The Dark Knight: The Master Race by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello - Review

Finally I can talk about this book!! I was so excited to be approved to read this book early and I have been waiting to share my review ever since. I am a huge Batman and DC fan (well all comics really) and Frank Miller is one of the all time greats. 

The Dark Knight: Master Race

It's been three years since the Batman defeated Lex Luthor and saved the world from tyranny, Three years since anyone has seen Gotham City's guardian alive. Wonder Woman, Queen of the Amazons...Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern...Superman, the Man of Steel...all of the Dark Knight's allies have retreated from the front lines of the war against injustice. 

But now a new war is beginning. An army of unimaginable power led by Superman's own daughter is preparing to claim Earth as it's new world. 

Batman - the only hero that can stop this master race - is dead. 

Long live the new Batman...

(Collecting the full nine-issue miniseries and its mini-comic tie-in issues, Batman: The Dark Knight - Master Race features incredible artwork from comics icon Andy Kubert (Flashpoint), as well as Klaus Janson (The Dark Knight Returns), John Romita Jr. (All Star Batman), Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets) and Frank Miller himself!)

My Review

This book blew me away. 

I'll start with the cover, I think the stark contrast between the black and white and the simplicity of the picture is extremely striking and eye-catching. I could quite happily look at it all day and it will be a beautiful addition to anyone's collection. 

To continue with the art, it's all outstanding the whole book through and the different styles of the artists are very distinctive. There's one page with Diana (Wonder Woman) fighting a minotaur and it is one of the most stunning pages I have ever seen. I've been back to look at that page more than once since my first read through of the book. 

The story is masterfully written. Between the art and the dialogue it's a perfect match. There was twice where I actually choked up, there was so much emotion on the pages. I loved the different big bad and how it was used in almost a mirror as to a lot of what is going on in real life. The panels with tweets, texts and news broadcasts were genius and added to the real life feel I got from the story. 

(Images are all credited to DC Entertainment) 

I loved the cast of characters used in Master Race, it was really good to see Atom and Hawkman and Hawkgirl, though even in passing. It was also really good for the spotlight to be on Carrie Kelley and to see her growth and maturity over the whole story. It was interesting to see Lara used in the way she was and her relationship with her mum and dad. I even loved the darker and more sinister Hal Jordan and the journey he had to go on alone to find himself again. 

I can't very well review The Dark Knight without mentioning the Dark Knight himself. I thought the depiction of old and broken Bruce going on a kind of last quest to rid the world from this new and dreadful evil was brilliant. He was grumpy, he was snarky and he had some amazing speeches and one liners. I will always love Batman, old or young and this version I thought was great. 

I may have gushed more than usual in this review, but overall I think this is an outstanding collection and one I will most certainly be revisiting again in the future. 

I gave the book 5 stars. 

About The Author

Frank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.

Books I Read - March 2016

I've had a very busy month this month and I travelled to see my parents for a long weekend, so I haven't read as many novel length books. However I have been continuing catching up reading my graphic novels/trade paper backs and I have tried a new manga series which I've fallen in love with and will definitely be continuing with it at some point in the future. I also had another wonderful author interview and  me and my buddy reader finished our second book and are ready to get started with our third in April.

I have more reviews and possibly some more interviews going forward into April, so definitely keep your eyes open for all of that!

On to the books:

1. Batman And Son by Grant Morrison - 3 Stars
2. The Maze Runner Files by James Dashner - 2 Stars
3. This Book Is Full Of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It by David Wong - 2 Stars
4. JLA: Year One by Mark Waid - 4 Stars
5. Attack On Titan, Vol. 1 by Hajime Isayama - 4 Stars
6. Attack On Titan, Vol. 2 by Hajime Isayama - 4 Stars
7. Attack On Titan, Vol. 3 by Hajime Isayama - 4 Stars
8. Harley Quinn: Preludes And Knock-Knock Jokes by Karl Kesel - 3 Stars
9. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean And Me by Caroline James - 5 Stars
10. Superman: The Man Of Steel by John Byrne - 4 Stars
11. Lex Luthor: Man Of Steel by Brian Azarello - 2.5 Stars
12. Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 3 Stars
13. JLA: Earth 2 by Grant Morrison - 5 Stars

What did you read in March? Have you read any of the books I read, what did you think?

Blackpool Comic Con 2015

Saturday the 12th of September 2015 marked the first ever Blackpool Comic Con. Myself and my little nerdish family had been looking forward to it for months and our friend that comes with us to Cons had even got his first ever cosplay together.

Waking up early on that morning to get ready, we were slightly disappointed to see that it was pouring with rain so we had to make the decision not to put the nerdlings in their cosplay outfits (Wonder Woman and the Flash) as we didn't want them to get cold and wet. My hubby however still donned his Arrow cosplay and our friend his Sebastian (Black Butler) waistcoat and tails. I have yet to cosplay as I spend that much time making sure everyone else is sorted I don't have time to sort my own, however I did an everyday cosplay and wore red and black with my Deadpool necklace.

When we arrived we found parking easily just around the corner from the Winter Gardens and walked round to the "front" of the place, we were surprised to see just a handful of people waiting outside the doors. We waited here for a few minutes before someone walking past advised that the queue was actually at the side, so we wandered round and found that the queue was actually the length of the entire outside of the building! By this time we were extremely lucky and the rain had eased off so we didn't end up getting wet. When we go to cons part of our enjoyment comes from queueing and seeing all the people in cosplay and all the effort that these people have put into their costume. In fact a lot of our pictures end up being from the queue.

Once the doors opened, the queue moved fairly quickly and we were in in no time at all. As soon as we were inside we saw an amazing couple of cosplays of Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Maleficent which our oldest nerdling wanted her photo taken with, the women were absolutely lovely and posed for the picture and also gave her a gift of a princess family card game. It's easy to say that she was absolutely made up. Winter Gardens is an absolutely beautiful venue and it has such a grand entrance it really makes you feel as though you are entering a wonderland, however once we were through though doors, we walked into complete chaos. The last con we went too (Preston Comic Con) had printed out floor maps and were handing them out in the queue, they had also put them up on their Facebook page prior so we could make a plan of action (we decide in advance who we want to see and then work out where they are to make our lives easier), but Blackpool had none of this and we only saw one sign in the entire place which was for the WWE Superstars, but it didn't really point you in the right direction. Considering how big Winter Gardens is and how many rooms there are, a map and signs I feel are essential. However, this was the events first year, there were bound to be teething problems and organisation was one of them.

Our first port of call was to find Kevin Nash as he has been one of my hubby's heroes since childhood and he has waited a long time for the chance to be able to meet him. Once we located the right room, we saw a huge line waiting to meet Mick Foley (yes THE Mick Foley, I was in the same room as Mick Foley!) but we were able to get to the front of Kevin Nash's table and wait for him while he finished up his photo shoot. While we were waiting I nipped over the Booker T's table and I was lucky enough to get his autograph. We are a WWE fan family. When Kevin Nash arrived my hubby talked to him for a few minutes and had his photograph taken with him, this absolutely made his day and Kevin was so nice and seemed to really enjoy the interaction.

Next up was Jeremy Wilkin who voiced Virgil Tracy in Thunderbirds, this one was for me. I absolutely love the original Thunderbirds and I have already met Shane Rimmer (who is absolutely lovely). There was only one lady in front of us but we had to wait a while, when I got to the front I found out why, Jeremy is a chatter! He was happy to talk away and engaged with the nerdlings, I was thoroughly happy with my encounter and was very happy with my autograph and how he signed it. Those who also got an autograph will know what I mean.

We were going to see Richard Madden and we did ask a member of staff where he was but they didn't know but luckily a con goer overheard us asking and pointed us in the right direction. When we found the queue it was coming out of a room with no sign and people were just asking people already in the queue who they were queueing for. We waited for a while before being told we might not get in before he had to go to his panel and that everyone had to put their cameras and phones away (not in the politest of ways). At this point we gave up on seeing him and went out to look round the stalls and to see the cosplay guests.

Our friend is a big fan of Doctor Who and was looking forward to meeting Jenna Coleman, but sadly we could not find her anywhere and no one was able to tell us where to find her, so he missed out on his opportunity.

Our final stop of the day was to meet Ian Beattie who played Sir Meryn Trant in Game of Thrones, I had wanted to meet him at Preston but had missed out so I didn't want to miss him again, We had to wait a long time at his table as the people who were manning the tables didn't know where he was or when he would be back (he was at a panel and then a group photo shoot) but I didn't want to miss him and we were the front of the queue. I have never been so glad to queue for anything ever, Ian is an absolutely wonderful man and just so lovely. He has the ability to make you feel like you're the only one in the room and that you have his full attention, which in a room filled with hundreds of people is an impressive feat! We had a brilliant chat and he let me take his picture holding mini nerdling even though he was covered in chocolate.

Once I was done speaking with Ian we went off to the sea front for a walk and to get some chips so we could cool down after being so hot inside and we were done with the con for the day.

Overall we really enjoyed our day and made of it what we wanted. There were some disappointments (where was the Batmobile and Ecto 1?) and the organisation was horrendous, but the calibre of guests was exceptional for a first time. I've heard all sorts of both rumours and information after the event and if they're all true then I don't believe we will see another Blackpool Comic Con in the future, which is sad firstly for the people who have been affected and secondly because the venue was so perfect and run by the right people I think this Con could be amazing.

August 2015 Book Round Up

After a bit of a reading slump, I am slowly getting back into my reading groove. After reading the Gone series and it being so intense I've been reading a lot of quick easy reads to break myself into things but by the end of the month I was ready for more.

Book 1 - Wolverine MAX, Vol. 1: Permanent Rage by Jason Starr - 4.5 Stars
Book 2 - Batman Incorporated, Vol 1: Demon Star by Grant Morrison - 2.5 Stars
Book 3 - Ms Marvel, Vol.1 No Normal by G. Willow Wilson - 3 Stars
Book 4 - Fear by Michael Grant - 5 Stars
Book 5 - Light by Michael Grant - 5 Stars
Book 6 - Elektra, Vol. 1: Bloodlines by W. Haden Blackman - 5 Stars
Book 7 - A Night In Terror Tower by R.L. Stine - 4 Stars
Book 8 - Fright Camp by R.L. Stine - 4 Stars
Book 9 - The Unexpected Occurrence Of Thaddeus Hobble - 4 Stars
Book 10 - Batman Adventures Vol. 1 by Kelley Puckett - 5 Stars
Book 11 - Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime by Val McDermid - 5 Stars
Book 12 - Rogues Revenge by Geoff Johns - 3 Stars
Book 13 - X-Men: Wolverine/Gambit by Jeph Loeb - 4 Stars
Book 14 - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - 5 Stars

I'm thinking about trying a different format of how I do my round ups at the end of next month to make this a little more interesting. If there's anything specific you'd like to see, like recommendations or synopsis of the books, please let me know.

July 2015 Book Round Up

This month I have continued with my slump! I really need to get back into reading more again so I can power through the rest of my 2015 reading challenge. I am determined to complete it before year end. Anyone who has tips to kick a reading slump, please let me know! Anyway onto the books -

Book 1 - Plague by Michael Grant - 4.5 Stars
Book 2 - The Death Cure by James Dashner - 2 Stars
Book 3 - Grey by E L James - 3 Stars
Book 4 - The Art of War by Sun Tzu - 3 Stars
Book 5 - Ultimate Comics Ultimates: Disassembled by Joshua Hale Fialkov - 3 Stars
Book 6 - Red Robin, Volume 2: Collision by Christopher Yost - 5 Stars
Book 7 - Batman: Gordon of Gotham by Dennis O'Neil - 4 Stars
Book 8 - The Assassin Princess by Blake Rivers - 4.5 Stars
Book 9 - Grimm' Fairy Tales: The Complete Collection by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, interpreted by Margaret Hunt - 5 Stars

And that's it. Fingers crossed for more books and reviews in August.

June 2015 Book Round Up

I started the beginning of June with a serious case of reading slump and I didn't read for days as I just didn't know what I was in the mood for. I then decided that I really wanted to read some manga but it seems I've exhausted my local libraries supply and there was only one that I hadn't read, so I ended up with a few graphic novels/trade paper backs as an alternative.

Book 1 - The Borrowers by Mary Norton - 3 Stars
Book 2 - Batman: A Death In The Family by Jim Starlin - 5 Stars
Book 3 - X-Men and Power Pack: The Power of X by Marc Sumerak - 3 Stars
Book 4 - Animal Academy: Hakobune Hakusho Volume 1 Moyamu Fujino - 2 Stars
Book 5 - Hunger by Michael Grant - 5 Stars
Book 6 - Lies by Michael Grant - 5 Stars
Book 7 - Captain Atom, Volume 1: Evolution by J.T. Krul - 4 Stars
Book 8 - Justice League Beyond: In Gods we Trust by Derek Fridolfs - 4 Stars
Book 9 - Uncanny X-Men: Sisterhood by Matt Fraction - 3.5 Stars
Book 10 - Batman: Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn - 5 Stars
Book 11 - Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman - 5 Stars
Book 12 - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - 1 Stars

Not a bad month, though I really need to get back into it as that last book has put me back into a slump! What's everyone else been reading this month?

In Blackest Day , In Brightest Night - My Review of Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War

This library haul pick would only be my second comic book experience with anything Green Lantern (though I love the animated versions of him, never seen the live action film!) The book I'm talking about is Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War Vol. 1 by Geoff Johns. 

From my experience Green Lantern and the rest of the Corps' have a really bad reputation as not being very interesting and the characters aren't great, This has always put me off picking anything up about them, but the more I've watched different animated versions of Hal Jordan and the gang, the more I thought I should give them a fair chance and make my own opinion. So when I saw this book looking back at me at the library I picked it straight up. 

I knew Geoff Johns was awesome before reading this, but I believe it even more so now! This book is action packed with enough story to balance it perfectly. You see lanterns that as far as I'm aware you don't normally see and you learn so much, 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I will be picking up the next volume as soon as I can. There is one part where Parallax possessed Kyle Rayner and Sinestro welcomed him to his Corps, I actually out loud went "ooooooooh" it was just such an epic moment and the art work did it justice with a totally badass picture. 

I'd recommend this to anyone even if they've never read or seen anything of the Corps' before,

I started this book on the 20th of February 2015 and finished it on the same day

I originally gave this 4 stars on Good reads, but have changed it to 5 stars

Nice To Meet You - My Review of Supergirl, Vol. 1, Last Daughter of Krypton

Ok, I'll be honest with you, my only experience with Supergirl I believe is from Smallville. So when I picked up Supergirl, Vol. 1: Last Daughter of Krypton by Michael Green I had no idea what I was to expect and I already had a bit of bad feeling towards her as I really disliked her character in the TV show.

The art I felt was not the greatest that I have ever seen and I actually don't think it did justice to the story being told. Truthfully, I disliked the art and I found myself not looking at anything other than the text for the most part.

This book has been a revelation and definitely a great introduction to Supergirl for me. I absolutely loved the story and I loved the character. I felt that Green got the perfect tone for a confused teenager without her sounding whiny or bratty. She reacted to her situations exactly how you would expect someone in that situation to react (someone in that situation and a superhero naturally). I enjoyed meeting villains that I had not come across before, the Worldkillers, they were really interesting and I really want to know more about them and what they go on to do.

I originally gave the book 3.5 stars, however I was still thinking about how good the book was days after I had read it so I changed my mind to a 4.5 stars. I can't give it a full 5 due to the art work as it really let it down in my opinion

I started reading this book on the 14th of February 2015 and I finished it on the same day
I gave this book 4.5 stars on Goodreads

Nananananananana Batman! - My review of Batman: The Jira Kuwata Batmanga, Vol. 1

For such a small library, my local one has quite a good selection of comics, graphic novels and manga. One of my most recent finds there was Batman: The Jira Kuwata batmanga, Volume 1 and as soon as I saw it, I picked it right up as though I had heard of Batmanga, I had never seen any.

Before I begin to review the actual content, I would just like to take a moment to tell you how absolutely beautiful the book itself was. The cover art was stunning and the paper used for the pages was amazing quality and so thick, it was such a joy to hold and read such a well made book. 

The volume is a collection (the first 20 chapters) of Batmanga's written by Jira Kuwata written back in the 60's to bring Batman to the Japanese audience. The writing holds up incredibly as well as the art and reading it, it could have been written today. Adam West is my personal favourite portrayal of Batman (Michael Keaton is a close second), so having stories based on his character in the TV show was really good for me. 

I love that only the cover page of each story is in colour and the rest of the pages are in black and white. It shows the skill of the artist to get so much detail and keep the readers eye while not using colour. 

Each story is based on Batman and the Boy Wonder defeating a different enemy, the names of which are awesome (Dr. Faceless and Professor Gorilla as examples) but my absolute favourite name and story has to be the first one in the book about Lord Death Man. I love the slight cheesiness of it all and the incredible deductions Batman makes to solve each crime. 

It really pained me taking such a wonderful book back to the library and I genuinely will be adding this book to my collection at some point in the future, as well as the other volume. 

I started reading this book on the 6th of February 2015 and finished it on the 10th of February

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads