was until he was fired but Sophie decides to stay with Gwyn and Lying Cat decides to stay with Sophie so The Will walks off into the sunset.  Pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him.

More gradual plot development in this one which was a nice change of pace after the totally action packed previous one.

Page count: 152p/11,918p ytd/303,934p lifetime

62:100 Saga Vol. 5 by Fiona Staples & Brian K. Vaughan

Dengo has the baby Prince Robot, Hazel, Alana, Klara, and Izabel captive in the treeship and has called in The Revolution to help him get his message out across the Universe.  Big surprise, The Revolution isn't on his side and they all underestimate what a mother and grandmother will do to save their child.

Prince Robot IV, Marko, Gus, and Yuma are trying to find them using Gus's ability to know where the animals in his herd are since toddler Hazel fell in love with one of them, Friendo, and he is on their ship.  However, the Robot Nation is also looking for Prince Robot IV and they aren't the type to ask nicely for him to come along.

The Brand, Gwyn, and Sophie are on a faraway planet trying to get a spell component to save The Will's life but there is only one male dragon left and it won't be a cakewalk to get what they need and not all of them will make it back to save him.

And it just keeps getting better!

Page count: 152p/10,741p ytd/302,759p lifetime

59:100 Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

It's been decided that they really need to have an income if they are going to survive so Alana gets a job working for the The Circuit, a live action "television" program that runs all day.  Unfortunately, that is not the most healthy place and soon Alana starts using Fadeaway.  Marko and Alana fight and need some time apart to cool off.

On another planet, Prince Robot IV's wife has given birth to a healthy baby boy.  Unfortunately for her, the custodian has an ax to grind due to the death of his own son so he kidnaps the boy in an effort to get the royalty to listen to his demands.  Prince Robot IV knows nothing of this as he is still recovering after his visit to Mr. Heist's home by spending all his time at a brothel for days on end.  When he does find out, he does not take the news well.

The custodian, Dengo, has found that while the baby Prince is a good hostage, Hazel is even better, and now he has them both.  Meanwhile, The Will's sister has found Gwen and Sophie, and everyone's paths are looking like they will soon collide.

Again, I'm really enjoying the depth of the story and the characters and I can't wait to see what happens next.


Page count: 152p/10,219p ytd/302,236p lifetime

57:120 Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Marko, Alana, Izabel, Klara, and Hazel have found Mr. Heist and in doing so, have found themselves a brief period of happiness and relaxation in his home as they try to figure out what their next move should be.  However, there are a pair of reporters trying to find out more about them which is leading them back into the sights of people who would prefer them dead.

The Will, Gwen, and Sophie have ended up on a planet where the fruit is psychotropic and causes Sophie to attack and almost kill The Will.  Now they must find Marko to try and save The Will.

Prince Robot IV is still in pursuit but makes the mistake of underestimating everyone.

Still enjoying the series but damn, they don't pull punches and I think the big lesson is don't get too attached to anyone because no one is really safe.


Page count: 144p/9,582p ytd/301,599 lifetime

52:100 Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples

Alana, Marko, baby Hazel, and her babysitter Itzabel are traveling to the home of the writer D. Oswald Heist who wrote the book that made Alana believe that love with someone from the other side was not only possible but desirable.  Along the way, Marko's parents find them and it's not quite the family reunion that anyone had hoped for but Baby Hazel has a way of smoothing things over for them.  In the meantime, the mercenary The Will has now hooked up with Marko's ex-fiance, Gwen, and saved a child from a brothel and all three are still trying to find the fugitive family as is Prince Robot IV whose planet is aligned with Landfall.

We get to learn more about Marko's childhood and how he and Alana got together and this whole crazy thing got started.  I'm continuing to enjoy it although this had some of the most hideous panels ever!


Page count: 160p/8,882p ytd/300,899p lifetime

66:120 Carboard by Doug TenNapel

Mike is down on his luck, can't find any work, and it's his son's birthday when a street vendor approaches him with a special gift of what looks to be ordinary cardboard. The cardboard has a few rules which quickly get forgotten when the boxer Mike and his son, Cam, made comes alive. Unfortunately, the neighborhood bully finds out about it and steals the scraps and is able to start his own monster factory, which as you can imagine goes horribly wrong.

Not a fan of the artistic style of the story (I tend to be really picky about my comic art after growing up with Elfquest to compare everything else to) but the story was cute if a bit predictable but not a bad way to spend an hour or two.


Page count: 288p/13,295p ytd/284,399p lifetime

13:120 American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Three seemingly unrelated tales interwoven until they all wrap up together at the end.  You have the Monkey King who has trained and studied to be accepted into Heaven with the other Gods but is shut out because he is only a monkey. There is Danny, an all-American boy, who is continuously embarrassed every time his cousin Chen-Kee visits from China and behaves as the most horrific characterization of every horrible Chinese stereotype ever.  And then there is Jin Wang, a new student in a new school, trying to fit in with his all-American classmates and horrified when a boy from Taiwan starts at the school and wants to be friends with him because what will that do to his chances with the girl he is falling for?  All three main characters are dealing the fact that they are not happy in their own skin and looking for acceptance from outside is not working out so well for any of them.

My older son read this for his college comics class and recommended it to me.  It has won several awards and it's easy to see why.  The graphic novel format allows it to swing back and forth between the stories easily and conveys the thoughts much easier than I think the written word alone would have allowed for.  The interweaving of the stories was well done although a bit heavy handed at the end on the moral but since it's such an important one, it's easy to forgive.


Page count: 233p/2,979p ytd/277,454p lifteime