February Pre-Orders

As you may realize by now, I have this thing where I pre-order way to many books.  So, I thought, at the beginning(-ish) of each month I'd talk about which ones I have preordered.

Stars Above

by Marissa Meyer

released February 2nd

This one already arrived and I'm itching to start reading it, but I must restrain myself until I finish Winter later this month.

A Criminal Magic

by Lee Kelly

released February 2nd

This was a digital preorder and I'm so glad to be able to start this soon.  I've heard some really great things.

QQ Sweeper Vol. 2

released February 2nd

This will probably be the next manga I read since it just arrived in the mail.  I'm excited to see where it leads after that cliffhanger at the end of volume one.

Morning Star

by Pierce Brown

releases February 9th

JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE GIVES ME SO MANY FEELS!  Thank goodness I don't have class on Tuesday and Wednesday off.  I will be reading this like crazy and fully expect me to spaz out whenever I talk about it.

Calamity 

by Brandon Sanderson

releases February 16th

So, I still need to read Firefight, but I loved Steelheart, so I decided to pre-order this and support one of my favorite authors.

A Gathering of Shadows

by VE Schwab

releases February 23rd

Another book I'm absolutely dying to get my hands on.  You may have noticed that I don't plan to read this one this month... well, that's because I plan to reread book one next month and this one either next month or the month after that.  I'm very eager to return to this world but I really want to take my time and ease into it.

Noragami Vol. 11

releases February 23rd

Every time I type out Norgami vol (insert number here) I can't believe how long I've been reading this series and how much I still absolutely adore it.  This cover... well, this cover gives me a lot of stress (and I can't say why because spoilers) and it will break my heart completely.  It's also, I believe, going to be the first volume past the story that the anime told, so I have no idea what's in store for me.

Batgirl Vol. 2

releases February 23rd

So, I loved volume one dearly, and I'm assuming this one will live up to it.  Eager to dig into it, honestly.

Have you preordered any books this month?  Are there any you're looking forward to?  Let me know!

Discussion: Literary Pairs

I'm so sorry guys!  I meant to get this up on its regular day- Thursday- but this week has been really busy.  I have two papers due and they're taking up most of my time.  But as I sit in the library and procrastinate, I thought I'd finally get this up.  This week's discussion is one I'm actually really excited to talk about because it's literary pairs!

5 Star Graphic Novel Review: Batgirl of Burnside (Batgirl, Volume #1)

Author| Cameron Stewert and Brenden Fletcher  Artist| Babs Tarr  Rating| 5 Stars

Edition| Paperback  

Buy Links| Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Book Depository*

This was absolutely amazing and a great place to start if you want to jump into comics.  Both the art and the story deserve five stars.

Sunday Comics

Sunday Comics is something I do every other week to highlight all the comics I've been reading.  Since getting Marvel Unlimited I haven't been able to put it down.  If you're interested in comics I really recommend getting Marvel Unlimited because it's only ten dollars a month and you get to read not only classic comics but new ones released within the last six months.  It's handy for newcomers and old readers alike.

Sunday Comics

Sunday Comics is something I do every other week.  Rather than review each comic individually, I wrap them all up in one place.  Lately I've been reading quite a few, but you can expect that number to start going down soon.

Blackest Night (Issue #0) written by Geoff Johns with art by Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert and Rob Hunter
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Definitely a little confusing at first, but with classic characters and a pretty good catch up on what's going on.  It sets up a very interesting concept, and many pages at the end are dedicated to the different orders of Lanterns etc.

Batgirl Preview (2011- ) written by Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart with art by Babs Tarr
Rating: 5 Stars
So much fun!  I really want to dive into the series for real now.  The characters come right off the page and our heroine is spunky in all the best ways.  Plus, she's good at what she does.  Top of my list now.

Black Canary Preview (2015- ) written by Brenden Fletcher with art by Annie Wu
Rating: 1.5 Stars
Ugh, no.  I enjoy the character of Black Canary quite a bit and was excited to see that she had a new series starting.  For one, the art is hideous (in my opinion) and the story is stupid as can be.  She's in a band now, fighting off members of other bands.  Like, it makes no sense to me, and I dislike the direction her character is taking.  Sad, because I was looking forward to this one, too.

Supergirl (Issue #1) (2011-2015) written by Michael Green and Michael F. Johnson with art by Mahmud A. Asrar, Dan Green, and Dave McCaig
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved it!  The only thing I wish is that it were longer.  I'll be picking more of these up in the near future because it was such a wonderful change.  Both the art and the story were fresh and it gets me even more excited for the upcoming TV show.

Silk (Issue #2) (2015-) written by Robbie Thompson with art by Stacey Lee
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this again, though it wasn't as interesting as the first issue.  It did a good job at starting to dive into her old life and how her new life was vastly different.  It also expanded her powers and how they worked exactly.  The villain was silly, but that's okay.  It's only issue two, and I'm still very much looking forward to reading these for some time.

Grayson Preview (2014- ) written by Tom King and Tim Seeley with art by Mikel Janin and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 5 Stars
I have no idea what's going on in this series or how it gets there, but I enjoyed every second of what I read.  It was great in every aspect, and now I look forward to reading it some day.

Midnighter Preview (2015- ) written by Steve Orlando with art by ACO
Rating: 2.5 Stars
And on the flip-side of Grayson, is Midnighter.  I'm not a fan, at least not yet.  I may give this another chance someday, perhaps when I'm more familiar with the character, but until then, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Harley Quin Preview (2013- ) written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Chad Hardin
Rating: 2.5 Stars
My cousin is a huge Harley Quinn fan, so I was eager to give this a try.  It wasn't really my stride, though it does have potential.  I think it was just a bad place to start.  I did like the writing and the cast of characters very much.  Just, perhaps, not enough to carry the story itself, which seems nonexistent.  Perhaps someday I shall continue the series.

Robin: Son of Batman Preview (2015- ) written by Patrick Gleason with art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I'm not a huge fan of Damien in general, and this did little to help me like him.  Although, it didn't do anything to make me dislike him, either.  It was confusing from the get-go, story and art.  It didn't end on a good note, either.  Rather than getting me intrigued in the future of the series, it left me wondering what was even going on.

Wolverine (Issue #42) (Civil War) (2003-2009) written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Humberto Ramos
Rating: 4 Stars
I liked this more than I thought I would.  The character of Wolverine is normally a miss for me (I enjoy Jackman's portrayal of him for the most part, but as a supporting character in other comics I always consider him a jackass).  I am in love with the Civil War story line, though, so knowing this would tie in helped.  Wolverine's role in the whole arc is going to be great.  He's the only character actively looking for revenge for what happened, and I couldn't have asked for a better character to do it.  I eagerly await what comes next.  On a side note, I really dislike the art, it's too cartoon-y, especially for this character.

Starfire Preview (2015- ) written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Emanuela Lupacchino
Rating: 5 Stars
Sign me up, I'm hooked!  The preview's a good taste of what's to come, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.  I like where the story's headed, and the interaction with other characters was a lot of fun to watch.

Teen Titans (Issue #3) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Mike McKone, Marlo Alquiza, and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This one was less personal than the previous two, and the story itself was left a little weak because of it.  However, propelling into the major story line and a confrontation with Deathstroke helped.  The ending was a bit strange, but I'm willing to see where it goes.  Overall, a very good issue, though, seeing as it manages to balance several different story lines and characters.

Sunday Comics

Welcome back to my bi-weekly comic review post.  In case you missed the first post last week, every other week or so I'll be doing Sunday Comics.  I've been reading a lot of comics lately (read: emptying my wallet on comics lately) and rather than have several very tiny reviews, I'll be able to put them all at once.

I've continued to read only digital comics, but I've been scoping out my local comic shops, too.  Since I'll be leaving in September for college, I may just wait until then to get a pull list at the local comic store.  Which, thankfully, there is one where I'm going to school.

These last two weeks I read ten comics.  I had a pretty good time with them all, but it certainly depletes my store of cash and takes a toll on my book buying.  I think I'll be going into a book buying ban when the summer rolls around, or maybe a semi-ban.  More on that when it actually happens.

Without further ado:

Teen Titans (Issue #0.5) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and Sno Cone.
Rating: 3.5 Stars

It was good, but confusing.  I know it was more promotional than part of the story, but from where it's meant to take place, it should be called issue 0.5.  I liked the preview of the character's, though.









Captain America (Issue #1) (2012-) written by Rick Remender with art by John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, and Dean White
Rating: 2 Stars
There wasn't very much I liked about this one at all.  It was confusing, the art wasn't particularly great, and while I like the character, he's not my favorite.  The relationship between Cap and Agent 13, though, that deserves at least two stars.  They're great together.

Civil War (Issue #1) written by Mark Miller with art by Steve McNiven
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I cannot wait for this movie!  Because of all the buzz related to it, I've wanted to jump on this story.  Plus, it rocked the Marvel Universe forever.  Just one issue has me so excited.  It wasn't what I thought it would be, it's better.  It's super thought provoking and, by pulling together all the corners of the universe, promises to make every fan have feels.  A definite read for everyone who's a Marvel fan.






Arrow (Issue #1 Special Edition) (2012-2013) written by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim with art by Omar Francia and Rex Lokus
Rating: 3 Stars
I'm a big fan of the show so I thought I'd give this digital only (I think; I'm pretty sure) series a spin.  I liked it, but it was nothing special.  I'll be reading more of it thanks to the finale having just happened.  I need something to fill up Wednesdays, after all.

Teen Titans (Issue #1) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Mike McKone, Marlo Alquiza, and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 5 Stars

This is what I call an amazing read.  Can I just say that I love Wonder Girl?  This is the second group of teen titans, and they're clearly still nervous about getting together after what happened last time.  It provides great tension without having to force anything.  The characters don't require much introduction, and they all have a pertinent reason to be a part of the group.  The story was just picking up and left me with a cliffhanger at the end.  I was breathless and in love the whole time.  Another comic I very much recommend you read ASAP, especially if you're newer.  It explains everything pretty well.




Batgirl (Issue #2) (20)0-2006) written by Scott Peterson and Kelley Puckett with art by Damion Scott, Robert Campanella, and Jason Wright
Rating: 3 Stars

Well, that's a better rating than last week.  The story is less confusing, though it's not perfect.  What really bothers me most about this series is the art.  I really can't stand it at all.  Too cartoon-y maybe?  Really frustrating.  And all the characters look really similar, it's bizarre.  I'm going to finish the story arc (which is only six issues) before I decided whether I want to continue reading Batgirl or not.






Black Widow (Issue #1) (2014-) written by Nathan Edmondson with art by Phil Noto
Rating: 5 Stars
The art does everything for me.  My favorite art I've ever seen in a comic to this date.  I've lovingly returned to it's pages just to take in the colors and the lines and the everything.  It's beautiful.  And the story?  Totally does the character justice.  I won't be buying these digital any more (this copy was actually free) because I want it all bound up and pretty.  Expect to see me read more of this series sooner rather than later.

She-Hulk (Issue #8) (2005-2009) written by Dan Slott with art by Paul Smith
Rating: 3.75 Stars

I feel split about this one.  The character was different, though nothing special, and it added well to the Civil War story, but it also could be left out.  I'd say only pick it up if you're a She-Hulk fan, which I'm not much of.









Future's End (Issue #0 FCBD Special Edition) written by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, and Jeff Lemire with art by Keith Giffen and Patrick Zircher
Rating: 3 Stars
This is the second time I'm reading this issue.  It's less disturbing than the first time, and actually more entertaining.  Mostly, I picked this up because I love, love, love Batman Beyond.  It features his character prominently and I love to see Terry in action.

Avengers: The Children's Crusade (Issue #1) written by Alan Heinberg with art by Jim Cheung
Rating: 5 Stars
So I haven't hauled this one yet, but you will see it sooner rather than later.
One of my most dreaded questions is, "Who's your favorite superhero?"   I can always cop out and say Hawkeye, or Speedy (though she's technically a sidekick), but as much as I love them, I wouldn't really say they were my favorite.  I need look no further- my favorite hero is Wiccan.  I can't say exactly why because I don't know exactly why, but he is undeniably my favorite.  I shall protect him like the precious character he is.
The story itself is really cool, too.  I'm a bit drunk on this story line, to be honest.  I really, really recommend reading this.


PS. Sorry about lacking some photo's.  I had a pic of each comic I read, but they're on my pinterest, and that wasn't working for some reason (dang internet).

Sunday Comics

This is something I'll be doing every other week or so.  Since I've recently started to read more and more comics in the individual issue format, this makes it easiest to review them.  Rather than have a short post for each issue, I'll be able to put them all together in one post.  Some will have more reviews than others.

This week I dabbled a little bit with digital comics.  I got some free for promotional reasons (thanks Fandango VIP program) and found that it's a pretty great medium.  It's a cheap and fast way to get old comics that may not be easy to find in print.  They're free apps and free accounts, so if you're new to comics check them out.

I read one of the promotional comics this week, to help gear up for Age of Ultron, and also pulled up an old DC comic I've had my eye on for some time.

Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch (Avengers Origins, Issue #1) written by Sean McKeever with art by Mirco Pierfederici

This read like a compilation of pieces from other stories, but I think they've all been reworked.  They give a good introduction to the characters and help moviegoers get to know them.  I wasn't overly familiar with them, and this got me back in touch.  I feel like I connected with them both and have plans to move forward with stories that feature them prominently.  If you're casual to the MCU, then this is still an issue for you.  Especially if you're preparing for AOU.

Batgirl (Issue #1) written by Scott Peterson and Kelley Puckett with art by Damion Scott, Robert Campanella, and Jason Wright
Rating: 2 Stars

This is the first issue dedicated to the Cassandra Cain Batgirl.  I had my eye on her character for some time, thinking she sounded like a pretty bad ass character.  Picking it up, the first thing to turn me off was the art.  I don't often hate on art, but this stuff is really cartoon-y and I couldn't get over it.  Besides that, it doesn't help the story, which was confusing.  I think it was a frame story, but I'm not sure.  Upon a second re-read it may become revealing, but I don't know if I'm up for that.  I will be continuing this series for a few more issue to see if the story improves enough for me to get past the art.