Spy x Family Vol 16 by Tatsu Endo
Master spy Twilight is unparalleled when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions for the betterment of the world. But when he receives the ultimate assignment—to get married and have a kid—he may finally be in over his head!
When Melinda comes to Loid for counseling, he lucks into a great opportunity to gather intel. During their session, even Loid is shocked by what he learns about Donovan Desmond. Meanwhile, it’s a new term at Eden Academy, and Anya’s found herself in the middle of an international dispute!
Finally we get Mrs. Desmond into therapy, but what she reveals about her husband is certainly jaw-dropping. I’m on Twilight’s side, is she delusional? Or is this supposed to be some sort of metaphor for a different mental illness that Mrs. Desmond isn’t willing to admit? Either way, Endo leaves an intriguing cliffhanger. More interestingly, Yor’s assassin organization gets more of a spotlight as we see their neutrality on display when it comes to the cold war. Plus Yor gets her own rival in the form of Nightshade who makes her question her double life that will have YorxTwilight shippers at the edge of their seats. For several issues, Endo has kept things at a slow status quo but this volume represents a turning point for the Forager family facade and I can’t wait to see what will happen next.
Teen Titans Together by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo
H.I.V.E. has been experimenting on teens with superhuman abilities, and Kori Anders is next on their list. Dick Grayson, Rachel ‘Raven’ Roth, Garfield Logan, Max Navarro, and Damian Wayne got to Los Angeles to save her before Slade Wilson found her, but should she trust these strangers? After all, they’ve accused her mom’s fiancé of abduction, experimentation, and torture! And Kory’s new friend, Victor Stone has a summer internship designing next-level prosthetics at Edge Labs, a company funding H.I.V.E.
To make matters worse, Kori’s sister Kira is working with the organization and singing its praises. H.I.V.E. has a plan for taking down Raven’s demon father, Trigon. It’s got a plan for training the next generation of superheroes. It’s got plans for everything.
Lines blur as the teens struggle to decide what to do. H.I.V.E. might be their greatest ally…but at what cost? Can the Teen Titans pull together a plan before they fall apart?
The conclusion of the Titans Together was full of action thanks to Picolo’s art. I can’t say enough about the crispness of his lines, the burst of color and dynamic poses. He’s a great artist and it’s a joy to admire his work.
The story was good enough. Admittedly, it’s been awhile since I read the lead-up, but I found Garcia had trouble balancing the large cast of characters. Raven and Beast Boy who had been the leads of the series in the beginning are forced to the side. Cyborg, a new addition, is almost completely underutilized and I forgot he was there at points. Robin only exists as Kory’s love interest which look, I love me some RobinFire, but I wished he did have more of an arc. He was a bit too perfect compared to Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire’s books with struggles to get through.
The character spotlight was shared between Damien and Starfire. Damien’s arc was predictable and as he’s an edgy teen kid with a chip on his shoulder, I had absolutely no interest in how easily he was manipulated by Blackfire and his last minute apology and make-up. Starfire’s rivalry with her sister was much more engaging as Starfire wants so much to share a sisterly bond but Kira’s narcissicm and resentment always gets in the way. It was awesome to see Kori let loose when she realizes Kira is never going to change. However, the continued use of ableist and ablesim in their arguements felt repetitive. I know that’s the correct term but perhaps changing it up would break the monotony.
Additionally, because of the trouble balancing the cast, the final battle did not feel as epic as it could have been because one lost track of the characters. Slade who had been such a big villain is underwhelming. Raven doesn’t get to truly confront her Dad. And her sister is just there.
So an full of potential that falls apart under its weight.
Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiki Hughes. Illustrated by Alexandria Monik.
Jet: Rebels and Rhinos by Faith Erin Hicks. Illustrated by Peter Wartman
Masters of the Elements by Brandon Hoáng, Meredith McClaren, Amy Chu, Dave Scheidt, David M. Booher, Ben Wilgus, and Rachel Silverstein. Illustrated by Meredith McClaren, BellBessa, Kelly Matthews, Nichole Matthews, Ingrid Kan, Xanthe Bouma and Bailie Rosenlund
Young and untested, Kya leaves her family to seek her purpose in the wider world. Hoping to test herself and help struggling communities, she heads to the Si Wong Desert, where scarce resources and fractured communities are making the fringes of the Earth Kingdom increasingly unstable. Kya, arriving in the community of Liyuan to teach healing and help the struggling community defend itself from bandits, finds that the wounds left from decades of conflict run deep, and may be harder to heal than she first thought.
An excellent tale, a predictable one and a fun interlude. First off, Kya’s journey to Liyuen demonstrates what has happened to the small towns since the end of the 100 Year War. The Earth Kingdom has gone from isolationist to colonialist and their treatment of the sandbenders, deriding their “primitive ways. They’re trying to erase their culture while utitilizing their resources highlight that hypocrisy. I enjoyed the inclusion of new characters like Bai Yin highlighted these perspectives and allowed for some redemption from when she realizes the Earth Kingdom’s (and thus hers) wrongs. The story also nicely highlighted Kya’s own struggle to find her own person, connect with her waterbending and how it informs her identity. Plus there might have been some shippiness between Kya and the sandbender, Tsetseg which I wholly support.
After his village is destroyed by the Fire Nation Army’s elite unit known as the Rough Rhinos, Jet’s life’s goal becomes making Colonel Mongke and his cavalry of soldiers pay for their crimes. But in a war-torn kingdom, who’s going to adopt a child’s mission of revenge? Jet uses his powers of persuasion to gather a small but determined force of other young people who are looking for something different in the midst of war: a community. When Jet has his chance to confront Mongke, will he throw away the found family he’s helped to build in pursuit of vengeance?
Jet’s origin story is a bit predictable, and while fans of his character might enjoy getting to see the gaps filled of him befriending Duke, Pipsqueak and Longshot and their first fight against the Rhino Riders, it didn’t add much to what we already know about him. Still I liked Hick’s dedication to showcasing Jet’s desire for revenge and forshadowing how it becomes fuel for him rather than solely saving the people.
The first volume of Avatar Legends: Masters of the Elements collects short stories from beyond the confines of a single Avatar Cycle. Tales from Avatars Korra, Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, and Yangchen are rendered in exciting detail by comics masters including Brandon Hoàng, BellBessa, Rachel Silverstein, Ingrid Kan, Ben Wilgus, David M. Booher, Amy Chu and many more! From the Western Air Temple to the ramen houses of the Fire Nation and everywhere in between, these stories bring a new dose of Avatar adventure to your bookshelf
Masters of the Elements is a collection of tales by various author/artists. My favorites would have to be the prank battle between Katara and Toph, roping Korra’s Krew in the process and Yangchen’s stories teaching firebending students and finding her adorable lemurs.
The Long-Lived King by Dana Terrace and Mikki Crisostomo
King has never fully considered what it means to be a Titan—until now. Burdened by the knowledge that he will outlive his beloved Owl House family, he’s still determined to enjoy every moment he can with them. Even if that means using one of the Collector’s devices to wipe away his sad memories.
But when King accidentally erases Luz’s memories, he must enlist the Collector and Eda to help him recover Luz’s memories and confront their deepest fears along the way. Packed with humor, action, and stunning black-and-white illustrations in a fresh, manga-inspired style, this graphic novel welcomes readers back to The Owl House with an unforgettable adventure.
So fun to get back to the world of the Boiling Isles. While it’s a pretty short book, just under 150 pages, Terrace and Crisostomo pack new lore and emotional punch into the story. Continuing the story a year after the finale, they pick up threads regarding Eda’s feelings of mortality due to the curse, and King’s crushing face-off with anticipatory grief. Terrace has touched on these themes before, and she doesn’t hold back in the more philospical questions everyone has. What is death? How do we move on with the limited timespan we have? Why is it all so scary and uncertain? There are no clear answers, but there is comfort in talking about it. There is bits of humor too, but as I had recently lost my grandfather, I may have cried than I thought I would and King’s ultra-relatable desire to just push past the sad emotions.
Han, an artist from the series, continues to bring the world to life with anime-esque expressions and dynamic action sequences that spring off the page, and readers will enjoy the detailed new looks of their favorite characters growing up. How I hope that this will be the beginning of more TOH novels.
Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for Pumpkin King by Shaun McLaughlin, Stu Levy and Dan Conner. Illustrated by Deborah Allo
Explore Jack and Oogie Boogie’s early days in Halloween Town and learn how their inseparable friendship turns sour as they battle to become the next Pumpkin King. Discover the mastermind who’s pulling the strings, and relive the fantastic world of The Nightmare Before Christmas in this all-new manga adaptation!”
“Jack Skellington is the undisputed Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. But it wasn’t always that way… Years ago, Jack and Oogie Boogie were close friends. Both eager to prove themselves, they poured all their passion into their spooky projects to earn their rightful place as the scariest duo in town. But there could only be one Pumpkin King! What could have happened to turn two best friends into such bitter rivals?”
McLaughlin, Levy and Conner give some intriguing backstory to the rivalry that was hinted in the original movie. While the plot if fairly predictable, I enjoyed how the authors allowed the character’s personalities to shine, showcasing Jack’s creativity and showmanship in contrast to Oogie Boogie’s desire for power, where the spirit of Halloween revolves around himself rather than the holiday. Plus they draw interesting comparison in how both gouls want something grander for their lives, a big destiny.
The tests for choosing who is the next Pumpking King were trite in my opinion (I mean, pumpking carving. Bone pyramid building? What? Not one scare-your-face off contest?), I did like that they try to insert more lore by introducing the former Pumpking King and the system behind it.
Allo’s illustrations fit Burton’s spindly, spooky style well, and I love how adorable a young Sally looked with her pig-tails.
Gaston by Greg Pak, and Fred Van Lente. Illustrated by Milena Ciccarello.
Hijinks ensue across France! LeFou and Squirrel-Gaston (yes, you read that right) scheme to defeat the magical old woman that turned hunky Gaston into an adorable, tiny (but still hunky) woodland creature!
This was hilarious. Although what else you’d expect from one of the most handsome, ridiculous villains in Disney canon. Gaston remains as thick-headed and thick-muscled as ever, unable to understand the lesson the Enchantress is trying to teach him. He blames his mistakes on everyone else, constantly disparges LeFou who only idolizes Gaston even more, and boasts about himself the whole time. Absolute nonsense, but it’s fun to see him switch between animal and human form, LeFou getting distracted by a ball of yarn (makes sense in context) and then bumble their way through a heist. Ciccarello’s art is too cartoony for my tastes, but that’s a minor nitpick when I laughed so much at their hijinks.
Ursula by Sherri L. Smith. Illustrated by Gabriele Bagnoli
Years before she would meet a young mermaid named Ariel, the formidable Ursula presided over a vast underwater kingdom as one of the Seven Sea Witches. Along with Capricia, Scylla, Charybdis, Melusine, Tiamat, and Vodyanoy, together the septet ruled the world’s oceans with impunity. So when one of Ursula’s royal sisters is suddenly found broken and stripped of all her powers, Ursula takes it as an attack upon their collective authority, and sets out to find and punish the culprit – knowing that, among all the denizens of the deep, only one would dare to challenge the Sea Witches’ reign!
A servicable origin story to the sea witch, Smith expands the watery world by giving each sea a distinctive ruler/goddess with accompanying cultural aesthetic. Bagnoli does a great job giving each sea goddess a distinct and memorable form that’s larger than life, different fauna for each sea, and interesting coral formations. Atlantica is Ursula’s domain with its origins a reflection of Greek culture. The accompanying lineage of Atlantica’s merman kings from Poisedon to Triton serves to emphasize that. I enjoyed how Smith showcased that while Ursula’s rule is benevolent in her eyes, it is because all the mermaids/men cowered in fear when serving her tribute so she doesn’t take all their souls.
Ursula’s bond with her fellow sea witches is almost heartwarming until she realizes Triton’s assault on each allows her a chance to seize the entire ocean for herself, making a nice twist from the usual villain is always sympathetic backstory. It fits that even though Ursula may have some affection for her coven, her desire for power is greater.
Which is why her being duped by Demira (strongly implied to be Triton’s future queen if her tendency to sing and bring backup theme music is anything to go by) in the last two issues seem to be out of character. Ursula literally states she doesn’t trust anyone, so for her to trust Demira (even with her bogus anti-Triton backstory) seemed to come out of no where. I was expecting her to sacrifice Demira for her own gain, not save her. It felt like a shoehorned attempt to show some humanity which just feels unneeded for this series. These villains are bad because they’re bad.
Aladdin by Jamess III. Illustrated by Agnese Eterno
WELCOME TO AGRABAH! Your wish is our command in this all-new series starring everyone’s favorite diamond in the rough, Aladdin! Life is good these days for the former street rat…he’s with his love Jasmine, he’s got his buddies Abu and Carpet, and Genie is free to do…whatever it is that Genie wants to do. But trouble always seems to pop up around Al, and hell need the help of everyone he loves to save himself and the entire city of Agrabah!
An ongoing series, this is a fun read for Aladdin fans, but long-time Aladdin fans won’t find anything new. I grew up with the animated Aladdin series, and a lot of the adventures within the issues felt like retreads. Aladdin feels insecure about his street rat status and tries to fit in with the nobles who snub him. Seen it. Jasmine wants to see the people of Agrabah for herself. Been there. Agrabah is trapped in a globe by a big diety and suffer catastrophic earthquakes. Done that. Look, that’s fine, young readers haven’t seen the show and it’ll totally be new for them. That’s great. I’m just not going to continue to read myself.
The Lion King written and illustrated Edwin Galmon.
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KINGS! Get ready to return to the sweeping plains of Africa for a brand-new series of adventures starring Mufasa and Simba! Set in the golden time before the rise of Scar, The Lion King follows the ruler of the Pride Lands and his young heir as they navigate the complex network of relationships that make up their kingdom – and learn firsthand how to defend it against the forces that threaten it both from the outside and from within.
A fantastic series that delves more into Prideland politics. The first five-issue arc features the catty manipulations of Scar undermining Mufasa’s attempts at diplomacy between zebras, and leopards, meaningful discussions about leadership, and the consequences of dealing with a predecessor’s mistakes and the importance of dialogue. Oh, and Simba and Nala are here too. Their little subplot of trying to find the elephant matriarch to prove that they are more than mischevious little cubs was cute. But I was more into the brewing tension between Mufasa and Scar and how they were going to resolve the issue of overhunting with Scar planting seeds of discords.
Even though The Lion King is one of Disney’s biggest hits, I was never into the broader story ideas it could offer. Galmon made me interested in the events before, appreciate Mufasa more as a character and leader, and I am now very invested in getting the next arc.
I just wish there had been more scenes between Mufasa and Simba as the series says it focuses on the father-son bond but they didn’t have any interaction.
Tall Water by SJ Sindu. Illustrated by Dion MBD
Ever since she turned sixteen, Nimmi has wanted to see her mother. Though she has a loving but overprotective father and a budding relationship, she yearns to travel to Sri Lanka to confront the mother who refused to leave the island during a war, not even for Nimmi’s sake. Her father is going back for the first time as a reporter on assignment, but he refuses to take her, deeming Sri Lanka too dangerous.
But then Nimmi’s mother appears to her in a dream, asking her to come find her, and Nimmi knows she must go. Her father is livid when he sees her at baggage claim, but by then it’s too late, and he reluctantly agrees to help Nimmi make contact with her mother. In Sri Lanka, Nimmi tags along with her father and his guide, past checkpoints and armed soldiers and increasing hints of the war that rages there.
However, the day after Christmas, disaster strikes and a tsunami ravages the island. Stranded amid the devastation and destruction, can Nimmi reunite with her mother? Through her journey, Nimmi might just learn that the person she most needed to find was herself.
This was a very moving coming-of-age story. While the summary primarily focuses on the impact of the tsunami, that doesn’t affect the novel until the third act. This acts more of a catalyst for Nimmi and her Amma to really communicate. For the bulk of the novel is about Nimmi and her conflicted feelings about her mother and her heritage. She has no connection to the land she was born, and her overprotective father won’t answer her questions. As a headstrong teen, and wannabe journalist, Nimmi thinks she’s ready for answers but upon getting to Sri Lanka, she realizes how uninformed she is.
MBD’s art showcased how beautiful the land is, the imagery of the ocean representing the gap between Amma and Nimmi were meaningful in its metaphor/foreshadowing. The slower pace allows for readers to appreciate the art and see the natural world through Nimmi’s amazed eyes, but also allows for the moments of violence to be much more striking. Readers will learn a lot of Sri Lanka, the resilience as well as the war against the Tamil people. Nimmi starts the novel, unable to understand why her mother feels so connected to her country when it’s dangerous and unstable, but she (and the reader) start to understand the desire to stay and help improve the world through incremental bits.
Monster High: New Scaremester by Jacque Aye and Caroline Shuda
Ghouls and boos are heading back to Monster High for a new scaremester. And while they’ll certainly be serving lurks in the hallway and haunting study howl, rumor has it that trouble is brewing. Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo de Nile, and Frankie Stein have never met a bad scare day or monstrous problem they couldn’t fix together, but…Drac’s in over her fangs with her new responsibilities, Clawdeen and Cleo aren’t speaking, and Frankie’s life may be in danger. The beasties need a fresh start, and what better time than the new scaremester? Surely a reconciliation is lurking just around the dark and foreboding coroner.
I went into this with a few gaps. A lot of gaps actually, but I caught on to the basic idea of what is happening. I love the idea behind it as Aye and Shudu add more continuity and drama that weren’t allowed on the webisodes. Deuce and Cleo have relationship problems! Clawdeen finally gets some love of her own (though I don’t really approve that it’s Toreli!? Her, really? Maybe she’s better in the comics?), Purrsephone and Meowaldy get to speak, and Frankie and Draculaura don’t get all the attention. I can’t provide a more thorough review than that because I was lost on the character history that obviously happened before this arc but I will say that I’m going to check out more of the series.
Monster High: World’s Scare by Jacque Aye. Illustrated by Caroline Shuda
The brightest minds are gathering in New Salem to exhibit their latest breakthroughs that could change monsterkind furever at the World’s Scare! And Monster High’s very own Frankie Stein is dreaming up something monstrous to honor her late father, Headmaster Frankenstein. In order to do so, she’ll have to face down imps, traverse abandoned graveyards, and confront her past. But with a little help from her fiends, Frankie is sure to shock the judges.
Meanwhile, the gossipmonger CryptCrier is under scrutiny from Monster High’s greatest journalist: Spectra Vondergeist for the Gory Gazette. And the school’s fiercest activist, Lagoona Blue, is gearing up for the protest of the century to stop animal testing.
Monster High hasn’t always been great at filling gaps. Even though I think I found the ending to the New Semester Arc, it apparently wasn’t because I missed out on Frankie’s dad getting stabbed, Mistress Bloodgood returning, Ghoulia is no longer MIA.
Luckily, the first issue of World’s Scare catches readers up to the new status quo, but still. if anyone can answer what issue I’m missing it’d be greatly appreciated. Same with where to get the Twice Bitten book which serves as the start-off to New Scaremester, and not issue #1.
Although I was a bit confused at first, this soon became my new favorite. Lagoona gets the spotlight as she’s often shunted aside in the main ghoul gang, and she’s integrated in the group and has a timely message about corporation animal testing and the struggles of internal divide in activism circles.
There’s less love triangle drama between Clawdeen, Deuce and Cleo, allowing Aye to focus on the fallout from the previous arc. Draculaura and Frankie get a juicy one as Frankie grapples with what her father did, and his death, and Draculaura goes behind Frankie’s back in order to fulfill her selfish, relatable desires. The normie vs monster paranoia continues, adding some dystopian vibes on what it means to protect your kind, and when security veers into oppression.
Even better, we finally get some backstory to Robecca’s missing dad!!! This was a major plot point in the Goulfriends Forever series, but it was abruptly finished and left on a cliffhanger. It’s also been the spotlight in Robecca’s diaries, and webisodes but it seemed the franchise was content to leave it as a tantalizing mystery.
Until now! I was so happy. It’s juicy, ties with Mistress Bloodgood lore, his design is extremely handsome and further emphasizes this arc’s theme of missing fathers and the affect they leave on their daughters.
This was an awesome story arc. Love, love, love!
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