Review: Angel & Faith: Death and Consequences

Angel & Faith: Death and Consequences by Christos Gage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So far, Volume 3 Family Reunion has been my favorite of this series, but I enjoyed Volume 4 as well. It was interesting to get a taste of Giles's past life as "The Ripper" and only wish I could have learned more about his early years. I definitely appreciated the chemistry between Spike and Faith as shown in this Volume. I've always been Team Angel, but Spike has grown on me during the course of reading the Buffyverse comics. Angel and Faith both have narratives of redemption, so I think they make a great duo. I can't wait to see where the series takes me next.

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Review: Black Panther: World of Wakanda

Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love Roxanne Gay's writing, and this book was no exception. The writers are all so witty and brilliant; the interactions between Ayo and Aneka were so powerful. The art work really took me to the World of Wakanda, and I enjoyed getting the female perspective on Black Panther events. I was sorry to hear that the series got cancelled and am convince that it would have kept going had it been released about now. This book definitely is full of feminist power, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good love story, empowered female protagonists, and futuristic societies.

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Review: Black Panther #1

Black Panther #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I literally read this book in one sitting! The art work of this book is amazing, and I really enjoyed the world building of Wakanda. Since I am new to the Black Panther narrative, it took me a while to sort out the characters. But I loved the story, and in particular, T'Challa's relationship with his mother resonated with me. I now look forward to reading more about Afrofuturism and to seeing the new movie! Diverse representation is so important, and I believe this comic series and the movie will be game changers. Also, I am now going to put this book on my classroom shelf in hopes that my students will fall in love with it too. I have some seventh graders who love comics, and this story is so compelling!

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Review: Angel & Faith: Family Reunion

Angel & Faith: Family Reunion by Christos Gage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this volume, and it's been my favorite of this series so far. Willow is my favorite female character from Buffy, so I was glad to see her reappear, even if only for a short while. Faith's complicated thought process gets a glimpse, although she's clearly changed. I know not all fans feel this way, but I've always loved Connor as a character, so I loved the interaction between Father and Son. A part of me wishes they could be closer, but I know that Angel wants to keep Connor safe and to give him a chance to live a relatively normal, fulfilling life. This volume had some great extended metaphors about revisiting the demons of our past, both literal and metaphorical. I am not sure how I feel about Angel's quest, but apparently, the next volume will teach us more about Giles, so I am excited about it. I loved the bonus material in this volume because it gave more backstory behind Angel as Twilight and his history with Whistler. Definitely a worthwhile read!

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Review: Riverdale Vol. 1

Riverdale Vol. 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This read like fanfiction for the television show Riverdale, and in a good way! I learned more of the backstory of the characters the summer before the show starts, and the other incidents are ones that could have happened during the course of the show. I'm a huge fan of both Jughead and Betty, so it was nice to see appearances by both of them. The art work was enjoyable to view.

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Review: Pride and Joy

Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This volume was enjoyable to read for comics book club. It has a diverse cast and a narrative that I tend to enjoy, adolescents who are trying to create their own "family" amid a friend group and separate themselves from their parents in terms of life choices and values. The subversive aspect of this book is that their parents are super villains rather than superheroes, and they literally have to run away for safety sake. I look forward to continuing with this series and to learning more about the powers that the kids have. I can already tell there's sexual tension in the group, and I like that because it keeps the story interesting. There are moments in the story that are a bit farfetched, but since it's in a superhero universe and in LA, I was able to go with it. Brian K. Vaughan is a very witty writer, and the artwork grows and evolves with each issue.

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Review: Bash Bash Revolution

Bash Bash Revolution by Douglas Lain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A more detailed review for School Library Journal is forthcoming! This turned out to be an engaging "Snow Day January 2018" read for me. It was kind of a strange story, and the beginning was a little bit slow, but once I got into it, I found it interesting. It was a bit dark, and it struck me as a cautionary tale about what could happen if we get too invested in technology, and if aspects of the USA political climate does not change. It reminded me a little bit of Feed by MT Anderson. I am not into gaming culture, but I do think gamers in particular will resonate with the protagonist. Overall, this was a solid read for those who appreciate YA speculative fiction and nerd culture. I would recommend it for age 16 and up.

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