Graphic Novel – Page 14 – Schizanthus Nerd

FRNK #1: The Beginning Begins – Olivier Bocquet

Illustrations – Brice Cossu

Ths cmc bk bcm qt hrd t rd n sm sctns!

Did you get that?

After being exchanged by three previous families Frank is due for an appointment with a fourth potential family, Mr and Mrs Fugly (I kid you not! 😆). He “drops in” to the meeting with the director of the orphanage, who accidentally admits she doesn’t know what happened to his parents. Deciding to run away (again!) Frank is caught by the gardener who tells Frank the truth, that he found Frank when he was about a year old. The gardener shows Frank a map of where he found him then sends him on his way.

After a journey on foot to find his parents, complete with some pretty funny falls, directionally challenged Frank finds himself sucked through a portal of sorts and winds up in prehistoric times. There is no phone service, no internet and apparently vowels haven’t been invented yet, so the locals tlk lk ths (talk like this). It does take a bit to get used to the way they talk and because of this, FRNK may not be the best comic book for reluctant readers. There’s one swear word in this book but your kid most likely already knows it anyway and its use is really funny.

This is the first comic in a series of three so there’s the inevitable ending just when you’re really getting into it. I’ve read this comic book twice now. The first time I was so frustrated by the lack of vowels in the prehistoric world that it took my attention away from the story. Having said that, after a break and coming into it knowing about the vowel situation, I really enjoyed reading this the second time.

There’s a fair amount of humour I missed the first time around and this time I really focused on the awesome job Brice Cossu has done with the illustrations. The expressions in both present and past add to the humour of the text and the details in the landscape, plants and animals are wonderful.

The vowel situation will be off putting for some readers, although it’s only for a portion of the book. If you can get past this, you’ll find a series that has a lot of potential. Besides the humour and time travel, there’s action and fight scenes, along with the mysteries of where Frank’s parents are (if they’re still alive) and whether Frank will go home in the end. I suspect he may find home in prehistoric times but I haven’t read past the first comic so that’s only my gut feeling.

What this comic proves to me is that if you’re not entirely sure what you think of a story it’s completely fine to cleanse your reading palate with other books before you attempt a reread. Had I reviewed this book straight after I read it for the first time you’d be reading a very different review. I’m definitely interested in getting my hands on the rest of this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Europe Comics for the opportunity to read this comic.

P.S. That first sentence? If you didn’t get it, it reads “This comic book became quite hard to read in some sections!”, but I’m sure you already knew that! 😜

Once Upon a Blurb

When a 13-year-old orphan sets out to find his parents and ends up in prehistoric times, he realises he’s got a lot of work to do: so many things haven’t been invented yet, like fire, soap … and vowels! Not to mention all the terrifying creatures and knuckledragging cavemen he has to deal with!

24 March, 20182 March, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 4 stars, Europe Comics, FRNK, Graphic Novel, NetGalley

I’m Not Your Sweet Babboo! – Charles M. Schulz

I grew up with the Peanuts gang. I read the comics and knew all of the TV specials by heart. I loved It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and watched A Charlie Brown Christmas every year. I have a Peanuts book with black and white comics that I read to death as a kid. While its pages are yellow with age, they’re thankfully all intact. I know I’ll never part with it.

One of the first stuffed toys I ever received was Snoopy and I have photos of me sitting holding it before I was a year old. I still have that Snoopy, although he kind of doesn’t have a nose anymore. It wasn’t me! 😇 Oh, who am I kidding? I’m sure it was me. It’s not like I have any siblings to blame. I even completed a cross stitch as an adult of Lucy sitting at her psychiatry booth, which is as cute and funny as it sounds.

So, that was a long winded way of saying that it basically feels like the Peanuts gang grew up down the road from me, so reading I’m Not Your Sweet Babboo! felt like I was catching up with my childhood friends. I knew a lot of the stories already so they felt like the gang and I were reminiscing about the good ol’ days. I was also excited to find some comic strips I’d never encountered before (I guess I wasn’t home those days and they had adventures without me).

”If life were a camera, I’d have the lens cap on.”
Charlie Brown

Charles M. Schulz created such a wonderful cast of characters. There are just so many smiles in this book. Peppermint Patty is excited that she doesn’t have to go to school anymore because she’s just graduated. Snoopy is her attorney when the public school wants evidence of her graduation. She has graduated – from dog obedience training. Peppermint Patty and Marcie learn how competitive golf can be when they become caddies at the Country Club. Marcie calls Peppermint Patty ‘sir’ all of the time, as usual.

Snoopy and Woodstock have some talks with ‘World War II’, the mean cat next door, who doesn’t talk so much as bowl Snoopy over every chance it gets. Snoopy also meets the beagle of his dreams, plans his wedding and invites his brother Spike to be his best man.

Charlie Brown waits by the mailbox for Valentines, chats to the kite-eating tree and learns why you can’t trust 3’s. Sally welcomes the new school building.

Schroeder plays the piano and Lucy fawns over him, and naturally, Linus and his blanket hang out. I would have liked Franklin and Pig-Pen to show up but I’m sure they’ll make appearances in other collections.

“No, ma’am, I wasn’t daydreaming … I was conceptualising!”
Peppermint Patty

I adored this book, particularly the comic strips that were new to me. Having mostly read black and white Peanuts comics I loved that this collection was in colour. Because these kids were a significant part of my childhood, nostalgia will always play a huge role in how I look at any of the characters but from my point of view Mr Schulz’s characters have stood the test of time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this wonderful trip down memory lane.

Once Upon a Blurb

Pick up a glass of milk, curl up with your security blanket, and enjoy the timeless brilliance of Peanuts in this new collection of comic strips!

Everyone’s favorite classic characters are back: Peppermint Patty enrolls in a private school to end her academic troubles – only to discover she’s just graduated from obedience school. Linus finds himself entangled in a love triangle (and stuck on top of a snow-covered roof). And Charlie Brown runs away from the law and becomes a vagrant baseball coach.

The Peanuts crew is lovable, popular, and charming, but please whatever you do, don’t call Linus “My Sweet Babboo!”

23 March, 20182 March, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 5 stars, Andrews McMeel Publishing, Graphic Novel, NetGalley, Peanuts

The Scarecrow Princess – Federico Rossi Edrig

”You know what, Morrigan Moore? Your endless whingeing is wearing a bit thin.”

I couldn’t say it better, Mr King of the Crows. Morrigan Moore is a fairly impressive tantrum thrower. Throughout the story she winds up yelling at pretty much everyone.

Morrigan is fourteen and isn’t happy about moving (again!) to the middle of nowhere. Edgar, her older brother and Sophie, her mother are gathering information about the King of the Crows and the Scarecrow Prince for their next book in the Myths of Albion series.

After a crow steals her hair pin and she gets cranky (again!), Morrigan winds up meeting Alma, a potential friend if she can put up with Morrigan’s anger issues, and Dandelion, one of the dogs Alma is paid to walk by rich people.

When Dandelion pulls hard on her leash to chase a crow (yes, they’re everywhere in this story) Alma’s bracelet breaks and ends up in Widow Abbott’s yard, a recluse and the oldest woman in town. Although Alma tells her not to, Morrigan decides to find the broken bracelet.

As soon as she retrieves it, Widow Abbott appears, warns Morrigan that she’s exposed, that shiny objects attract him and he has eyes and ears everywhere, before hustling the new girl inside. Who has eyes everywhere? The King of the Crows and apparently underestimating his threat only makes him more dangerous, so pay attention! Arming Morrigan with a button for protection, Widow Abbott sends her on her way. Yeah, that’ll help! Thanks, scary old lady!

Then there are some action scenes and kidnapping, followed by watching Morrigan masturbate before she has a suggestive conversation with the creepy Crow Man, who incidentally is not just her senior but at least several hundred years older than her. That’s if he’s not immortal. I don’t know. I’m pretty sketchy on some of the details. Maybe I missed some of the really important links but some of the scenes appeared jumpy, without the connection needed to get the full picture.

Morrigan has some wicked eyebrows and one of the best angry faces I’ve ever seen,

but I don’t know why a fourteen year old is wandering around preparing for battle yet forgets to put on her underwear. Seriously! Why did we need a naked fourteen year old girl facing off against a naked man of indeterminate age but somewhere in the ‘why aren’t you dead already?’ range?!

While I’m asking questions, why are Morrigan’s older brother and her mother consistently referred to as her folks? Was something lost in the translation? Why does Morrigan’s brother look positively evil in some of the panels where he’s smiling?

While I was really interested in this graphic novel based on the blurb and cover image I found a lot of the scenes with Crow Guy really hard to decipher. There’s plenty of black swooshing around the pages but it’s hiding the detail of what’s actually happening a fair amount of the time.

While I was initially hooked because we were setting off to investigate a local legend and that should be awesome, I wound up disappointed. I guess I should’ve listened when Morrigan’s mother said at the beginning:

”It’s not the job of an author to give the reader what they want … It is the job of an author to give the reader what they need.”

I didn’t get what I wanted or hoped for. Did I get what I needed? I guess the author thinks so. Unfortunately I won’t be recommending this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Once Upon a Blurb

Morrigan Moore has always been moody, but her new home is the worst. Her novelist mother has dragged her to the countryside, drawn by the lost myth of the King of Crows, a dark figure of theft and deceit, and the Scarecrow Prince, the only one who can stand against him. When Morrigan finds herself swept up in the legend, she’ll have no choice but to take on the Scarecrow Prince’s mantel, and to stand and fight. For her town, her family, and her own future. This lushly drawn graphic novel will pull you into its sinister secrets and not let go till the final page. For fans of Coraline and Over the Garden Wall.

20 March, 201821 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 2 stars, Diamond Book Distributors, Graphic Novel, Lion Forge, NetGalley

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie – Anthony Del Col

Illustrations – Werther Dell’edera

I’m not quite sure how this happened but I made it through my entire childhood without reading a single Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book. I began to rectify this glaring hole in my bookish experience two years ago when my library bought the first few Nancy Drew books. I read and enjoyed the first two before getting distracted by another book. Here we are two years later and I’ve been distracted by so many other books that I haven’t read the third book or beyond. I’m yet to read a Hardy Boys book.

I was excited to have the opportunity to read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie but when I tried to get into it the first time I was concerned that my lack of inside information about this trio would mean I would be lost before I started. I needn’t have worried. Finally giving up on getting to know Nancy better and the Hardy Boys at all first I dove into this graphic novel today and it was surprisingly awesome!

When I originally met book Nancy she came across to me as fitting a tad too well in the ’practically perfect in every way’ box but I loved her character in this noir graphic novel. This story shows Nancy, Frank and Joe with an edge that I’m guessing they never had in the novels.

In this story we find ourselves in postcard perfect Bayport. The Hardy Boys are suspects in their father’s murder and together with childhood friend and fellow mystery solver Nancy Drew, they need to find a way to clear their names and identify the real murderer. Along the way there are fist fights, suspicion thrown around some shady and not so shady characters, police brutality, flashbacks, meetings in the middle of the night and a good ol’ fashioned secret passageway left over from the Prohibition era.

I’m not sure how people who grew up loving Nancy, Frank and Joe will fare with what appears to be a hardening of their characters and a less innocent bunch of mystery solvers. I enjoyed the grittiness of the investigation and it probably says something about the feel of the graphic novel that in my head the male narrator/voice over had the same voice as Mickey Rourke’s Marv in Sin City.

I loved the front cover image, combining the trio and providing a hint of what’s to come. The illustrations matched the style of the story; dark, murky at times, with plenty of shadows to add to the ambience.

While one part of the mystery is solved in this graphic novel there’s an overarching mystery that remains to be solved another day, and it will definitely be a follow up I’ll be looking out for.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dynamite Entertainment and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Once Upon a Blurb

Volume collects issues 1-6.

A Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mystery unlike any other you’ve ever read! When the teenage brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are accused of the murder of their father – a detective in the small resort town of Bayport – they must team up with Nancy Drew to prove their innocence (and find the real guilty party in the process) in a twisting noir tale, complete with double-crosses, deceit, and dames.

Writer Anthony Del Col (Assassin’s Creed, Kill Shakespeare) and artist Werther Dell’Edera (Batman: Detective Comics, House of Mystery) bring the iconic teen detectives into the modern age, and redefine noir for a new generation of readers!

11 March, 20181 March, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 4 stars, Diamond Book Distributors, Dynamite Entertainment, Graphic Novel, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, NetGalley

Kim Reaper Volume 1: Grim Beginnings – Sarah Graley

Kim Reaper Vol. 1: Grim Beginnings combines the first four issues of this fun new series. Becka and Kim are both studying fine arts at university but Becka’s crush on Kim, which consists of staring dreamily at the back of her head in class, is the sum total of their interaction. Becka’s friend Tyler finally convinces her to ask Kim out so after class she follows Kim, who disappears into a portal in the corridor.

Naturally this is a job for social media so Becka gets ready to capture this moment for internet posterity but then her phone and Becka both get sucked into the portal. It turns out that Becka’s crush has a part time job to help pay her way through uni and to fund her expensive goth clothes. Kim is … 🥁 … a reaper … of animals because she hasn’t been promoted to reaping people yet. 😊

What follows is a process of the two girls getting to know each other, visiting each other’s favourites places and a few other fairly typical getting to know you scenarios, like encountering a cat hoarding gym junkie energy drink addict hulk, zombies 🧟‍♀️ 🧟‍♂️, bed cookies, ghouls, and going to hell via the employee’s entrance.

I wasn’t quite sure what I expected from this collection. I was sucked in purely based on the wonderful cover image and its implied promise of purple tones throughout. I got the purples I was looking for along with a beautiful soft colour scheme. All of the illustrations were really sweet and I was impressed that both girls actually had curves.

The stories were interesting and the budding relationship between Becka and Kim was cute, with arguments along the way before their first kiss. Aww! 😘 While the language used came across as a bit too young for the characters, I was entertained for the entire ride. The strange occurrences in the stories took me deeper into this world instead of the jarring effect I sometimes experience. I had no problem believing anything was possible in this world and I look forward to finding out what’s next for this cute new couple.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Once Upon a Blurb

Part-Time Grim Reaper. Full-Time Cutie!

Like most university students, Kim works a part-time job to make ends meet. Unlike most university students, Kim’s job is pretty cool: she’s a grim reaper, tasked with guiding souls into the afterlife.

Like most university students, Becka has a super intense crush. Unlike most university students, Becka’s crush is on a beautiful gothic angel that frequents the underworld. Of course, she doesn’t know that.

Unaware of the ghoulish drama she’s about to step into, Becka finally gathers up the courage to ask Kim on a date! But when she falls into a ghostly portal and interrupts Kim at her job, she sets off a chain of events that will pit the two of them against angry cat-dads, vengeful zombies, and perhaps even the underworld itself. But if they work together, they just might make it … and maybe even get a smooch in the bargain.

10 March, 201830 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 4 stars, Graphic Novel, Kim Reaper, NetGalley, Oni Press

Wrapped Up Volume 1 – Dave Scheidt & Scoot McMahon

Wrapped Up Volume 1 features Milo, a twelve year old mummy who’s passionate about pizza and skateboarding. If you want to embarrass him just call him ‘Beetle’. Milo lives with his mummy Mum, archaeologist stepfather Henry and older stepsister Jill. For some reason poor mummy Dad lives with this blended family and no one seems to be weirded out by this. The next door neighbour is a wizard that has no name and is friends with Milo.

I’m not sure how this works but mummy Mum and mummy Dad wound up with a mummy son, even though, being mummies, they’ve been dead for quite a while. This is one of those graphic novels where you need to suspend your disbelief and just go with the flow. For example, in the introductory story a gorilla interrupts the family’s pizza dinner by crashing through the wall and then falls in love with Milo.

In Night of the Pizza Knight Milo wishes he could have pizza every day and No-Name-Wizard who appears perpetually drunk and/or stoned (potions are mentioned) grants Milo’s wish. They hadn’t counted on the arrival of the Pizza Knight or the ire of a cheesed off (sorry!) pizza delivery guy.

In Mummy vs Wild Jill asks Milo to meet her at the zoo. Amira, who we haven’t met until now, tags along with Milo. Once at the zoo the three split up and all of a sudden Milo is being chased and crawled over by zoo animals. This was my least favourite story in the collection.

In The Babysitter’s Flub Milo’s mummy Dad is going on a date and has arranged for Milo to have a witch in training babysitter that is younger than he is. This story features a chocolate milk cow and a psychotic pizza.

In The Ewww-y Decimal System Milo’s mummy Mum has a job for Milo at the library where she works. She needs him to locate the book that someone shelved after vomiting in it as the smell is (obviously) bothering the customers.

In Killer Cats and Mummy Wraps the wizard next door is certain that evil cats are trying to kill him.

In Keep It Down Milo can’t sleep because of the teenage jock frogs having a party in the back yard.

In Hungry, Hungry Kaiju it’s up to Milo to save the day when a ravenous monster causes havoc.

In Children of the Night Jill is having a picnic with her vampire friends one night in the cemetery (as you do). They realise they’ve been caught and have to bail, leaving their snacks behind 😢, but the person behind the torch light isn’t who they thought it was.

In Night of the Creepy Kewpie think Chucky but it’s a Kewpie doll instead and it’s decided Milo is its father.

In Halloween Treats Milo and the Wizard-With-No-Name learn what becomes of the discarded Halloween candy that nobody likes.

My favourite character in this strange family is Jill. She rocks awesome purple hair, loves vampires, has great clothes, jewellery and makeup, and works in a comic book store.

There were several artists involved in this collection. My favourite artwork was by Scoot McMahon and would have preferred it had they illustrated the entire book. There wasn’t anything wrong with the other artists’ work. I just really liked Scoot’s style.

My favourite panel features a gigantic purple cat doing a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man impersonation by reaching for Milo and Wizard-Man who are on the roof of a building. The awesome thing about this gigantic cat is that it’s actually all of the cats joined together to form the shape of the “man-cat”.

This collection was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were a couple of stories I wasn’t a fan of and I felt the others needed to be fleshed out (apologies again!) some more. I enjoyed the stories more once I stopped questioning everything that didn’t make sense to me and let them flow over me instead. The series itself has potential and I’m interested to see where it goes from here.

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Lion Forge and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Once Upon a Blurb

Milo is just your average twelve-year-old boy. His loving parents are mummies, his best friend is an old wizard, and his babysitters are witches. When Milo isn’t busy at school or visiting the comic book store, he loves to hang out with cool teen vampires, play with magical kitties, feed a hungry kaiju, and avoid a love-crazed gorilla at all costs. You know, typical kid stuff.

10 March, 201830 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 3 stars, Diamond Book Distributors, Graphic Novel, Lion Forge, NetGalley, Wrapped Up

The Altered History of Willow Sparks – Tara O’Connor

I love a story that makes me think about what I’d do in a character’s position. In The Altered History of Willow Sparks Willow is essentially a book nerd. She is regularly tormented by the school’s resident ‘mean girl’, she loves to read, she works after school at the local library and her friends, Georgia and Gary, don’t appear to be winning any popularity contests either. Oh, she also has pimples, thinks her hair makes her look like a boy and sucks at dodgeball.

Willow accidentally comes across a hidden room filled with books, including one with her name on the spine. Naturally she takes ‘her’ book home and discovers that by writing in this book she can rewrite parts of her life. Of course nothing this magical comes without a price.

I flew through this one. Yes, it was predictable but it was also an entertaining read. Because it’s one of my all time favourite movies I did wonder if Twin Pines High School was a nod to Back to the Future.

I adored the use of blue tones in the illustrations and art critic that I am (ha!) I really liked the feel of the artwork. Perhaps it’s because the same person wrote and illustrated this graphic novel but there wasn’t the jarring I’ve felt recently with other graphic novels. I’m not quite sure how to explain this but it was as though there was a harmony between the words and pictures, so the story flowed seamlessly for me.

When you see Willow making changes to her life your mind naturally does a stocktake of your own life. Circumstances outside of our control aside, we basically do write our own lives anyway, but it is kind of intoxicating to think of the what ifs.

What would you write into your life if you had the power?

What would you write out of it?

Would the consequences outweigh the benefits of the changes?

Personally I can think of a number of things I may consider rewriting but I don’t think I actually would in most instances. While the sucky things in life obviously suck, good can come out of the suckiest of situations. It’s certainly an interesting concept to play around with at any rate.

It’s probably the caffeine flowing through my veins but I loved that there’s a tally in the ‘special features’ section at the end of how much caffeine was consumed by Tara O’Connor during the writing and illustrating process. In case you’re curious, she drank 1460 cups of coffee, 730 cups of tea and 12 espressos. There’s also a list of some of the music that she listened to. It’s the inclusion of this sort of unique quirkiness that makes me love a book even more and feel like I could sit down and have a chat to the author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Once Upon a Blurb

What if you had the power to rewrite your life?

Willow Sparks and her best friend Georgia Pratt are at the bottom of the social ladder at Twin Pines High School, just trying to get through each day relatively unscathed. But when Willow finds a mysterious book that allows her to literally change her life, it feels like her luck is finally turning.

As she becomes more popular with each entry into the book, her old life, including her friendship with Georgia, seems miles away. Yet as Willow will soon discover, every action has a reaction, and the future has unusual – even dangerous – ways of protecting itself.

6 March, 201830 April, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 4 stars, Cover Lovin’, Graphic Novel, NetGalley, Oni Press

Archival Quality – Ivy Noelle Weir

Illustrations – Steenz

This should have been the perfect graphic novel for me. I hate writing negative reviews and I want you to know there are plenty of really positive reviews too. I would encourage you, if you’re considering reading this graphic novel, to check out some of the 4 and 5 star reviews as well. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you. 😊

Our main character, Celeste Walden (Cel), has lost her dream job in a library as a result of a breakdown, lives at home and has been in a five year relationship with Kyle. Kyle sometimes comes across as fairly passive aggressive but most of the time he appears genuinely concerned about his girlfriend’s mental health. Kyle like The X Files so I figure he must be a good guy.

Despite Kyle’s concerns Cel winds up with a job at the Logan Museum as an archivist. The archivist job comes with a fully furnished apartment, which is pretty sweet deal for someone who scans antique medical documents and photos for a living.

Almost immediately Cel starts losing time, dreaming of a girl she’s never met but feels compelled to help and items tend to move around unassisted. Her boyfriend is understandably worried about her mental health and she’s pretty good at being the cranky girl pushing people away.

Cel’s boss is Holly Park, the Head Librarian, who’s worked at the museum for three year, has a girlfriend called Gina, and rocks purple hair with a couple of sections of blue. Prior to this job Holly was a medical student.

Abayomi Abiola (Aba) is the 29 year old chief curator who manages the collections and is kind of a mystery for much of the book. He’s standoffish and cold, and you get the impression he knows more about the museum than he lets on.

I spent the majority of the graphic novel wondering how the museum stays open when there are apparently very few customers. I was so close to giving up for more than half of the story because it seemed to drag out, I had no connection with (and didn’t particularly like) any of the characters and the plot didn’t seem that cohesive.

There were mysteries of who the girl was that Cel was dreaming about and if there was a connection between Cel and her, who the Board members were, what they did and why Cel wasn’t allowed on the third floor, what happened to the previous curator that vanished, and what the deal was with Aba. Some questions were answered but frustratingly others weren’t.

I did appreciate the diversity in the characters as well as the exploration of how people with mental health conditions have been treated and mistreated throughout psychiatric history.

Ultimately though, I was expecting more from this paranormal mystery and unfortunately I was fairly bored for most of the story. While I know people experience mental health conditions differently I found Cel’s character irritating, particularly the amount of time she spent snapping at the other characters. Frankly I was surprised she made it past the interview to get the job in the first place and shocked she managed to keep the job.

Favourite line (by Holly) –

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

Once Upon a Blurb

Everything you need to know is in the archives.

The Logan Museum is a mysterious old building practically covered in skulls, and also the new workplace of Celeste “Cel” Walden, a librarian who was let go from her previous job after a mental breakdown. But Cel is desperate to feel useful, and Abayomi Abiola, the Logan Museum’s chief curator, is desperate to hire a new archivist.

Cel soon realizes the job is unlike any other she’s had. There’s an apartment onsite she’s required to live in, she only works in the middle of the night, and she definitely gets the impression that there’s more to the museum than Abayomi and her new boss, Holly Park are letting on.

And then strange things start happening. Odd noises. Objects moving. Vivid, terrifying dreams of a young woman Cel’s never met, but feels strangely drawn to. A woman who for some reason needs Cel’s help.

As Cel attempts to learn more about her, she begins losing time, misplacing things, passing out – there’s no denying the job is becoming dangerous. But Cel can’t let go of the woman in her dreams. Who is she? Why is she so fixated on Cel? And does Cel have the power to save herself?

6 March, 201821 December, 2024 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 2 stars, Graphic Novel, Mental Health, NetGalley, Oni Press

Far Out Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty, Magic Master – Stephanie True Peters

Illustrations – Alex López

I think this is my new favourite Far Out Fairy Tales graphic novel. I’m almost positive that the photo finish shows Sleeping Beauty, Magic Master just a spindle ahead of Snow White and the Seven Robots.

This Sleeping Beauty isn’t interested in all of that

🎵 One day you’ll awaken to love’s first kiss
Till then, Sleeping Beauty, sleep on 🎵

nonsense. She can save her entire kingdom, thank you very much, and while she’s at it she’ll rescue a prince too. There’s also no way this Aurora will be caught sleeping on the job. She’s got an epic, magical quest on her agenda! I love this story! It’s much more interesting and fun than the original.

Along the way she’ll meet all types of magical folk and she does this by herself, without a clichéd love interest getting in the way of a good story. There’s also a surprise appearance by the most adorable pink dragon 🐉. Aww! 😍

The Good Fairy has a brilliant set of mauve wings and some awesome expressions, the Bad Fairy is certainly in need of their rudely interrupted beauty sleep and the Yeti is, well, a Yeti. What’s not to love about a Yeti?!

Alex Lopez’s illustrations are wonderful! They had plenty of magic to work with and Aurora’s personality is really brought to life in the panels, from her dismal failures to her blech! face after having to touch something icky, through to her woohoo! moments. I particularly loved that the gutters were either white or black, depending on what was happening in the story. [For those that aren’t graphic novel experts, a gutter is the space between panels. See? This graphic novel even taught me something! 😊]

Between the epic quest, the humour, the magic and everything else that you can find out for yourself when you read it, this was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ fun from start to finish.

Once Upon a Blurb

In a faraway land, a princess named Aurora lives in a castle, honing her enchantments amid a slumbering kingdom! When the princess was just a baby, a wicked fairy cursed the realm with unending sleep. But a kind fairy had her own spell to cast – she saved the newborn and granted the girl the gift of magic! Now, Aurora is the only one who can awaken her subjects by concocting a potion made up of the world’s rarest ingredients. Faced with strange places and fantastical creatures, can Aurora succeed in her epic quest, or will the kingdom – and she – be doomed to doze forever?

2 March, 201829 February, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 5 stars, Capstone, Far Out Fairy Tales, Graphic Novel, Stone Arch Books

Far Out Fairy Tales: Hansel & Gretel & Zombies – Benjamin Harper

Illustrations – Fernando Cano

🧟‍♀️ 🧠 BRRAAINS! 🧠 🧟‍♂️

Hansel and Gretel are The Walking Dead in Hansel & Gretel & Zombies. Along with their parents who have dead boring (sorry!) names of Mr Undead and Mrs Undead, Hansel and Gretel are protein deficient. Their corner of the Magical Forest doesn’t attract many brains these days and in a broken lightbulb moment Momma zombie comes up with a plan – to disguise her undead children as not dead children to trick tourists into helping them find their way home to the cemetery for dinner, Hannibal Lector style.

All dressed up with Gretel’s gaping hole in her skull covered with a bonnet and Hansel’s missing eye still glowing an eerie fluorescent yellow-green, our undead kidlets wander off and wind up at Ms Witch’s newly renovated cottage. The children prove their zombieness (I can make up words. It’s my review! 😜) by their abhorrence of all things sugar. A battle of wits ensues.

Fernando Cano’s illustrations are suitably entertaining. I loved the old cemetery.

My favourite panels show Gretel trying to form an idea. I won’t spoil what it looks like but I’m still amused. On the attention to detail side of things only Mrs Undead’s stitched mouth lines are consistent throughout. All of the other zombies have mouth stitches on some panels but not others.

The storyline was okay but not overly captivating. The twist at the end was a let down for me. Overall I prefer the original fairy tale, which is more far out than this Far Out Fairy Tales version.

So, it’s now time to beg my library to buy the rest of this series! 😃

Once Upon a Blurb

The Undead Family is out of brains to eat! Tourists have stopped visiting their home – a graveyard – for some time now, and the family of zombies is starving. So they venture into the Magical Forest, disguised as tourists, hoping to lure humans to an early grave! Unfortunately, an evil witch has other plans for the crepescular kiddies and sets up her own tourist trap …

2 March, 201829 February, 2020 by Schizanthus Nerd Categories: ReviewTags: 3 stars, Capstone, Far Out Fairy Tales, Graphic Novel, Stone Arch Books