Book Review #64: Batwoman: Elegy

Batwoman: Elegy (2010)

Written by Greg Rucka

Drawn by J.H. Williams

With all the comics I have read over the years, surprisingly, this was my first time reading a Batwoman title. I've come across her character from time to time, but never in her own book. And even though I knew of Batwoman, I know absolutely nothing about her origin and who is behind the mask.

I've heard some pretty good things about Elegy and most suggested this as the book to dive into to get my feet wet with Batwoman. So, was this book as good as most have raved about? No. First things first, I will say what I did like about the book. I thought the idea of Kate/Batwoman being a Lesbian was pretty interesting and grounded the book more in reality that even a Superhero can feel more like a real person, showing her struggles in maintaining a relationship, regardless of sexual orientation.

The other thing I liked was the art by J.H. Williams...for the most part, which also leads into what I don't like here. Williams seems to have a knack for jumping in and out of styles to service the story that's being told. To my eyes, when Batwoman is doing her thing, the art is very reminiscent of Travis Charest. The flashback sequences definitely take a page from John Byrne while the current stuff outside of the Batwoman costume is a completely different style. That's the good thing. The bad thing is Williams panel layouts. At times, it can come across as a thing of beauty and really adds to the story. But the rest of the time, it creates far too much confusion because it doesn't give a clear idea of how to read it and I guess I lay the blame with the one doing the Lettering for the series at fault here. It's not good.

Also, the rest of the story to me was just okay. For me there really wasn't anything all that compelling and the book just kinds of ends without a clear cut resolution. It's almost more like a cliffhanger...but not. 

Honestly, I can' recommend this one. Maybe one day I may re-read it and see if my opinions change. But right now, it's not likely.

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #63: Ghost In The Wires

Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker (2011)

Ghost In The Wires is about one of the craziest, insane reads I have ever come across. Boy, was this a fun ride from start to finish. I originally came across this book while watching The Colbert Report and Kevin Mitnick was on the show promoting the book. And when Stephen Colbert ask him about why he was thrown into solitary confinement when he went to prison and Kevin responded with "...the defense argued with the Court Judge that I could start a nuclear war simply by calling into NORAD and whistling the code." I KNEW I had to read this.

So, did it live up to what I was expecting? Oh hell yeah! It's everything and more, plus the kitchen sink too. I swear, I was reading this fast and furious and I could not put the book down at all. The entire time I was reading it, I was picturing this as a thriller, a movie that is sure to happen. I can guarantee you that it will become a feature length film down the road. Contrary to popular belief, WarGames was not based on his life as a hacker. The similarities are there and that was the first thing that kept coming to my mind as I read the book.

There as some pretty wild stuff inside, like how Mitnick was able to elude the FBI, CIA and every known Government Agency simply by hacking into their phone lines and frequencies and setting up an alert for when they were closing in on him. Crazy. 

One of the best cat and mouse games in the book occurs when he meets up with a "world renowned" hacker by the name of "Eric Heinz", only to find out that he is in fact an FBI Snitch looking to take down Kevin. But it's the ensuing invesigation into Eric's background that truly leaves you spellbound in the ease in which he takes apart everything the FBI worked so hard to put together. He literally makes it look like a hot knife through butter. That easy. Just...wow.

Along with all this high octane thrill rides, there were some pretty funny pranks that he pulled like the McDonald Hack where Kevin is able to hack into the Drive-In Speaker box from across the street and watch the hilarity ensue with drivers pulling up to place their orders. Love the scene when a Cop drove up to the speaker box to place his order and Kevin at the other end of the radio frequency tells him they "don't serve cops and he will have to go to Jack In The Box"

The other funny one was when he tells this chick that if she shows her titties, her Big Mac was free, only to enrage her to the point of turning off her car, grabbing a baseball bat from the car trunk and heading inside the resturant. Priceless!! The rumor about Kristy McNichol was pretty funny too.

This is a definite Buy.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #62: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

 On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000)

On Writing was the book that Stephen King was writing when he was run down by a Van one evening, leaving him hanging onto dear life. It would be a while before he would eventually complete this book. So, how does it hold up? It's okay. The book itself is one part semi-autobiography, one part "how to write" and one part "I got mowed down by a car and left in a ditch".

The first part is a semi autobiography in that Mr. King doesn't go into great detail about his upbringing. The sole purpose of this part is to highlight where and how ideas come to him, and how to not quit something, no matter how much you may hate what your writing, or the characters or whatever, because you never know what you may have in your hands. In this case, it was Carrie. Believe it or not, but he actually threw the story away and only by devine intervention that his wife would find it in the trash, was the story saved.

The second part is where most people will head to first as it's the sole reason why most people, myself included, decided to pick up the book in the first place. There are some pretty useful tips that he hands over to the reader in the hopes to make us a better writers, But a lot of the stuff that we get is just common knowledge. If you're wanting to become a writer, I would think you already have the basics of grammar and all that fun stuff down cold.

The last part is of course Mr. King recounting in great detail about the day he was run over and the ensuing rehabilitation that he had to endure to get back into shape...both physically and mentally before he could even get around to writing again.

It's a good book, just not a great one. 

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #61: You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried

 You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried (2010)

You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried is kind of a "biography" about John Hughes, the creative genius behind the best teen films of the 80's. But it's really about the movies themselves and the influence that Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Some Kind Of Wonderful as well as other movies like St. Elmo's Fire and Say Anything had on both pop culture as well as those touched by them. It also goes into detail the lasting legacy they have had over the past 25 years.

Even though a lot of the book is devoted to John Hughes and his movies, a sizable portion is dedicated to both Joel Schumacher and Cameron Crowe, as both St. Elmo's Fire and Say Anything get dissected in ways I've never thought of before with a lot of background stories, which I found very interesting. But as the cover of the book alludes to, the majority is about John Hughes films.

I thought I knew most of the background stuff regarding pretty much all the movies associated with Hughes. Boy was I ever wrong. The most revealing stuff had to do with Some Kind Of Wonderful and all the turmoil behind the scenes during the making of that movie. I never knew that Eric Stoltz and John Hughes almost came to blows during the first day on set during the table read.

The other eye opening info had to do with how Hollywood in a way "corrupted" Hughes. As he became more and more powerful in Tinseltown, he started to change, and not in a good way as he began to alienate those closest to him as his head began to get bigger and bigger. Even though we get a lot of dirt about the man, it's doesn't go into great detail about his life. I won't fault the book for this because it's about his movies and their impact and not about where he came from.

Also dissected is how the Brat Pack moniker came to come about and how it affected those saddled with that label and how careers and friendships were ruined because of it.

I may be a bit biased, but because I'm a huge fan of all his movies and enjoy reading about them, giving the book 5 Stars was easy.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #60: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea (2008)

As alluded to in My Horizontal Life, Chelsea Handler is a world-class liar. And we start off from the ground up in Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea in which she goes into great detail of her lying finesse. Only a brilliant mind, a girl still in elementary school, can come up with staring with Goldie Hawn in the sequel to Private Benjamin and pepper it with small details that actually sells the lie in a convincing way. Hell, even I started to believe it.

But what's funny is that even after being caught in the lie and being ordered by her parents to tell the other kids the truth about her Hollywood dreams, she comes up with an even better lie: staring in the newest Madonna video. I love the letter she wrote to Goldie, in hopes that Mrs. Hawn would aide her in keeping the lie going. 

The rest of the book is more of the same, my favorite stories being: her DUI arrest and stint in jail, her time back with her family in which her father tries to get her to start a clothing line with thongs as the only item to be sold and the re-gift Birthday party where she is invited to attend a party that no one wants to go to and more to the point, doesn't want to go out of their way to buy a present for someone they don't even know or like. Her street brawl with 3 fourteen year old girls was both shocking and funny as hell. 

I don't know if Chelsea really has a fetish for little people or not. But I have to wonder if her story about Kimmy and the way she describes certain attributes of small people and their form is legit. I mean, she really goes into great detail to say some pretty outlandish things about her and small people in general. My guess is that she is exaggerating to the nth degree to create controversy. Maybe to sell more copies of the book? I dunno. Whatever the case may be, the chapter about Kimmy was pretty damn funny. This is a very entertaining book, but it's not perfect. There were a couple of chapters that felt kind of light weight compared to the rest of the book and it would have been better to drop those chapters all together.

This is definitely a Buy. I do believe you should read the book first before the show comes out.

Book Review #59: My Horizontal Life

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands (2005)

My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands. Based on the title of the book, you would think it was a very salacious read. It's a little misleading. We are led to believe that it's about all of Chelsea Handler's one night stands: Doing the "deed". But the fact is, it's more about her wanting to get laid, going out looking for a man and heading back to his or her place with the intention of getting laid. But it usually ends in some crazy, far out scenario that usually has her cock blocking herself either by her own means or the dude she is with is just weird, crazy and everything in between. You could basically say this book is Penthouse Pet Letters gone horribly wrong.

This is all great stuff and makes for an extremely entertaining read. She paints a picture rather well, which is a testament to her writing skills. The stories are so out there, that at times I have to question it's legitimacy. Whether they are real or not, it doesn't matter. It's extremely funny. After reading this book, it's clear that she is definitely "one of the guys".

Chelsea is a master liar and can tell whoppers at the drop of a hat to snare her man or just embarrass who she is with. The best incident was when she and her friend Nathan went to his high school reunion where she played his girlfriend/wife so that people wouldn't know he was gay and she would be able to find herself a lay there, if not a relationship with someone at the party. But it was the escalating lies they were telling, trying to one up each other that had me howling.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars out of 5

Book Review #58: Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Stories I Only Tell My Friends (2011)

Talk about leading a charmed life. I've had my run-ins with a lot of celebs in random places over the years going all the way back to when I was still in elementary school. But hearing Rob's encounters are pretty mind blowing. He wants to be an actor and finds out that Liza Minnelli is in a hotel and all he has to do is ask the desk clerk "what room is Mrs. Minnelli staying in?" and next thing he knows he is eating chocolate candy with her. Or when he moves to Malibu and stumbles across a kid shooting his own war movie with friends, which turns out to be Chris Penn and invites him to pal around with Sean, Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Or when he writes a random letter to Aaron Spelling and gets invited to the studio. Or when Rob and his brother Chad are getting heckled at a Dodgers game for wearing a Yankees cap and are saved from a stranger who turns out to be a puppeteer for the Muppets and ends up meeting Jim Henson. Or how he is invited to The Tonigh Show and ends up meeting his future manager who in turn invites him to an SNL VIP party where in comes face to face with John Belushi. All of this happens before he even acts in one single movie. Sheesh!!

But if you ever want to say "blessed" when it comes to just being like Forrest Gump and running into moments that altered America by way of movies, than nothing tops Rob's Aunt inviting him and Chad down to watch them shoot special FX footage for a little movie called Star Wars. Remember, Rob isn't even an actor in Holloywood yet, and here he is with all these amazing moments. Damn man! Quit hogging it all and spread the wealth around!! Sheesh!

His introduction to Martin Sheen was pretty damn funny. Hahaha.

But the biggest shock for me reading this book are not all the celeb run-ins. It's in how well the book is written. This isn't a knock against Rob himself. It's just that I went into this book with low expectations with the hopes it would have some entertaining moments. But having just read Stories I Only Tell My Friends, I came away with a better understanding of the man and how smart he is. He never comes off as full of himself in the book like most people do when writing their memoirs. And with everything inside the book he has every right to brag.

A lot of ground is covered on the pages, with the biggest chunk dedicated to The Outsiders. If I remember correctly, 5 Chapters on nothing but said movie and I still wanted more. Everything from his humble beginnings to the debacle that was the Oscars with Snow White to his time on The West Wing is dissected. The one thing that I was curious about before reading, was if he would bring up the subject of his Sex Tape scandal that derailed his career for a short time. And just as I suspected, it only gets maybe half a page mention. That's it. And this is the only reason why I don't give the book a perfect score. There's more to the story and it will remain a mystery from here on out. It feels incomplete in a way. 

Other than that little oversight, I totally recommend this book to anyone. I know that I will reread this one again sooner, rather than later.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars out 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #57: Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke (1995)

Batman: The Killing Joke has the definitive origin story of the one and only Joker. Everything you have read about this book is all true. From Alan Moore's writing to the amazing, and I mean AMAZING artwork of Brian Bolland, this is definitely a book to have in your personal Library. This Deluxe Edition also sees Brian recoloring every page to his specification in how he originally saw it in his minds eye. Along with the stunning artwork, Brian nails the storytelling and pacing to a T. It's just a great piece of work all around. I will refrain from revealing any spoilers to readers that have yet to actually read this. But I will say this, The Joker leaves his mark, destroying the lives of not one, but two prominent characters within Batman mythology.

The only downside to this book is that it's short. Really short. Forty-eight pages in all. That's it. But, to make it worth buying for those that have the original edition, they have added a bonus story centering around a derange fan of Batman, who fantasizes about killing Batman. Think along the lines of Mark David Chapman if you will and you will get what it's about.

Highly recommend this to any and all fans of Batman...or Joker fans.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Book Review #56: Captain America: Homeland

Captain America: Homeland (2004)

Homeland

Written by Robert Morales

Pencils by Chris Bachalo

Inks by Tim Townsend

with Aaron Sowd

Al Vey

Wayne Faucher

Colors by Chris Bachalo

with Brian Reber

Letters by Randy Gentile

The Bucky Issue

Written by Robert Morales

Pencils by Chris Bachalo

Inks by Tim Townsend

Requiem (Parts 1 & 2)

 Written by Robert Morales

Art by Eddie Campbell with Stewart McKinney

Originally, I picked up this Trade Paperback when I first got into comic book coloring. Over at Deviant Art, Tim Townsend had posted a lot of pages from the Homeland run. Since I never bought the original issues, I didn't have a frame of reference when it came to coloring the pages. So, I ended up going to the local comic book shop and getting the TPB. I've had the book for maybe 5-6 years...and never read it...till now.

I'm a huge Chris Bachalo fan from his time on Steampunk, Death, X-Men, Generation X and Spider-Man. But if I'm being totally honest here, I think him and Captain America was a bad match. The book itself is a very boring read and the art just does not deliver in the sense that you're getting a Bachalo book. There is hardly any action at all, and when there is, it's lackluster to say the least.

There are additional issues to pad out the TPB: The Bucky Issue, which is also by Bachalo and is by far the best of the bunch. Fantastic art and storytelling here. Love it. Another storyline; Requiem is by Eddie Campbell with Stewart McKinney. This is just downright awful and the writing to me is pretty horrid.

Overall, I'm just disappointed in the book as a whole. The best parts of the TPB and the series were the covers done by Bachalo. These are sick.

But I can't recommend this book to anyone as it's something that I will never read again and most likely will never bother looking at again...with exception of said covers.

Rating: 2 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #55: Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin (2009)

I'm not really a fan of Kathy Griffin as I don't really follow her and what she is doing. I've only caught a couple of episodes from D-List. If anything, I know her more as a personality from talk shows and red carpets than I do as a stand-up comedian. So, this really wasn't a "must-read" book for me.

Having just finished it, how did it hold up? Pretty good. Much better than I thought it would be. This is the book that I was expecting Tina Fey to write in that I know Kathy a whole lot better than before and the structure of the book was pretty good as well. There is a lot of dish-worthy name dropping in Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin to go along with some eye opening stories about her Brother the pedophile as well as her struggles with eating disorder.

This was a very entertaining read from the get go and it would have gotten a full 5 Star rating from me if she had just omitted the final 2, worthless chapters. The chapter about Steve Wozniak was garbage and just overall...weird. It's all filler for the book reprinting her emails with Woz, who comes off looking pretty stupid and desperate for affection. Just....bizarre.

And the chapter about her and Paris Hilton was a bore. But other than that, I can recommend this book to everyone.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5


Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #54: Bossypants

Bossypants (2011)

I love Tina Fey and I think she is a great writer of Jokes as well as stories in general. So I had very high hopes for Bossypants. Boy, was I ever let down. The overall take on the book reads more like a series of short stories than an actual memoir. This is how I perceived it anyway. I really didn't learn much of who she really is because from reading the book, it seemed like she was always playing a "character" or trying to be "on" as a comedian to never reveal too much. I dunno, I expected a lot here and didn't really get what I was coming for. 

And the book (her) really didn't give me any laugh out loud moments I was hoping for. There is a good bit of filler pages here as well, reprinting skits or jokes by other writers that she is proud of or just thought funny enough to...reprint. 

Her SNL days seemed to be glossed over quite a bit, but her "Sarah Palin" skits do get more behind the scenes as well as her time on 30 Rock, which was interesting. But this is definitely a Rent-from-the-Library book, not one that I would shell out hard earned money for.

I still love you Tina, just not the book to where I keep as a permanent member of my personal library. Sorry. Because I love you still, I'm giving this book a very generous half star more.

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1 

Book Review #53: Bone: Crown Of Horns (Vol. 9)

Bone: Crown Of Horns (Vol. 9) 2002

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Bone: Crown Of Horns (Vol. 9) wraps up the adventure for Fone Bone, Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone. This was a good ride and I was glad to have finally read the story that I've been hearing about for years. If I take anything away from this series it's a new favorite character: Phoney Bone. Haha. I love this cool cat.

*Spoiler Alert*

As for the story within Volume 9 I thought the whole idea of all the dragons attacking the Queen Dragon, Mim was pretty cool. Also, I thought Jeff Smith did a really good job of cross cutting between the Gran'ma / Soldiers scene with that of Fone Bone and Thorn. The tension was well placed. Bravo.

The ending I kind of have a problem with. I was expecting a little bit more in the way of them getting back to Boneville. Oh well...

*End Spoiler Alert*

I definitely recommend the Bone series for everyone.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #52: Bone: Treasure Hunters (Vol. 8)

Bone: Treasure Hunters (Vol. 8) 2001

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Bone: Treasure Hunters (Vol. 8) centers around the entire gang arriving at Atheia where Thorn, Gran'ma and Fone Bone prepare for the incoming battle to end all battles. With life and death hanging in the balance, what will our great Phoney Bone do? Why hunt for Gold of course. He really is a hoot to watch as he schemes and plots to further his riches at any means necessary. More Phoney Bone please!! 

Up next, the final volume where it all comes together once and for all. The epic battle. I hope it has a satisfying conclusion to the entire series. So far it's been a fun ride.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #51: Bone: Ghost Circles (Vol. 7)

Bone: Ghost Circles (Vol. 7) 2000

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

The road to Atheia continues onward. Yes, this is feeling very much like Lord Of The Rings. Out of everything in Bone: Ghost Circles (Volume 7), nothing can top the sight of Phoney Bone dressed up as Captain Ahab from Moby Dick. That to me will probably be the defining moment of the Bone series. Classic and hilarious!!

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #50: Bone: Old Man's Cave (Vol. 6)

Bone - Old Man's Cave (Volume 6) 1999

Written and Drawn By Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Bone - Volume 6: Old Man's Cave continues the saga, focusing on Fone Bone and Smiley Bone reuniting with Thorn. But nothing is ever easy huh? Shit happens. That's all I will say here. We finally learn who the Hooded One is. *Spoiler Alert* It's Briar, Gran'ma's Sister. She's evil now. *End Spoiler Alert*.

A joke that was set up in the very first issue of Bone, finally get's it's pay-off. And I gotta say, it gave me a good laugh when it revealed itself. I won't ruin it for you here, but I will say it involves Phoney Bone and a lot of hot-air *Wink wink*.

This story is like crack. I'm trying to space it out and not read through it too fast and yet here I am, on the verge of reading another Volume already today. Bah!!!! Not as much Phoney Bone as I would like to have. Thus a lower rating here.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5


Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #49: Bone: Rock Jaw (Volume 5)

Bone: Rock Jaw (Volume 5) 1998

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Bone: Rock Jaw Volume 5 takes place entirely on a cliff on the outskirts of the Valley. Here the story centers on Fone Bone and Smiley Bone's quest to return the Rat Creature Pup back to its family, only to run into Roque Ja (Rock Jaw), a Tiger. From here all sorts of troubles await our lovable duo as they meet a host of other characters that help them escape from Rock Jaw and Kingdok. 

I was kind of surprised that the majority of the Volume was basically one story set in one setting. It does take on the feel of Lord Of The Rings with their quest...or lack of. No Phoney Bone here gives it a lesser rating. Hey, nothing wrong with the story itself that's being told. But I wanted some crazy antics of Phoney Bone to pop up somewhere.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #48: Bone: The Dragonslayer (Volume 4)

Bone: The Dragonslayer (Volume 4) 1997

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Fone Bone may be the main character, but in my eyes the real star of the series is Phoney Bone, and in Bone: The Dragonslayer (Volume 4), he takes center stage. In a bit right out of I Love Lucy, Phoney Bone and Lucius split the Tavern right down the middle to see who can win the bet of selling the most beer. If you have seen the Lucy episode in question, you should know that hilarity ensues.

Reading and watching Phoney Bone plot and scheme to get rich has been pretty funny throughout the series so far. Only someone like Phoney can have the entire town want to kill him and then somehow get them to appoint him their new leader. Haha. I should have realized by now that nothing ever goes according to his plan and when the townspeople end up catching their own Dragon, the payoff was pretty good. Lovin' the series so far.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #47: Bone: Eyes Of The Storm (Volume 3)

Bone: Eyes Of The Storm (Volume 3) 1996

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Bone: Volume #3 Eyes of the Storm finally gets around to revealing the big secret about Thorn's past and where she came from and why the Rat Creatures are after her. I kinda knew this was where the story was going so it wasn't that big of a reveal to me. This is still a great yarn, but for me, Volume #3 gets a lower rating because it seemed like there wasn't as much of Fone Bone as in the two previous Volumes. A lot was spent on Thorn, Gran'ma and the rest in order to tell their story and set up what is sure to come. There is nothing wrong with this, but I just wanted more Fone, Smiley and Phoney is all.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars out of 5


Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #46: Bone: The Great Cow Race (Volume 2)

Bone: The Great Cow Race (Volume 2) 1996

Written and Drawn by Jeff Smith

Colors by Steve Hamaker

Lovin' the series so far. The thing I'm really digging about Bone is that it continues from one issue to the next with really no breaks whatsoever. This is one long, continuous story...so far. Bone: The Great Cow Race (Volume 2) collects issues 7-12.

Not much else to say as I'm not going to break down each and every issue since it all ties into one giant story. So, you're just gonna have to read it for yourself. One thing that I will mention is the reaction of Phoney Bone when he discovers that Lucius is placing his bet on Gran'ma. Now THAT was fucking hilarious!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahaha.

Highly recommend this one. Duh! :)

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #45: Bone: Out From Boneville (Volume 1)

Bone:  Out From Boneville (Volume 1) 1996

After putting this series off for years, it wasn't till I happened to come across The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, BONE and the Changing Face of Comics about him and his creation Bone did I decide that it time to finally read what every one has been raving about for years.

So, having just read Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville, which collects the first 6 issues, was it worth it? Hell yeah! To say that Fone Bone, Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone are charming is an understatement. I love these characters so much I feel like drawing them right now. As for the story, it is very engaging and will keep you flipping the pages pretty fast. It's a read that is very hard to put down once you start.

I highly recommend this to eveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery one. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Book Review #44: WildC.A.T.S / X-Men

WildC.A.T.S / X-Men (1997)

 The Golden Age 

Story: Scott Lobdell

Art: Travis Charest 

 Colors: Wildstorm FX

Letters: Richard Starkings & Dave Lanphear

This mini series was a big deal when it was first announced way back in the day. A crossover between Image and Marvel was something most of us fans wanted to see but were never really sure it would ever happen. So when the day came that this was going to be a reality, I personally could not have been happier to see it happen. The mini series of 4 issues was broken into 4 seperate time periods. The Golden Age takes place during WWII, featuring Logan/Wolverine from the X-Men and Zealot from WildCATS. The issue itself is a cross between Indiana Jones and Aliens with a hint of Film Noire thrown in. 

The story itself is okay, nothing to really get excited about. The selling point for this debut issue is of course the amazing art by Travis Charest. This came out a long time ago and Travis has gone on to do other things regarding his art. But to me, this is where Travis peaked artistically, This was the culmination of all his hard work with awesome characters to leave the reader with the best thing he has ever done. Just absolutely stunning artwork that hanging the comic book on a wall in a museum is not out of the question. The art alone makes up for the by-the-books-story.

The Silver Age

Story: Scott Lobdell

Pencils: Jim Lee

Inks: Scott Williams and Sal Regla

Colors: Joe Chiodo & Martin Jiminez

Letters: Richard Starkings & Dave Lanphear

In Part 2 of this mini series, Jim Lee takes over on art duties. The story revolves around primarily Grifter from WildCATs and Jean Grey, aka Marvel Girl from X-Men. There are cameos from Cyclops, Beast, Iceman and Archangel as well as Nick Fury, Pike, Sinister and Zealot. The story is kind of run of the mill. Something you have read countless times before, or something close to it.

As before, the story was not the selling point here. It was Jim Lee's pencils. Back in the day I thought this issue was one of the best he had drawn. But today, although still a pleasure to look at, has some rough spots because by comparison to the work he is putting out now, you really can see how much Jim's style and evolved and improved over the years. I have to point out that back when this came out, even poor Jim had the misfortune of having to follow Travis' issue, which still applies today.

The Modern Age 

Story: James Robinson

Pencils: Adam Hughes

Inks: Mark Farmer

Colors: Joe Chiodo & Martin Jiminez

Letters: Richard Starkings & Dave Lanphear

Story-wise, I think The Modern Age is the best of the 4 and art-wise, Adam Hughes gave Travis a run for his money.  This issue has all the classic stuff that you normally get from him; namely, hot babes and heroic Superheroes. Adam is one of the best at what he does and his inclusion in this series elevates it to a whole other level. As for the story, I do think it's my favorite of the 4 because it doesn't rely on the standard cliched type of dialogue most associated with team books like this series. It's not corny is what I'm getting at. With the first 2 issues really being nothing more than a tease, we finally get all the WildCATs and X-Men on the same playing field to fight along side each other against a common enemy.

The Dark Age 

Story: Warren Ellis

Pencils: Mat Broome

Inks: Stan Parsons

Colors: Wendy Fouts & Wildstorm FX

Letters: Richard Starkings & Dave Lanphear

Additional Pencils by Brett Booth

Now I remember why I have not bothered to read this since the day this hit the stands. The Dark Age was absolutely atrocious in every way imaginable. First thing first. Why the hell did they have Mat Broome doing the art chores here? Why would you follow up the holy trinity of Comic Book Gods (Travis Charest, Jim Lee and Adam Hughes) with someone that had no name recognition whatsoever? I mean this guy never was a fan favorite. He never was flavor of the week superstar. He was working out of Wildstorm Studios and was employed by Jim at the time so he lucked into the gig. My guess is that Jim couldn't find anyone else to do the issue. Back before this came out, I was hoping that J. Scott Campbell would do the issue. He was definitely a fan favorite and someone that could realistically follow the other superstar artist and hold his own.

As for the story, it is garbage. And the dialogue is a joke as well and makes no sense half the time with no flow at all. What a waste. If you ever decide to pick this series up, stick with the first 3 and skip Part 4.  I'm not going to even go into the details of who and what the story is about. Not worth it.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars out of 5 (Blame the 4th Issue for dragging down a pretty good book)

Review by Chiprocks1

Book Review #43: Perspective! For The Comic Book Artists

Perspective! For The Comic Book Artists (1997)

Written and Drawn by David Chelsea

I only heard about this book from reading Making Comics by Scott McCloud. If it weren't for him, I'd never have given this book a look. It's a very valuable and entertaining way of looking at the complexities of Perspective. The book itself is presented exactly like like that of Scott's books: Understanding Comics, Making Comics, etc.... It's all done in comic book form.

The things you learn inside this book are 1-Point, 2-Point and 3-Point Perspective as well as Circles and Human figures. David Chelsea gives you the nuts and bolts of all things relating to the topic at hand. But this book does have a flaw and it's a big one in my eyes. He doesn't give the reader any clear, hands-on, step by step instructions to apply the knowledge gained from its pages. Sure, some will argue that it's up to the reader to apply what you have learned and take it from there. But I personally think some step by step walk through of practical applications within the comic field would have elevated this book to a perfect score.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1