I don't know if I've ever been this hot. Nor had a sore throat this bad. Gaia I feel ill. Bloody English weather. Bloody, stuffy retail work with no air conditioning and tiny fans at the tills.

Graphic Novel Review - 'Winx Club: Magic Collection' by Iginio Straffi (Creator)

Why, hello old friend.



Happy 450th review! 

But a brief one, revisiting one of my childhood Magical Girl gems.

Ah the nostalgia! 'Winx Club' = the Magical Girl genre meets 'Harry Potter' meets all kinds of magic and technology, featuring impossibly-thin, impossibly-pretty teenage fairy girls, handsome teenage boy knights in shining armour, and mean girl evil witches. It's a fun, glittery, colourful guilty pleasure, where friendship is magic! Like 'W.I.T.C.H.', but softer and sillier.

'Winx Club: Magic Collection' contains nine volumes of the comic series based on the Italian cartoon created by Iginio Straffi, but I believe that it was made for preexisting fans of 'Winx Club' only, as newcomers are bound to be confused as it progresses. Prepare for a lot of issues to be skipped over, so that there are no formal introductions to some of the characters (not to mention the Winx Club's transformation outfits), little explanation as to what is going on, major details and backstories that are never mentioned again, and major events told only in recaps. The collection starts out as a retelling of the first season of the show, and the rest is all self-contained stories. They are new, at least, and are entertaining, and even political and educational for children. 

If anything, now I find this universe's worldbuilding to be far more interesting than ever I did before. Admittedly only a handful of the main characters receive strong representation and focus. However, the protagonist, the redheaded "earth fairy" Bloom who is actually a princess from a destroyed planet and realm, is how I remember her and more. Always one of my favourites, I had related to Bloom the most as a kid, and I admire her kindness, sensitivity, honesty, uncertainties, insecurities, courage, generosity, modesty, altruism, and her unfaltering anger and strength needed to stand up for her beliefs and loved ones. She is the relatable and inspirational heart, soul and motivator of this club of best friends and universe saviours!

'Winx Club: Magic Collection' - an 832-page magical, digital fairy romp! What you'll find inside are: a clever homage to the Minotaur's maze, 16th-18th century pirates, an Asimov-inspired robot rebellion, a time traveler from earth, toy products in the form of magic pets that in-universe can be downloaded from the internet, an education on perfume, a cursed necklace that isn't cursed after all, and all kinds of fashionable, sparkly clothes on the girls!

'Winx Club' is not every little girl's fantasy, I know. All girls each have different, individual wish-fulfillment dream departments. In terms of gender rep it is a simple kids' marketing ploy, catering to the basest of stereotypes. Nearly in all instances of this series there is the traditional, Saturday morning cartoon black and white morality: where good = beautiful, and bad = ugly, or gothic. (But there is less of this in the cartoon than in the comic). What is the difference between fairy magic and witchcraft in this universe anyway?

But... no, I have no excuse. 'Winx Club' is a charming, nostalgic guilty pleasure for me, that's at least not all about cute and pretty things, given its universal themes of friendship, teamwork, believing in yourself, being nice and doing the right thing, schoolwork, community, and rebellion. It can be very funny too. 

An addition to my Magical Girl repertoire.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Book Review - 'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo' by Jill Twiss, Marlon Bundo (Inspiration), E.G. Keller (Illustrator)

'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver''s giant F-U to the Vice President of the United States in the form of a children's book, all proceeds going to the Trevor Project and AIDS United. What a time to be alive.

'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo' should be read by everyone - the tale of two boy bunny rabbits falling in love and getting married won't even take three minutes to warm your heart, fill your tear-ducts, and give you the fuzzy feels. And give you hope. 

Everything is political, there is no getting away from that fact nowadays, and above all else this sweet, adorable and massively funny picture book is about love, and accepting that difference is good, that change for the new and better is good; difference and progress are natural. Love in all forms is natural. To be able to love freely is to survive, to live.

LBGTQ themes and issues being made available to children in stories like this one is a beautiful thing - between this, 'The Legend of Korra' comics, and the works of Katie O'Neill, a cultural revolution is happening and it is not going away. We shouldn't hide the fact that queer people exist from children anywhere, for ignorance and lack of education lead to fear, intolerance, bullying, and violence. Just look where it has gotten us. And gay children do exist as well; it is not sexualizing them, anymore than when showing children to have heterosexual crushes, which is universally seen as acceptable and normal.

Another thing to note: Homophobes never seem to consider that a member of their own family might be gay, which is very likely, no matter how much they may try to deny it - for the community is not a minority to be rounded up at once and then "cured" (in every disgusting, hate-filled, inhuman way).

'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo' is about pure, fun love, and tolerance. It is also about the importance of voting - an ingenious addition in teaching the next generation how they can help make a change whenever they are feeling powerless and scared. These are important lessons coming at a crucial time, published for the people in this unusual satirical manner, that is written and drawn spectacularly. Such lovely watercolours! The book is for us to enjoy and reflect upon.

Long live the gay bunnies! Long live the gay otters! Long live the lesbian cats!

"Stink bugs are temporary. Love is forever".

Final Score: 5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home' by Rainbow Rowell (Writer), Kris Anka (Artist)

A fun little comic that can be read by anyone, even people who are not so familiar with any previous 'Runaways' comics or anything Marvel.

Years ago, when I was first trying to get into comic books, I wasn't hooked on the first volume of 'Runaways', a series about a team of superhero kids struggling to be good; developing into a true family, away from their supervillain parents. But when I heard that this new revival story would be penned by a woman writer - a well-known YA author, Rainbow Rowell - and when I saw that it was in my local bookshop, I decided to give it a go. 

I'm glad I did; £14.99 well spent.

Full of drama and heart, and the right amount of action to go with the nice, well-executed dose of character development. The young, traumatized members of the Runaways have been going their separate ways for some time now, but now they're getting the band back together. To say it won't be easy would be to underestimate Galactus. There is a lot to deal with and cope with, as the past catches up to each of these gifted yet strained and troubled youths. 

There is the de facto leader, Nico Minoru (aka Sister Grim), the gothic Asian bisexual witch, possessing the dangerous "Staff of One", whom I had read about in a few things before, but here is where I've come to like her the most, as I've always wanted to. Then there's Chase Stein, the cocky, overconfident but nonetheless hardworking and tragic tech guy, and the only biological male member of the superhero group. He really is the driving force of this bunch, as he gets a lot of things done, even when the others think he's the lamest, most useless, self-serving member. Gert Yorkes is back (VERY long story), along with her pet dinosaur Old Lace, and she is awesome; bitingly sarcastic, yet optimistic, yet cynical, all at the same time. She's so complex, and is never to be pitied despite what she's been through, not to mention she's great fat representation in comics, especially for Marvel. Gert is considered to be the heart of the Runaways, and from this comic it's easy to see why; she's desperate for a loving family and home, and the team fell apart when they lost her. What will it mean now that she's suddenly brought back to life (because you should never trust anyone to stay dead for long in comics)? Now-thirteen-year-old Molly Hayes, a friend to all possessing super strength, is adorable, and as believable as everybody else - she lives at home with her terribly suspicious grandmother, and with a lot of cats and pop culture collectibles. Karolina Dean, the humanoid alien of sunshine and fashion, is in college. New life, new girlfriend, but can she leave it all behind for the old gang, where there are friends but also painful memories? And what will become of her relationship with Nico, whom she had feelings for in the past, and has now tried to kiss her? Finally there's Victor Mancha, an android originally programmed for evil (who is also Ultron's son, again, VERY long story), currently just a talking head.

'Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home' is about all these misfits coming together and trusting one another again, for even when adjusting to change, to new lives, ordinary or superheroic (or in Gert's case, beginning to literally live in the here and now), they might always need each other. They are a great cast of characters worth reading about; worth exploring their issues and differences with them as they come to know more about themselves as well as their friends. 

However, they are not just friends. Whether they realize it or not, the Runaways are not some outsider kids who'd happened to have traveled together under the same circumstances. They are a family. A dysfunctional, complicated, but loyal and loving family. There is still tragedy and heartbreak, but the kids will fight back. They will make the right decisions. 

Sooner or later, the kids are alright.

Rainbow Rowell did exceedingly well here - the characters, their interactions, the humour, the action, the mystery: everything is written and paced with the skill of an experienced storyteller. The diversity is excellent. The artwork is a topnotch beauty. And who can go wrong with good and evil cats, dinos, and talking robot heads in superhero comics!

Overall, a lovely, endearing Marvel comic, and a start of something special, I'm sure. Recommended.

Final Score: 4/5

May Update

I've been up and down - from dawn to dawn - between being too busy and too lazy lately, what with work, reading, buying crap, and watching bewitching films I haven't seen before. Instead of prowling the moors and the night, I've inadvertently given myself a prolonged period of relaxation and procrastination. I blame the exposure to the sudden warmth of the sun in England. Summer Solstice seems to have come early this year. How dispelling for me, however comfortable.

But I've got a big project planned which will be coming up soon; hopefully in two weeks, as I've got family plans as well. In the meantime, catch everyone later, and I hope you all take care, be happy, and love and support each other.

Blessed Be :) :)

Book Review - 'The House with Chicken Legs' by Sophie Anderson

2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.

Final Score: 3.5/5





Original Review:



Utterly charming and creative, a little sweet and sad, with one of the most complex and realistic child protagonists I've read about in a long time.

One needs a little whimsy in life.

When I first heard about 'The House with Chicken Legs' by debut author Sophie Anderson, I was suspicious of all the 5-star reviews it was getting, before it was published. Despite the premise sounding right up my Diagon Alley - Baba Yaga is a fairy tale figure who seriously needs more attention - I ignored it.

Until recently, out of the blue, I saw all those copies in my local bookshop. Then I rethought: Hey, it is a Baba Yaga reimagining, and I was sorely in the mood for light children's fantasy after being disappointed by one book after another all throughout this mediocre year (dear lord I hope 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' doesn't turn out to be a fluke), so here we are.

'The House with Chicken Legs' is an emotional ride. One emotion drifting back and forth, changing into another, in a space of a few pages, sometimes less. I would love the main character, the twelve-year-old granddaughter of Baba Yaga, Marinka, then hate her the next page, then come to understand her all over again. This girl is incredibly selfish, inconsiderate, and irresponsible, but given her circumstances the reader knows why. She is a girl wanting to feel alive, to be among living people, to make friends (something she constantly goes on about at the beginning of the book); she desperately wants a life outside of her grandmother's house with chicken legs, which gets up and runs to a different location whenever fancy takes it, and the dead people Baba Yaga guides every night into The Gate: the stars, the Milky Way, the universe of meteors, never to be seen again.

Never able to stay in one place for long, Marinka's life is lonely, even with her beloved Baba and her faithful jackdaw Jack, who like her is stubborn as bones and stone. And with her house, which has a life of its own and is bonded to its Guardian, its Yaga. Very 'Howl's Moving Castle', but sentient and more playful and sensitive.

Marinka keeps making one devastating mistake after another, endangering those who love her every step of the way, leading to terrible consequences. She does learn and grow better as a result, whilst still being a confused, uncertain child. There are life lessons sprinkled in this, for children's literature, about fitting in, peer pressure, disappointed life expectations, feeling alone even when with others, how "normal" is overrated, and appreciating the time you have with the people you love, while you can.

I love the worldbuilding. There are thousands of Yagas in this world, who can live up to thousands of years, in their own houses with chicken legs, as they welcome, care for and guide the dead every night. This keeps the cycle of life and the universe in balance. It can be a lonely existence, what with only dead people for company who leave the same night they come, as the Yagas share in their memories and hopes, dreams, love, and regrets in life - what they cannot have themselves. But with a simple touch, Sophie Anderson manages to make the role of a Yaga seem whimsy, warm and exciting. There is a magical charm throughout. I wanted to live in a house with chicken legs as I read this! The scene where the Yagas come together - travelling by house - for a ceremony and party is delightful. Every single one of them is so nice, even Marinka appreciates this.

Yes, even Baba Yaga herself is the sweetest, most caring grandmother you could wish for. Still old with crooked teeth, but is all energy for dancing, singing, playing the balalaika, and for having fun with the dead before they depart (plus for telling stories to the orphaned Marinka, whilst reassuring her of her "destiny" as the next Yaga and Guardian). It is explained that the reason for the legend of her as a cruel, cunning witch is because the few living people who do somehow get near her house are afraid of her and her mysterious life. They fear appearances, suspect her link with death, and so they make up scary stories about her. People being afraid of what they don't understand is a major theme in 'The House with Chicken Legs'.

At first I was iffy on the idea of the fearsome and morally-gray Baba Yaga being changed into the exact opposite of how she's always been interpreted, but it worked out well. Never be so quick to judge and jump to conclusions. I'd wanted to read something nice and sweet anyway, as I had grown sick of cynicism and violence and brutality. The world and mainstream stories have enough of that already!

So, this was a treat. It is like the book version of Pixar's 'Coco'; it contains themes dealing with death, grief and family. And playing music.

I wasn't quite sold on the friendship theme, however. Without giving much away, I don't like how Marinka's female friendships all end in tragedy, or at least they were portrayed as negative, whilst her male friendships are far more positive; there's a tiny hint of a romance on the horizon (ugh! why, in a story this original, is that cliché here?). There is another old Yaga whom Malinka ends up befriending in a mentor/student role, and one young Yaga her own age at a party who appears briefly for a few pages, but that's it. The ending I think is quite underwhelming too.

But as the little book says, life is full of a universe of possibilities. Marinka does get to decide her own destiny, whilst waiting patiently for new interests and roles to come to her, as she is young and full of potential, like all children.

Finally, a genuinely good modern children's fantasy fairy tale in 2017-2018. Try 'The House with Chicken Legs', if only for the title and gorgeous UK cover. It's short, but brimming with life and fun, even with the sadness that comes with death. Russian phrases for drinks, food, musical instruments and things are used throughout as well, for authenticity.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Graphic Novel Review - 'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1' by Emil Ferris

There might not be another book like this - graphic novel or otherwise - ever.

'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' - Part notebook, part artbook, all mystery and coming-of-age. Set in early sixties Chicago, young Karen Reyes loves the monsters she reads about in horror comics and pulp anthology magazines (and watches in B-movies), more than she does people. People, as it turns out, are far scarier. Far more complex, and far more unpredictable, yet predictable in M.O.B.s (Mean, Ordinary and Boring), no matter the time period. Karen knows to fear the mob mentality, instead of any "different" creature that they target in society.

Karen sees herself as a werewolf as she goes through puberty, and she wants to be a detective, complete with coat and hat, as she tries to solve the mystery of the apparent "suicide" of her neighbour Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor. Everyone around her, with lives of their own, is a suspect: including Anka's husband, a ventriloquist, a gangster, and Karen's ladies' man older brother Deeze, who has serious issues and a dark past (seriously, he is one to watch out for). On top of juggling everything else in her life, not least some horrifically racist and sexist bullies, Karen's mother also has tragic news...

There are so many metaphors and symbols in this giant of a graphic novel, it would take forever to go through them all. There is famous artwork (Karen and Deeze are artists and they love to visit art museums) to go along with the monster imagery. As we go deeper - look at the bigger picture from all the smaller pictures, as it were - we see how Karen's and Anka's lives are interwoven. I loved reading about both of them. The world is nasty, cruel and sadistic to them, and they survive and cope however they can, using what they've been given. They both carry ghosts of their pasts around with them. They are beautiful and fully-realized and drawn characters, just like all the other characters, even the horrible ones.

'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters' covers important issues, mainly prejudice. Monsters are not real, or are they, in the form of ourselves, the poor, mortal humans? Mobs fear change and differences from the default, the societal norm. Anka is German and Jewish, and she was forced into prostitution far too young, unable to understand just what is going on around her. Her past before and during World War II, against the backdrop of the holocaust, is only the beginning. There is also Karen's friend Franklin, an African-American boy who is clearly hinted to be gay.

Karen's mother is mixed race, and as well her racial identity Karen also deals with revelations about her sexuality - she likes girls, and I liked the little subplot of her rekindling her relationship with her childhood friend Missy, who also secretly loves monster things but pretends to like make-up and boys after her mother forbids her from seeing Karen. Pressure to fit into a hostile, fragile yet "normal" society is strong in this tragically human tale. 

A sweet, hugely imaginative, lonely child outcast, Karen is into horror and monsters; it is people who scare her, and for good reason. Therefore she doesn't want to be human, but an undead creature of the night, who wanders through graveyards as she can't die herself...

The sketchy graphic novel can be read in a day, and it ends in a cliffhanger. Damn, how unfair.

It's weird; pretty morose stuff. Blue in more ways than one. But it sucks you in like a painting, telling an absolutely compelling story containing a whole lot of subtext. It could be called abstract and postmodern. I could almost smell the colours and the settings on each bizarre page, like Karen says she can smell everything that's in an outer surface, which is one of her special gifts. I'm not a fan of horror, nor am I an art expert, but even I appreciated the beauty - the sheer ambition and scope - of 'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1'.

Love the characters, love the unraveling plot, love the humanity, the creepiness, the versatility of the artwork - changing along with the mood of the protagonist - hate that it is incomplete. Sequel is optional to read, though. Light speed points for the intersectional feminism as well (in addition, a trans character is featured in Anka's past); a standing ovation for historical fiction.

Unforgettable. Recommended.

Final Score: 4/5

Calendar Art pic

Just thought I'd show what awesome art my calendar has this month, by the great Anne Stokes :)