Meet Your New Bicycle

Jody Houser “Faith Volume 1: Hollywood and Vine” (Valiant, 2016)

Meet Faith.  She’s young and idealistic.  She wants to use her powers to help people. 

And for the first time she’s on her own. No team for backup. A secret identity to keep on the down low.

She’s totally classic, and a breath of fresh air. 

This is a throwback to the days when heroes wanted to help people and their personal struggles were less alcoholism and abuse and more “job trouble” or “does he like me?”. 

This book isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel.  It’s done in the classic style, but with contemporary touches. But it does throw out 30 years or so of angst and grimdark.

I dig it.  I want to read more.

Another World I'm Glad I Don't Live In

Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda “Monstress” (Image, 2016)

Wow.  This was intense.

It opens with a slave auction, then soon goes to human experimentation.  Grim indeed.  

But it is also so beautiful, and the world so deeply rendered.

Marjorie Liu has created a deep, well crafted world of witches and exotic beings who are at war. She drops the reader into the world rather than explaining anything.  We make discoveries along the way.

The art is absolutely gorgeous.  The closest approximation I have seen is Emma Rios’ work on Pretty Deadly.  Intricate and complex.  Delicate and beautiful.  Perhaps it is just the palate, but the art here feels more Asian or Filipino. 

This is not a book or kids, or for someone looking for a light read.  There are heavy themes and grim story elements.  

This is sure to be one of the most talked about books of the year.  

I found that I respected it more than I enjoyed it.  YMMV.