Teen Titans: Raven by Garcia, Kami
(I am so behind on my reviews here, but I guess it was good luck since I can return now that cbr11bingo is in swing – speaking of which, this is my entry for “ILLUSTRATED.”) This is my latest read from the DC graphic novels for young readers, and it was another good one! When a car accident leaves Raven Roth grieving her foster mother, she is also left with no memory of herself and is moved to New Orleans with her foster mother’s family […]
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Hutchinson, Shaun David
Elena Mendoza is called “Mary” at school, because she was the product of a virgin birth and her classmates are cruel idiots. Other than that factoid, her life is fairly routine: a shitty first boyfriend, an unrequited crush on her beautiful classmate Freddie, a deadbeat stepdad and overworked mom, and now a typical teen job at the local Starbucks. Oh wait, except that Elena has also been hearing voices most of her life – voices from random otherwise inanimate logos, toys, and statues. And today, […]
Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Tamaki, Mariko
Harley’s story is revamped to set her origin during her teen years, and by making this change, we get to enjoy her character without having to negotiate how she got to where she is. In Tamaki’s version, Harleen Quinn has always been something of an oddball and a screw-up with the best of intentions. Raised by a single mom, she takes on being the protector of her family sometimes, even if it lands her in juvie here and there. When she’s 16, her mom lands […]
Black Canary: Ignite by Cabot, Meg
Black Canary is one of my favorite superheroes, but some might call me a casual fan because really it’s Brandon Fletcher/Annie Wu’s version of Dinah that is my favorite – an undercover punk rock singer fighting aliens and protecting her band. I haven’t read much else besides that version cuz I just like rereading it, ha! So this was the first sort of traditional “origin story” I read for Dinah, and Meg Cabot definitely sticks to the classic tale – daughter of a detective and […]
The Scar Boys by Vlahos, Len
As a kid, Harry was tied to a tree by bullies and abandoned there when a storm came in. When the storm was over, the tree was halved and incinerated by a lightening bolt and Harry was left alive but irrevocably scarred both outside and in. Most of his life, it was hard to maintain friendships, but when enigmatic and handsome Johnny takes a shine to him and suggests they start a band, things begin to turn around. The Scar Boys start out small, but […]
Apocalypse Taco by Hale, Nathan
Parents, have you ever thought to yourself, “When will I be able to share my love of bizarre, gory sci-fi horror b-movies with my child?” Has your kid ever picked up David Lubar’s “Campfire Weenies” series and said, “Man, it just ISN’T WEIRD ENOUGH!” Does your tween love Stranger Things but wish it had a lot more “WHAT THE FUCK?” My friends, do I have the book for you! I’m a huge fan of Nathan Hale’s “Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales” series, which is a graphic […]
