Book Review: Gotham Academy vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy

Title: Gotham Academy, Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy

Authors: Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, and Karl Kerschl

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ (3)

First off, the art is great. The background art is fantastic and the color pallet is perfect; it really makes Gotham Academy look and feel like a creepy Gothic castle. However, I just wasn’t feeling it. The story felt like the Batman version of Scooby Doo, only without the dog (although there is a killer Croc). The series takes place within Gotham Academy, a boarding school that is funded by the Wayne Foundation. The main character is Olive Silverlock (who, incidentally, has silver hair), due to a mysterious incident over the summer she has become withdrawn, breaks up with her boyfriend, and avoids her once close friends. She also has a grudge against Batman, and to be honest, he’s not doing much to try to win her over. While all this is happening, there are reports of a ghost haunting the school. Olive is skeptical but is eventually roped in to the investigation by her ex’s little sister Maps.

If the intended audience was children, then I think the writers hit the mark. It’s a good series to get kids into the Batman universe without all the gratuitous violence and adult drama. I’m interested to see where the story goes because there is potential there, but I’m worried it’s going to become a story about a bunch of meddling kids unmasking fake monsters.  

Book Review: I Am Princess X

Title: I Am Princess X

Author: Cherie Priest

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ (4)

In addition to my graphic novel/comic book kick, I seem to be reading quite a bit of YA recently. So it’s no surprise that I picked up I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest. What makes this book so interesting (or irresistible to me) is the combination of the story of friends Libby and May, and the comic that started it all. 

On a boring day at school, Libby and May created a rock’n princess in red Chuck Taylor’s they dubbed Princess X. Over the years the girls spent hours drawing and writing stories about their Princess X. But it all ended one rainy night when the car Libby was in drove off a bridge and into the water below. Years pass, but May still mourns the loss of her first best friend. She still feels there was something strange about how Libby died but she can’t figure out why. While she’s visiting her dad in Seattle, her past comes back to her in the form of a sticker, and the further she digs the more questions she has about the appearance of Princess X. Who put it there and why? Could it be that Libby is still alive and trying to send May a message? After a little sleuthing, May discovers that it’s not just stickers and patches; someone is writing new comics staring Princess X. It is the inclusion of the Princess X comics that really make the story unique. The story was more interesting because the reader was able to see what May was seeing. These new comics drive May to dig deeper until she runs into a dead end (read: a broken laptop).  Calling a tech support flyer she finds in her building introduces her to neighbor “Trick,” who not only tells her how to fix her laptop, he also decides to use his hacking skills to help her discover the identity of Princess X and find out what really happened to Libby. 

I love May; she’s shy and has a hard time opening up to people, even her parents. When Libby dies, she loses the person who understands her the most and brings out the best in her. Then things get worse when her parents decide to divorce and May moves back to Atlanta with her mother, while her father stays in Seattle. She loves her parents but she keeps them at a distance. I really love the friendship she cultivates with Trick. She knows that she needs his help, but she also values their growing friendship.

Although the friendship between May and Libby is the driving force behind the story, I must admit that my favorite character is Trick. He’s so smart but he’s also an impulsive teenager who has made some bad decisions, but he doesn’t let that stop him from acting like the computer genius he thinks he is. I think even he was surprised at how quickly he bonded with May and I believe he really cherishes their growing friendship.

The pacing is good, in fact I was able to finish it in a day, but because the pacing is so fast – especially toward the end, there are scenes that stick out because they are a bit too unbelievable. I also wish the author had fleshed out her descriptions of the places May and Trick visit in Seattle. Since I’ve never been to Seattle, it was hard for me to picture the places she talks about, although someone who has been there probably wouldn’t have an issue with it. I gave this book a 4 because I loved the unique plot and the mixing of the story and the Princess X comics. 

Book Review: Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside

Title: Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside

Author: Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher

Artist: Babs Tarr 

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ (3)

Geez, I’ve been reading a lot of comics and graphic novels lately. I was given the opportunity to read the “soft” reboot of my favorite Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. This version has Barbara moving to Burnside for a fresh start as she pursues her PhD. It’s been three years since her spinal injury, but she’s back to her crime fighting ways and ready to take on the city. I was looking forward to reading this collection because it was rumored to have a lighter tone compared to Gail Simone’s New #52 Batgirl series. I loved Simone’s work but it was a little too serious for my daughter, so this seemed like a somewhat age appropriate way to introduce her to Barbara Gordon.

I wanted to love this, I really did, but somehow it just fell flat for me. This was indeed a “lighter” storyline and, aside from a few panels, I would feel comfortable handing it over to my daughter to read. The art was fun and colorful. I really liked Batgirl’s motorcycle jacket-style costume, it was practical, functional, and definitely more realistic than some of the other superhero costumes out there.

Since this the first volume, there isn’t much character development for the new supporting characters, but I already love Barbara’s research assistant Nadimah Ali. In some ways Barbara is still recovering from her injuries. In a fight, sometimes she is slow to react, and while I appreciate that the writers aren’t automatically showing her in top form, I also feel she is missing the emotional side of her recovery.  I also liked how they used social media in the storyline, it was almost a character in its own right. The writers did well showing all the great things that can be achieved with social media and coding, but they also show how dangerous this technology can be when it’s in the wrong hands. 

This reboot got off to an okay start, and I hope the story gets better as it progresses but I wouldn’t be surprised if it continues to fall flat. I love Barbara Gordon as Batgirl (and Oracle) so I hope we get to see more dimension in her character and the supporting characters.

**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Book Review: DC Super Heroes Origami

Title: DC Super Heroes Origami

Author: John Montroll

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ (3)

My son loves origami. Actually love isn't a strong enough word, more like he's obsessed with origami. So it's no surprise that when I mentioned that there was a book of origami featuring DC characters he insisted I let him read it as well. Admittedly I’m not as into origami as my son, in fact lately I’ve been avoiding it like the plague since my son decided to use origami crafting for his economics project (I guess they teach economics in elementary school now). But I really enjoyed the Star Wars origami book, as well as Tom Angleberger’s Origami Yoda series, so I decided to give this book a shot.

The book claims to have projects of varying degrees of difficulty, and while I agree that there are projects for both beginner and advanced skills, I felt like some of the easier projects were put in because they were easy and not necessarily because they fit with the DC theme. For example the “easy” projects in the Batman chapter included the Penguin’s umbrella and the Riddler’s walking stick, and while both items are representative of said characters, if the projects were taken out of context they are just an umbrella and walking stick without anything else to tie them to the characters they are supposed to represent.

The projects on the difficult side are challenging and visually pleasing. I really liked the Batwing, after I was finally able to finish it. It was a bit more difficult to put together than I initially thought, but the end result was cool to look at. My favorite projects were from the Wonder Woman and Justice League chapters because they could be used for dress-up. Who wouldn’t want their very own Green Arrow hat or Wonder Woman tiara?

My son, on the other hand, was less impressed. Like me, he enjoyed the projects in the Justice League chapter and he had a blast making a hundred maces and swords. But he wasn’t impressed with all the preprinted character sheets, and after putting together Clay Face, he abandoned the rest of them. He was more interested in the creative or functional projects.

I’m giving this book a low 3. It was fun and creative, but the novelty of it wore off fairly quickly in our house. I think this is a fun activity book for families with younger children (ages 4-7) or for fans of the DC Universe (Disclosure: The Latte-Books Family do appreciate the DC Universe, but are hardcore Marvel fans).

**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Book Review: The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances

Title: The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances

Author: Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕

My Thoughts:

I’ve been a fan of The Oatmeal for a few years so I was really excited to have the chance to read his new book The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances. I’ve been a runner on and off for the past 15 years and I’ve never considered myself to be the typical runner. I don’t like to run more than 5 miles and people who run more than that creep me out a little with their talk of dedication, loneliness, despair, and achieving inner peace. Although Matthew Inman also feels this way, he also admits to using running as a way to justify eating Nutella.

Some of the sections featured have appeared on theoatmeal.com in the past but the rest are new material for the book. Inman's unique brand of humor shines through as he discusses his motivations to run—an anthropomorphic blob he calls the "Blerch", slaying the kraken, Japanese hornets, etc... He even injects humor into the things runners don’t tell non-runners—it’s hard to bring in new recruits when you tell stories about bleeding nipples and toenail loss. Inman doesn’t glamorize distance running, in fact he makes the reader think twice about trying it. But he always returns to his center--his reason for running.

I really enjoyed this book and I think everyone will enjoy it. The runners will nod in agreement, the non-runners think “I can do this.” and those of us in the middle can do both. And even if you decide that running is not for you, the chapter on Japanese Hornets is a must read. Trust me.

**NetGalley generously allowed me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Book Review: Star Wars: Jedi Academy, Return of the Padawan

Title: Star Wars:Jedi Academy, Return of the Padawan

Author: Jeffrey Brown

Release Date: July 29, 2014

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕

My Thoughts:

Roan Novachez is back, and just in time for the new school year. The Return of the Padawan is the follow-up to Jeffery Brown’s successful Star Wars: Jedi Academy. During his first year of school we watched as Roan adjusted to a new school and learned to make new friends. Finding friends may have been easy, but keeping them turns out to be harder than he thought. 

I’m surprised how much I am enjoying this series. Star Wars references aside, Roan is just a normal boy experiencing the same problems that many kids face in school. As he enters his second year he experiences strict instructors, bullying, and misunderstandings but continues to try to do the best he can. Even when things look hopeless. 

While Jeffery Brown’s artistic style isn’t my cup of tea, it passed the kid test. The handwriting font used in the book was a little hard to read at times, but that also passed the kid test. And ultimately this book is for kids and, according to my son, this series ranks up there with Tom Angleberger’s “Origami Yoda” series—which is high praise. 

For readers who enjoy comics and Star Wars, this is a good alternative to the typical slice of life tale written for this age group. Parents will also enjoy the practical lessons and Star Wars references sprinkled throughout the book. I look forward to seeing what else Roan can get into next year – maybe he and Mr. Garfield will try to get along, or not. 

**I received this book from Scholastic Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

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