Category Archives: Graphic Novel

Alex + Ada
(Alex + Ada, #1)
By: Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn
Publisher: Image Comics
Published: July 29, 2014
Genre: Sci-Fi Graphic Novel
Rating:

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The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids. But when Ada is dropped into his life, will Alex keep her?

This graphic novel take place in the future. Where literally everything is done by computers. To be more precise, all you have to do is say “lock” and your vehicle/car locks. Instead of just parallel parking itself, your car now drives for you. While you’re at it, you can watch a hologram t.v. show at any time by just saying the command. Robots make you food, do your chores, and you pretty much don’t have to lift a finger. Everything is computerized, right down to Ada, who is an android.

This is a story about a lonely guy who is pretty depressed with life. He goes through the motions of the day but he’s not living.  Now, it’s not like Alex asked for an android. In fact he was a little nervous of androids after they began to act on their own and went on a murder spree. So imagine his surprise when his grandmother sends him one for his birthday. At first he is set and ready to return Ada to the company but when the moment comes to return her, he finds himself unable. Even though Ada is an A.I. he can’t help but feel like there’s more to her than her programing. Which is when he starts looking into why/how other androids were able to become sentient. I get the sense that as this story progresses, Ada’s learning of the world will open Alex’s eyes to how beautiful life is as well.

I haven’t read any graphic novels like this before. I usually read the cutesy anime looking mangas. So it was nice to see one that is a little bit more mature. The storyline is a little depressing when you get a look at Alex’s life before Ada. However, you see how having Ada gives him something to look forward to. A purpose in life. So it was interesting to see the drive in him once he takes it upon himself to “unlock” Ada’s conscious. The illustrations in this story are really well done. They are really simplistic and not overly done up. I think the illustrations really helped let the story shine through. It was also nice that the illustrations were all done in color. I look forward to reading more about Alex and Ada.

There’s a part in the story where Alex finds someone willing to unlock Ada’s conscious. This is a highly dangerous and illegal thing to do. Alex could in turn, turn around and report the person which would pretty much be death for them. So I found it rather amusing that the person’s payment for taking on such a gamble was a cheesesteak with extra cheezy wheezy (whatever the heck that is).

Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz
(Grimm Fairy Tales Oz, #1-6)
By: Joe Brusha
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating:

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The world faces a gathering storm that threatens to drown it in darkness. The only hope to stop the coming evil rests on an unlikely hero: a Kansas farm girl named Dorothy Gale.

Unbeknownst to Dorothy, highborn blood flows through her veins and with it, the power to save Earth and the realms of power that surround it. But Dorothy must first learn to use her unharnessed abilities before the witches of Oz destroy her and everyone else that stands in their way.

Zenescope Entertainment presents another incredible tale of adventure and fantasy with this mesmerizing and epic re-imagining of a classic!

This one just didn’t work for me. The cover art is beautiful but unfortunately that doesn’t carry into the story itself. Dorthy and the witches look like drag queens with horse teeth. The colors were bright and vibrant but the illustrations left little to be desired in some parts of the story. It seemed like it got worse when it came to the action scenes. I’m not sure if that was the look the illustrator was going for but it distracted me from the story.

The story itself was interesting. The author took Oz as we know it and turned it into this dark world that’s in a blood bath war. However, with that being said, the story jumped all over the place making it hard to keep track on what was happening. It would be carrying on just fine one minute and then the next we would go back in time for a page, then jump ahead while still remaining in the past, and then we’d be thrown into the present. I’m not sure if it was flashbacks or just little bursts of back story coming through but it left me a little disoriented.

I’ve read the Jungle Book from Grimm Fairy Tales and really enjoyed it. So I will definitely be looking out for more of their series but if another Oz pops up, I will be skipping it.

I don’t know if you could call it a favorite part but I really did like the authors take on the characters. Aside from their appearances, they were not the same characters from the story that we are all familiar with. For instance, the lion was this Alpha were-beast as opposed to being cowardly. I like that not only did the author take the story and make it their own, but he also altered the characters as well.