glecharles's reviews
83 reviews

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 3 by Osamu Tezuka, Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I've never been a Superman fan, but the premise and acclaim was intriguing, and Yang's ABC was a favorite. More Teen than YA, it deals head-on with racism while keeping everything accessible for all readers. It also makes Superman himself an interesting protagonist, which is arguably the more impressive feat.

You've Been Played: How Corporations, Governments and Schools Use Games to Control Us All by Adrian Hon

informative medium-paced

4.0

Insightful overview of gamification in various forms — some familiar, some new (to me) — that's ultimately quite depressing. I don't generally believe in the inevitability of anything related to technology other than the likelihood that we'll find and prioritize the worst use cases first, and consider them innovative, required, and infinite y scalable.

Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 8 by Kamome Shirahama

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A delightful interlude that centers two side characters while also moving the larger plot forward.

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 2 by Osamu Tezuka, Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Vol. 1 by Osamu Tezuka, Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A fascinating take on the original Astro Boy story arc — shifting perspective and fleshing out side characters to give the underlying plot a lot more emotional weight. An excellent start!

Astro Boy Omnibus, Volume 1 by Osamu Tezuka

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Most of the stories hold up surprisingly well (except for White Planet), making it a good read for its time and today. Tezuka's intros are a nice addition, too.

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

First read this back in '03 when I got back into comics as an adult, and it still holds up as an invaluable must-read for anyone who wants to, well, UNDERSTAND the art (and history) of the comics medium.

Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans by Sammy Lisel

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

4.0

A diverse range of stories about childhood experiences growing up trans, written for kids but as important for adults.

Mission to Kala by Mongo Beti

adventurous funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

An entertaining and thought-provoking romp with a bittersweet ending.