Dora Reads is the book blog of a Bookish Rebel, supporting the Diversity Movement, bringing you Queer views and mental health advocacy, slipping in a lot of non-bookish content, and spreading reading to the goddamn world! :)
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Ahhh, July - funny old month, some good things, some not-good things. But, y'know, I'm still standing, and blog-wise things are looking uber-awesome if I do say so myself! :)
This is me this month. #TrueStory ;)
This month has been rockin' as far as blog-stats are concerned:
I hit over 20k page-views in all, with over 5k views just this month.
A lot of this was due to my most popular post of the month - my review of Luna the Vampire, which hit over 2k page-views all on its lonesome! (Honestly, I don't know why that post was so popular, but I'm not complaining!)
Diary of a Reading Addict now has 50+ followers on BlogLovin'.
I reviewed some awesome-a*s books this month - stand-outs for me include Nina Is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi and Monstress, Vol: The Awakening. But honestly, I reviewed a lot of rockin' stuff this month!
And yes, before you say anything - I realise that of the 8 books I reviewed this month, 4 were graphic novels *shrugs* - there's nothing wrong with that!
Even for us unlucky folks who may very well never make it to the holiest of nerd-pilgrimage sites which isSan Diego Comic Con (SDCC,)(dude, it's expensive!) this uber-celebration of geekery is important for all of us who love the nerdy-stuffs!
And, due to the magic of the interwebs (particularly YouTube) we can share in the goodies that are the interviews, announcements, and reveals of the event.
(And there's loads of them! Yay!)
This week's wrap-up is a look at some of the awesome things coming out SDCC - not all of it though, because, dude, I'm human!
So here are my picks of the fresh vids and news of SDCC, as well as the usuals from my week faffing around the medium of comics.
Film Trailers
Second Doctor Strange trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
(Still can't get over Benedict Cumberbatch & that accent though.
Like when Martin Freeman was putting on a Yank accent in Captain America: Civil War.
Reckon they'll end up in a movie together? With their awkward American accents and everything... lol!)
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This teaser-type-trailer for Suicide Squad was actually released last week - but I only saw it this week, so it counts under this week's wrap-up. Because I said so. ;)
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The trailer many people were waiting for was for Wonder Woman:
I have to ask though... is that supposed to be WW1 or WW2? Because there are parts that kind of look like both to me...
Anyway, this looks like it could be pretty cool... or not. Let's hope for cool ;)
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There was also footage released of the upcoming Justice League movie.
I'm really not sure about this one... for several reasons that it would take too long to go into here but which start with Ben Affleck and the Batman costume, and move through various niggling points from there.
But what you gonna do? DC man, DC.
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And last but not least, we have the character-focussed Suicide Squad trailers which've been released over the past week, featuring Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and The Joker:
DEADSHOT
HARLEY
THE JOKER
TV Trailers
I love this trailer for Legion. Legion is an X-men character who really hasn't been explored all that much - but has so much potential.
I'm glad FX have decided to pick this up. (Though of course, I still mourn the loss of the 'Marvel's Agent Carter' series.)
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There are SPOILERS for the most recent series of Gotham in this next vid - a show-reel of the craziness we went through last series, and a glimpse of the next series to come.
If you don't watch Gotham then why the hell not?! Seriously. Go think about your life choices ;) (and then watch it.)
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There are also SPOILERS for the previous series of Arrow in this next vid:
Much as it pains me to say this - and it does pain me, of all the DC series this is one of my faves, and I'd even put it ahead of some Marvel properties (Gasp!) - I think this series has more than run its course.
I may be wrong - and lord knows I'd be happy to be - but it feels like we've actually come to not one but two natural endings over the course of the last 4 series, and now we're trying to reinvigorate something which maybe should've just been let be. #JustSaying
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Annnnnddd this vid has SPOILERS for the previous season of The Flash:
Fans: Barry, don't do the thing.
Characters: Barry, why did you even TRY to do the thing?
The forces of good storytelling: Barry, please don't do the thing, please!
Everyone: FOR GOD'S SAKE BARRY, DON'T DO THE THING.
Barry: ...Guys? ...I did the thing...
Hopefully they can fix this, and not make it too irritating while they're doing it *buries fangirling head in hands* - we live in hope.
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Some SPOILERS in this vid too, for the previous series of DC's Legends of Tomorrow:
Oh my gosh, this looks like it's going to be so GOOD! :)
One of my favourite things about Legends is that it's essentially the dregs of a bunch of DC shows cobbled together. It really shouldn't work. BUT GOD IT DOES.
*Brief interlude for me to hop about like the insane fangirl that I am*
Seriously, whoever decided to take a chance on this wacky beauty of a show - well done!
Other Stuff
I found this interview with G Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel writer) uber-interesting - check it out:
This includes a discussion of Millar's repertoire with regards to people of colour (PoC) and female characters, as well as his track-record when it comes to inclusions of rape in storylines.
There are some very interesting points made. I don't agree with all of them, but, then, when do I ever?
I certainly understand the trepidation over Millar's potential plans with this latest character, but also think that Millar has a reputation as a boundary-pusher. No, I don't always agree with his decisions (no way, no how!) but do I think we need boundary-pushers in comics? Hell yes!
Likewise, though, we need people like Stephanie Tran to question the decisions those boundary-pushers make, and explore the repercussions of the representations they decide to portray.
So yes, I understand the trepidation and worry about what Millar may or may not do with a black female Kick-Ass, but personally I reserve judgement until we've had a chance to see what Millar actually comes up with.
Never say I don't provide you guys with variety. :)
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UK people can see a documentary - we Brits do love a good docky-wocky ;) - on 'Britain's Favourite Superhero' on Channel 4 @ 7.30pm on Saturday, 30th July.
It features Stan Lee. You have to love Stan Lee. It's the rules.
This week I've reviewed two pretty cool (and fairly different to each other,) graphic novels.
Disney's Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Vol 1 (US) (also available in a 2 volume collected edition: US - UK) by Jun Abe is a manga graphic novel from Tokyopop. Alice fans will love it.
Luna the Vampire: Grumpy Space (UK - USA) by Yasmin Sheikh is full of a quirky and off-beat sense of humour that suited me down to the ground (or should that be 'up to space'...?)
I also read Monstress, Vol 1: The Awakening (UK - US) and IT'S SOOOOO GOOD!
I'll be fangirling over it writing a review of it soon. But... WOW! Really. Wow.
Other Stuff
Michelle @ Tea & Titles wrote a fab post about 'The Cutest Comics of Ever: Part 1'which included comics that I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for from now on :)
The final trailer for X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, is here. Stand-by for extreme fangirling:
OHMYGOD THIS LOOKS SO FAB, MYSTIQUE IS ON THE GOOD-SIDE AND APOCALYPSE LOOKS NUTTIER THAN A SQUIRREL'S HOARD!!!!
PLUS - THE CLAWS!!!!!!! AT THE END - LOOK AT THE FREAKING CLAWS!!!!!!!!
X-MEN VERSION OF QUICKSILVER!!!! DUDE IS SO AWESOME!!!!
KURT, EVER-LOVING NIGHTCRAWLER, WAGNER!!!!!!
In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a little bit excited. Graphic Novels
This week, I reviewedI Hate Fairyland, Volume 1 (UK - US). I love Gert and her wacky green hair and completely cynical (and more than slightly demented) outlook on life :)
I've decided to put my review for Luna The Vampire Vol 1: Grumpy Space (UK - US) back a month or two so that it goes up closer to the release date for this title.
My review of Blood Stain, Volume 1 (UK - US,) which I told you all about last week, is, at the time of writing, the most popular post of all time on my blog, which kind of rocks :)
Lots more reviews this month! Especially of graphic novels.
There've been some truly rocking graphic novels out this month - my faves are probably Blood Stain and I Hate Fairyland. Check out all the lovely reviews! :)
So many the teaser trailers for Captain America: Civil War this week guys! SO. MANY. THE TRAILERS.
OK, the people in the next one with the punching and the kicking and the weapons?
STOP HURTING MY BUCKY BEAR!!!!!
Graphic Novels
This week I reviewed Blood Stain, Vol 1 (UK - US) by Linda Šejić.
Dudes, I cannot explain fully in this brief wrap-up the degree of the rockitude of this graphic novel. You'll have to go read my review.
And Linda Šejić? A very cool person, who was totally classy when I accidentally shared the wrong link to Twitter. (I should not be permitted online before coffee. It just doesn't end well.)
I also read and reviewed Echoes (UK - US) by Joshua Hale Fialkov. Creepy, cool, and black-and-white, you can check out my review here.
I read Luna the Vampire, Volume 1: Grumpy Space (UK - US) by Yasmin Sheikh - an uber-wacky set of adventures about a vampire who lives in space. As you do.
My review for Luna the Vampire will probably be up within the next week or so.
Other Stuff
Came across this weird little faux-documentary trailer thingummy as promo for X-Men: Age of Apocalypse:
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AND GERARD WAY HAS A DC IMPRINT!!!!!
THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!!
Gerard Way's DC imprint is Young Animal. And it looks pretty damned cool.
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This week I also spent far too long watching spoofs of superhero movie trailers.
Here're two of my favourites from ArtSpear Entertainment (adult humour, gore, swearing, etc...)
I
received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.
NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair
and honest reviews.
I was totally prepared to not like this - and I'm not entirely sure why.
I guess maybe I thought it was just going to be about boring paper-delivery-girls and their struggles to buy roller blades...or something.
It's not. Don't worry.
So when I decided to see what the fuss was about?
Wow. It's... something else.
Premise:
A group of paper girls get wrapped up in something waaaaaaay bigger than themselves.
Something happens to them on their paper route. And nothing's going to be the same again.
Because now... now they have to survive.
And there's some mighty weird sh** going down.
Best
bits:
These girls rock.Witty, brave, but uber-realistic, I absolutely love seeing girls like this in the world of comics.
The whole thing has kind of a Super 8 (UK - US) vibe. Maybe because it's set in the 80s, and maybe because loads of random sh** is going on, and the kids are a witness to all of it.
Either way, it's a compliment, not a criticism.
The artwork manages to catch the retro-ness of the 80s while still keeping a fresh feel to the colours and lines. Not an easy feat, and definitely something that deserves a mention.
I love the sci-fi elements - and the fact that we only really know as much as the girls at any given moment; it's pulled off with what can only be described as finesse.
This also struck me as a great graphic novel for newbies - I don't mean that in a negative way.
I mean that it is really accessible to people who maybe aren't so keyed into the genre as die-hard graphic novel fans. It's not intimidating. So newbies are welcome here :)
Not
so great bits:
I might be one of the only people on earth to think this, but I don't like the cover.
It's too neon, overly-retro, and I just don't like it. Maybe that was one of the things putting me off trying it out.
I know a lot of people adore the cover - so, to each his own.
I know I say this a lot, but there's some swearing and violence. So if you don't like that, you know what to do.
Although, unlike The Private Eye (UK - US) - the other Vaughan title I've reviewed, it hasn't got any sexual content. So that's a change to my usual list of warnings.
Verdict:
A really awesome graphic novel, with an awesome set of characters.
This is really great - and has a lot of potential for the future of the series.
Plus, it's enjoyable for new graphic novel readers and seasoned comics addicts alike. What more could you want?
