"Batman Incorporated" by Grant Morrison

Book cover, courtesy of DCentertainment.com

"Thanks to Batman Incorporated, I can tell you exactly where Batman is."

"Batman is EVERYWHERE."

                This bold statement by Bruce Wayne, better known as the Batman, manages to summarize what "Batman Incorporated" by Grant Morrison is all about. After been thrown through an interdimensional roller coaster, Batman has returned to Gotham City and has become driven by a vision of the future to expand his war on crime to the entire world by recruiting crime fighters across the globe. An old enemy...and lover...of Batman's is also preparing for a war, this one against the Caped Crusader himself!

                For long-time and hardcore fans of everything Batman, this book is the perfect story. It features Batman fighting alongside other heroes across the globe, solving mysteries, and finding time to visit the ladies. Unfortunately, even as Batman stops evil at every turn, casualties amongst Batman Incorporated members begin to mount as their new enemy, Leviathan, is as dangerous a foe as they have ever battled.

                Readers who are new to Batman or don't like extreme gore will want to avoid "Batman Incorporated." The story relies heavily on the reader knowing what has happened in previous storylines, Batman's interdimensional trip is only given a brief mention when he explains his reasons for founding Batman Incorporated, though there is a helpful character guide at the back of the book explaining who the characters are and how they came to be included in Batman comics. This book is also extremely gory and includes graphic imagery that some readers may want to avoid, such as a man having his hands melted and countless people getting stabbed and impaled.

For good, clean Batman fun, check out the opening to Batman: The Animated Series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5nB2OJnCko

Morrison, Grant, Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe, Chris Burnham, Scott Clark, Cameron Stewart, Dave Beaty, Pere Pérez, Nathan Fairbairn, and Bob Kane. Batman, Incorporated. New York: DC Comics, 2012. Print.

"Honey and Clover: Volume 1" by Chika Umiko

Book cover, courtesy of Amazon.com

Have you ever been in love with a loaf of delicious ham?

Neither have the characters in "Honey and Clover: Volume 1" by Chica Umino, but the way Takamoto and his fellow college students behave, you'd be sure it was love at first sight for them.

                When I interviewed students about what sort of graphic novel they enjoyed reading, many of my female respondents were quick to answer, almost unanimously, romance. Sophmore Jenna even went so far as to say that she enjoyed reading Shoujo (romance manga for girls) every day! "Honey and Clover" has romance in spades, though it comes in a very unusual package. Takamoto, an art student, is struggling to find out who he is when a new student arrives. Fresh from high school comes Hanago, whose almost child-like stature instantly attracts Takamoto's attention and that of Takamoto's unusual friend Morita, who instantly (and creepily) begins taking photos of her.

                "Honey and Clover" is an excellent title for readers who prefer drama and budding romance to action. While the book does have some humor (typically involving running gags such as the dorm's love affair with meat and the kickboxing queen Yamada, whose nickname is "Iron Man"), its primary focus is exploring who the characters are and how their lives are being changed by the people around them. With a cast of fun and lovable characters, "Honey and Clover" is sure to please. The book also includes a "study guide" at the back of the book to explain the story's obscure references and Japanese terms, such as System 6 Macs and Koropokkurs, that is sorted by the order in which the references appear.

If you enjoyed "Honey and Clover: Volume 1," be sure to check out the rest of the series. All ten volumes of "Honey and Clover" have been translated and released in the US. 

Umino, Chika, and Akemi Wegmüller. Honey and Clover. San Francisco, CA: Viz Media, 2008. Print.

"Slam Dunk: Volume 1" by Takehiko Inoue

Japanese book cover, courtesy of Wikipedia

  

              When I first picked up Takehiko Inoue "Slam Dunk Volume 1," I was looking for an exciting title like Naruto, which freshman Danica indicated was one of her favorites. On the cover, as seen above, is a confident, strong-looking guy with a basketball in hand and a jersey on, so I thought it was going to be an exciting basketball story.

I was wrong...partially.

                Hanamichi Sakuragi, protagonist of "Slam Dunk," has no luck with the ladies. If they aren't scared off by his reputation as a brawling gang leader (not entirely undeserved), then they're turning him down because he's not an athlete. Just as his friends are celebrating his fiftieth consecutive rejection, he meets Haruko, who greets him in a most unusual manner: she begins examining him from head to toe, remarking on his physique. Immediately, Hanamichi finds himself falling in love and becomes determined to win her affection by becoming a great basketball player. His obstacles? Haruko's brother is the ambitious captain of the basketball team and her crush is an ace basketball player who is almost as tough in a fight as Hanamichi. Not to mention that Hanamichi has never played basketball in his life!

                "Slam Dunk" is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys humor and action in equal parts, especially fans of basketball. Fans of romance would also enjoy reading this title to partake in the triangle of unrequited love between Hanamichi, Haruko, and her crush, Rukawa. A special section highlighting famous basketball player LeBron James also encourages readers to get out by providing a helpful guide on how to perform a slam dunk.

If you enjoyed "Slam Dunk: Volume 1," be sure to check out the rest of the series. Twenty-five of the original thirty-one volumes have been translated.

For more hilarious basketball action, check out Dikembe Motombo's "Four-and-a-half Weeks To Save the World": http://www.oldspicesavestheworld.com/

Inoue, Takehiko, and Kelly Sue. DeConnick. Slam Dunk. San Francisco, CA: VIZ Media, 2008. Print.

"Adventure Time: Volume 1" by Ryan North

Book cover, courtesy of Barnes and Noble

               If you like comics based on cartoons, but weren't born in the 1980s, "Adventure Time: Volume 1" by Ryan North might be more to your liking. The feel of the show is skillfully recreated right down to the show's opening sequence, which is written to be a video filmed by Jake the Dog "just in case [they'd] even need it." Ryan, better known as the author of the hit webcomic "Dinosaur Comics," brings together your favorite Adventure Time characters in an original story featuring the return of Season 2's big bad guy, The Lich, in an epic battle to save the world and explore the mysterious origin of new character the Desert Princess.

                While "Adventure Time: Volume 1" is true to the cartoon it is based on, it is definitely written with people who are already fans of the show in mind. Characters who are familiar to fans appear without any sort of introduction and names of characters who do not appear in this book are dropped, leaving new readers to wonder who people are talking about and why they wouldn't be present in this story.

                Readers of "Dinosaur Comics" will be familiar with the hidden Alt-Text that accompanies each comic and Ryan North manages to bring that concept to "Adventure Time: Volume 1" by providing at the bottom of each page snarky comments or mini-comics featuring characters not on the rest of the page. The back of this book also includes several short Adventure Time comics by guest authors and artists that aren't part of the main story. These one- or two-page comics typically take place shortly after the events of several episodes.

                This book is a must-read for Adventure Time fans, but other readers may want to familiarize themselves with the show before reading, though the casual reader can still enjoy the story and pick up who's who as they read.

Be sure to check out the Adventure Time cartoon opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Jvk6__23I

North, Ryan, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb, and Pendleton Ward. Adventure Time. Los Angeles, CA: KaBoom!, 2012. Print.

"The Duck Knight Returns" by Ian Brill

Book cover, courtesy of Negaverse.net

What does a costumed crime fighter do when there's no more crime to fight?

How does a single father make a living for himself and his daughter when a secret agency no longer sponsors his efforts to make the world a better place?

He hangs up the mask and cape, locks up the secret hideout, and finds himself a desk job, that's how!

                Almost twenty years after the last episode of the popular Disney cartoon aired, "Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns," written by Ian Brill, takes place a year after the last adventure of the Terror That Flaps in the Night as Drake Mallard, Darkwing Duck's alter ego, struggles to face a world that has automated crime in his absence. After his daughter's best friend is "arrested" for listening to downloaded music though, he is convinced to don his costume once more to investigate the mysterious inner workings of St. Canard's newest, biggest corporation: Qwackworks. Along the way, he discovers a greater conspiracy brought on by an old enemy and reconciles with the tragedy that led to him quitting crime fighting.

                "The Duck Knight Returns" is sure to delight fans who grew up watching Darkwing Duck, but it's also accessible to a new generation of fans. The book begins in a funny, exciting way that introduces the reader to the world of Darkwing Duck, who he was, and who he now is by showing it rather than having an unseen narrator explain what happened. While "The Duck Knight Returns" combines action and humor like a I title I previous reviewed, "Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer," it stays true to the cartoon's roots and seeks to make the reader laugh on every page, though Darkwing's reunion with his former sidekick Launchpad and the actions he takes to protect his daughter Gosalyn show the hero's true, emotional side.

                When I interviewed some local teens about what they liked best about comics, the answer that came up most often was the humor. "The Duck Knight Returns" has an abundance of humor and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the original cartoon and to fans of Disney in general.

If you enjoyed "The Duck Knight Returns," be sure to check out these other Darkwing Duck books:
Crisis on Infinite Darkwings
F.O.W.L. Disposition
Campaign Carnage

Also, check out the Darkwing Duck cartoon opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=375ENQbru8s

Brill, Ian, and James Silvani. Disney's Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns. Los Angeles: Boom! Studio, 2010. Print.

"Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer" by Van Jensen

Book cover, courtesy of ComicMonsters.com

               So you think you know Pinocchio? You think you know the story of the little wooden puppet who wanted to be a real boy? Well, now you'll find out what happened AFTER that happy little story. "Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer" is the thrilling tale of a little wooden boy whose greatest weapon in a world being enveloped by dark magic is his ability to lie. More specifically, the wooden stakes he uses to kill vampires are made from his nose after he tells a lie. With the help of Master Cherry, an old carpenter who adopts Pinocchio after his father's death, and the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio protects his hometown from the forces of evil while investigating the beings behind Geppetto's murder.

                "Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer" is a uniquely exciting story that is also genuinely funny when it tries to be, such as when Pinocchio points at a vampire and yells "Your mother had a mustache!" without causing his nose to grow, much to the surprise of himself and every other vampire. The book has several dramatic plot twists that keep the book fresh and interesting and fans of romance will appreciate the tension Pinocchio feels when trying not to look like a lunatic in front of Carlotta while trying to warn the townspeople about the monsters that prey upon them at night.

                When I spoke to Julianna, who insisted that I list her age as 15 and 23/24 years, about her interest in graphic novels, she admitted that she did not know much about them. One of the great things about "Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer" is that you don't need to know anything about comics or even about Pinocchio to understand what is happening in this book. The author helpfully provides an illustrated, tongue-in-cheek summary of the original Pinocchio story with amazing dialogue such as "Holy crap, don't make me into a table leg!" I would definitely recommend "Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer" to people who enjoy fairy tales without taking them too seriously.

If you enjoyed "Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer," check out the other books in the series: "The Great Puppet Theater", "Of Wood and Blood Part 1", and the conclusion "Of Wood and Blood Part 2".

Jensen, Van, and Dustin Higgins. Pinnochio, Vampire Slayer. San Jose, CA: SLG Pub., 2009. Print.

"Star Trek: Countdown" by Roberto Orci

Book cover, courtesy of Borg.com

                According to Alex, a sophmore I interviewed, the best thing about Star Trek is that there's always new stories to be told. When J.J. Abrams launched a new Star Trek movie series back in 2009, reimagining the events of James T. Kirk's tenure aboard the Enterprise, there were many stories to be told about two of the movie's major players: a Romular miner named Nero and an elderly Vulcan named Spock, whom fans old and young are certain to recognize. How did these two come to find themselves in the past? Why does Nero hold such a powerful grudge against Spock? "Star Trek: Countdown" by Roberto Orci is that story.

                For years, Spock sought to reunify his people, the Vulcans, with their long-separated Romulan brethren. After finally convincing the two races to agree to an exchange of ambassadors that is the first step towards peace between them, a terrible catastrophe threatens to destroy them and the entire universe. Hobus, a giant star, has mysteriously exploded, sending a dangerous shockwave through space and the first planet in its path is Romulus! Spock seeks to warn the Romulans and Vulcans of the danger, but the only people who listen to his plea are Nero, then captain of a simple mining vessel expecting his first child, and Jean-Luc Picard, former captain of the starship Enterprise. With time against them, Spock, Nero, and Jean-Luc rush to put into motion a plan that will stop the Hobus supernova from destroying the galaxy, but events conspire to pit Romulan against Vulcan in a feud that will cross time and space.

                Although "Star Trek: Countdown" is an exciting story with excellent art and memorable characters, only Spock and Nero are given proper introductions. Returning "Star Trek" characters like Jean-Luc Picard, Data, and Worf typically appear with little fanfare and rely on the reader being a previous fan of the series to know who they are. However, anyone who has seen the 2009 "Star Trek" film is sure to enjoy this prequel.

Enjoy these trailers for the 2009 movie "Star Trek": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IptbC3p2lCk

Want to know what happened to the original Star Trek universe after Spock and Nero disappeared? Want to meet other Star Trek fans and go on exciting adventures of your own? Check out Cryptic Studios' "Star Trek Online," an exciting Massive Multiplayer Online game that is free-to-play: http://sto.perfectworld.com/

Orci, Roberto, Alex Kurtzman, Mike Johnson, Tim Jones, and Messina. Star Trek: Countdown. San Diego, CA: IDW Pub., 2009. Print.