glecharles's reviews
108 reviews

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.

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

Believe the hype! I now wish I'd bought the hardcover edition because it's going on my all-time favorites shelf.

Quince by Sebastian Kadlecik, Kit Steinkellner

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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

The first few chapters didn't quite grab me because I'm becoming a cranky old man, but they were just confidently setting the table for an unexpectedly delightful story that actually had me tearing up by the end! ♥️ (I read this digitally, but the bilingual hardcover is beautiful!)

The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Weird, shallow, but beautifully illustrated.

Black Panther, Vol. 3: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 3 by Chris Sprouse, Brian Stelfreeze, Ta-Nehisi Coates

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.0

Coates' core thesis is interesting but doesn't pull off the right balance of superheroics and deeper philosophical questions he wants to tackle. It's also hampered by having to lean on previous events for emotional impact, while also setting up future stories, making it all feel like a 12-issue interstitial instead of a self-contained story.

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 2 by Ta-Nehisi Coates

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

Coates' pacing is better in these four issues, and he clearly had fun with The Crew's appearance, but underlying connections to past events mutes the overall impact a bit if you're not up to speed. Still, a fun read so far, but I would not buy these trades again.