Wow, this was a lot of fun. The story is a bit confusing, I have to admit, but the super pretty art makes up for that.
Monstress takes place in an altWow, this was a lot of fun. The story is a bit confusing, I have to admit, but the super pretty art makes up for that.
Monstress takes place in an alternate steampunk-style Asia, focusing around multiple characters. There's Maika, our morally grey heroine. Plus her cat Master Ren, her younger friend Kippa, and her friend / maybe girlfriend Tuya. On the other side, we have the power couple Sophia and Atena.
This comic is well-written, well-paced, and entertaining as all hell. Monstress also hits all my main points for great work - it's driven by women, many of them women of color and many of them lgbtq, full of antiheroes and corrupted power, and all wraps up with themes about discrimination. Antiheroines are my thing, and Maika is a great one.
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Especially with her equally ambiguous cat companion and adorable fox-girl adopted daughter.
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And in terms of gorgeous art, I'm really not sure you can do better. I could stare at the panels all day. Sana Takeda is so talented. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more by her - and eagerly anticipating the next volume.
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There is one major flaw - the plot is so confusing. It took a couple hours and copious notes to figure out those plot notes at the beginning of my review. If you're reading this graphic novel for this first time, I would suggest looking through my basic spoiler-free plot notes below.
The plot is slightly convoluted, but I'll try to give a basic overview. On the left side of the continent, the human Cumaea forces are trying to take over major city of Zamora, led by the Inquisitrix and general Sophia's mother Yvette - the betrayer of protagonist Maika's mother. On the right live the Dusk court of the Arcanics, children of the Ancients and humans, ruled by an Ancient - the queen of wolves.
There's some interesting mythology surrounding the gods here as well. We find out that Ubasti, the mother of cats, banished the old gods herself - but may have left one behind in our world.
VERDICT: A great graphic novel that I'd highly recommend!!
Some spoilery plot notes so I can keep this all straight (view spoiler)[Atena is secretly working for the resistance with her brother Resak Maika took a fragment of a mask The commander of the tents is maybe one of the monsters as well? Maika is also a halfwolf Their cat betrayed Maika to the dusk court in exchange for freedom Yvette wanted the mask to reawaken power of the shaman, while Maika's mother was unsure. (hide spoiler)]...more
The Comedian, Edward Blake, is dead. Adrian Veidt/Ozymandius is pretentious. Daniel Dreiberg/Nite Owl II is retired. Jon Osterman/Doctor Manhattan is The Comedian, Edward Blake, is dead. Adrian Veidt/Ozymandius is pretentious. Daniel Dreiberg/Nite Owl II is retired. Jon Osterman/Doctor Manhattan is above all. Laurie Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre II is sleeping with him. And masked detective (view spoiler)[Walter Joseph Kovacs (hide spoiler)]/Rorschach plans to burn them all. Hey guys... Watchmen is really good. It's kind of underground I don't know if you would've heard of it : /
The present-day superheroes, in many ways, step over the graves of those before. Edward Blake is one of the last surviving members of the original Minutemen, founded in 1939 and disbanded in 1949. With his loss, they are survived only by Laurie’s mother Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre I, who left the group in 1947; Mothman/Byron Lewis; and Hollis Mason/Nite Owl, whose autobiography dots the pages. The original Minutemen also included Hooded Justice; Captain Metropolis/Nelson Gardner; Dollar Bill, murdered in 1947; and The Sillhouette/Ursula Zandt, a lesbian murdered after exposure in 1946. They are each gone, disappeared after their usefulness ran out.
There's a strong focus on the ways superheroes have changed the world: Dr Manhattan's appearance in 1960 won the U.S. the Vietnam war.
Superhero gangs have fallen apart not just because of political pressures, but because of personal issues, and specifically abuse. (view spoiler)[Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis/Nelson Gardner’s toxic relationship led Captain Metropolis to form the new crime group, the Crimebusters; meanwhile, Hooded Justice and Silk Spectre were each other's beards. (hide spoiler)] Perhaps more notably, (view spoiler)[The Comedian assaulted Silk Spectre. (hide spoiler)]
By the end, (view spoiler)[Comedian is revealed to have been killed after discovering the plot against Doctor Manhattan. Hollis is gone too. (hide spoiler)] The complex of the superheroes have cannibalized themselves. And it is brilliant to watch.
Poor thing! Now sing your reckless mouth to sleep.
Greek tragedy is a genre I did not expect to find so utterly enthralling before now. Yet
Poor thing! Now sing your reckless mouth to sleep.
Greek tragedy is a genre I did not expect to find so utterly enthralling before now. Yet the complexity, emotion, and gravitas presented within these plays has me enraptured. Here is a very long review.
[image] On the Use of Tragedy The Greek concept of tragedy is a fascinating one and one easy to misunderstand. I have actually been in a Greek Tragedy class now and read fifteen greek plays (a long review can be found here), so I feel more qualified to talk about this now. As given by Aristotle, the definition of a tragedy is not actually in its sad ending: it is in experiencing human suffering. (Most of the extant plays, not by coincidence but by generations of selection, end negatively.) Catharsis, by his definition, is a type of cleaning: "we experience, then expurgate these emotions". Tragedy can attempt to make the worst experiences consumable. It is not the ending, but the process.
Aristotle said a tragedy should focus on a great man and his fall—not a good or wicked man, but one in between. His wording was 'hamartia', interpreted as flaw. This may have been oversymplified. A separate theorist, Bernard Knox, said something I prefer: that a hero makes a decision rooted in personal nature, and follows it to personal destruction. (This is especially relevant to Sophoclean drama.) Heroes can be everything: admirable in their steadfast natures, flawed in pride and violence. The Greeks did not admire every hero; rather, they thought of heroes as a way to explore both the benefits & the drawbacks of certain traits.
At the heart of every Greek tragedy comes a moment of 'recognition' and 'reversal'. In the best, according to him, these are the same: this is catharsis.
In case you were curious, my favorite plays of the sixteen I've read would be, ranked: 5. Medea, Euripides 4. Libation Bearers, Aeschylus 3. Hippolytus, Euripides 2. Agamemnon, Aeschylus 1. Antigone, Sophocles These are all contained within this collection.
Reviews of Plays Notes: As this was my central textbook for a Greek Tragedy course, I’ve mentioned essentially three plays by the Big Three that I actually read via separate volumes.
[image] →Persians ★★★★☆ Aeschylus← (472 BCE) A play of a great amount of grief. Review to come, TBD.
→Agamemnon ★★★★★ Aeschylus← (458 BCE) Reviewed here. This is my favorite Aeschylus and one of my favorite Greek plays.
→Libation Bearers ★★★★★ Aeschylus← (458 BCE) The brilliance of this play is that no character goes to their grave unsympathetic. When we see Clytemnestra speak of the death of her daughter at the hands of her own father, of the relationship with her daughter she has tried to mend, we are entirely on her side. When we hear Electra speak of the murder of her father by a woman who has become a tyrant in her land, we are entirely on her side. When we see Orestes' love for his sister, his doubt at whether he should commit this ultimate crime, we are entirely on his side. The death of Clytemnestra is heartbreaking because we cannot decide whose side we are on; we mourn for her while sympathizing with her killer.
On a side note, Electra's allegiances are fascinating - she has sided with her father, the murderer of her sister, as have the women slaves (the so-called Libation Bearers) who make up the chorus. The women disagree rather than uniting, and their conflict, though partially given to Orestes, makes up the central conflict of the play. (This was a paper topic I had written down and did not write.)
Interestingly, Clissa, Electra's nurse, serves as more of a motherly figure than Clytemnestra. Without her, the plot could hardly function; it is she who tells Aegisthus to come to Orestes, who forms such a central piece. Just as in Oedipus, a barely-named character decides the solution to the tragedy, but here, it is even more significant; a mother kills a mother.
Notable Lines (Sarah Ruden translation): ORESTES: The male's female inside, or if he's not, he'll prove it soon. (305) ELECTRA: We are suppliants and refugees alive at your tomb; it must take us in. (337-338) ELECTRA: A raw-minded wolf is the soul our mother gave him. (421-422) CHORUS: The house must keep its wounds open. (472) ELECTRA: Persephone, give me triumph in its beauty. (490) CHORUS: Nobody honors what the gods revile. Which of these stories am I wrong to bring together? (638-639) CLYTEMNESTRA: We'll die the way we killed, by trickery. (889)
→Eumenides ★★★★☆ Aeschylus← (458 BCE) Eumenides means 'The Kindly Ones', and refers to the fates that prey upon Orestes for the entirety of this play, until he receives an Athena-run trial. Though the trial is for Orestes, murderer of his mother and breaker of laws of the earth, the one truly on trial here may be Apollo. This is a play of the old gods vs. the new; one that begins with horror, and ends with unexpected forgiveness.
Notable Lines (Sarah Ruden translation): CHORUS: There is a fitting place for terror: the overseer of the mind must sit there constantly. (517-519) CHORUS: The gods, who win every match, have wrenched me away from my vulnerable post. (838) ATHENA: Are the goddesses shrewd enough to find the path of merciful words for the people? (989)
→Prometheus Bound ★★★★☆ Aeschylus (?)← (unk) This is a play of dubious authorship due to its oddness: the language, the lack of choral ode, and the technical elements all seem to place it in a later century. Still, it is not without its merits. Zeus, depicted here as a tyrant, chains Prometheus to a rock until he gives up a prophecy. Indeed, Prometheus holds the secret of Zeus' downfall, if he can only keep it.
There is a strong contrast between Io, doomed into constant movement, and Prometheus, doomed to constant stillness. Prometheus stands on the edge of the world, on the vista of time; he talks only to Io and to the daughters of Oceanus, the oceans circling the world.
This is a strange little play of seeming stagnancy, but in reality, it is dynamic.
Notable Lines (James Romm translation): PROMETHEUS: All art is weaker than necessity. (514) IO: One wretch to another. (595) IO: I'm off the track, beyond what's sane. (884) PROMETHEUS: You young gods, new in rule—you think you dwell in towers that never topple. Have I not seen tyrants twice already hurled from them? (955) PROMETHEUS: Perhaps, but I choose punishment like mine over servitude like yours. (968) PROMETHEUS: Majesty of my mother Earth, bright sky that lets the common light whirl round, you see me here, and see my lot: injustice. (1092)
[image] →Antigone ★★★★★ Sophocles← (442 BCE) Reviewed here. I think this is still my favorite ever Greek Tragedy. Loved this translation; feel like I can say this now as it’s the fourth I’ve read.
→Oedipus the King ★★★★★ Sophocles← (c.430 BCE) Reviewed here.
→Oedipus at Colonus ★★★★☆ Sophocles← (406 BCE) Reviewed here. I did not do a detailed reread of this one as it was not on our syllabus.
[image] →Medea ★★★★★ Euripides← (431 BCE) Technically, this was my first-ever greek tragedy, in eighth grade. Reviewed here.
→Electra ★★★☆☆ Euripides← (420-410 BCE) Aeschylus' Oresteia was already a classic by the time of both Sophocles and Euripides, so each shifted their focuses. In Libation Bearers, Aeschylus had focused on motherhood; in Sophocles, focus had shifted further to Electra, making Clytemnestra more villainous than anything else. Euripides, a constant bringer of further darkness, leans the opposite direction. In his adaptation, Clytemnestra is sympathetic. In Aeschylus' adaptation, the audience has no problem sympathizing with Electra and Orestes, even with their sympathies sticking by Clytemnestra. In this adaptation, it is harder. Clytemnestra's visceral grief over Orestes, her clear love for even Electra, outweighs even her earlier crime. When Electra herself is vicious and hateful to Clytemnestra, and she joins in on the killing, our sympathy becomes more difficult to place. I actually honestly struggled to sympathize with her at times, which is not a problem I've had with either previous Electra.
The focus here is not on criminal fates, but on the status of outsider. The poor man who treats Electra well is the hero of this play, not royalty.
Interestingly, this play also contains a lot more misogyny? There is a huge negative focus on Clytemnestra and Aegisthus for failing to play into gender roles; Aegisthus is essentially called bad for being too feminine, allowing a woman to dominate him, and Clytemnestra for being the dominant. This is the most prominent theme of the play and I really didn't vibe with this; it's actually somewhat strange given how interesting I generally find Euripides' view of gender. I can't tell to what degree this is Electra's character and to what degree this is Euripides' view, and I'd be interested to know.
Notable Lines (Emily Wilson translation): ELECTRA: My hands, my tongue, my heavy-hearted mind. (335) ORESTES: He's now your slave, the man whom once you had to call your master. (898) ELECTRA: You thought your wealth and power made you someone. For me, I'd rather a man for husband—you looked like a girl. (939) CHORUS: You've spoken fairly, with an ugly fairness. (1051)
→Trojan WomenEuripides← (415 BCE) *TBR Review to come, TBD.
→Hippolytus ★★★★★ Euripides← (428 BCE) Reviewed here. This is one of my favorites.
→Helen ★★★★☆ Euripides← (412 BCE) This is an interesting play, written as an exoneration of Helen from the hated version of her in the Trojan war myths (though I always enjoy her). It’s an interesting play in terms of plot, and a bit protofeminist: Helen has more agency within the narrative than any other character, and very literally takes back her agency. A way-less-evil Medea. Though not quite as vicious and memorable.
Notable Lines (Emily Wilson translation): HELEN: Among barbarians, all are slaves but one. (285) CHORUS: What mortal can think it all through and explain what is god, what is not god, and what’s in between? (1140)
→The Bacchae ★★★☆☆ Euripides← (406 BCE) A tragicomedy of sorts, about disrespect for the gods and the fluid nature of gender. Very harsh and at times, almost cold: it feels torturous, voyeuristic of pain. Definitely interesting to analyze on the topic of Euripides in general.
I did not write down any lines from this.
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Not In This Collection →Ajax ★★★☆☆ Sophocles← (c.445 BCE) (from a diff. volume) Reviewed here.
Throughout history, there have been many, many people worthy of remembrance. Some of these, we remember. Many of these, we forget. This book is one ofThroughout history, there have been many, many people worthy of remembrance. Some of these, we remember. Many of these, we forget. This book is one of profiles of courageous ‘hidden’ women throughout history, those not known.
I do not know how to review graphic art styles but I really loved the art style of this.
Some of my favorite profiles in here included: →Las Mariposas (1924-1960), three Dominican sisters under Rafael Trujillo. →Josephine Baker (1906-1975), first African-American star of a major-motion picture. →Tove Jannson (1914-2001), Finnish author of the Moomin comics. →Agnocide (4th century BCE), a midwife in agent Greece who disguised herself as a man. (I should mention here that she is generally not considered a historical figure.) →Laymah Gbowee (b.1972), Liberian peace activist. →Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989), a transgender woman who accidentally entered the public eye in 1954. →Wu Zetian (624-705 A.D.), the only officially recognized empress regnant of China and a deeply morally grey character. →Jesselyn Radack (b.1970), lawyer for whistleblowers and founder of Whisper. →Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000), actress and little-known inventor. →Naziq Al-Abid (1898-1959), activist in Ottoman Empire and later Syria. →Mae Jemison (b.1956), first black woman astronaut, and generally one of my favorite people to live ever
This is an interesting play about constructed identity and how, by playing up a racialized image of ‘intellect’, one can put themselves into the homesThis is an interesting play about constructed identity and how, by playing up a racialized image of ‘intellect’, one can put themselves into the homes and minds of others. Over time, the audience is asked to question what’s real and what’s not in a con, and maybe, over time, who is conning who.
This show… is a lot to think about. Actually, it took me a reread to really get certain aspects. The broad story is easy to understand; it’s the details that make the show so interesting. Another reviewer on this page advised reading this all in one sitting, and I would advise the same; it’s 55 pages and seeing the opening to close progression is half the fun.
I really like the differing reactions of Ouisa and her husband. The contrast between disdain and that continued degree of caring is interesting, but I also genuinely enjoy the question of why Ouisa still cares: because she misses the idea of this person, or because she really saw something underneath the lie?
I read this for the same class as M Butterfly and that was a very good choice on the part of our professor.
I still have not managed to see the entirety of the movie adaptation of this, but the scenes I’ve viewed feature some very good acting, especially on the part of the lead. Will Smith is not casting I would have pictured for this role literally ever, but then again, I think that’s because I left this play having almost no picture of him. I didn’t notice how much he fit no boxes in my head until I saw the movie, and it’s this I love so much about the character: You cannot have a coherent picture of him, because he fills so many roles.
TL;DR: Much to think about. Also, the running joke about Cats: The Movie aged like a fine wine.
In a word: there is a line between acknowledging trauma and reveling in it, and I think this book crosses that line over and over again.
I have nothingIn a word: there is a line between acknowledging trauma and reveling in it, and I think this book crosses that line over and over again.
I have nothing but respect for the writing style and illustration style of the book — each are clever and story-serving in their own ways. Indeed, this is a book written primarily with the intent of shocking the audience, challenging the audience. This is good. It is good to shock and challenge your audience. But this cannot hold up a book on its own. Narratives must offer catharsis, growth, and change to feel dynamic and interesting, rather than to feel like a simple fetishization of pain.
The book starts off following a 13-year-old girl’s repeated sexual and physical abuse by her stepfather. At first, my assumption was that this was to offer a point about abuse, catharsis for the lead, development for the lead, or some combination. It does none of the above. It does offer, however, both physical and verbal abuse from her mother, a lot more sex, an abusive relationship with another girl, a lot of drug use, and several pedophilic sexual assaults on both Minnie and Minnie’s friends.
It is this, primarily, that I had a problem with. I don’t think the narrative of this book is interested in unpacking the trauma Minnie has experienced, or unpacking the logistics of a society desperate to take all agency and bodily control from young women. It is not interested in unpacking the effects on Minnie, simply on thrusting the next torment on her.
The blurb of this book describes it as such:
This is the story of a young woman troubled by the discontinuity between what she thinks and feels and what she observes in those around her.
And it is that, I suppose. She is troubled by the contrast between her budding mind and the long list of men waiting to take advantage of her. But throughout this book, through every scene, I never felt as though the book actually cared.
I discovered while perusing Goodreads that a lot of this book is essentially excerpts from the author’s diary. And I think writing about trauma of this nature can be incredibly cathartic on its own, a simple letting out. But… I don’t particularly see the value in reading it, in the sense that it is a fictional narrative.
Diary of a Teenage Girl does not offer growth or change. It offers one long strain of misery. And I’m just not sure I see very much value in that.
TW: many many graphic sexual assault scenes, a very large amount of pedophilia, drug use, forced drug use.
4 1/2 stars. When you are a teenager, it is very easy to fall into the trap of believing you must settle for the love you can get, rather than love yo4 1/2 stars. When you are a teenager, it is very easy to fall into the trap of believing you must settle for the love you can get, rather than love you deserve. If someone chooses to date you, especially if you are just a little less popular, just a little less Good, you choose them, even if they treat you badly and take you for granted at every moment. And it is very easy to convince yourself that ditching your friends for your significant other is some kind of justifiable act because you're doing it all for LoveTM, the important thing. When that action is described, it is easy to make it sound ridiculous. But there is a core of low self-esteem to the act of leaving friends for a partner, and it is more common than we talk about.
or, another way to put this: someone want to tell me why the last chapter of this made me cry on my bed at 10:00 p.m.?
I mean, I don't know exactly what else to say. The illustration here was very very beautiful, done in stunning black and white. I constantly need these discussions of toxic relationships between sapphics in graphic novel form, also thank you for my life @ this cover designer, and the publisher for providing me with this excellent arc.
I’ve always been in love with Luke. For as far back as I can remember.
3 1/2 stars. This is a very sad book in verse about a girl dragged i
I’ve always been in love with Luke. For as far back as I can remember.
3 1/2 stars. This is a very sad book in verse about a girl dragged into a relationship with a much, much older man.
Main strength: I found myself unable to look away. Lily’s story is so horrifying and feels strangely real, starting as if it could be an innocent unrequited crush by a 14-year-old and becoming more and more serious as Logan makes his interest clear. It perfectly mirrors the quick progression of events, and though Lily is very naive, her character consistency makes the entire book so much more horrifying.
Main con: I felt the ending was a little unsatisfying. We don’t see much of her journey to deciding to tell; I think that sometimes realizations and impulsess can come quickly, so this could have been totally fine, but the book ends… immediately upon Lily’s decision.
I don't know if this was the best thing I've ever read, but it was certainly an incredibly tense experience and an enrapturing way to spend my night. I think this will be marketed towards a younger audience - an audience just discovering the dangers in the world - and I'm down for it.
TW: pedophilia, rape via coercion, dissociation, forced alcohol consumption.
3 1/2 stars. this was an incredibly short graphic novel but I liked it a LOT.
Though the art is a bit messy, the aesthetic of the novel really grew on3 1/2 stars. this was an incredibly short graphic novel but I liked it a LOT.
Though the art is a bit messy, the aesthetic of the novel really grew on me. This reads like cool crime noir in the best way. And I’ve always loved the aesthetic of Alaska, so that was a huge plus! Snow is so beautiful I want more of it save me from California please
Another good thing is I couldn’t stop flipping pages! I felt this desperate need to know what happens that can be really hard to achieve with such a short graphic novel.
The 3 1/2 is because I didn’t find it that memorable. So overall, maybe a good way to distract yourself and not a bad choice for a short read, but not going to stick out in your mind two weeks from now, you know? But it was worth my time.
Guys, this is 3 1/2 star, because I have to say: read this. It's like philosophy meets self help meets a whole lot of puns. Honestly, after what happeGuys, this is 3 1/2 star, because I have to say: read this. It's like philosophy meets self help meets a whole lot of puns. Honestly, after what happened last week, this kind of short book was exactly what the fuck I needed - Aliebn is a super short, super easy read that’s also incredibly positive.
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The tone is this strange mix of nihilism and optimism that totally works, and though the book remains super light, it doesn't stray from dark stuff. I honestly feel like all my faith in humanity was saved by this one, singular book, because holy CRAP. Cannot recommend enough.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying the plot is confusing, and yes, it is at times. But you know what? The characters are fantasGod. I love this series.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying the plot is confusing, and yes, it is at times. But you know what? The characters are fantastic enough and the art style gorgeous enough that it makes up for it. I love the writing and everything else.
A spoilery rundown of the characters: ♔ Ananke— the woman who gives the gods their powers, and one we’re trying to find in volume one. Former god. Kind and caring to Minerva, at least. BUT WHAT THE HELL DID SHE DO IN THAT ENDING. ♔ David Blake— idiot panel leader. ♔ Duncan Ackford— former fandom member. Disappeared after panel. ♔ Tom Willis— former fandom member. Disappeared after panel.
And, of course, the twelve gods: ♔ Luci— my wife, my girlfriend, my everything. I miss her so fucking much. ♔ Persephone / Laura— our arguable protagonist, a human with brown& green hair. Wishes desperately to be a god. At least her and Luci are both dead and together, I guess? Lucifer and Persephone make a good ship. ♔ Amaterasu— Luci’s red haired best friend. ♔ Morrigan / Annie / Badb— she’s done a lot, but let basically no information go. Ten out of ten. In love with Baphomet. ♔ Baphomet— the dude who pretended to kill a human, and may be getting some hidden depth? Also, may not be a god at all. In love with Morrigan. ♔ Baal Hadad— we know he had a fight with Inanna, we know that Luci may have slept with his boyfriend, and we know that he looks really good in that red suit. ♔ Woden— the racist pantheon leader. ♔ Minerva— a young god. ♔ Sahkmet— only seen in first. ♔ Inanna— all we know is he had a fight with Baal. And now we know he also dresses like a badass and is probably nonbinary. Was at the panel. A GOOD. I’m sad and I miss him. ♔ Dionysus— Just wants to make people happy, which kind of rocks. ♔ Tara— an unknown entity who wants too much attention, according to Luci. ♔ Uror / Cassandra— a badass Asian trans girl reporter who’s researching Luci’s death. And now, a goddess.
Also, and this is a serious, serious spoiler - dead lesbian Hades and Persephone. I. Want. Them. Back. Come on.
me trying to think of stuff to say about this series that I haven't said already: [image]
Look, this series is just delightful. The characters are greame trying to think of stuff to say about this series that I haven't said already: [image]
Look, this series is just delightful. The characters are great, the squad dynamics are great, I care about everyone except The Robot Asshole.
I don't think this volume was quite as great as some others - until the incredibly rude ending, basically nothing about the plot moves forward. It just feels like a one-off volume. And I also feel like none of the characters progressed!! I don't think this is a permanent downturn - we already had that temporary downturn in volume four, and that wasn't permanent - but I'm hoping for more out of volume eight.
I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW GOOD THESE ARE. I genuinely have binged this entire series - excluding book one - in a week flat, and it was worth every moment. I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW GOOD THESE ARE. I genuinely have binged this entire series - excluding book one - in a week flat, and it was worth every moment. This is the only graphic novel series I've ever read more than two volumes of.
There's not really a point in posting individual reviews; I am just adoring this series and all the characters and all the found families. But I do have a few things to say. I really like the themes about the power of teachers here. Miss Noreen especially made a fantastic character, and I'm almost sad she won't show up again!!
Doff and Upsher, the reporter couple, are so great!! I don't think I was truly loving them until this volume but now?? I am?? They're so great. Also, Marco and Alana were amazing in this. I think I haven't been so in love with them since volume three.
I like that we've gotten so many more characters, yet the plot still feels super tied together. It's hard to keep everything so grounded when this has become a war epic, but I'm not having trouble with the plot at all.
VERDICT: Listen, you should all know at this point that I am obsessed with this series and want all of you to read it. Check out this graphic novel for complex characters and the found family trope.
I love Saga so much !! someone please send a defibrilator !!
alright, short review because I have no energy. While this graphic novel felt especially fI love Saga so much !! someone please send a defibrilator !!
alright, short review because I have no energy. While this graphic novel felt especially fast and the plot has begun to meander a bit, my investment in the characters - and pure enjoyment of the story - truly brought this one forward for me.
I also unfortunately feel that several of my favorite classes are getting less page time. Gwen, Sophie, and Lying Cat are still my favorites, and they had no pagetime here. Our current squad - Marco, Alana, Hazel, Petrichor, King Robot, his son, and Gus - just does not compel me the same way they do. More Gwen and Sophie and Lying Cat, please.
But overall, I found this volume entertaining - I mean, what can I say, they take twenty minutes to read each - and am looking forward to continue this series next year.
Regardless of sex, everyone loses something in war... but the first casualty is always the truth.
Yeah, there's not much of a rev**spoiler alert**
Regardless of sex, everyone loses something in war... but the first casualty is always the truth.
Yeah, there's not much of a review I can do for this. I am just adoring this series. The characters are developed, the antagonists have their own intriguing characteristics,
Okay, I also wanted to say that the diversity is also super awesome?? Occasionally this falls into the female-characters-who-feel-like-they've-been-written-like-men trope, and of course most of the morally ambiguous villains are men, but usually I'm pretty fucking happy with the way all these characters are written.
I like that we've gotten so many more characters, yet the plot still feels super tied together. Yuma, the treelike creature and Heist's ex, has teamed up with Ghus, a farmer on the way to greatness; Prince Robot IV, searching for his son; and Marco, searching for his daughter. Sophie, Gwen, the Brand, her dog Sweet Boy, and Lying Cat are teamed up, looking for a cure for the Will.
I have to say, Sophie / Gwen / Lying Cat's squad is my FAVE. I JUST ADORE THEM. I WOULD DIE FOR ALL OF THEM. They're some of my fave characters in this whole thing and I want them all to be a happy found family together. Please.
VERDICT: Listen, you know how much I love this series. Check out this graphic novel for complex characters and the found family trope.
That... was somewhat disappointing. Brilliant ending, but downright bad middle.
[image] [image]
// NEGATIVES
The problem with this volume of Saga is that That... was somewhat disappointing. Brilliant ending, but downright bad middle.
[image] [image]
// NEGATIVES
The problem with this volume of Saga is that issues 20-22 are mediocre at best.
First of all, there's the fact that I just really didn't fucking care about King Robot IV or whatever. I'm sure he's going to be relevant later. Does it make me care? Not particularly. Showing that a guy loves his kid is cool, sure, but not enough for me to really care about him.
Issue 19, the opening issue, is a fine entry to Marco and Alana's thread, but it all goes downhill from there; their family drama is incredibly manufactured. Marco's chapters from then on focus on a needless cheating storyline that had me cringing at every line. Ginny's character in particular felt completely wasted. What I've loved about this story so far is the lack of one-off characters; even villains get fleshed out. Marco's ex-girlfriend, Gwen, has gotten a ton of pagetime and become one of my favorite characters. But Ginny feels like she's there to cheat. Her character has no depth whatsoever.
The drug storyline, too, didn't feel well-handled. It was hardly built up by the narrative or by Alana's dialogue. If Alana's trauma and ptsd had been built up more in earlier volumes of Saga, this could've been executed seamlessly. But here, I found myself not believing in it. All the family troubles felt like needless puzzle pieces because they were not built up.
This just felt like a bunch of moving plot pieces and filler pages trying to assemble their way into a bridge in the story. I'm not fooled. Try harder, please.
// POSITIVES
The final couple volumes, thank goodness, brought back what I've loved about Saga. Marco, Alana, and Hazel have an awesome climax, of course. But mostly, I just really fucking loved Gwen, Sophie, and Lying Cat's scene. With some of my previous faves annoying me, it was awesome to see Sophie and Gwen doing so well. AND OH MAN WAS THAT ONE LYING CAT PANEL NOT BADASS. OH MY GOD.
I have to say, I'm also really loving the representation here. The characters are super diverse in terms of race, with plenty of dark-skinned characters (not including those with purple skin, lol). I also love the amount of lgbtq+ characters in here!! There are the two reporters, Izabel has a canon ex-girlfriend, and Gwen is canonically bi. It's all-around great.
I'm mostly just excited for the potential of the next volume. Now that we've gotten past this filler section, we'll be back on track for some real content. Hopefully more Gwen, Sophie, and Lying Cat. Please?
[image] (THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PANEL IN THE ENTIRE ISSUE)
This series is only going uphill since volume one. More worldGod, these are all just so good??
[image] (THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PANEL IN THE ENTIRE ISSUE)
This series is only going uphill since volume one. More worldbuilding is added every volume. More characters are added every volume, yet somehow I'm not having much trouble keeping any of them straight. It's just all improving.
There are four things really succeeding here. First of all, the characters. I love them all.
There's also so much banter that works because it fits the characters so well. You see a panel and can immediately identify who's speaking. Okay, example - I'm not adding the panel, but take a wild guess who's speaking here:
This doesn’t change my wedding vows. I’m still never doing the dishes. I like doing dishes! You are so fucking sexy.
SEE??
Second of all, the relationships. I am adoring the use of the found family trope. Marco, Alana, Hazel, and Klara, and there's Gwendolyn, The Will, Lying Cat, and Sophie. While I do think this volume could do with slightly less romance, most of the romantic storylines have been quite entertaining.
Thirdly, the art, which somehow seems more stunning each time; I definitely prefer the realistic style of volumes two and three to the somewhat surrealist style of volume one.
Last but definitely not least, the thematic work. This part is just getting better each volume. I love the way this volume talks about prejudice, both incorporating fantasy prejudice dynamics and A lot of characters are dying, which is of course saddening. But it seems fitting and realistic. Saga is a war story, after all. But it's also so much more than just a war story. This is a story about peace, about love, as well as a story about violence. There's a touch of hope to every volume that I adore.
"Imagine armed men coming to seize your family’s home. You can’t see the honor, the beauty in defending your own land?" "It’s just land. Dirt is dirt." "If you think that, you’ve never toiled in the exact same feilds as thousands of your ancestors." "Klara, if assholes with guns are headed my way, I don’t care if everyone I love is buried in that dirt, I’m still running like a madman." "And when they keep on you like hounds? When they drive you to the very cliffs? Where do you run to then, Oswald?"
VERDICT: Just read this series. If you haven't already, it is so worth the read for the character development, humor, art, and complex themes. Just... read it.
♔ So we’re talking about discrimination against gay people now, huh? I like it. Also Gwendolyn is bi!!!
♔ New characters added: Oswald Heist, Marco’s mother Klara
♔ To be honest, who fucking cares about Alana’s former commander Countess Robot X? I do love the opening line, and I’m liking the potential of the two reporters - I’m especially happy they’re dating. Marco and Alana continue to be adorable. And then the twist ending about Will and Sophie was great!! Apparently the will was hallucinating, which we knew, but now Sophie is too? disliked....more
It's hard for me to ever enjoy first books. Especially with graphic novels, there's no chance yet to understand the story or the characters or anythinIt's hard for me to ever enjoy first books. Especially with graphic novels, there's no chance yet to understand the story or the characters or anything. Not until you get to volume two. Honestly, if I rate your first book a four, it doesn't mean a true four - it means I expect you to bring it in book two and expand your story into my new favorite series.
Did this series bring it? Oh, yes it did.
What gets me about this volume is how it expands upon everything we've already established in such an organic, natural way. We already know that Marco is Marco and Alana is Alana, so now is the time to start getting them moving. I adored seeing these characters grow and develop as they did.
I'm also liking that this series continues to expand - we've already been introduced to a few new characters. I like that this series started with very few characters - essentially, all the characters you had to keep track of were Marco, Alana, Hazel, Izabel, and the Will - and is simply adding a few each volume. It gives the readers a chance to really get in touch with the characters and feel them developing.
This volume picks up where we last left off. If you haven't read this series yet, I'd recommend going back over to my review of volume one for a quickThis volume picks up where we last left off. If you haven't read this series yet, I'd recommend going back over to my review of volume one for a quick review. Here, I'll only be mentioning things that changed from volume one.
All in all, my opinion on this was similar to my opinion of book one, although I did preferr the more intersectional feminism. In this volume, we're introduced to some trans girl characters, which I really appreciated. We also see the scope of the story expand. And yet I still feel like this graphic novel series is missing something. Perhaps it's the art, perhaps it's the lack of focus. Whatever it is, I'm just not liking this.
Below I'll be listing a spoilery rundown of plot I wrote while reading. If you have read volume one but not two, read it without the spoiler tags. If you have read this volume and not volume three, read with the spoilers.
Kamau Kogo is our main protagonist, a former athlete accused of murdering inmate Marian Collins. There's also Penelope, who's fat and proud and a total badass. There's Fanny, a manipulative and good-at-spying lesbian. There's also Meiko Maki, with a tragic backstory to rival the greats. Here, we were also introduced to a few new characters. There's Whitney, a former guard turned prisoner. There's Kamau's sister Morowa, (view spoiler)[and now we see why she was constantly referred to as Kogo's brother - she's a trans girl accused of gender nonconformity. (hide spoiler)] We've also met her girlfriend Rose, who hasn't got much depth yet, but I like their relationship. (view spoiler)[We've been introduced to Eleanor Doane, a powerful figure for women's rights in the past. And of course we've met the politician's daughter, part of Doane's sect. (hide spoiler)]
If this image is intriguing to you, you need to read this.
The Singing Bones is a book of art inspired by fairy tales. Some are literal interpre[image]
If this image is intriguing to you, you need to read this.
The Singing Bones is a book of art inspired by fairy tales. Some are literal interpretations. Some are eerie, yet convey the vibe of the story. But all are interesting and beautiful.
I knew some of the stories, but a few were unknown to me. I especially loved the choices Shaun Tan made of quotes. I especially loved the the Juniper Tree (31), Bearskin (46), One Eye Two Eyes Three Eyes (56).
The art was always interesting, but of course I had plenty of favorites. My favorite art pieces were for Briar Rose (32), All Fur (40), Bearskin (46), the Little Shroud (50) and the Stolen Pennies (51), Fitcher's Bird (64), the Nixie in the Pond (68), the Moon (74).
Anyway, if you're into art, you definitely should pick this up. It's a brief read, taking me only about an hour, but it's absolutely worth it.