Book Review: Lumberjanes [Vol. 1]; Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis & Brooke Allen.

Another graphic novel created by the famed Noelle Stevenson, this time a series! I was quite excited by how much attention this book had received and came away feeling a little disappointed as a result.

SOURCE: Web-Comic
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Lumberjanes [Vol. 1]
AUTHOR: Noelle Stevenson
SERIES: Lumberjanes (#1 - #4)
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Box
PAGES: 128
GENRE: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, LGBTQ+, Fantasy

RATING: 3/5 Stars

Blurb:
Lumberjanes is the hit series from the BOOM! Box imprint that features five rad ladies who fight monster baddies with the power of friendship! Written by Noelle Stevenson (Nimona, Adventure Time) and newcomer Grace Ellis, and illustrated by Brooke Allen (A Home for Mr. Easter), this new series has taken comics by storm and placed on many Best-of-the-Year lists, including Comics Alliance, Entertainment Weekly, and Comic Book Resources.

At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams! Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

What I Liked:

• This book was certainly a lot of fun. There's a lot of action and antics to follow, and many humorous situations! I like a bit of comedy, and I recognised Stevenson's distinct style from 'Nimona' here.
• I came into this comic hoping for a lot of inclusion and I certainly got it! And plenty of girl power too! I can really see the diversity in this one and how things could be developed in future issues, and I like that a lot.

What I Disliked:

• Being completely thrown into the middle of a plot, spending ten minutes researching to see if I'd missed an issue, then going back to it and finding that they later explain in just a few panels what happened earlier. It wasn't fun and I didn't really see why.
• This is a series of mini adventures with very limited cohesive plot-line to tie it all together. I'd have liked more focus on the overriding arc.

Overall Conclusion:

Hmm...this was a likeable read with plenty of character and potential. It just lacked the punch I'd been hoping for that would draw me into the world. I'm interested to continue and see if things improve, but right now I'm even struggling to remember character names and everything feels bitty. Hopefully it will get better!

Book Review: Nimona; Noelle Stevenson.

It seems that it is the month of Graphic Novels/Comics for me, and I'm actually quite happy about that because there are a few I've had my eye on for a while. This one was on my TBR from quite a while ago!

SOURCE: Web-Comic
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Nimona
AUTHOR: Noelle Stevenson
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
PAGES: 272
GENRE: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Young Adult

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and super-villain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realises that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

What I Liked:

• I absolutely loved the world that this story was set in. It had modern technology and science, but also a decidedly Medieval setting with some magic thrown in for good measure! It was just so interesting and blended together seamlessly despite the odd combination. 
• I really loved the banter and relationship between Lord Blackheart and Nimona! I'm a bit of a sucker for a villain-turned-antihero storyline, especially if they kind of become like a father to someone along the way. All. The. Feels.

What I Disliked:

• The ending was just too ambiguous for me, and not happy enough. I don't like vague endings, and this really disappointed me in that regard. It was okay, but I expected more after the build-up.

Overall Conclusion:

There was so much to love about this comic - unrequited m/m feels, anti-hero goodness, an intriguing plot, amazing dialogue, fun characters and a really cool setting! It's a shame that the ending didn't live up to my high hopes, but this is definitely still worth picking up!