Showing posts with label Tom Taylor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Taylor. Show all posts

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Mini Reviews [28]

This Place Is Not My Home (Brothers, #2)
 by Cyn Bermudez
Synopsis (via Goodreads): Hi-Lo Fiction. Victor and Isaac aren't sure how long they'll make it in their foster homes. Isaac is comfortable around his foster parents, but afraid they'll give him up. Victor has just landed in a new, crowded home with lots of rules, and is accused of stealing. The brothers make a secret plan to run away from their foster parents and make a home of their own. Will their plan work, or will they lose everything trying?

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

This Place Is Not My Home was told using emails between Victor and Isaac. There was zero character development, and something that only vaguely resembled a plot. I have no idea what either brother looked like, and there are no details about their personalities. I'm also not entirely sure how old they were, only how old they've been when referring to things that have happened in the past. Also, if they're able to communicate with each other, why is there no correspondence with their sisters? The brothers mentioned their siblings a few times, but never talked about what happened to them or where they were.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this one, but it left me feeling disappointed and a little frustrated. I wanted to know more about the brothers, but they share very few details about their lives. Basically, Isaac was in a play and nervous about a girl, and Victor was trying to prove his innocence. Everyone in his foster home (both the children and the adults) thought he was stealing things, but even that aspect of the story was anticlimactic. Victor runs away, gets picked up by the police, and all of that is handled in a single email with two or three sentences. 

It's really hard to review this one, because there's simply no substance to this book.


War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery
(#1-2) by Clint McElroy, 
Andre Araujo (Illustrator)
 Synopsis (via Goodreads): The creators of the blockbuster podcast The Adventure Zone bring their talents to Marvel for a wild romp through THE WAR OF THE REALMS! Earth is at war, besieged by an army of Frost Giants, Trolls and Fire Goblins — and the mighty Thor is nowhere to be found! But could it be that the key to turning the tide is…Thor’s baby sister? Journey into Mystery with Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Wonder Man, and Balder the Brave as they go on an epic quest to save Earth’s only hope! (And, yes, deal with diaper duty.)

This review is mainly for the second issue in the series.

I think this one tried too hard to be funny, and I don't think the jokes always landed. Apparently there was a reference to The Princess Bride that went right over my head, even though that's a movie I've seen a thousand times. Also, this comic is about a really odd mashup of characters, and I feel like more backstory would've been beneficial for readers. I only have a vague idea of who some of the characters are.

Additionally, this second issue doesn't pick up right where the first issue left off, so there's some confusion at the start. They were face-to-face with Ares at the end of the last one, yet we start somewhere else with only a vague reference to his character. If he's a god, I'm sure he could have pursued them with very little difficulty, but now it's like he doesn't even know where they are. Also, the dialogue felt choppy and forced, and it was hard to really connect with the characters. 



Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6
by Tom Taylor, 
Andrew C. Robinson (Illustrator),
Juann Cabal (Illustrator) 
Synopsis (via Goodreads): The neighborhood, and the planet, is doomed. Spider-Man is powerless to stop the end of the world. Only Earth’s Newest and Mightiest Hero, Spider-Bite, can save the day. Wait, WHAT?!

I was really, really confused when this issue started, but thankfully it all made sense at the end. This issue of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man doesn't pick up where the last one left off, or even feel like a one-shot, but instead throws you into the middle of an unfamiliar story (a really wacky, almost unbelievable story).

It's a good things comics are so short, because I might have skipped over this one thinking there was a mistake, but I'm so happy I saw it through to the last page. It's very Peter Parker, and it's nice to remember that our favorite superheroes are also human (mostly human, or at the very least have feelings and emotions). I absolutely love what Tom Taylor did with this issue!

Also, the Jurassic Park reference was gold.


Goosebumps: Horrors of the Witch House #1
by Denton J. Tipton, Matthew Dow Smith, 
Chris Fenoglio (Illustrator)
Synopsis (via Goodreads): When young tech entrepreneur Veruca Curry buys the old Whaley House, the kids in town are worried the ghosts who haunt it will get her. But when they discover Veruca’s horrible secret, it will turn their world upside-down!

This issue was the perfect setup for a new Goosebumps series! The team is vaguely introduced, and since they haven't actually spoken more than a few words to each other, I'm curious how well they're going to work together. 

The Whaley house is supposedly haunted, and even the adults stay away from it. Randomly, a woman decides to buy the house, and we quickly learn that she isn't what she seems.

My son and I had a lot of fun with this one, and the illustrations were amazing! I think they'll really appeal to a younger audience, and the details were fantastic. We're both looking forward to the next issue!

Friday, February 8, 2019

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (#1-2) by Tom Taylor

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (#1-2) by Tom Taylor, Juan Cabal (Illustrator), Andrew Robinson (Illustrator), Marcelo Ferreira (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Spider-Man is the worst neighbor EVER! There are always crazy villains and property damage and drama and…and he CATCHES the villains. And he tries to fix the damage and he helps carry your groceries and actually that property damage keeps the rents down. You know what? Spider-Man is the best neighbor ever and this book will give you a closer look at Spider-Man’s (and Peter Parker’s) neighborhood than any book ever. Also, it wouldn’t be a Spider-Man adventure without a threat that could destroy not only Spider-Man, but all his neighbors.

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I'm always iffy when it comes to starting a new Spider-Man comic, because there have been so many! Peter Parker is a name that most people recognize, and there are certain expectations when it comes to his character. Spider-Man has been portrayed in numerous ways over the years, and I'm often pleasantly surprised with how they keep his comic relevant to what's happening in the world today. He's a down-to-earth superhero that people can relate to, and he deals with problems in his personal life as well. The world might appreciate what he does with a mask on (for the most part), but he's often underappreciated as a person. No one realizes what he has to sacrifice in order to be the Spider-Man we know and love.

So what made me want to read this comic? Tom Taylor. I loved his All-New Wolverine series and the new character he created -- Gabby! She's also known as Honey Badger, which is absolutely perfect for her. Oh, and Jonathan! He's the best. I enjoyed Taylor's writing and the way he told a story, so I was excited to see his spin on Spider-Man.

I can happily say that I'm already invested in this series and what's happening in Peter's life. I think it's hilarious that he's currently having issues with his neighbors, since he's the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Well played, Tom Taylor, well played. Also, the appearance of Johnny Storm was surprising, but totally worked for this story. He's just as ridiculous as Spider-Man, and I can see how the two became friends. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Monday, December 18, 2017

Generations (#1-10)

I haven't done a My Weekly Pull post in a few weeks--sorry about that! However, I have been reading a lot of different comic books. I really, really like that Marvel did a Generations series. It highlights some of the more popular heroes and the new generation they inspired.

My favorite two issues were Hawkeye and All-New Wolverine. The others were interesting and enjoyable, but I didn't feel as invested in those characters. That's the great thing about comics, though--there's something for everyone. If you're undecided on what comics to read, try a few of the Generations issues to see if anything intrigues you.

by Greg Pak, Matteo Buffagni (Illustrator) 

Generations: Phoenix & Jean Grey #1 (Generations #2) 
by Cullen Bunn, R.B. Silva (Illustrator),
Stephanie Hans (Illustrator) 

by Tom Taylor, Ramon Rosanas (Illustrator), Jorge Molina (Illustrator) 

by Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar (Illustrator) 

Generations: Hawkeye & Hawkeye #1 (Generations #5) 
by Kelly Thompson, Stefano Raffaele (Illustrator), Greg Smallwood (Illustrator) 

Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1 (Generations #6) 
by Brian Michael Bendis, Marco Rudy (Illustrator) 

by Margaret Stohl, David Nakayama (Illustrator), Brent Schoonover (Illustrator) 

by G. Willow Wilson, Paolo Villanelli (Illustrator), Nelson Blake II (Illustrator) 

by Brian Michael Bendis (Illustrator), Ramรณn Pรฉrez (Illustrator) 

Generations: Sam Wilson Captain America & Steve Rogers Captain America #1 (Generations #10) by Nick Spencer, Paul Renaud (Illustrator)

Friday, December 8, 2017

All-New Wolverine (#25-27) by Tom Taylor

All-New Wolverine (#25-27) by Tom Taylor, Juann Cabal (Illustrator), Terry Dodson (Illustrator)
Synopsis (via Goodreads): DAKEN has been kidnapped and it's up to WOLVERINE to find him. But when his trail brings her back to the FACILITY, the place that tortured and created her, what new horrors will LAURA find cooking there? And who, exactly, are the ORPHANS OF X?

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Yes! If you need a new comic to read, please grab this one! Laura (the all-new wolverine) made an appearance in my Hawkeye comic (Kate Bishop), and I really liked her character. I know it's not guaranteed that the cameo character and the actual comic will be the same, but it at least piqued my interest enough to make me go back and get the legacy issue and the two that came after it (so now I'm up-to-date). It did not disappoint! I actually took all of J's comics away until he read these three so we could talk about them, haha. He enjoyed them, too! Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) even made an appearance.

The Orphans of X story arc just started. They are people that have lost something to mutants, so obviously their goal in life is to destroy Laura and her "family". There's a magical sword, Old Wolverine is mentioned, and the living/leftover Wolverines appear to be their only targets. I don't know why they are going after the mutants that can regenerate and are nearly impossible to kill, but I'm sure it will be interesting. Oh, and let me just say that all Wolverines have a tragic, horrible beginning.

I think this is the first comic to make me feel afraid for the characters. It's a little more gruesome than the others I'm reading. They are Wolverines, so they heal and everything, but it's still awful to see.

Also, Daken's abs have abs. I know comics exaggerate a little, but I'm not complaining. ๐Ÿ˜