#ComicReview: Giant Robot Warriors

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Ashleigh Mayes

Everyone loves robots, no? Today's review is "Giant Robot Warriors" by Stuart Moore and Ryan Kelly. Initially, the badass cover is what led me to pick up this book. Seriously, look at it! Little did I know, the book would be dripping with humor, politics (love me some!), and serious rivalries. The book, overall, shows us what we, as Americans, love to fight other's wars. The novel is centered around Rufus. Personally, at first, I can't stand the kid. He's the self-proclaimed "pretty-boy" face of the project who seems only concerned with public relations. His form of PR? Flirting with talkshow hosts, news reporters, and whatever female is in the vicinity. He even goes so far as to take a group of girls into the top-secret lab of the Giant Robot Warrior Project. On top of that, he bad-mouths his bosses on public television! Rufus' boss, Walther, is the butt of all of his fat jokes. On more than one occasion, Walther storms out of the bar in embarrassment and frustration. Throughout the course of the book, it is found out that the President (who, without any attempt at disguise, looks oddly like President Bush) is a robot. He glitches and calls the middle-eastern people "towel heads". Before an all-out war takes place between two middle-eastern countries, the United States gets involved and shows up with a GRW of their own. The battle takes places and...you'll have to read to get the ending. :)

I really did enjoy reading "Giant Robot Warriors". Though slow at first, the book picks up quickly. It's a pretty quick read. The jokes are somewhat cheesy, but I think it was meant to be reflective on the good ol' U.S.of A.

Well...on to the rating, shall we?

Creativity of Writing: 3.5/5  I realize that this novel was originally put out around the time of "Transformers". Maybe that's what bugs me about it...that it reminds me of "Transformers". However, I really do enjoy the plot. The United States goes off to fight a war when things are falling apart on the homefront, but somehow, everything is saved at the end of the day. On top of that, the U.S. wins the war between the two middle-eastern countries. The characters feel unique and well developed. The relationships and the strain between the characters adds depth to the story. Especially the rivalry between Rufus and Walther (which is resolved rather funnily, at the end). I feel that, by giving Americans something they could relate to and an icon that they realize (Bush), the story seems more real and the danger seems more intense. Drawing the reader into the comic on a personal level is a sign of success, if you ask me.

Creativity of Art: 4/5 I dig the straight black-and-white art. I also like that the comic feels extremely detailed although it may not be at all times. The characters are definitely interesting looking and I like that they are shown at unique, not necessarily flattering, angles. I also love looking at the unique robots.

Overall Casual Read Rating: 4/5 The politics is definitely the main reason I love this comic. Then, the turmoil. I feel like it's entertaining, but not necessarily as developed as it could be. I do recommend it, but I think that a very specific group of people would like it, despite every American being able to relate to it.

#nerdsunite

Click here to follow Ashleigh on twitter ... and don't miss her blog over yonder!

#ComicNews: Mouse Guard/ The Dark Crystal Flipbook Covers Released

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's KryptoDies

I WANT this!! I'm SUCH a huge Mouse Guard fan! If anyone can hook me up, let me know, ok? I'll love you FOREVER! <3

Official Press Release

Archaia has released the covers for its Free Comic

Book Day flipbook, "Mouse Guard/The Dark Crystal, and announced that writer Brian Holguin (Aria, Spawn) and artist Alex Sheikman (Robotika) as the creative team on The Dark Crystal story.

MOUSE GUARD/THE DARK CRYSTAL Free Comic Book Day Flipbook

Archaia presents two, amazing, all-new stories in one fantastic flipbook—David Petersen’s Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD and Jim Henson’s beloved THE DARK CRYSTAL share the spotlight on Free Comic Book day! On one side of the book, a brand-new tale of the fan-favorite MOUSE GUARD, elite warrior mice tasked with protecting common mice from predators, the elements and other dangers. It’s the perfect introduction to MOUSE GUARD for new fans, and a rewarding treat for existing ones! On the other side of the book, Archaia Entertainment is proud to present an exclusive prelude to its forthcoming series of THE DARK CRYSTAL graphic novels, featuring covers, art direction and concepts by Brian Froud, conceptual designer of the original film! This prelude begins the epic creation story of the world of Thra, and explores the origins of the world of THE DARK CRYSTAL!

As a bonus, the issue will also contain a sneak peek of Jim McCann and Janet Lee’s TIME OF THE DAPPER MEN, a sequel to the critically acclaimed RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN, coming this fall. Additionally, fans of Jim Henson will also get an advance look at TALE OF SAND, an original graphic novel coming in September based on a never-before-seen screenplay written by Henson and Jerry Juhl!

For more information on Free Comic Book Day, visit the official website at http://freecomicbookday.com/.

Retail Price: Free

Page Count: 32 pages

Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color

Release Date: May 7, 2011

(W) David Petersen and Brian Holguin

(A) David Petersen and Alex Sheikman

(Cov) The Dark Crystal – Brian Froud; Mouse Guard – David Petersen

Click here to follow Ashleigh on Twitter: @KryptoDies and check out more of her blog over yonder!

#Comic #Review: "The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects"

In the title of "The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects", "curious" is putting it lightly. When Mike Mignola sat down to write this, I'm not sure what he was thinking, but I can promise one thing: it was WEIRD. When I say "weird", I mean it in the nicest way possible, of course. "Screw-On Head" is VERY different. I don't think I've ever read a story (or in this case, collection of stories) as odd. At first, I was COMPLETELY lost. Once you accept the fact that it's completely off the wall, it's much easier to absorb.

The main story in the book (with the book's namesake) is about a man...erm...metal head that can attach to different bodies (apparently there's a LOT to choose from. In the story, he chooses body #13). He is under the command of Abraham Lincoln and is fighting the antagonist, Emperor Zombie. With the assistance of a seemingly frozen dog (or maybe it's dead...) that can talk and sidekick Mr. Groin, Mr. Head attempts to stop Emperor Zombie from stealing a gem that would allow him to take over the world. There's a huge conflict and I'll let you read to find out what happens in the end. This is the longest story in the book, but its not all that long. There are many, many more shorter stories.

My favorite was written by the author's 7 year old daughter. The story is "The Magician and the Snake". The story is about a magician who makes shapes disappear. He tells a snake that when the shapes reappear, he will die. The snake is heartbroken but determined to make the most out of the magician's last days. The two fly a kite and one night, the shapes reappear. The snake is angry and goes to the rooftop to scream at them. He begs the magician to turn him into a lion so he can eat the shapes and save the magician's life. The magician refuses and leaves his every earthly possession to the snake (because the snake will remember him).

"The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects" is weird, but my ratings aren't!

Creativity of Writing: 5/5 It's definitely random. Honestly, I can't see where the stories are going before they get there and even once I've read them, I'm sometimes not sure of what's just happened or why. That's the beauty of this book, though. It allows for casual reading on a whole new level. Each story is unique, so it allows for an awesome change of pace. The story written by Mignola's 7 year old daughter doesn't feel out of place at all. In fact, I was surprised to find that it was written by someone else at all! Some stories just suddenly cut off. Instead of making me frustrated, the story ending simply makes my mind wonder/wander about what could possibly be going on after the pages end.



Creativity of Art: 5/5 I love the style the stories are illustrated in. It's like a dark Gothic style with scritchy and bold lines. The areas of color are large (I've been reading a lot of stories with this quality lately, but this one definitely stands out). The shading is a large part of what I like about it. It's bold and eye-catching. As to be expected, the style is pretty much exactly that of the Hellboy comics.

Overall Casual Read Rating: 4.5/5 Although the two separate elements individually are perfect, the overall casual read rating is slightly lower simply because the read is SO fast. Although each story is different, they blend together somewhat. I love the book. It's very entertaining. However, if you're a fast reader like me, it won't be around to keep you entertained for long because you'll finish it.

Note to the Creator(s): Awesome book. I wanna pick your brain someday. After reading this, though, I'm afraid that it might be a scary place. ;) 

Until next comic, guys! 

XOXO Ashleigh

For this and other kick-awesome comic book, video game, and random geekery reviews, visit www.kryptodies.com!

#Comic #Review: "Y The Last Man" Volume 1 "Unmanned"

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ashleighmayes

Hey guys, it's @ashleighmayes/@kryptodies bringing you another kick-ass comic book review!

A world without men sounds perfect, right? No more guys hogging the television for random sports games (even if they ARE reruns!), no complaints when you take too long getting ready to go out, and the ability to ask for directions whenever you get lost! That's just the scenario in "Y: The Last Man Volume 1: Unmanned" by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra and José Marzán Jr. Before I begin, however, I must inform you that I won't be spoiling anything. The series is so awesome that, I believe, it must be read to be believed. 

It's a world without males now (I'm sure it smells a lot better! Ha! Kidding, guys! KIDDING!) and females are learning to take care of themselves. Some women even LOVE the new world that surrounds them. The novel follows the main character, Yorrick, who is the only (well...so far) male left living after a mysterious virus wipes out all male mammals (his pet monkey, who is also male, lives as well). At the instant that an experiment clone-baby is born, all of malekind dies. Is the virus caused by the baby's birth? Yorrick sets out on a journey to find his mother, a congresswoman. Along the way, he is captured to be sold. Yorrick is a practicing escape artist, so he escapes easily (I see this being to his advantage throughout the series). After he makes it to Washington, he realizes how high the tension is in post-apocalyptic politics. The wives of the dead congressmen demand their husband's positions and things get nasty. Trying to do what's best for her son, Yorrick's mother locks Yorrick in a fallout shelter. Naturally, he escapes. After revealing himself to the women, Yorrick is assigned Agent 355 and the two head out to find a well-known geneticist. On the way, Yorrick decides to stop at a shrine dedicated to all the lost men. There, he reveals himself again to a gang of feminist, one-breasted women. The gang is bent on a new world without men, so of course they follow him into Boston as he tries to find the geneticist with answers.The woman specifically assigned to eliminate Yorrick is...

I think I'll stop here for the sake of keeping my promises. No spoilers! There's SO much more to the plot than what I've written. That's why you should get your grubby little paws on a copy. NOW!

I also think that it goes without saying that I think this comic is AWESOME! 

But why, you ask? 

Creativity of Writing: 5/5 I like the idea of a world with no guys! Hell yeah! Ok...I'm just kidding. Guys have a lot to offer! Who else is gonna carry our bags when we shop, girls? HAHAHA. Seriously, though. Wiping out half the population without an explanation is a great idea. Extending the elimination to the animal kingdom is another great idea; it adds to the mystery. The most mysterious thing, however, is leaving one of each human and animal to survive. Add a gang of Amazonian-wannabe feminists after the last man standing and you've got the perfect recipe for an amazing story. All of this together brings up so many questions: how? why?. On top of having an awesome premise, the dialogue is incredibly easy to read, the panels flow, and the characters seem very real.

Creativity of Art: 5/5 My favorite pages are the pages between sections. They're beautiful and well-composed. The softness of the colors and the photo-realistic style is a pleasant change from the traditional comic style of the novel itself. While done traditionally, the art is anything but generic. I think the thing that makes it stand out the most is the shading. The shading is absolutely excellent. It adds so much depth to faces, expressions, and surroundings. The artist(s) knew exactly where to add detail and where to hold it out. That's very important. The right balance entices the brain and doesn't overload it. Part of reading a comic is ENJOYING it. Part of enjoyment (for me, anyway) is not having a headache when I'm done with a comic. Visually, everything works. It's not too busy, the color scheme is balanced and in line and the line details are the perfect amount. 

Overall Casual Read Rating: 5/5 It's a classic "what if?" comic, but more realistic and relevant. I'm very interested in seeing where this goes and getting some answers about what caused the virus and what comes of the human race. It sucks you in and doesn't let go. I'd only planned on reading ISSUE 1 but ended up reading all of VOLUME 1. Yeah. It's that awesome.

Note to the Creator(s): I agree with RevolutionSF.com when they say "This is why God created comic books." EXCELLENT job! I can't wait to read more. Maybe we can chat it up some time about series? Please? PLEASE!

Until Next Comic!

Ashleigh

Founder/Writer www.kryptodies.com

@ashleighmayes @kryptodies

Beasts of Burden/Hellboy One Shot Announced

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Ashleigh Mayes

EEEEE! I don’t think I’ve been this excited in a WHILE! This tops new sexy shoes. This tops new sexy dress to go with said sexy shoes. THIS IS ALL AROUND SEXIER THAN ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE!!!! What the hell am I talking about, already?!? The Beasts of Burden/Hellboy One Shot! If you’ve been following me on my website, you’ll know that I had the amazing opportunity to chat with Jill Thompson (the one behind the BEAUTIFUL artwork!). You can find the interview here  and my review of Beasts of Burden here . The release of the Beasts of Burden/Hellboy One Shot is October 27^th and I’VE already pre-ordered. Think paranormal. Think Ghostbusters meets Animal Planet. Think friggen AWESOME! That’s Beasts of Burden.

Until Next Time, Nerdlings! XOXO Ashleigh

Click here to read more from Ashleigh