Love by Corrinne Averiss - Book Review

 

'Funny, emotional, and uplifting picture book about separation and love, to help children understand their emotions.

'Everyone loves everyone in Tess’s house, but when Tess has to leave for school for the very first time, she is worried that her family’s love might not stretch that far. Mom explains that love is like a string, it connects people together even when they are far away. At school Tess notices that all the children have strings! Some are new, some are old, some stretch a long way, and some even stretch right up into the sky. But what happens when a string breaks?'

Not being a parent myself, I imagine that the first day of school can be a daunting experience for a child, and you often hear stories about nervous children, afraid to leave their family and head out into the unknown, surrounded by children and adults that they've never met before. This is one of the main themes of Love, and it handles this in a really beautiful way.

The book follows Tess, a young girl who lives with her parents and little brother Tommy, a girl who's grown up surrounded by love. The book shows this love as a real, tangible thing, a shining golden thread that connects the family together, and wraps around them when they're close. Is't a great visual representation, and over the course of the book this thread is used to goof effect, showing children that even when Tess is away from her mother at school that thread is still there, connecting the two of them.

Somewhat overwhelmed by events, Tess tries to tug on her thread, trying to pull her mother back to her; but learns that this isn't how love really works. Over her day Tess begins to make friends with some of the other children, and more threads begin to form around Tess as she forms friendships with these kids, and learns that they too have these threads of love; even to family members who have passed away, with their thread going up high to connect them to their loved one in heaven. Tess discovers that there are different kinds of love, and that the love of a friend is equally as important and valued as the love she has for her family.

When her mother is late picking her yup from school Tess is worried that her thread might be broken, that her mother might be gone or no longer loves her anymore. When her mother arrives she reassures Tess that she will always love her, and that she will always have that thread.

Love is a really sweet book, one that has a wonderful message at its heart, that love can connect you to the people you care about, even if they're not around, or even if they've passed away. It's a message that some younger kids might need to hear, one that reassures them that even when things seem at their scariest, someone will always be caring about them.

The book has some beautiful illustrations by Kirsti Beautyman, who manages to convey the idea of these threads of love in really pretty ways, and it really adds to the story and conveys what could have been fairly abstract and lofty ideas in a way that is easy to grasp. 

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S.W.O.R.D. #2 - Comic Review

 

I really enjoyed the first issue of S.W.O.R.D. and thought that it was a good introduction to both this new team, and the new book, but was a little worried when I opened up issue two and saw that this was tying into the current King In Black event that's going on at the moment. I've not been reading this event, though am vaguely aware of what it's about, and as such wasn't really looking forward to this new series being disrupted in its second issue by having to be a part of this event I'm not reading.

However, whilst the events of this book do pertain to the event, it still manages to stand on its own and feel like a continuation of the first issue. It acknowledges the events that are going on in King In Black, but doesn't require you to have read any of it to enjoy this issue. This is how a lot more of these event tie ins should be written.

The issue begins with a page showing that New York City has been covered in a dome made of darkness, and a mysterious figure on a rooftop. This very quickly sets the stage for what's going on in the world for those who've not been reading the event, and gives you a small taste of the kind of stakes in play.

The rest of the issue focuses on the staff of S.W.O.R.D. and how they're reacting to the attack on Earth. We chiefly follow the leader of the group, Abigail Brand, as she moves through he station giving her orders and getting her team up on the plans she's going to put into motion. This not only gives readers a taste of what to expect, but is a nice little reminder of the various departments on the Peak, and what they're expected to do.

This issue also gives Fabian Cortez and Mentallo a lot more to do than in the first issue, and seems to be beginning to set up some interesting relationship dynamics, showing that whilst this is an organisation where people are sharing the same goals it doesn't mean that they all get along with each other, or even that they all trust each other.

The latter half of the issue sees S.W.O.R.D. assisting with the defence of Krakoa, and it was nice to see some of the team coming off the station. I know it's only the second issue, but with everything in the series being set on the Peak so far it showed just how important getting away from the station for a while is to the flow of the series, not least because it allows some of the characters to actually cut loose with their powers and get involved in the action. We see this displayed the most with Cortez, who is able to power up Sunfire, allowing him to get back into the fight after being badly injured. This also leads to a moment where Cortez is able to gain the attention of Magneto, and we see the old Cortez coming through for a moment as he begins to try weaselling his way into Eric's good graces.

I was expecting the issue to be almost unreadable, as someone who has no real idea of what's happening in King in Black, that the action would be the reader and the S.W.O.R.D. team thrown in at the deep end midway through a story that you'd need a dozen other comics to be able to know what's going on. Instead, it's a pretty self contained story, one that makes the cast of characters the focus, rather than the event as a whole. It managed to feel like a logical next step from the first issue, and not something that's gotten lost in a big event series. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what some of the things set up in this issue become, as well as seeing what happens next from that pretty cool cliffhanger moment on the final page.

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The Witchling's Girl by Helena Coggan - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'In a quiet street far from the river, with an ancient tree growing through its walls and floors, is the House of the Dead. There lives the witchling: healer, midwife and conduit between the world of the living and the world below. A witchling must give up her family and friends and spend her life alone, tending to the sick and carrying the dead down dark tunnels to the underworld.

'Haley was born with the gift of death-magic, and at the age of seven her mother abandons her to the witchling to be raised as her successor. But as Haley grows older and learns her craft - as invading armies pass through her town, people are born and die on her floor, and loyalties shift and dissolve around her - she finds it harder and harder to keep her vows and be the perfect and impassive healer.

'But if she can't, it will be her downfall - and that of everyone she's not supposed to love..'

The Witchling's Girl is the story of Haley, a young girl who discovers that she possesses a strange magic when she accidentally brings her dead cat back to life. Unfortunately for her, this is death magic, and means that her life is about to change forever. Given away by her family, she's made to go live with the witchling, the town's healer, midwife, and undertaker. Now Haley must learn the ways of the witchling, learn how to heal the sick, raise the dead, and deliver corpses to the underworld in service to the people who now fear her powers.

I was instantly hooked with The Witchling's Girl. There was something about this strange new world that fascinated me, and the fact that Helena Coggan chose to write the book from Haley's point of view is a large part of this. Much like Haley we start the experience not knowing much, and discover things through her perspective. At first Marian, the town witchling, is a frightening figure, one who is keeping Haley from her family, forcing her into a life that she does not want. But over the course of the book our perception of things changes alongside Haley's, we discover just what the witchlings are, and why they're important, and just like Haley, we come to see it as an vital and noble calling, one that isn't to be feared.

The subtle shifts that Coggan allows to play out in the story are fantastic, and the Haley we follow at the start of the book is so different from who she is midway through, and who she then goes on to be at the end of the book that you don't even realise how radical a journey and changes she's been through until you look back once you've reached the end. We have a protagonist who is a terrified child, a dutiful student, a loving friend, a lawbreaker, and a determined protector. Haley goes through such an amazing journey in this book that she's a more well rounded and multifaceted a character than some I've seen in series that span several novels. And despite her magical abilities, and her different world, she's so human and so relatable that you'll be hard pressed not to fall in love with her.

The novel is set in some unnamed fantasy world, a place where the worlds of the afterlife, and the rules around death, are very different. We get hints of this throughout the book, of nations at war with each other, beings who have descended from heaven to walk amongst humans, but all of this is background, barely touching up against the heart of the story, which is the life of this one woman. At first I found myself wanting to learn more about this world, but then I realised it didn't really matter. We get given the information that we need, that's important to Haley's story, and that's it. In a story about a woman who can't leave her hometown, who has to be easy to find and accessible so that she can help the people around her the things that don't directly affect her aren't important. Do I really need to know about this land far away that an army is planning to invade? No, not really, and I was really okay with that. It felt like a bigger, more realised world because Coggan didn't feel the need to try and show this stuff off, and simply allowed readers to experience this small corner of it.

With so many fantasy stories wanting to show off the worlds they inhabit, to tell grand, sweeping epics with the fate of the world on the line it felt like a breath of fresh air to have a book that slowed things down a little, and allowed its characters to be the important part. This is a book about people more than anything else, about a young woman forced into a life she never asked for, who's trying to do the best she can for people, and who ultimately wants to do the right thing, even if that's not the easiest thing. The Witchling's Girl is a one of the first books for 2021 I've read, but it's one that I know I'm still going to look fondly on come the end of the year; an absolute amazing read.

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Future State: Justice League #1 - Comic Review

 

People who pick up the first issue of Future State: Justice League are in for a real treat, as you not only get one great Justice League story, but you get another, as we get to see a new version of the League, as well as finding out what happens to the Justice League Dark.

The first half of the book is given over to the new version of the Justice League, a new team for a new age, made up of brand new members. There's Jon, the new Superman who's stepping into his father's shoes; Yara Flor, the Wonder Woman from Brazil; Green Lantern Jo Mullien, the intergalactic cop who fans will have been enjoying in Far Sector; Tim Fox, the first Black Batman, and the man who 'saved' Gotham; the new Aquawoman, the daughter of Aquaman and Mera; and a non-binary Flash, Jess Chambers, from Eath-11.

It's nice to see a team that on first glance is the Justice League that people know, before you realise that despite having a Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and GL, it's a whole new team. We get to discover these characters for the first time, though some have appeared in other books. We get to see them interacting as a team, and get to see how their interpersonal relationships operate, which is something that I always like with team books.

However, there are new rules for this Justice League. The old League go too big, and too intimate, and were betrayed from within. So, this new League keep their identities a secret, and don't see each other outside of missions. They keep each other at arms length so as to best protect the world that needs them. However, these are still people, and relationships form, and not every member of the league seems to be happy with the 'no friends' rule, and we get to see some really sweet interactions between some of the members. The scene where Flash and Aquawoman hang out together was a particular favourite.

Unfortunately, this can't just be a book about the League hanging out together and breaking their own rules, as there's a murder to be solved. After seeing the new Legion of Doom plotting to take down the Justice League they're found dead, and it's down to the League to figure out who could have killed all of these heavy hitters, and why.

The answer to this mystery gets revealed in the last few pages of the story, and I have to say I really liked who Joshua Williamson picked as the villains. It's a group that will be recognisable to some who've read some older League books, and I loved that it was something from the history of the Justice League rather than something new. And I'm excited to see how things will shape up in the next issue, and if the League will be able to take down the bad guys.

The second story in the issue shifts to a very different type of future, one that sees the members of the Justice League Dark fighting for their lives in a world at war with magic. Written by Ram V, who also did an amazing job on Future State: Swamp Thing, it's pretty clear that he's a writer who not only works really well in these future settings, but is able to bring horror into the DC Universe in great ways.

The issue opens with Zatana and Detective Chimp in the Mojave Desert, searching through the remains of several people who fell victim to the forces of Merlin, who's trying to claim all of the magic on Earth for himself. The pair find the burnt and crucified remains of the angel Zauriel, who holds a clue that sets them off on a cross country journey.

Along the way we discover a little more about this dark new future, and discover that a lot of changes have taken place, one in particular was really surprising yet brilliant addition; Detective Chimp as the new host for Etrigan. Just the changing of the phrase to 'Gone, gone the simian, rise the demo Etrigan!' brought a huge smile to my face. And it didn't end there, as we also get to meet a few other fan favourite mystical characters along the way. Some, like Constantine, were to be expected, but I adored the fact that Ragman was included, especially given the changes he's gone through here too.

My biggest complaint about the Justice League Dark half of this book is that this isn't part of an ongoing series. I love the mystical side of the DC Universe, and the JLD are a great team, but the changes that Ram V has made to them here, the new directions the characters have been taken in, are simply wonderful. Even if the slate had to wiped clean at the end and things 'reset' to normal I'd love to have seen this setting explored over a full run over several issues. As it is, I'm just going to have to make the best of it whilst it lasts, because this is brilliant.

If it's not clear already, I really enjoyed both of these stories. The writing and art on both were superb, and they make for some of the most interesting stories in Future State so far, and ones that I think would easily have made for great ongoing stories in their own right. I don't know what lasting effects Future State is going to have on the universe yet, but hopefully some of the stuff from this issue will be brought across.

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Top 5 Books of 2020

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

I’ve managed to read a lot of books this year, over two hundred and counting at the time of writing, so trying to whittle that list down to five of the best is really hard, especially with the quality of releases we’ve had this year. But, nevertheless, here are five books that absolutely blew me away in 2020.

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

I was a fan of Lindsay Ellis from her YouTube videos, so when I saw that she was bringing out a science fiction book I was really on board to find out what she was planning to do. Despite already expecting to like the book because I like science fiction and Lindsay’s work, I wasn’t ready for just how good Axiom’s End was going to be.

Set in 2007, the book follows Cora, the daughter of a government whistle-blower currently on the run from the FBI. One of the leaks has made the claim that the US government is hiding the existence of extra-terrestrial life, but Cora isn’t a believer, until one of these alien beings enters Cora’s life. The only person that seems capable of communicating with the aliens, Cora finds herself dragged into a mystery that could have global consequences.

The blurb for the book makes you think that Axiom’s End will be focusing a lot on government conspiracy and accountability, but it’s more about people. How you can discover something so completely alien and different, but can see past that and discover the humanity within.

Despite global conspiracy and threats from space the book is such a personal story, one that will make you fall in love with the characters, human and alien alike. I’m not ashamed to say this book really touched me, and made me cry more than once. It’s a really beautiful piece of work that everyone should check out.

Full Review

Interview With Lindsay Ellis

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn is a book that I enjoyed straight away, but over time I keep going back to thinking about it, it slips into my head again and again, and I’ve realised that what I first thought was a good book is actually a really, really great book.

It follows Bree Matthews, a sixteen-year-old Black girl who’s headed off to college as part of an advance placement scheme. However, once she arrives on campus she accidentally discovers the existence of otherworldly forces, and the group of people who are sworn to stop them. This revelation unlocks a memory deep with Bree, of the night her mother died, and now she’s determined to learn more about this world of magic and demons.

On the surface Legendborn is very similar to a lot of other YA Urban Fantasy books, it’s got a young woman discovering the supernatural is real, meeting a group of teens who fight against these dark forces, and there’s some romance thrown in their too. If that was all there was to the book it would be great, but what makes it amazing is how different the whole thing becomes with one simple change: making Bree Black. Suddenly the book is dealing with racism, police brutality, and class divide in ways that you rarely see in this genre, and it makes the book so damn good because of it. Bree faces demons from hell in this book, but its the scenes where you witness the blatant discrimination she faces as a Black Woman that are the most horrific.

Full Review

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab is a well recognised name in the publishing world, and has a number of hits under her belt. But one book that has been spoken about for years, despite only coming out in 2020, is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

I first heard about this book a year and a half before it came out, at a signing Schwab was attending, and it didn’t seem to be a new topic even then. This has been the book that she’s been working on for the better part of a decade, the one that means a lot to her. There was a lot riding on Addie LaRue, so much hype had been built up around it; luckily, it was every bit as good as we were all hoping.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is about a young woman who made a deal with dark forces in order to escape her old life, back in 1714. These forces allowed her to live for as long as she wants, to get away from the life she wanted to escape, but as with most of these deals there’s a catch; no one can remember her. Her family have no idea who she is, her existence seems to have been erased, and as soon as someone looks away from her they forget she was ever there. Having walked through the world for three hundred years Addie has tried to find ways to leave an impression of herself where she can, but has come to accept her new existence, but her entire world is thrown upside down when a man in a small New York bookshop says the words she never thought she’d hear again: ‘I remember you’.

Full Review

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

Yusef Salaam might be a name familiar to some of you; he was one of the five young men wrongfully sent to prison for the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park, a group that would be known as The Central Park Five.

Released years later after the real culprit was found, Yusef had to spend his teenage years in prison for a crime he was innocent of, and since then has dedicated himself to prison reform as has co-writer Ibi Zoboi. This is the topic they have attempted to tackle with Punching the Air.  

The story is about Amal Shahid, a Black teen who gets into a fight with a white boy and, convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, is sent to prison. An artist and poet, Amal finds his entire life thrown upside down as all those around him paint him as aggressive, disruptive, and guilty just because he’s Black. The book is a deeply personal and moving story, one that allows readers insight into the mind of a young man who’s facing the prospect of their life being over, of their freedom being robbed from them, of being seen as instantly a guilty criminal because of the colour of their skin and a system designed to work against them.

Written in verse and accompanied by beautiful artwork, the book reads like poetry, with stunning lyricism it grabbed me in ways that poetry normally doesn’t, and I read through the entire book in one sitting.

Full Review

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

T. Kingfisher has quickly become one of my favourite horror writers, and their latest book, The Hollow Places, is one that absolutely chilled me.

It centres on Kara, who following her divorce, moves in with her favourite uncle in his weird little museum. Having loved the place and its weird artefacts since she was a little girl Kara is happy for the distraction. However, when her uncle has to have knee surgery he takes some time away to recover, leaving Kara to run the place herself.

All is going well until Kara discovers a strange hole in the back wall, a hole that leads to an impossible place; and underground bunker. Trying to figure out how an upstairs wall can lead to a bunker that shouldn’t be there Kara begins to investigate, but discovers things on the other side of the wall that will shatter her view of reality.

The Hollow Places is the kind of cosmic horror that doesn’t come along too often, but really knows how to use the genre to great effect. There were times the book had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to put it down, but so desperate to find out what happens to Kara that I couldn’t. It has things in its pages that will send shivers down your spine, and make you wary of any random holes that you might come across in your own home.

Full Review

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Future State: Green Lantern #1 - Comic Review

 

With so many characters to choose from, even just the ones from Earth, any Green Lantern story was going to have to miss someone out, luckily, Future State: Green Lantern brings together three separate stories, so that multiple heroes get the chance to shine.

The first story, written by Geoffrey Thorne, sees John Stewart leading a group of Lanterns into battle against an army of Khund laying siege to a peaceful world. The only problem is, none of the rings have power anymore (something that will be a factor in all our Lantern stories). Instead of being able to rely on their rings, these heroes have resorted to guns and swords to help those in need, coming across as more of a mercenary unit, rather than the space cops that they were before.

This makes for a very different type of story from what we'd normally get with these characters, as they're fighting for their lives, and having to kill to do so. You've got John cutting people down with an energy sword, Salak shooting people in the head, and Gnort biting into people and tearing them apart with tooth and claw, more like a werewolf warrior than other depictions of the character. We get little teases as to how the group have ended up in this position, about the rings loosing power, but the main focus is on them having to fight against an overwhelming army, and the story is a grim and violent one because of this.

The second story in the collection takes on a much less grand and violent tone as it follows Jessica Cruz, who's ring ran out of power whilst she was aboard the Sector House in Sector 0123. Trapped alone on the station, she's been repairing the place the est she can, whilst trying to keep the peace on multiple planets using the stations communications equipment. Unfortunately for her, three members of the Sinestro Corps have their eyes on the Sector House for their own ends.

Thus begins a story that's essentially Jessica Cruz doing Die Hard in space, picking off the various members of the Sinestro's one by one, using the various tech around the station to create traps, whilst using the vents to sneak around. Not only is it a ton of fun, but it feels like a really good evolution for the character. She's gone from being alone and scared, to alone and not frightened of anything. Rather than letting the Sinestro Corps frighten her and just hiding away she's become an efficient hero, one who doesn't need her ring to do the job.

The final story is quite a bit of fun, focusing on everyone's favourite GL douche-bag, Guy Gardner. Arriving on an alien planet where two forces are on the brink of war over an artefact that they consider to be holy, Guy's ring runs out of power, literally dropping him out of the air in the process. Over the course of years and decades we see Guy being hailed as a prophet from the gods, and using his position to try and bring peace and prosperity to the people.

Guy seems like the last person who would use this kind of power for good, and there are moments you see the old Guy shining through, such as getting the inhabitants to build him a new bar and a Foosball table, but he uses his knowledge to end hunger and thirst, to stop violence, and to make the living conditions better. It's a nice journey to see him go on, and one that shows a side to Guy that rarely gets the chance to shine.

There are a couple of fun cliffhangers in these stories too, which raise some interesting questions as to what might be coming next for the Lanterns in the second issue. Hopefully we'll also get to see more about some of the other characters too, such as Kyle Rayner, and perhaps even discover why their rings no longer function.

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Marvel Action: Avengers #12 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The final issue of the current story arc of Marvel Action: Avengers comes to an end, and it feels like the end of the entire run in a conclusion that tries to tie everything together. Readers return to the nightmare world where Captain America has been trapped fighting the forces of A.I.M. and the corrupted versions of his Avengers compatriots, whilst his real friends are struggling to find a way to wake him in the real world. Having assembled the last few un-corrupted heroes, Cap leads them on a mission against A.I.M., one that he hopes will also lead him to a way escape from this awful world.

I won’t talk too much about the conclusion of this issue, but it brings in ideas and plot points from all the issues of the series so far, trying to make it all feel like one connected story, and this works for the most part, but it still doesn’t feel like one huge, cohesive whole.

This might be because we finally get our answers to what’s happening, and a conclusion to the problems, all in pretty quick succession, and don’t really have any time to sit with these revelations before they’re put to bed. I can’t help but feel that if some of these answers were given in the previous issue, and Cap and the audience were given time to dwell on these revelations before heading to the final confrontation it would have had more weight to it.

As it is, the story feels like it ends pretty quickly and unexpectedly, with a conclusion that I think only just works. The logic behind it makes sense, but it doesn’t completely satisfy, and there was no sign beforehand that Cap even had a plan that fit these specific circumstances. Okay, perhaps he had to make up the plan on the spot, and it was his quick thinking that saved the day, but that just makes the bad guy seem even worse, as Cap was able to ruin his plot within a few seconds of hearing it.

I’ve enjoyed a lot of this series so far, but found this conclusion to be one of the weaker issues of the series, and as such it kind of left a bit of a bum note for the whole thing to end on. Instead of remembering the good parts of the series I suspect I’ll be remembering the less than perfect end, and if there are no more issues to come after this that feeling will be even worse. 

I hope that the series does similar to Marvel Action Spider-Man, and will continue on, even if that’s with a new issue one, so that we can get some more stories in this universe, and can hopefully move past this final issue.

Marvel Action: Avengers #12 is out now from IDW Publishing.

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Mighty Morphin #3 - Comic Review

 

So, these Chaos Putties are pretty nasty huh? Picking up where the last issue of Mighty Morphin left off we rejoin the Rangers as they're surrounded by Lord Zedd's powerful new Putties, one of which seemed to give the Rangers a run for their money. Ryan Parrott has always done really good things with the Rangers, and has expanded the mythology in some great ways, but I'd never have predicted that he'd be able to make the Putties not just scary, but a challenge for the Rangers.

This is the kind of thing that I love about the Power Rangers comics, the fact that new life is being breathed into a series that even if you love it you kind of have to admit it isn't perfect. The costumes can be silly, the effects bad, and the writing awful at times, but there's still a lot to love in the franchise, and Parrott is really showing what the series could have been back then if it was treated more seriously, and if given a huge budget.

The Chaos Putties could never have been made on screen the way they are here, and the designs really use the comics ability to do anything it wants well. They're bog, have multiple arms, are covered in glowing parts, and you really do believe that the Rangers are having a hard time taking them on. When you throw in the added wrinkle of the new Green Ranger being suseptable to the Chaos Eergy, and Adam's head being messed with the team never really stood a chance here. It's nice to see our heroes actually having to retreat for once too, as they've had some pretty big victories recently, and seeing the bad guys get a win, even if only temporary, reminds us that Zedd isn't a bad guy to be taken lightly.

The best parts of the issue, however, don't concern the action, but the character moments we get. We learn more about Zordon in the very first scene of the book than I think we do over the course of his entire time on the shows, and this new flashback shows us a young Zordon who's unsure of himself, nervous, and wanting something else with his life. The revelation that he sees his time in the military as something to be done for a short time to repay his world, and that he actually really wants to just settle down as a farmer and raise a family shows us a side of the character we've not experienced before. It would be so easy to write him as a man who always had a strong sense of justice, who always wanted to protect people and fight the forces of evil, but that wouldn't have been half as interesting as this. These flashbacks to Eltar might only be brief, but they'r revealing a lot about Zordon and his history, and it makes them incredibly enjoyable.

We also get to see more of the drama between Bulk, Skull, and Candice as the three of them run from the Chaos Putties, and Skull bravely tries to protect the woman he loves from these monsters. I got a sense that Candice manages to win some respect from Bulk in this scene, and I think it also showed that even if she's not who she really appears, she does seem to care for the two of them. I'm interested to see where her story is leading, but am worried that whatever happens is going to be a heartbreaking moment for both Bulk and Skull. People with only a vague familiarity with the franchise might find that a strange worry to have, but the two characters were proven to be incredibly kind and caring people over their years on screen, and became a real heart of the franchise, and I just really don't want to see either of them getting hurt.

One of the best parts, however, is the beginning of the unravelling of Green Ranger mystery. Not only does Aisha discover that Billy is behind the Green Ranger, and knows who's in the suit, but Zordon has also learned that Grace is involved. Ryan has done an amazing job of showing how close Billy and Zordon are over the last few issues, and that the two of them have a relationship that Zordon doesn't have with any of the others; so I just know that when everything comes out into the open it's going to make for a dramatic, and painful moment. There's a real sense that this is something that's going to hurt the team, that's going to damage trust between these characters, and will led to some rocky moments to come.

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The Humiliations of Welton Blake by Alex Wheatle - Book Review

 

'Welton Blake has done it! He's asked out Carmella McKenzie - the best-looking girl in school - and she's only gone and said yes! But just as he thinks his luck is starting to change, Welton's phone breaks, kick-starting a series of unfortunate and humiliating events. With bullies to avoid, girls ready to knock him out and all the drama with his mum and dad, life for Welton is about to go very, very wrong ... Hilarity follows disaster in this sharp-witted tale of the trials of teen life from award-winning author Alex Wheatle.'

If there's one thing this book has helped me to realise is that you couldn't pay me to live through high school again. The amount of drama, heartache, and feelings of your world coming to an end that the lead character feels in this book really made me remember just how heightened and crazy life as a teen is, and I'm so glad that part of my life is behind me.

Sadly, it's not for Welton Blake, who starts the book by doing something really big and scary, asking out the girl he fancies. Thankfully, this goes well for Welton, and Carmella McKenzie, the best looking girl in school, agrees to go out to the movies with him. Unfortunately, this is the only real time where things are going right for him for most of this book.

The next day he waked up to his phone having broke, and he can't message Carmella about their date. Worrying that things might have already been messed up it gets even worse for him as he throws up over a girl in class, gets beaten up by a bully, lands himself in detention, and that's just the first day. From here on out it's bad thing after bad thing for Welton, and it quickly feels like things are falling apart for the young teen. Like I said, it's 'end-of-the-world' stuff. 

Over the course of the book readers get to see Welton trying to do everything he can to set things back on course for himself, but thanks to those pesky teen fears he doesn't do the simple of thing of just talking to the people he needs to, which just allows his own imagination to conjure up worst case scenarios for him, driving him mad.

Whilst as an adult I was able to look at a lot of what Welton was doing and found myself thinking if he just calmed down a bit and thought things through rationally he'd be okay, this is of course not what teens do, and I quickly found myself remembering equally as embarrassing and awful things from my own past. This is one of the best things about the book, the fact that it's so relatable. Even for someone like myself who's well out of the target age range of the book. Even though times have changed a lot since I was in school that sense of everything being so important, and every bad thing feeling like it was going to wreck your whole world is a fairly universal feeling, and is still one that teens today will know well.

Welton and his story will connect with a lot of readers. Even if you've never been in the exact same situations as Welton, you'll have experienced similar, and will be able to see some of yourself in this book.

This is the first Alex Wheatkle book that I've read, but I can see why he's such a beloved children's author, the book is incredibly relatable, and it's something that teens can latch onto. They can see themselves in these characters and situations, they can share in the embarrassment and shame, and see that despite this things work out well for Welton, and can see that if they just keep going and striving forward things will work out for them too.

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Future State: Robin Eternal #1 - Comic Review

 

I've always had a soft spot for Tim Drake. He's the Robin that I was used to reading when I got into comics, and I think he's a very likeable character. Even when they changed him to Red Robin following Damian Wayne taking on the mantle of Robin I thought he had a great book, and looked forward to reading about him each month. When the New 52 hit I ended up taking a step back from DC for a while because, frankly, I didn't like most of the comics anymore; and one character that I felt got one of the worse deals from the revamp was Tim. However, I'm really happy to see that Meghan Fitzman has served the character well in his Future State book.

The issue opens with Tim alone in Gotham, his friends and allies gone, leaving him alone to fight against the forces of the Magistrate. We get a nice little explanation at the start as to what's happened to a few of the other members of the Bat-family, with Dick locked up in Arkham, and Jason working for the Magistrate. No info on Damian at this point though, so perhaps Tim not revealing that is going to lead to a little revelation in the next few issues, which might not be too far fetched considering what the bad guys are using to enhance their soldiers.

But I'm getting a little ahead there, we find out that Tim is still leading the fight against the bad guys, and is trying to stop the Magistrate from enhancing their mechanical soldiers with a new mystery substance. Along his investigation he gets joined by Stephanie Brown, Spoiler, who's picked up her costume to rejoin the fight. I love the way Steph looks in this issue, and she's got the hardened future resistance fighter vibe down well. I've always loved Stephanie, and her relationship with Tim is always fun to watch, so it feels really appropriate that she's back for this story.

She's not the only returning character though, as Tim is also joined by Darcy for We Are Robin, giving readers three characters that have a relation to the name Robin all in one book. Possibly four if Damian turns up? It really began to feel that whilst this is definitely Tim leading things this book was also taking the time to acknowledge the fact that there have been a number of Robins over the years, and is trying to include multiple characters connected to the hero in some way.

The book moved with a really good pace, and despite a good section of it being given over to world building and character development as Tim and Darcy had a conversation with each other on a rooftop there was enough action and high stakes drama that meant the book never felt slow or dull. It had punch, and a sense of time running out as the three heroes tried to stop things in Gotham from getting worse.

I've found the Future State books set in Gotham to be a very mixed bag so far, but this is one that was enjoyable throughout, managing to sell this darker future whilst not making it too grim or dull, and also showcasing a trio of characters who are a lot of fun. After seeing this I really hope that post Future State we end up seeing more of Tim Drake doing what he does best, with Stephanie along for the ride too.

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