Book #371 of 2021: All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told by Douglas Wolk This is a rollicking nonfiction attempt to grapple with the wide range of Marvel Comics titles, written by a lifelong fan after he went back to read literally all of them — the …
Tag Archives: superheroes
Book Review: Lux: A Texas Reckoners Novel by Brandon Sanderson and Steven Michael Bohls
Book #212 of 2021: Lux: A Texas Reckoners Novel by Brandon Sanderson and Steven Michael Bohls Although not a complete misfire, this YA spinoff prequel — currently only available on audio, with print and ebook editions eventually to follow — comes up decidedly short when weighed against the original Reckoners trilogy and author Brandon Sanderson’s …
Book Review: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Book #274 of 2020: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots This is a fun comic-booky novel of a henchwoman / budding supervillain, but I think I have too many logistical questions about the worldbuilding — and too much squeamishness over the surprisingly heavy amount of gore — to properly enjoy it. (These criminals can be arrested …
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Book Review: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
Book #230 of 2020: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune (The Extraordinaries #1) I’ve gone back and forth on my rating for this YA superhero title, parts of which are definitely cute and fun and offer some delightful gay and ADHD representation. I have friends who justifiably adore it, but as a whole I just can’t …
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Book Review: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed
Book #215 of 2020: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed (Wonder Woman Adventures #1) I suppose I’d recommend this new middle-grade series to tweens who love the Wonder Woman character already and are excited to see more of her childhood, but I haven’t gotten much out of the first volume myself. …
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Book Review: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
Book #27 of 2020: Infinity Son by Adam Silvera (Infinity Cycle #1) I feel similarly about this YA superhero novel as I do Marissa Meyer’s Renegades trilogy: it’s neat for the genre exploration and representation — which in this case includes a gay Latino protagonist written by a gay Latino author — but somewhat underwhelming …
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Book Review: Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee
Book #4 of 2020: Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee A fun YA take on Marvel’s Norse-inspired Loki figure, informed by but not especially beholden to his characterization in previous stories. I didn’t spot anything in this novel that’s out of line with the established canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even though it …
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Book Review: Supernova by Marissa Meyer
Book #224 of 2019: Supernova by Marissa Meyer (Renegades #3) This is overall a competent conclusion to a decent YA trilogy, but I’m still pretty flummoxed that author Marissa Meyer never delves deeper into the issue of what makes someone a hero or a villain. If anything, a late reveal cements the villainous side as …
Movie Review: Captain Marvel (2019)
Movie #7 of 2019: Captain Marvel (2019) I love so much about this alien superhero movie: from the confidence of its sci-fi start without audience hand-holding, to the well-crafted plot beats that are satisfying even when guessed ahead of time (or spoiled, presumably), to the sheer heart of its titular heroine. Neither the throwback 90s …
Book Review: Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
Book #4 of 2019: Archenemies by Marissa Meyer (Renegades #2) I like this superhero spy sequel much more than its predecessor, but I’m still struggling with some of the basic concepts of this series. Nova’s hatred of the Renegades — which continues to be a bizarre name for an official government peacekeeping force — has …
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