Saga Vol. 3

So much happens in this third volume of Brian K Vaughan's Star Wars / Final Fantasy esque Saga.  New characters are introduced while old friends grow by leaps & bounds.  Marko, Alana & their family pretty much stay in one place throughout this entire volume but all of them grow so much through personal interactions with each other.  Its like meeting up with a bunch of long lost family members after years of not seeing each other.  Like each of the preceding volumes death looms in the back ground & by the end of this volume three major characters that readers have grown to love since the beginning of the series will be dead.  Like the Song of Ice & Fire series by George R.R. Martin you'll be screaming at the book when a character that you have grown to love is killed off; Ned Stark anybody?  Like many of Brian's works this ends on a great cliff-hanger that is full of hope for the future of this series.  In this day & age where comic book movies are a dime a dozen Brian K. Vaughan is one of the only superstar creators out there that hasn't had any of his work turned into a movie or a television show.  As much as I wish this was optioned for the silver screen, I am glad that Brian & Fiona have said multiple times in interviews that Saga was made for the page & only the page.  That way it will always remain true to their vision & no one else's.  I can't wait till Saga, Book One the Deluxe Ed. is released this December.  It will contain all the issues in the first three volumes of the series, this is definitely one of the title out there on the stands that deserves to be owned in the hardcover format.

Saga Vol. 2

The second volume pulls on your heart strings like no other comic book out there.  Also who said comics were just for kids has  never seen or read this or a myriad of other titles like Watchmen, 100 Bullets or Kick-Ass just to name a few.  Those are not your kids comics they are heady titles that have deep meaning & even adult content within the pages, yes even Kick-Ass (I know your rolling your eyes but just wait for it).  This second volume pulls no punches flips so many standard things you thought you knew about science fiction out the window its baffling & cool at the same time.  Also this volume has firmly established Fiona Staples as one of my all time favorite artist.  I loved Lying Cat in this book & all I can say is I want one of my own.  Brian's writing makes you care deeply for a character even if they are only there for a few panels like the mouse medic in the final chapter of this volume his brief story had you rooting for him & broke your heart when he died.  Izabel reminds me of one of the female characters from Runaways also done by Brian K. Vaughan.  I am really looking forward to the showdown between The Will & Prince Robot IV. 

Saga Vol. 1

I literally just finished this like a half hour ago & I must say this book solidifies for me why Brian K. Vaughan is one of the best writers out there.  From the end of the first chapter in the book I was hooked I can’t wait for the next volume.  This is by far one of my favorite books out on the market right now.  Anything that I could say about this title is potentially a spoiler all I can say is grab a copy and read the first dozen pages if your not hooked I’ll be shocked.  Also if you like this check out Brian K. Vaughan's digital series The Private Eye I've skimmed through the first two chapters of that, I can't wait for the collected ed. 

Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror

If you love creature feature films & love to read then this is the book for you.  I've read Jaws & this is just as good as Peter Benchley's classic.  What sets this book apart from Jaws is that its not about elimination but about preservation & study of the beast.  Jonas Taylor is the main character of the book & is completely down on his luck after just the first couple chapters of the book, but he is vindicated through the existence of the Megalodon.  The Megalodon has survived at the bottom of the Mariana Trench living in complete darkness.  When something man made disturbs the Megalodon's habitat it finds way to disturb ours with deadly results.  The death toll in this book is much higher than that of Jaws or Jurassic Park it is probably equal to that of the film Piranha 3-D.  Whales & people are the main victims in this story.  Unlike the finality of Jaws this story does set up for more stories, even though that didn't stop studios from milking Jaws for several sequals.  Which is a good thing since this is the start of a series in which four books have already been released.  The story switches between the humans point of view & the sharks point o view.  The book is pretty formulaic in plot & outcome, but it is a quick easy summer read that is hard to put down once you've started.

The Nobody

Writer & artist Jeff Lemire has crafted a fantastic story of endearing characters in small town USA.  This story is reminiscent of a classic H.G. Wells story but done with a new twist.  This is a very easy & quick read, I read it in one sitting.  One of the things that really stands out is the artwork & the color pallet.  I really can't say anything about this title for fear of giving away some of the plot & the mystery that the cover portrays.  The art on the cover is the exactly what you will find inside with a similar color pallet.  By the end of this story you get the idea that something amazing has just happened but you just don't know how to explain it.  If you have ever lived in a small town then you'll love this tale about how a stranger is received in this rural american town.

Starship Troopers

First off if you were expecting this to be as action packed as the movie you will be disappointed, this book reads like a journal of a soldier from boot camp through first tour of duty.   Robert A. Heinlein has crafted a science fiction novel that works better as a war story reflecting the idea of military mentality in a post WWII world.  Overall I understand why this is such great novel but for me, I would rather watch the movie over reading this again.  Heinlein does a great job describing the chain of command & the events of battle.  There is even to an extent the brotherhood that is crafted by soldiers fighting along side each other.  I wish this sense of comradery was explored a little more but instead Heinlein kills off characters so quickly.  You can see why it would be easy to try & distance yourself from your peers so has to harden your emotions to loss.   The story is told through the character of Rico whose is similar to the same character of the movie  One of my biggest complaints with this book you don't get any of the bug war action until you're already two thirds of the way through the book.  If you are in the military or have just recently signed up for the military this is a title you should definitely sit down & read it puts somethings into perspective about what it means to be a soldier.

Daken, Dark Wolverine Vol. 4: No More Heroes

Finally Daken's true colors have come to the forefront.  He has always been a villain & now the whole world knows it.  This volume was just as good as the previous one & shows how cruel & deceptive Daken can be to Wolverine & the heroes of New York City.  Daken is dying due to his over exposure to the drug heat, so this final volume is his swan song before he disappears.  I am pretty sure he is not dead by the end of this but it is a great ending to the series.  Daken's relationship with Donna Kiel sends sets him to do this one last vengeful attach at those he used throughout the series.  In a way this series is about self discovery much in the same way X-23's series was.  The difference however is the Larua embraces the discovery of who she is & what she can be while Daken refuses to embrace who he is.  In a way both of these series have had a "Of Mice & Men" quality about them.  This series went a little longer then X-23's & helped ramp up the tension going into Avengers vs. X-Men.

X-23 Vol. 3: Don't Look Back

This is the final volume of the latest X-23 series in a way it ends on a perfect note with the Nuff Said issue.  I really liked this volume it is on par with the previous one.  As a whole Laura has been on a journey to find herself ever since she left X-Force.  Its nice to see Jubilee return in this volume even if it was only for an issue but the real gem of the final book is the babysitting story.  This is due in part to who the sitter is & who the children are, what could possibly go wrong.  The real surprise of that story is The Collector.  If he acts anywhere close to that in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie then we are in for a real treat.  This has been at great journey of the self discovery for Laura the only problem is that the first book feels out of place compared to the rest of the series in art as well as writing.  I hope X comes back to the forefront of stories in the near future.  

Daken, Dark Wolverine Vol. 3: The Pride Comes Before the Fall

Rob Williams just kicked it up a notch with the third volume of Daken, Dark Wolverine.  All of the build up from the previous volume came to fruition in this one.  Someone is manipulating Daken like a puppet & the revelation is somewhat expected.  Moon Knight shows up in this book & has a throw down with Daken before he teams up with him to search for the claws killer.  Marcus Roston plays an even bigger role in this volume than in the previous one & there are even some revelations that he is related to the Runaways which brings them into mix teaming up with Daken.  Their team up gave me one of favorite scenes of this entire series so far; Molly Hayes walks up to the villain & says "You bad man. Me bad ass." while upper cutting him farther down the street.  This book rejuvenated the Daken, Dark Wolverine series for me I look forward to the next volume.   

X-23 Vol. 2: Chaos Theory

This is the X-23 story I've wanted to read since this series started.  Laura & Remy arrive in Paris to meet up with some old friends while tracking down the trigger scent from the Collision story-arc.  Seeing the reunion between Logan & Laura is touching because it gives you a sense of how much he cares for her; at the same time this story shows the contrast between X-23 & Jubilee.  Over the years Wolverine has adopted several young mutants.  Jubilee is probably the one that is portrayed as the closest thing to have a true daughter / father relationship with Wolverine.  X-23 & Jubilee couldn't be more different but the common factor is their relationship with Logan.  Probably the greatest thing about this story is how Laura and Jubilee become friends Jubilee brings out the girl in Laura & introduces her to world she has never known.  Laura also breaks down what it means to live with a killer instinct.  This story takes place after the Curse of the Mutants story-arc in which Jubilee became a vampire.  The second story in this book introduces Laura to the Future Foundation which broadens her friend circle in the Marvel Universe.  Showing Laura interact with the Storm's children is enlightening & deepens her character.  I know this is the penultimate book of the series but this is so far the strongest entry in Laura's latest series.  

Daken, Dark Wolverine Vol. 2: Big Break

This new volume of Daken, Dark Wolverine sees the character return to Los Angeles to broaden his criminal empire.  I didn't find this volume as interesting as the previous one or his showdown with X-23.  This volume also marks the the first entry of a new writer to the series, Rob Williams.  One of the unique plot points this story are these heat pills that have shown up in L.A. which can nullify Daken's healing factor it will be interesting to see where this leads, but overall I am not as impressed with this series as much anymore.