Tag: DC Ink

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Books from DC Comics

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Books from DC Comics

Posted on by Jaymie

Superhero stories – and villain stories – are all the rage these days. Marvel has had a HUGE year at the box office while I feel like DC has done a better job with their print offerings. My emphasis for this post is on prose books and graphic novels that are original in that form, rather than graphic novels that are collections of comic books. You can read some of my reviews of DC books here. But there are other DC books I have enjoyed that I haven’t given a full review. Read about some of those books below as well as some things DC will be publishing in the coming months.

DC Backstories

I loved this line of books that gave the backstories for these DC superheroes (as well as Superman and Supergirl).
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Super Hero High

I did a full review of the Batgirl story from this series, but I have read all of these. I am missing two books in the series to read – Harley Quinn and Bumblebee. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Middle Grade Books

Flash: Hocus Pocus – I loved the first book in this Flash series! I haven’t kept up with the books (and now there is a new crossover series starting), but I liked how this one tied into the TV show, but was from a different timeline where Barry hadn’t gone back in time to change things (creating a slew of problems). The villain in this was legitimate and made for a very suspenseful story. Fans of the TV show should definitely check this series out. Rating: ♥♥♥♥ There’s also a Supergirl series like this, but I haven’t read any of those. Book one is called Age of Atlantis.

Study Hall of Justice – The first  Secret Hero Society book was fun. They are set up like the Jedi Academy books with comic panels, journal entries, etc. I did not like the art style for the first book, so I didn’t keep with it, but it looks like they changed artists with book 4, so I might have to try them again. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

DC Icons

I loved the idea of these DC Icons books – prose novels about the “heroes” as teens – so I read all four of them even though I have only posted a full review for Batman: Nightwalker. I thoroughly enjoyed the Wonder Woman story (Rating: ♥♥♥♥) and the Catwoman story (Rating: ♥♥♥♥), but the Superman book was a disappointment (Rating: ♥♥♥). The WW and Batman stories are being turned into graphic novels.

Early Readers/Chapter Books – Coming Soon

DC Super Hero Adventures – Four books release February 1, 2020 from DC including these two titles. It looks like these will be chapter books rather than graphic novels. I’m excited to see that!
DC Super Hero Girls at Metropolis High  – A new Super Hero Girls iteration launches on October 15, 2019. A second graphic novel in the series will release in spring 2020.
Winner Takes All – A chapter book starring Wonder Woman in Metropolis. Releases November 19, 2019. There may be a second book in the series releasing the same day.

Middle Grade – Coming Soon

Batman: Overdrive – Middle grade graphic novel releasing in March 2020.
Black Canary: Ignite (Dinah Lance) – Graphic novel, releasing October 29, 2019
Diana Princess of the Amazons – New graphic novel from the fantastic Shannon Hale releases in January 2020.
Field Trip Disaster – Book 5 in the Secret Hero Society series. Releases October 1, 2019.
Green Lantern: Legacy – New graphic novel releases in January 2020.
Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission – Book 2 in the Super Sons series releases on October 29, 2019
Zatanna and the House of Secrets – Middle grade graphic novel releasing in February 2020.

Teens – Coming Soon

Batman: Nightwalker Graphic Novel – Releases October 1, 2019
Gotham High (Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Jack Napier) – Graphic novel, releasing April 2020
The Oracle Code (Barbara Gordon) – Graphic novel, releasing March 2020
Shadow of the Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) – Graphic novel, releasing February 2020
Wonder Woman: Warbringer Graphic Novel – Releases in January 2020

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Ink in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

One night in Atlanta, a girl and her foster mom are driving on a wet night. One minute they are talking about signing adoption papers and making their family official. The next, they are part of a horrible car accident that leaves the foster mom dead and the teen with no memories of her life before the crash.

After the accident, Raven moves to New Orleans to live with her foster mom’s sister and her daughter, Max. Max is a great friend – and being at a new school, this is a huge help. But having her “cousin” there isn’t enough to offset the weird things that happen – hearing other people’s thoughts, making the resident mean girl trip just by thinking of it.

Since Raven has no memories from before the accident, she has no way to be sure these things are new and a result of the crash. Could she have been doing these things before?

While Raven and Max try to sort out what’s going on with Raven, they are distracted and unaware that danger is lurking in the shadows and trouble they can’t even fathom is around the corner.

Review

Raven has always been my favorite character of the Teen Titans. Her powers and her back story are mysterious and fascinating. This graphic novel introduction to the character is terrific! I thoroughly enjoyed this!

DC Ink has launched three graphic novels so far this year. I enjoyed Mera: Tidebreaker, but Catwoman: Under the Moon was not a good fit for me as a reader (foul, dark and violent). I was a little concerned that the line was all going to be closer to the Catwoman story than the Mera story, but that was not the case here. This was a perfect graphic novel for me – I loved the art and the color scheme for the storytelling. I would have read a whole series of these. I hope there will be more Raven stories. This does include references to voodoo, astral projection, tarot and demons in keeping with the canon of the character. This may not be a good fit for all readers.

This is a solid introduction to the character and it also hints at the larger DC Universe. DC is restructuring and doing away with the DC Ink imprint in favor of age-rated comics and graphic novels. I’m curious to see where that goes.

I would have loved even more of this story! The author and artist will be releasing Beast Boy in 2020. I’m curious to see if Raven’s story will be part of that or if that will stand on it’s own. A fourth DC Ink graphic novel, Harley Quinn Breaking Glass, will release this fall.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige

REVIEW: Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Ink in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mera is the princess of Xebel, an underwater kingdom under the rule of Atlantis. Mera calls to mind The Little Mermaid with her red hair (the only “color” in a shades-of-blue graphic novel) and her longing to be independent and understood.

Mera is fierce in her love of Xebel to the point of vandalism in rebellion against Atlantis. In fact, when she hears her father and her betrothed plotting to assassinate the Atlantean prince, Mera decides to do the job herself. Maybe then she can rule Xebel on her own.

Mera has no trouble finding the naïve prince at Amnesty Bay. And she has even less trouble drawing him in close enough to kill him. But while she waits to get her “land legs” and recover her strength, she discovers Arthur is no monster. He is a truly good person. And she can’t bring herself to end him. But other forces are not so reluctant – and they are converging on Amnesty Bay.

Review

I enjoyed this one! I thought the storytelling and character development of this book was done more thoroughly than in Super Sons. It’s still a graphic novel, so the story is not as deep or intricate as it might be with a prose novel. But I felt the motives of the main characters were clear. Sure, the shift from murderer and target to a romantic couple was abrupt as far as time in the story passed, but it fit for the format of the story.

I loved the art work in this!! I thought it did a great job of working with and enhancing the text of the story.

The best friend character was kind of thin in development. And I’m not sure if the relationship with the trainer/mentor in Xebel was supposed to be romantic or maternal. But the main action of the story – Mera, Arthur, their families, etc. – was clear. There could have been more history on the underwater political situation, but again, for a graphic novel it was fine.

Readers who enjoy hero stories or enjoy Aquaman’s world should definitely check this book out – I think they will enjoy it! (Mild language, one panel with two men kissing.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½