The Scarecrow Princess by Federico Rossi Edrig

I requested this from NetGalley because the blurb mentioned myths, a crow king and basically sounded like a modern day fairytale. The actual comic was a bit different.

The story starts when Morrigan, her mother, and her brother move to a small town. Morrigan is upset because this move was for her mother and brother's new project, and she reacts by acting like the 14-year-old girl she is. But when the crow king from the myth turns out to be true, Morrigan finds that she is the appointed scarecrow princess meant to stop him.

The first thing I didn't like was the drawing style. I realise this was on the cover and really is a personal thing, but it didn't grow on me at all. I suppose the rough style could be reminiscent of Morrigan's prickly character and the dark nature of a fairytale, but it just felt unfinished most of the time.

The second thing I didn't like was the pacing. I think this is actually the main reason why the book disappointed me. Everything was wrapped up in this one volume and that means things had to move at a quick pace. Morrigan must grow up, she must meet (and then quarrel with) friends, there must be a twist, etc. I suppose if this was spread over a few volumes, the story could have had enough room to breath, but as it is everything felt rushed.

And there is one more thing: the ending section of the story was weird. (Spoiler alert!) At the end of the book, after what felt like sexual talk from the crow king, Morrigan and the crow king have a heart-to-heart conversation (as much as two enemies can) while the two of them are completely naked.

Let me remind you that Morrigan is a 14-year-old girl and the crow king, while not explicitly given an age, appears to be an adult.

It feels like the more I think about the book, the more I dislike it. It's a real pity because the premise had a lot of promise and I think if the story was given more room to breathe (and remembered that the protagonist is a young girl), it could have been a great story. But as it, it's just disappointing.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

(To be honest, I'm still not sure about whether I'm going to give this one or two stars on NetGalley, but the more I think about the fact that a fourteen-year-old girl was unnecessarily sexualised, the more I lean towards a one star.)

Battlestar Galatica: Six by JT Krul

The reason why I requested this was rather odd. I rode the Battlestar Galatica ride at Universal Studios Singapore, and while in line, I looked the story up. From what I saw, Six seemed like an interesting character and when I saw this origin story on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Battlestar Galatica: Six uses a flashback/present day narrative for Six/Eve as she tries to figure out who she is. I daren't say more, because any more and I'll probably give away quite a few spoilers.

I believe that this contains all the issues from this series, but it was pretty short. I suppose I was expecting something longer (and a lot more character development - perhaps I'm too used to novels), and the comic seemed to have ended before it begun.

Still, it was a pretty interesting origin story.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Business Cat by Tom Fonder

I requested, downloaded and read this comic book in less than an hour, so... I guess you shouldn't expect a very long review.

Business Cat is precisely what it's title says - about a Cat CEO. Since I'm one of those people that like Dilbert, Garfield AND Texts from Mittens (wait, does that mean I have to go for the 'racial sensitivity training' thing? (; ), I was obviously going to read this book. And I was not disappointed.

This 130 page book is pretty short, but I chuckled quite a few times throughout it. I'm not a follower of the website, so I don't know how much new material there is. I did like the cat vs dog story (especially towards the end) and I really love how the cat CEO interacts with his employees. It's really funny.

There's really nothing much more I can say. I enjoyed it, and I'm guessing that if you like cats and business humour, you will too.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Monstress by Marjorie Liu

This comic had me from the words "alternate matriarchal 1900s Asia". Ok, so the matriarchal thing wasn't the deal-breaker, but the word "Asia" was. I love it whenever Asia features as an influence. While this isn't wholly Asian, there are more than enough Asian influences to keep me happy.

Monstress follow Maika Halfwolf, an Arcanic teenage girl with something living inside her. After breaking free from a Cumaea (just know that the Cumaea would happily hunt the Arcanic people like her), she goes on the run with a cute little fox-girl called Kippa and a two-tailed cat called Master Ren. This volume contains the first six issues of the comic, and provides a comprehensive opening.

Kippa was the star of the show (at least for me). I know Maika is the main character, but Kippa is just so innocent and cute. She lightens the story, and I really, really hope she stays a central character for a long, long time.

And I don't need to talk about the world building, because it's amazing and the art is gorgeous. In this volume, we've only started to explore the world, so I'm sure there's a lot more that will be revealed in the later issues.

I read this in parts (in its separate issues), so I'm not sure how things would look in the end, but the copy I read was very much one issue of comic + extra content (letters, fanart, etc). I do hope that the finished volume has all the comics together, and all the bonus content at the end, rather than just putting the issues together.

Oh, and I'm actually quite curious - is this more or less violent that Tokyo Ghoul? My friend was saying that Tokyo Ghoul was too violent for me, but if Monstress is on the same level (and trust me, it's violent. You do not want to give this to kids or younger teens), then I should be able to read it.

Basically, if you're into gorgeous art, interesting characters and a world that isn't based completely on the West, you're going to love this. It does, however, contain a lot of explicit violence (and bad language - I assume that despite being Asian, they all speak English and so have normal English curse words, which is peculiar but oh well), so I wouldn't recommend it to younger readers or those with weak stomachs.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

The Complete Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, adapted by Leah Moore, John Reppion, Erica Awano

It occurred to me, when I started thinking of what to write, that I am very unqualified to write this. I mean, I can't exactly review the story, since the story is famous and well... it's Alice in Wonderland. What am I supposed to say? And I'm not exactly an artist, or someone who's an expert in comics and can recognise technical skill.

So, I guess I should start at the beginning. I requested this because... one more version of Alice in Wonderland never hurt. Plus, I had Alice in Wonderland tea-flavoured Chocopie with me at the time, and this seemed like the perfect book to read it with.

The Complete Alice in Wonderland is a faithful comic-adaptation of the book Alice in Wonderland. There is an interpretation of the text, but I don't think the illustrators have taken any liberties with it. In order words, if the book came out as a comic, this would probably be it.

What I especially enjoyed was the notes on how the adaptation was done, and the lost chapter of The Wasp in the Wig. I didn't get the story, but it was interesting, nonetheless.

If you're looking for the comic version of Alice in Wonderland, rather than one of the comic adaptations, then you should check it out. I think it would be a good way to introduce the classic to reluctant readers without worrying that you're presenting a different version from the original.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Snoopy: Party Animal by Charles M. Schulz

I'm actually not sure what there is to say about this. It's a collection of Snoopy comics. If you're a fan of the beagle, you'll probably enjoy it. If you aren't, well... you might still enjoy it. It's Snoopy after all.

Most of the strips are standalone stories, so I can't really comment on that either. There are a few which deals with one of the kids getting a cat, and Snoopy's reaction to it. In general, I enjoy all the comics that involve Snoopy writing. I'm not actually familiar with the human characters, so those didn't hold my attention as strongly.

As for the non-comic bonus content, this is supposed to have a "pull out poster", "flip book animation", and I did see a partial origami instruction (I assume the final book will have everything).

I did enjoy reading this, but I don't have much to say about it. It's a Snoopy comic - by this time, it's unlikely to win any new fans, unless you're talking about introducing it to children. If you're already familiar with the comics, you can more or less predict if you're going to enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

Before we start, I should make something clear. I have seen Sarah's Scribbles floating around the internet, but I don't follow her. I basically requested this book because it reminded me of Hyperbole and a Half, which I absolutely adored.

Adulthood is a Myth is a short (about a hundred pages) collection of comics. I don't know how many are original and how many are previously published, but I do recall having seen one or two of them floating around.

Basically, the comics are very adorable, and quite a few of them speak to me (basically, all about books). Not all, because clearly we are two different people from two different backgrounds, but quite a few. Probably more than half.

Now, I basically went in hoping for another Hyperbole and a Half, so I should say this right out: this is not Hyperbole and a Half. For one thing, each story is one page, and for another, it doesn't go into the depth that Hyperbole and a Half did. It's a quick read, but it's not going to be one that I'll want to read over and over again. I might refer to a few comics, but I won't want to keep reading the stories, like I still do for Hyperbole and a Half (which is on Scribd).

Ok, I've spent a good paragraph talking about a different book, so back to Adulthood is a Myth. I suppose that there's not much more to say. It's an amusing book, and one that is squarely aimed at the young (and the young at heart). I certainly can identify with the feeling that I'm not grown up yet, something that pervades the book, even if I don't do the same things as the cartoonist.

All in all, this is a funny book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat by Ben McCool

I'm sure everyone has heard about Grumpy Cat. By the way, was everyone also aware that Grumpy Cat was a girl? Because I was under the impression that she was actually a he. Maybe it was the expression on her face...

Anyway, this comic is a series of unrelated tales staring the grumpy cat and her brother, Pokey. It ranges from haunted houses, to aliens, to figuring out who ate the treats. That's probably as much as I can tell without giving away any spoilers.

To be honest, I would have preferred it if the stories were longer. I wouldn't even mind if there were fewer in number either. While some were genuinely very cute, the characters were very one-dimensional. I know, they're animals, and it's possible that because I'm not a huge fan I can't fill in the blanks, but I would like the stories to not only laugh, but to tug at the heartstrings if possible. Because as far as I could tell - Grumpy Cat was grumpy, her bother was innocent and naive and that made almost every story predictable.

Short review, but this is a really short book. It's not terrible, but I think it's really for the megafans of grumpy cat, rather than regular people like me.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer by Dusty Higgins

You know a book is going to be good when it references G.K. Chesterton. A comic that references it in the very first line? Even better! This book could not have made a better impression on me if it tried.

This is a story about Pinocchio, like you've never known him before. Unlike the (mostly) happy world of Ever After High, this fairy-tale retelling is dark. It starts off with an orphan Pinocchio, a vampire slayer in a town that refuses to believe in vampires. Apart from one girl, his only companions after Gepetto was killed would be the Blue Fairy and Master Cherry (a Carpenter and friend of Gepetto). There are many twists and turns, and no, I'm not going to tell them to you. Let's just say that being a real boy is involved, and no, it's not as good as it may be.

Wait, how does Pinocchio kill vampires? I admit, Vampire Hunter was not a job title that I would have given to Pinocchio. But think about it, to kill a vampire, you stake it in the heart. And for that, you need a piece of wood. Guess who's got an everlasting supply of ready-made stakes (contingent on his ability to lie)? Now that I thought about it, Pinocchio is the perfect vampire hunter!

Pinocchio's skill at lying/growing his nose is mostly used for comic effect, but I think one of the most powerful moments in the book I read came when it was used in a tragic way. I teared at that part (go read the book, you'll tear too!). I'm really amazed at how the authors of this book managed to use the original story elements to add both humour and gravity to the book.

Unfortunately, my preview copy on NetGalley only had half the pages of the complete edition (so I guess I finished volume 1 and half of volume 2). I tried looking for it in bookstores in Japan, but no luck yet. Perhaps I'll have better luck in Singapore - this is one book that I really want to finish.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

The Dragon Tutor by Mar Mai

I came across this book thanks to Google+. And after reading this book, the first thing I wanted to do was the buy a Kindle gift-card and get the sequel! (Then I will probably spend the rest on books by my friends on Google+^^)

The Dragon Tutor is the first in what looks to be a really interesting comic series. It has Dragons, an adorable little prince, a ditzy little princess and... tragedy. Yes, tragedy strikes really early in the book. Zephyr, the dragon tutor of the book, is the tutor to Prince Quiver, this really adorable little Prince. The Prince is the son of two rather, shall we say ditzy parents, who try to betroth him to Princess Calista (who's surprisingly like him in temperament). Unfortunately, tragedy strikes (I'm not tell you what), and Prince Quiver is missing, presumed dead. A few years later, Zephyr is called to be a Dragon Tutor again, this time to Princess Calista.

What did I like about this comic? Everything! It had adorable characters, a range of settings and a hint of something darker. It's not all puppies and flowers, and there's a small hint of a conspiracy, of things about to get worse. That's really what's made me into a fan - it feels rounded and not too saccharine sweet.

I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this book! If you're looking for a fantasy comic that can be enjoyed by people of all-ages, you have to pick this up.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

I first ordered this book because the blurb sounded interesting. Then, while I was reading it, I found out it's the source for this meme:

First published on the blog Hyperbole and a Half

Now I know why the internet rejoices whenever a post from Hyperbole and a Half comes out (as it says on the first line of the blurb).

To be honest (and please, no arrows to my knee), I didn't find this book funny at first. I like dogs and stuff, but I didn't find them very funny. It was after her very moving post on her experiences with depression that I started to find the book funny. Soon, I started chuckling.

By the time that I finished reading, I can honestly say that I love this book. It's touching, it's funny and it's just plain awesome.

Just a quick note: you may want to keep this away from younger kids (primary/elementary school, and depending on maturity, lower-secondary/middle school) if you don't want them exposed to the f-bomb. It only appears a few times, but the first one appears almost immediately. Still, love the book.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

P.s. You can read Allie's blog here

Plants vs Zombies The Comic: Lawmageddon by Paul Tobin

Ok, so I requested this book partly because I like Plants vs Zombies (There was this period of time where I did nothing but play Plants vs Zombies 2), but mostly because my little brother loves Plants vs Zombies (he skypes me just to ask for advice. Actually, only to ask for advice), and I wanted to know if I should get him this book.

So you may be asking, how do you make a comic out of a game where you plant plants to defeat zombies. There's only Crazy Dave, who barely speaks English, and Penny, the talking car. And a taco (in Plants vs Zombies 2 ok?). The answer is, introduce some Original Characters - Nate and Patrice (Crazy Dave's niece, and hence, his interpreter).

The whole gist of the comic goes like this: suddenly zombies appear. Convince sentient plants created by Crazy Dave to help you and fight zombies. Include a smart zombie that wants to block out the sun.

I suppose, if you're a huge fan of the game, you'll enjoy this book. For me, it was ... actually a little boring. I suppose that's because you can't actually make a game that's all about strategic timing into an exciting comic. I didn't really get the two main characters, and the plot mostly consisted of zombie fighting, which is much more fun when you're the one fighting the zombies.

Still, I suppose my brother might like it.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

My Little Pony: Pony Tales Volume 1

Apologies for the later-than-usual post. Today's my Chinese birthday (and my dad's birthday) so we were celebrating. 

I saw a My Little Pony comic on NetGalley previously, read it, and assumed that was all. Now I find out that there's another comic! So of course I requested it!

This comic was a little different from the other one in that it was split into six different stories, with each story focusing on one pony. (On Wikipedia, this is called the micro-series comic book). Twilight's was about books (and friendship), Rainbow Dash about flying, Rarity about relaxing (and friendship), Fluttershy about art, Pinkie Pie about clowns, and Applejack about the Apple farm (and working together). If you want a more detailed synopsis, you can find it at the Wikipedia page. 

While I liked this comic, I thought the stories were too disparate. Yes, there was friendship in some of the stories, but only one pony is the star per story. That kind of goes against the "friendship is magic" part for me. I'd like to see all ponies playing a fairly active role in each story. 

Other than that, this comic was a really fun read. I think the stories stayed true to the pony's personalities, and they were all fairly interesting. If you're a fan of My Little Pony, you'll want to read this book.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

I love this image :D 

A Bag of Marbles by Joseph Joffo

It's kind of weird, but my main impression of World War II in Europe comes from Anne Frank. I did study about it in history, but to be honest, the war in the Asia-Pacific arena always felt more personal somehow. I mean, my country was invaded after all.

But having said that, I do want to learn more. I have heard so many stories about the atrocities in Asia, but what of Europe? That's why I requested A Bag Of Marbles, a comic that tells the true story of Joseph Joffo and his brother, Jews who was running from the Nazis.

The story was not as powerful as I expected. But I think that's due to the e-Galley copy I received. Despite the fact that this is a comic, the images were heavily pixelated and some panels didn't even have words that I could read. So I was really reliant on just dialogue and some inner thoughts, which I think limited the impact of the book. After all, a lot of the impact of a comic comes from the images.

Pacing wise, I wasn't very impressed. I didn't have a very good sense of which part of the war the boys were in (was the war already starting? ending? in between?), which again, could be due to the missing panels and blur pictures.

I really would like to read the actual biography though. From what I've seen in the comic, this sounds like a story that's not just about two young boys, but includes a wider community/parts of a community that connects them.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. Unfortunately, my review is impaired by blur pictures and some missing text.

My Little Pony by Katie Cook and Andy Price

I didn't know that My Little Pony had a comic! *Squeals*

Story-wise, it was good. I imagine that if this was the cartoon, it would be a two-part episode that comes either at the start of the end of the season.

Basically, the main story is that the queen of the changelings (she's the one that tried to impersonate Princess Cadance and drain Shining Armor of his powers) has kidnapped Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. To save their sisters and Scootaloo, the ponies set out to rescue them.

Along the way, the changelings try to break up their friendship. Will the ponies survive? (The answer is "look at the name of the show!")

It really is a "friendship is magic" story, and I think any fan would love it. But for some reason, the graphics look a little different from the animated series. Perhaps it's just me, perhaps the artists were different.

Apart from the main story, there is one or two other short stories in-between. These are really cute, and I would have loved to see more.

For the die-hard My Little Pony fan, this is a must-read. For those looking for a gift for a little girl, this is a safe bet. And if you want a joke gift for someone who scoffs at My Little Pony (and I have a long list in mind mwahahaha), buy this immediately!

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this galley from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Your New Job Title is "Accomplice" by Scott Adams (ARC)

I never thought that I'd get to read another Dilbert cartoon so soon! I normally get my fix from the libraries back home, so I thought I'd have to wait until summer break to read another volume. Thankfully, a new volume is coming up, and it was on NetGalley.

When I started reading Dilbert, I started from a long time ago. It had business concepts that I knew about, but quite a lot of the humour was dated. Here, the humour is dated too (or it will be in a few years). It's dated 201X. There are lots of references to the Cloud, start-ups, and even a reference to the popularity of Apple products. What doesn't change would be the characters - inept boss, inept workers, inept company (Dilbert is not a comic that inspires confidence in any sort of corporation).

Personally, I would have loved to read more about Dogbert. And that evil HR cat. Both animals are hilarious, and I love reading about the stuff they scheme about. Also, the dinosaur (I think his name is... Bob?), anyway, he's gone. Well.... I really liked the animals.

On the bright side, if you like seeing Dilbert at work, you have a lot more to read. The Elbonians are also a staple feature now (let's attack the Elbonian missile factory!), which is really funny. HR and stuff, on the other hand, don't appear so often.

There are a lot of pokes at the huge paychecks of top management (which is understandable, given the recent economic climate). In fact, I would say that you need to be fairly well-versed with business terms and the workplace to understand these jokes (which may explain why I'm the only one my age that actually reads and enjoys Dilbert).

For me, I love this! I'm so glad Dilbert is still coming out! Now, if only Foxtrot was making a new anthology and had it up on NetGalley.....

Disclaimer: I got a free review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Classic Popeye Volume 1 by Bard Sagendorf

How many of you know this children's song? It goes

"I'm Popeye the sailor man -whoot whoot-
I live in the garbage can -whoot whoot-
I open the door and I - "

Ok, maybe talking about using the toilet isn't a very good way to start a review. Anyway, the point of this whole song was to see who used to watch Popeye cartoons as a kid. I certainly did, and I probably have a few CDs still lying around (for the younger kiddies - CD's are like DVDs but with less storage space. I think. I'm not sure how it works(;)

So when I saw this on NetGalley, obviously I jumped at the chance to read it!

And it was as good as I thought. Before, I only had one Popeye comic, and that was in Chinese (well, it was half-Chinese half-English anyway). This four volumes in one book comic was a really fun read. I just stopped reading a lot of books to finish this.

I never though of Olive Oyl and Wimpy as being greedy before (especially Wimpy). Popeye also comes across as a much more idealistic/kindhearted character. I loved seeing how they were in the original. And I even got to see Sweet Pea talk! I don't think he appears much in the episodes I own.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to youtube to look for some cartoons to watch(;

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.