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dark_reader's reviews
684 reviews
Ghost Dick: Private Eye by Peter Derk
funny
5.0
My first book of 2025! This was a welcome stocking stuffer (as in, I ordered it for myself to put in my own stocking. When you're a parent and the main person making Xmas happen it's the kind of thing you have to do).
A laugh out loud (god I hate writing that, it makes it sound stupid, and yeah it is actually stupid, but it's supposed to be and also it's stupid funny, so there,) account of a paranormal investigator's training and typical day-in-the-life. Peter Derk writes the best and funniest pathetic loser characters. I sincerely hope this is not reflective of anything.
I note that the author's name appears nowhere on the book-as-physical-object. Not the spine, not the front cover, not the back cover, not the title page, not the copyright page (there isn't one). Presumably this is so that if someone enters his dwelling, and if he even has physical copies of his own work lying around, in case that person picks up it and scoffs, "Wow, someone actually wrote this?" then he has plausible deniability. Which is probably the correct way to go in this case.
(Seriously, Peter, I love your stuff, thanks for it.)
A laugh out loud (god I hate writing that, it makes it sound stupid, and yeah it is actually stupid, but it's supposed to be and also it's stupid funny, so there,) account of a paranormal investigator's training and typical day-in-the-life. Peter Derk writes the best and funniest pathetic loser characters. I sincerely hope this is not reflective of anything.
I note that the author's name appears nowhere on the book-as-physical-object. Not the spine, not the front cover, not the back cover, not the title page, not the copyright page (there isn't one). Presumably this is so that if someone enters his dwelling, and if he even has physical copies of his own work lying around, in case that person picks up it and scoffs, "Wow, someone actually wrote this?" then he has plausible deniability. Which is probably the correct way to go in this case.
(Seriously, Peter, I love your stuff, thanks for it.)
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
3.0
Typical Murakami enjoyable strangeness, but way too short for the price tag. Pick it up from your own real-life strange library, grab a chair and read it in one short sitting, then if you liked it get another of his books to take home, but don't expect the new one to make any more sense than this one.
Imbalance, Part 1 by Faith Erin Hicks
3.0
The high-quality series of graphic novels that follow the television series continue, with new writers and artists but maintaining a consistent storyline, with authentic characterization and plotting. The characters seem to have aged up a bit as depicted here; Aang is getting taller and more muscular, and all the characters visually appear more mature. The themes bridging the gap between the end of the Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra TV series continue to develop here. Cranefish town is clearly revealed to be the foundation of Republic City, both geographically and culturally.
It is not necessary to tell these stories. We don't have to know all of the events taking place in between the two TV series. I hope that the graphic novels do not continue forever; they would have to cover another 40 years of history at least to fully bridge the gap, and the television stories stand on their own. In fact, I often think of the original series as perfect storytelling. But though they are not necessary, they are nice. The art, characters, stories and pacing are incredibly faithful to the source material. My daughter likes reading these graphic novels. So, I don't mind if they continue for just a little while longer, as long as they don't keep pushing them too far and end up beating a dead horse.
It is not necessary to tell these stories. We don't have to know all of the events taking place in between the two TV series. I hope that the graphic novels do not continue forever; they would have to cover another 40 years of history at least to fully bridge the gap, and the television stories stand on their own. In fact, I often think of the original series as perfect storytelling. But though they are not necessary, they are nice. The art, characters, stories and pacing are incredibly faithful to the source material. My daughter likes reading these graphic novels. So, I don't mind if they continue for just a little while longer, as long as they don't keep pushing them too far and end up beating a dead horse.
The Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg
3.0
This is a cute graphic novel for all audiences. It tells fictional stories about the "Early Earth" and it's people, overseen by the god Birdman and his children, Kid and Kiddo. Overall it is silly in a good way, and charming. It is really a collection of very short stories set in this world, arranged as the story of and stories told by a boy from the land of Nord who is travelling to find the missing piece of his soul. He encounters the other cultures of the world and learns their stories along the way.
The art style is simple, high-contrast, with sparing use of color. It is reminiscent of Inuit art. I think it is done in ink, with occasional watercolor backgrounds. My only visual complaint is that the text font, which was made from the creator's handwriting, makes 't' look like 'k', which caused me to read Britanitarka (one of the lands) as Britanikarka, until the word later appeared in a different font.
This book made for a lovely Sunday morning read. I don't think I would have been aware of this title except that another user of my local public library posted a review of it on the library website.
The art style is simple, high-contrast, with sparing use of color. It is reminiscent of Inuit art. I think it is done in ink, with occasional watercolor backgrounds. My only visual complaint is that the text font, which was made from the creator's handwriting, makes 't' look like 'k', which caused me to read Britanitarka (one of the lands) as Britanikarka, until the word later appeared in a different font.
This book made for a lovely Sunday morning read. I don't think I would have been aware of this title except that another user of my local public library posted a review of it on the library website.
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
4.0
This is at least my third time reading this volume. It had been some time since I have been caught up (to maybe volume 5?) on this outstanding series. Since I spotted volume 8 on the shelf at my library, I thought I should start at the beginning once more.
What struck me on this reading was just how much happens in a short time. The action takes off from panel one, possibly the only profanity-laced alien cross-species birthing scene to grace the opening of a graphic novel (prove me wrong!). Over the next 80 pages or so (they are not numbered and I didn't count) we are treated to hot robot sex, monstrous bounty hunters, ghosts, child sex trafficking (AGAINST IT, this book is AGAINST IT), so much killing, magic, marital strife, and so much more.
Unique universe-building, distinctive and coherent art, effective adult-only content, and a no-holds-barred storyline have made Saga one of the greatest graphic series of the current decade.
What struck me on this reading was just how much happens in a short time. The action takes off from panel one, possibly the only profanity-laced alien cross-species birthing scene to grace the opening of a graphic novel (prove me wrong!). Over the next 80 pages or so (they are not numbered and I didn't count) we are treated to hot robot sex, monstrous bounty hunters, ghosts, child sex trafficking (AGAINST IT, this book is AGAINST IT), so much killing, magic, marital strife, and so much more.
Unique universe-building, distinctive and coherent art, effective adult-only content, and a no-holds-barred storyline have made Saga one of the greatest graphic series of the current decade.
Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
4.0
On my current re-reading of the series for a refresher and catch-up to the latest volumes, I fell out of order with this volume, due to availability at my library. What sruck me on skipping from volume 1 to volume 3 and re-affirmed on reading volume 2 now, is how much of significance happens over the course of a single volume. Deaths, separations, reversals of fortune, narrative time jumps... this series does not waste any time. It also pursues narrative leads without delay, which I enjoy. Other series might take months or years to follow up on a clue or information dropped casually; the fact that Saga does not suggests that the author has a distinct plan for at least the medium-future of the series and that it will not drag on indefinitely.
Also in volume 2, our first giant monster genitalia. I think it's the first anyway? There is so much genitalia in this series it is hard to keep track.
Also in volume 2, our first giant monster genitalia. I think it's the first anyway? There is so much genitalia in this series it is hard to keep track.