February 16, 2013

Review: Benny and Penny in Lights Out!

Review: Benny and Penny in Lights Out!

Benny and Penny in Lights Out! by Geoffrey Hayes Toon Books/Candlewick Press 978-1-935179-20-7, 32 pp. $12.95 Toon Books once again brings us the adventures of Benny and his little sister Penny in Lights Out! It’s a story all too familiar with parents: little sister Penny is getting ready for bed—she’s brushed her teeth and getting [...]

Review: Star Wars #1

Review: Star Wars #1

Star Wars #1 Written by Brian Wood. Illustrated by Carlos D’Anda Dark Horse Comics, 2013 32 pp Dark Horse Comics has held the Star Wars license for over 20 years, and though they may not carry it after 2013, as Disney has acquired the rights to Star Wars, they still know how to tell stories [...]

Top 20 Star Wars Graphic Novels, Part 4 of 4

Lastly, below are my top five Star Wars graphic novels/series published by Dark Horse Comics—they are in no particular order except for the last three – which are my personal top picks. Dark Horse Comics has done a phenomenal job with the Star Wars license, and though the acquisition of Star Wars by Disney Studios [...]

Top 20 Star Wars Graphic Novels, Part 3 of 4

As we anticipate the future of Star Wars under Disney, let’s continue our series on my top 20 Star Wars graphic novels published by Dark Horse Comics.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
10) Star Wars: Darth Maul. 2001. 96 pp. 978-1-56971-542-0.

When The Phantom Menace came out, fans wanted to see more [...]

Top 20 Star Wars Graphic Novels, Part 2 of 4

As we’re looking forward to the future of Star Wars now that it’s a part of Disney, let’s continue our look at the best Dark Horse Comics Star Wars graphic novels – either stand alone stories or series published by the company over the last 22 years. Dark Horse has done a phenomenal job with [...]

Top 20 Star Wars Graphic Novels, Part 1 of 4

Ever since the news broke out on October 30th about Walt Disney’s acquisition of George Lucas’ Lucasfilm company Star Wars, there’s also begun speculation about the future of Star Wars license at Dark Horse Comics, where it’s been a staple of their line of comic books since 1991. Will Star Wars be published now by [...]

Review – LEGO Batman: The Visual Dictionary

LEGO DC Super Heroes – Batman Visual DictionaryWritten by Daniel Lipkowitz
DK Publishing, September 2012
96 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9787-7 $21.99

One of the most enduring comic book heroes is the Dark Knight himself, Batman. He’s been forever immortalized in comic books, film, animation, and video games, as well as decade’s worth of toys and collectibles. In 2006 he [...]

Review: Cardboard by Doug TenNapel

Cardboard
By Doug TenNapel
Scholastic Books/Graphix Imprint, August 2012
978-0-545-41873-7, softcover; 978-0-545-41872-0, hardcover

You’ve always known for years that the best toy you ever had wasn’t a Transformer, Strawberry Shortcake, or Star Wars action figure (though they are cool). The best toy you ever had was that big cardboard box your parents got from a new appliance that could [...]

Q&A with creator Nathan Hale, Part 2

Nathan Hale is the creator of the new series Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales from Amulet Books. It’s a fun graphic novel approach to true stories from the United States told from the point of view of Nathan Hale – the real life spy – who has been given the gift of insight into the country’s [...]

Q&A with creator Nathan Hale, Part 1

Nathan Hale is the creator of the new series Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales from Amulet Books. It’s a fun graphic novel approach to true stories from the United States told from the point of view of Nathan Hale – the real life spy – who has been given the gift of insight into the country’s [...]

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales
by Nathan Hale
Vol. 1: One Dead Spy 978-1-4197-0396-6. 128 pp.
Vol. 2: Big Bad Ironclad 978-1-4197-0395-9. 128 pp.
Published by Amulet Books, 2012
Recommended for grades 5-8

“I regret that I have but one life to live for my country.”
And with his famous last words, Nathan Hale, spy for the American War of Independence was hanged. [...]

Review: Crogan’s Loyalty by Chris Schweizer

Crogan’s Loyalty
Written and Illustrated by Chris Schweizer
Oni Press, 2012
ISBN 978-1-934964-40-8.

The adventures of the Crogan family continue…
Since the first book in the series, Crogan’s Vengeance, was released in 2008, Chris Schweizer has set out to tell the ambitious family history of the Crogans from the days of pirates, with “Catfoot” Crogan, to the humble 21st century [...]

Gaming Around: Ratchet & Clank

Gaming Around: Ratchet & Clank

I love playing video games in the limited free time I have in between being a librarian and a parent of young children. Time is fleeting, but if I can play a game by myself for 30 minutes here and there or with my seven-year-old son, it’s great to have the opportunity to play. Video [...]

Review: Super Dinosaur, Vol. 1

Just another tale of a boy and his Tyrannosaurus Rex friend who wears a cybernetic suit that he kicks butt with…

Super Dinosaur, Vol. 1.
Written by Robert Kirkman
Illustrated by Jason Howard
Image Comics, 2012.
978-1-60706-420-6
Rated E for Everyone
Dinosaur lovers: All you have to know is there’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the book and he wears a cybernetic power [...]