Scott's Take: Jean Grey: Flames of Fear by Louise Simonson

Jean Grey: Flames of Fear by Louise Simonson, illustrated by Bernard Chang, is another Fall of X title dealing with Jean Grey who died at the Hellfire Gala, but is not gone completely. She is in between being alive and dead. In the first three issues, Jean Grey explores her past and sees what would have happened if she chose a different thing. In the fourth Jean reflects and decides what to do from here.

 

The art and the stories are excellent. But. one must be somewhat familiar with her history as a character to appreciate the stories. One example, is in the first issue that deals with the question -- what if Jean when she was a teen and the rest of the original X-Men that had been sent to the future did not have their memories of the future wiped from them and instead chose to keep those memories to change their present.

 

This was a good book even if the final issue connects to an Immortal X-Men Volume I have not read yet since it was not out as I was reading this. This is a good Jean series, but one would get the most out of it if they are familiar with the comic book character’s history.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3TPZQ0f

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2024

Lesa's Book Critiques: SCOTT TIPPLE, GUEST REVIEWER

 Lesa's Book Critiques: SCOTT TIPPLE, GUEST REVIEWER

Scott's Take: Fantastic Four: The Ultimate Collection Book One by Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo

Fantastic Four: The Ultimate Collection Book One by Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo is a book about what makes the Fantastic Four different than other superhero teams.  A PR expert is brought in to help figure why the Fantastic Four are losing popularity. Another storyline features Sue Storm and her plan to make Johnny grow up. Additionally, the Fantastic Four must face off with giant bugs, a living mathematical equation, and deal with other strange events.

 

This is a fun collection with a cartoony art style. This is a good starting place for new readers of the Fantastic Four. This is an old book reissued and recollected here multiple older issues of the Fantastic Four.

 

Additionally, a very old Avengers tale that was the first time Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo worked together. The Avengers tale is completely irrelevant and not connected at all.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this Fantastic Four collection. There are three more in my reading pile from the same creative team.

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3SM06vE

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2024

Scott's Take: Scott's Take: DC Dark Knights of Steel Vol 2 by Tom Taylor

Dark Knights of Steel Volume 2 by Tom Taylor is an action packed volume includes the last issues of this series plus tie ins set in the past which spotlight the young trio of Bruce Wayne, Zala (this universe’s Supergirl), and Kal-El. Like the first volume, this is an elseworlds read and is set up like DC Universe meets Game of Thrones. Make sure you read my review of the first book here before reading the below.

 

In the first story, Kal-El meets a young Jimmy Olsen and attempts to save him from being kidnapped. Bruce and Zala tag along and eventually help out.

 

A young Bruce Wayne, long before he is Batman, meets Bane in the second story.

 

In the third story, Harley Quinn takes Kal-El and Bruce out on Halloween to attempt to give them some fun in their life.

 

In the main part of the book, the three kingdoms are now at war because of the manipulations by the White Martians. Can our heroes prove that the war is based on lies and stop the fighting in time to stop the White Martians from conquering all?

 

This is an action-packed graphic novel featuring interesting versions of classic characters that while being similar to their main earth counterparts are quite different. New versions of heroes and villains are introduced here in the read. Because of the fact that this is an elseworlds read, the tales here are more graphic and feature plenty of violence, death, and loss. 

 

This version of Harley Quinn remains a delight while the main trio of heroes remain excellent. Bruce has to deal with the truth from the first novel that he is only half human and part Kryptonian. I love how quickly Kal-El accepts that Bruce is his biological brother. In a lot of stories, this situation would be played for drama, but not here as Kal-El just loves him and accepts him for who he is every day.

 

There is a vague teaser setting up much more in this universe that I hope comes to pass as I very much would enjoy reading the multiple ideas suggested.

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System. Unfortunately, the library system caps patrons at 15 Hoopla items a month. I very much wish they would raise it significantly or take the cap off altogether as I can do that easily in graphic novels within a couple of days at the start of each new month.  

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Birthday

Today is Scott's Birthday and he is now THIRTY years old. I guess I can no longer call him "The Boy Genius." Happy Birthday, kiddo!

Scott's Take: Captain America/Iron Man: The Armor & The Shield by Derek Landy

Captain America/Iron Man: The Armor & The Shield by Derek Landy is a miniseries where Captain America (Steve) and Iron Man team up to catch a S.H.I. E.L.D. agent turned traitor. The agent was supposed to go undercover with HYDRA, not actually join them. The agent has now escaped on the way to prison so they team up to catch the agent.

Full of action, humor, and great character work, this is a fun read. The art is very good. Everything I have read by Derek Landy I have liked and this is the case again. It is a fun and pretty self-contained miniseries. Minimal references are made to how both Captain America and Iron Man have undergone extreme life changes during this time period. Iron man died and came back as a synthetic life form and Captain America was replaced by an evil version of himself who took over the world until the good version was freed and defeated his evil version. Comics can get very weird.

I highly recommend this fun title.

 

My reading copy by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Secret Warriors Vol. 1: Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing by Brian Michael Bendis and Jonathan Hickman

Secret Warriors Vol. 1: Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing by Brian Michael Bendis and Jonathan Hickman is the first volume in a series set after the comic book event Secret Invasion. This read follows Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors. The Secret Warriors are powered individuals that he recruited originally to fight the Skrulls. Nick Fury now has them in hiding after S.H.I.E.L.D was disbanded and publicly blamed for the Skrull invasion. S.H.I.E.L.D was replaced by HAMMER led by Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin. Nick Fury knows that HYDRA infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D and is sure they have infiltrated HAMMER as well. So, Daisy Johnson aka Quake and others are being trained to take down HYDRA while trying to not get caught by HAMMER.

Featuring great art, the usual Hickman complicated graphs, and organization plans. HYDRA is a well-developed evil organization with multiple leaders. Nick Fury is his usual shady self while being a jerk to everyone one. He’s one of the good guys, but not one of the nice guys. This is a fun beginning to this series. I look forward to reading volume 2.

 

My reading copy came by way of the Libby/Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: The Blighted Stars: The Devoured Worlds Book 1 by Megan E. O’ Keefe

The Blighted Stars: The Devoured Worlds Book 1 by Megan E. O’ Keefe has two main protagonists.  One named Naira who is a revolutionary and determined to protect earth-like worlds from being destroyed. She believes the Mercator family’s powerful mining corporation is a world destroyer and responsible. The second is Tarquin Mercator who is an heir and a geoscientist that never fit the model of what a Mercator family should be. Naira is undercover as his bodyguard while Targuin is expecting to study a certain earth-like planet and trying to figure out why the planet is dying.

Instead, they crash land on the planet along with several other people. The plot sounds cliched in the beginning, but it is a lot more complicated than the initial synopsis appears.

There is plenty of action and humor in this read. Death, mental illness, and romance play a huge part of this story. There are also several strong horror elements that are not discussed in the synopsis. There are also chapters told from several other perspectives which are also not referenced in the synopsis and yet play a vital role in the story.  For certain readers, the fact that Tarquin is trans could be an issue.

Character development is exceptional with both leads changing a lot. Both protagonists deal with severe consequences regarding various matters. The ending was unexpected to this read and sets up a very interesting sequel. The plot excerpts for the second book looks like the sequel will be just as good as the original.

 I highly enjoyed this read even if it did use several concepts that a lot of science fiction have been using recently.  The second book and the end of the duology comes out late September with the title of The Fractured Dark.

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the Libby/Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Moon Knight Vol. 3: Halfway To Sanity by Jed Mackay

Moon Knight Vol. 3: Halfway To Sanity by Jed Mackay collects five issues plus the annual.  Moon Knight is dealing with his D.I.D. and trying to get a handle on how best to operate with his mental issues while also trying to stop the expansion of vampires in New York. Midway through this volume, the vampire threat is put on hold when Jack Russell, the Werewolf by night, thinks it is a brilliant idea to kidnap Moon Knight’s daughter.

Several new villains are introduced and that includes the leader of the vampires in New York. The leader of the vampires in New York is rather disappointing in the opinion of this reader who also believes this was the author’s intention. Full of action, violence, cinematic set pieces, and character development, I highly enjoyed this volume. The art is very good and continues to be a highlight of the series. I am looking forward to volume 4 which is currently untitled and unlisted on Goodreads so I just have to be patient. 

Earlier books in this series:

Moon Knight Vol. 1: The Midnight Mission by Jed Mackay (Reviewed June 2022)

Moon Knight Vol. 2: Too Tough To Die by Jed Mackay (Reviewed December 2022)

 

My reading copy came from the Audelia Road Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Daredevil and Elektra Vol 1: The Red Fist Saga by Chip Zdarsky

Daredevil and Elektra Vol 1: The Red Fist Saga by Chip Zdarsky is the second in this Daredevil series. In this book, Daredevil has agreed to co-lead with Electra the group known as “The Fist” in the battle against “The Hand.” This means its ninjas vs ninjas in a war for the world. The new leader of The Hand is the Punisher. That tale is being told in the Punisher series by Jason Aaron and is also quite good. In this book, Daredevil and Elektra Vol 1: The Red Fist Saga, Daredevil is preparing to leave New York so he can take the fight to The Hand but a new villain has some revelations for him first.

Daredevil spends a good portion of this first volume recruiting for his new version of The Fist. There are also some pretty cool action sequences which I can’t get into without spoilers. The art is really good. I also highly enjoyed how Daredevil and Spider-man, who is a guest star, are written and depicted.

I am highly looking forward to Daredevil and Elektra Vol 2: The Red Fist Saga Part 2. I also recommend reading the aforementioned Punisher series so you have the other half of the story. Each series is connected, but could be read on their own, but I think you should read both.

 

 

My reading copy came from the Preston Royal Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Ryan Parrott

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Ryan Parrott is a graphic novel where the two franchises cross over. The Power Rangers are going to New York to find their missing teammate. The Green Ranger, Tommy, is missing. They discover he is working with the evil Shredder. This puts them into conflict with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who have no idea who Tommy or the fact that he is the Green Ranger. Can these two teams unite to stop Shredder’s latest evil plan and uncover why Tommy is working with the Shredder?

This action-packed tale features incredible art and fun depictions of both teams. I highly enjoyed this tale. Usually in a crossover, one side is depicted poorly and minimized in favor of the other side. That is not the case here. Both teams get to show off their strengths and their differences. It’s cool to see two of the favorite teams of my childhood uniting. I am really looking forward to the sequel series which has not been collected in a trade read yet.

My reading copy came via the Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing is the latest miniseries and this most recent one features Terry McGinnis as Batman. This is another soft reboot with a new status quo and new supporting cast. It is a broad strokes sequel to all the previous series while ignoring the various parts that contradict. One example of that fact is that this read does not pick up where the previous series ended with Terry joining the Justice League to be the team’s Batman. The league is completely absent from this title.

Instead, the plot is that Bruce Wayne has been murdered by a self-aware AI that has manifested out of the infrastructure of Neo-Gotham. It wishes to take complete control over the city and kill the last piece of resistance, Terry. So, Terry is on his own and must take the fight to a technologically superior enemy. That means all his usual gadgets and tech are out the window. It is time to use what Bruce has trained him to be --a ninja in the night and to operate based on hit and run tactics.

The story acts like this is the first time that he has fought without Bruce for such a long period of time however in other series he also has done this same thing. It is hard to know if that is still canon since the character has been rebooted and retconned so much. It is harder to get invested in a character with so much rebooting.

Each new writer has their own new spin with a new villain and new love interest for Terry. One weird thing is that his new love interest looks a lot like his most commonly used love interest. The art depicts them very similarly. 

Despite these flaws and a lack of humor from Terry who is usually more prone to jokes, Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing is a good read. It is a darker tale so working in his more jokey parts of his personality might have been too difficult. I enjoyed this action-packed thriller with featured a more guerrilla warfare version of Terry. The layouts on some of the pages are really different than what normally is done. The art is pretty good and the new characters introduced are interesting. I really liked Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing.

On the last page, it is declared that Batman Beyond will continue in 2023 in some new form. So, one is hopeful that this means an actual follow up and not another soft reboot.

 

My reading copy was on Hoopla via the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

Artifact Space is the first book in a new series by Miles Cameron. Marca Nbaro escapes from a bad situation by conning her way into joining a merchant navy group that operates in outer space and engages in trade with aliens referred to as Starfishes. Life on a Greatship named, Athens, should be much nicer and safer than her old life. For a while it is and she can sort of relax and believes she will be good as long as she can keep all her secrets. However, new dangers arise so her new life is nowhere near as safe as she thought it would be.

 

What follows is a complicated read that goes far beyond the book jacket copy. This book has some action, plenty of world building, and some drama. I enjoyed this sci-fi tale but I don’t think it is for everyone since a large part of the book is deep detail of routine events. Whether it is her going about doing her job, meeting with her friends, eating lunch, and even shopping for new uniforms. Stuff like that make up a good portion of the book. If that stuff is not for you, then the book is not for you.

 

Those routine event scenes are quiet lulls in the book and interspersed between action scenes. There are a few twists, one of which I thought was very obvious, but the characters were quite surprised.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I see why some readers would get very bored with it. This series is planned to be a two-book series that will end with the book, Deep Black. The release date for that is unknown.

 

 

My paperback reading copy came from my branch, Lochwood Library, of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Superman: Son of Kal-el Vol. 2: The Rising by Tom Taylor

Superman: Son of Kal-el Vol. 2: The Rising by Tom Taylor collects only four issues so it is a short volume.  With Clark Kent off world, it is up to Jonathan Kent as Superman to deal with Bendix. Bendix remains committed to weaponizing anyone with powers while also and killing anyone who tries to stop him. If that was not enough, Lex Luthor is free from prison and back to his old ways, so it’s time for Jon and Lex to meet.  In the last two issues, the Nightwing crossover is collected so Nightwing and Superman team up to take on the group calling itself The Rising.

 

This volume has some heartfelt moments, action, some humor, all the while Jon deals with the fact that when the stakes are so high sometimes there are no clean wins. You can do everything you can and people still die.

 

I really enjoyed this volume. I just wish there was more. It is a strong setup volume and the third volume titled, Superman: Son of Kal-El Vol. 3: Battle for Gamorra, will continue this series. Unfortunately, it won’t come out until May. With such a long wait between volumes it’s hard not to be annoyed when the story kind of just stops.

 

 

My reading coy came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Dead Man’s Hand: The Unorthodox Chronicles is by James J. Butcher

Dead Man’s Hand: The Unorthodox Chronicles is by James J. Butcher, the son of Jim Butcher. Going into this read, I expected the book to be a product of nepotism and probably not worth my time as it has not been published on its own merits. I was very wrong.

 

Grimsby is a mediocre witch who was kicked out of the law enforcement agency of witches. He now works as a performing witch at a fast-food restaurant and life sucks for him. The person who got him kicked out is violently murdered and Grimsby is framed for the killing. If he wants to survive and not end up arrested or dead, he is going to have to prove his innocence.

 

This book is very similar to the Dresden Files by his father in that it also features a sense of humor. The read evolves into a buddy cop book where Grismby and another character, the Huntsman, tell the tale from their perspectives. There is action, humor, strong character development, and interesting world building though at times, the read may be a little male gazey for some readers. Comments about female anatomy could hit some folks wrong. It also relies on some plot cliches.

 

There is a sequel planned, but it has no title and no release date. Dead Man’s Hand: The Unorthodox Chronicles is by James J. Butcher is a solidly good debut novel that stands on its own merits.

 

My reading copy came for the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Godzilla vs The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Cullen Bunn

 

Godzilla vs The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Cullen Bunn is a crossover title starting the 90s Power Rangers and Godzilla. Rita Repulsa invades Godzilla’s world with the intent to take over it. She finds it already under attack by alien invaders. She decides to team up the space aliens to conquer Earth. The Rangers, after some misunderstandings, team up with Godzilla to stop her.

 

There is plenty of action and fun in this rather rushed tale. There is not a lot of plot since it is so short. It would have been nice if it was longer so they were not rushing from action scene to action scene so much. Overall, I enjoyed this crossover I just wish they let it breathe a little.

  

My reading copy came through the Hoopla App of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2022

Scott's Take: Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald

Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald is very different from his previous series.  Raine can see the dead and is currently living in a cult led by a group of fake witches. The cult members are under siege by a large force of warriors who think they are real witches. Raine rescues a bleeding woman from dying in the snow and takes her home. Things escalate from there. A lot of things happen in this novel that is the first book in the The Redwinter Chronicles. Where the first book ends is a far different place than how things began thanks to a number of twists.

The main character is bisexual for people who care about that sort of thing. There is plenty of action, a lot of slice of life stuff, some humor, and some cussing. There is quite a lot of blood and death as one would expect from a dark fantasy read.  I am intrigued where it will go in book two.

One is warned that if the reader is expecting this read to be as grim like his previous series, a reader will be very surprised. It was so different that I was a little shocked that the same writer wrote both.

 

My reading copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2022

Scott's Take: Aquaman/Green Arrow: Deep Target by Brandon Thomas

Aquaman/Green Arrow: Deep Target by Brandon Thomas is about the Green Arrow and Aquaman switching places and living in a freaky Friday type time travel scenario.  They will attempt to uncover the truth and undo this switcheroo. This tale is in honor of their 80th anniversary of each of the characters.

 

In this at times confusing tale Green Arrow and Aquaman face the challenges for being thrust into someone else’s life while having to stay alive. One minor critique is neither their love interests or any of the supporting casts or usual enemies appear to show how this switcheroo affected them.  Even the fact that Aquaman is married and has a child is ignored. The repercussions of the switch on others is ignored which seems to be a mistake and a lost storytelling opportunity.

 

The art is good and there is plenty of action. It is nice that Aquaman and Green Arrow have a title even if it is a team up title.  If you like both characters, you should enjoy this seven-issue tale.

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2022

Scott's Take: Strange Vol 1: I Belong to Death by Jed Mackay

Strange Vol 1: I Belong to Death by Jed Mackay picks up after The Death of Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange is dead and his wife, Clea, is heartbroken. She has agreed to become the Sorcerer Supreme and take his old job. She has to deal with new threats that have arisen since the forces of evil think its open season now that Doctor Strange is dead. She will be a different kind of Sorcerer Supreme. She is more violent than her late husband and does not have the ties to the hero community that her husband had. She was raised to be a warlord and New York’s magical villains are about to learn what that means.  She also has another goal in mind--- to bring Doctor Strange back from the land of the dead. Not that death is going to give up him without a fight.

Featuring great art and tons of action, this is a different kind of book. Clea is a rather different kind of character and it works well in this volume. I am looking forward to the second volume when they do release it. It is currently untitled and it is unknown when it will release.

 

My reading copy came by way of the OverDrive/Libby app through the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2022

Scott’s Take: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1

From the massive archive…

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 was written by Mathew K. Manning and has art by Jon Sommariva. This graphic novel features Batman from the animated television series in the 1990s teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the 2012 animated television series. They unite with Bat Girl and Robin to face off against Shredder, Joker, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and others.

Along with the battles, this funny graphic novel features various hijinks that happen while the heroes interact with each other and deal with how different their worlds are. If you are a fan of either group of characters you should find this most enjoyable. I found it worth reading just to watch Batman eat pizza, which I found funny. The heroes learn to respect each other and interact in the six issues collected in this graphic novel. The “serious” Batman character having to play off the more fun-loving turtles makes any interaction between the heroes groups entertaining. Especially funny was Batgirl’s reaction to Splinter (a talking Ninja Rat) and Ice Cream Kitty (a living kitty made out of ice cream) were especially goofy and entertaining. I enjoyed it.

If you find this collection enjoyable, you should also like Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 1, Volume 2, and the upcoming Volume 3, which all feature different versions of the characters crossing over. Those stories focus on versions of the characters from the DC Rebirth and the current TMNT comic.  Those stories are more mature and also added more characters such as Bane, Alfred, Damian, and others. Having Alfred deal with the Turtles and Batman at the same time made for some interesting interactions.

 

 

Material was obtained from the Lochwood Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. The Dallas System has a far more extensive collection of graphic novels than what I was able to access in the Plano Library System.

 

Scott Tipple ©2019, 2022