DC Super Hero Girls: Bumblebee at Super Hero High

I cannot lie - I am truly surprised this series of books has lasted as long as it has.  Now, don't get me wrong - I'm glad it is still going, as I have always been a fan of female superheroes, and the DC Super Hero Girls line of comics, books, and toys has totally caught my interest.  I just did not expect it to last.  Apparently, though, the brand with its comics and books seems to be doing well.  (The toys, though, seem to have fallen off, as there have been no new figures, dolls, or any other toys at the stores lately...)

That being said, the sixth book in the series, Bumblebee at Super Hero High, gives fans and readers a more in-depth look at the life of one of the B-list characters (get it?), Bumblebee.  Karen Andrena-Beecher is unlike a lot of the heroes at Super Hero High - her superpowers are not natural. It is her suit that gives her the power to shrink, the power to fly, and the power to shoot stinging blasts. A suit that was designed and built by Karen herself! But that does not make her any less a hero, even though she begins to doubt herself when her super-suit begins to short out, failing to keep a battery charge, and basically preventing her from being the hero she wants to be.

But what really makes a hero?  That's what this book is all about!

Author Lisa Yee writes another character-building story that provides Bumblebee a chance to truly shine - with and without her super-suit.  Readers not only learn more about Bumblebee's past, but we get to meet her parents, find out how and why she built her super-suit, and discover how she got into Super Hero High.  Then the mystery starts - her family home is destroyed when the giant tree in their back yard crashes down into the house, destroying both her family's home and her tree-house lab.  Bumblebee notices her original suit is missing, but assumes it is simply crushed amongst the debris.  Then, the supply of honey in the world begins to diminish.  Then, plants begin to wither and die without warning.  Then, a strange pollen fills the air, causing people to sneeze uncontrollably.  Then, Bumblebee's suit starts to lose its charge and seems unable to keep a charge to stay powered.

Something is definitely amiss, and Bumblebee and the rest of the heroes at Super Hero High are determined to discover the source of all these strange happenings!

Now, for me, it was fairly easy to guess who the villain was going to be for this book.  Not that Yee made it easy to figure out - she actually gave no clue whatsoever as to the identity of the villain.  Rather, I guessed the villain based upon simple deduction. Bumble"bee" is the hero highlighted in this book. The world's honey supply is diminishing.  Who likes honey?  I won't spoil it by revealing the answer, but let's just say that any major fan of DC Comics for any length of time will easily figure out who it is.

And, of course, the book ends with a bit of a teaser as to who is to come in the next DC Super Hero Girls book...a touch of ivy, a bit of poison, and the next book is bound to be good!

RATING:  9 giant mutant killer bees out of 10 for keeping the female heroes at the forefront and showing that they can hold their own as an ongoing series!

Cleopatra in Space - GN Book Two - The Thief and the Sword

Take a child intended to be a famed queen of the Nile, send her thousands of years into the future, place her under the tutelage of a talking cat, make her the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, and what do you get?  Why, nothing other than Cleopatra in Space, that's what!  Creator Mike Maihack's spunky little queen-to-be returns in the second volume of this funtastic little space opera, "The Thief and the Sword."

This graphic novel opens not with Cleo, but with an unnamed thief, who is proving himself to an unnamed benefactor in order to get a job. Meanwhile, Cleo is attending a party put together by her roommate and friend, Akila.  The students at P.Y.R.A.M.I.D. are all for having a good time, but Cleo just doesn't seem to fit in.  Nor does Zaid.  Or Brian.  But when the thief runs into Cleo (literally!), her latest adventures begins with a bang!

While book one gave readers a clear-cut origin story, showing how Cleopatra ends up in the future and gives hints as to her prophecy, with book two Maihack expounds upon the future universe and its characters. We learn more about Cleo's roommate and what motivates her; we learn more about that mysterious sword that Cleo recovered in the first graphic novel; we are given some more glimpses into this universe's big bad buys; and we are given a few more hints about the prophecy surrounding Cleo and what it will mean for her and her newfound friends.

Maihack is creating a well-rounded universe of characters here, while at the same time, building the story and giving readers plenty of outer-space adventure.  I am thoroughly enjoying the budding relationships among Cleo, Akila, Zaid, and Brian, and even more particularly, Khensu.  And "The Thief and the Sword" definitely has a very Empire Strikes Back feel to it, insomuch as it feels like the connecting story - there is adventure, characterization, and moving story points; however, it ends with a cliffhanger and definitely sets the stage for what's to come.

The art is consistent with Maihack's quality (I have to give the guy credit - he writes and draws this book, which has to take a lot of time and effort!), but there are some pages during the dance party chapter where the art feels a bit rushed and not quite as complete as the rest of the book.  Perhaps that was on purpose, to give the party a more casual feel, but it came across as merely rushed to me.

Otherwise, I continue to enjoy the series, and I'm definitely thrilled that Scholastic picked up the book (I remember Maihack at conventions before this became mainstream!), as I fully believe this deserves to be marketed and on the shelves for kids to find and read and enjoy as much as I do!

RATING:  9 ancient time tablets out of 10 for showing the world that the "fish out of water" story can be told in new and fun ways!

Holmes and Moriary, Book Four - In Other Words ... Murder

Sometimes it is hard to remember what has happened previously in a series when the books come out infrequently.  Such is the case with the Holmes & Moriarty series.  Author Josh Lanyon is quite the prolific writer, authoring quite a number of series, but the Holmes & Moriarty books are the only ones I read. The series is about mystery writer Christopher Holmes and his (now) fiance, J.X. Moriarty (and yes, the author does have characters in the books acknowledge the significance of the names), who stumble across bodies are ultimately investigate to solve the crime.  Previous books in the series were Somebody Killed His Editor, All She Wrote, and The Boy with the Painful Tattoo. And while I remember some general premises about the stories, it's hard to recall the details, since it has been several years since the last one came out.

Like the fact that Christopher and J.X. have now moved in together.

Or the fact that Christopher has been on an extended sabbatical, unable to write any of his famed Miss Butterwith books.

Or even the fact that J.X.'s young nephew is staying with them.

But that's okay.  Thanks to Lanyon's excellent writing, I was quickly brought up to speed while reading her latest offering, In Other Words ... Murder.  Other than Christopher's writer's block, everything is going great for this couple.  They are planning a vacation getaway (that J.X. is hoping will be a honeymoon!), J.X.'s books are selling like hotcakes with one even optioned for a movie, and they have settled into their new home.  What could possibly go wrong?  Well, a body found buried underneath the gazebo (er, I mean the pergola) in the backyard of Christopher's old house.  The one he sold a year ago.  And based upon the call from his ex, it appears the body may belong to the man his ex left him for - the same man that used to be Christopher's personal assistant.  How could things get worse?

Well, the new owners are threatening to sue Christopher and break the contract on the house. Then, there's the sudden appearance of Jerry Knight, his biggest fan.  The one who tried to kill him.  Oh, and did I mention the clown that has been stalking Christopher?  So, yeah, maybe things aren't going quite as well as Christopher had thought they were.  And just when J.X. was getting ready to leave on his book tour.   And if all of that weren't enough, let's not forget that Christopher's father is in town and wants to meet J.X.   Meanwhile, Christopher's ex (David) wants to not only help Christopher with his investigation into the murder (who even said Christopher was looking into it?), but he also wants to get back into Christopher's pants!

Without a doubt, there is PLENTY going on in this book, but despite the overwhelming amount of story, Lanyon does an amazing job of keeping the story flowing nicely, never rushed, but with no lulls, and brings the mysteries to a very satisfying conclusion.  Lanyon is without a doubt an author I would highly recommend for anyone who loves a well-crafted mystery with fun, believable characters.  Now, the only mystery that remains is - how long before we get the fifth Holmes & Moriarty book?

RATING:  10 hotel glasses washed with toilet brushes out of 10 for a truly great murder mystery!

Lou Lou & Pea and the Mural Mystery (Book One)

I picked this book up at Barnes & Noble a few months ago, even though the protagonists, Lou Lou and Pea (short for "Peacock") are rather young - as in, elementary school, getting ready to go into middle school young. But the mystery itself - crimes begin to occur throughout their neighborhood, and clues appear in the various murals painted on the side of buildings - caught my attention. That, and the story seems to focus a lot on Hispanic culture (Pea's cousin's quinceañera, Dia de Los Muertos, etc), and there is a lot of Spanish dialogue throughout the story. It was nice to see a bit of diversity in a book aimed at children without it beating the reader over the head.  So, I bought it.

Lou Lou & Pea and the Mural Mystery turned out to be mostly enjoyable, with the two title characters being a lot of fun to read.  I will admit, it was a bit tedious to have their full names (Lou Lou Bombay and Peacock Pearl) repeated over and over and over again throughout the book - not sure what the author's intention was with that, but it became repetitive and annoying after a while. That aside, Pea's formal nature and Lou Lou's spunky side definitely played well off of each other, and they make quite a team. And while they were given a lot more freedom than real children their age ever would be, let's face it - this is a children's mystery novel, and in every mystery story I've read, the children and young adults have way more freedom than they actually should! That's what makes it enjoyable.

That being said, the mystery itself was certainly well crafted. Various incidents occur throughout El Carazón (their neighborhood) - Pea's cousin's dress is ruined by someone staining it; Lou Lou's prize plant is destroyed; their friend's rabbit is kidnapped; a singer's stage show is sabotaged; a craft store is water damaged; and the trusted candle lady's story is ransacked and robbed! And what is weird is that after each incident, something connected to the crime suddenly appears in one of the painted murals throughout their small neighborhood.  As the town gears up for the special Dia  de Los Muertos celebration, Lou Lou and Pea are determined to get to the bottom of the crimes. Lou Lou is certain that it is her new neighbor, the young boy with blue spiked hair, as all clues seem to point to him; but Pea reminds her to keep her mind open and not jump to conclusions.

Of course, it all culminates during the Day of the Dead celebration, where Lou Lou and Pea find the kidnapped rabbit and stolen items in the most unlikely of places - and find themselves trapped in the criminal's cellar with no way to escape!  The big revelation will definitely come as a surprise to most readers, as author Jill Diamond provides a surprisingly unexpected twist in the story, and the mystery ends in true Nancy Drew-fashion, with the culprit unveiled, the young detectives hailed as heroes, and all the wrongs made right again.

Diamond's story is littered with a number of cute illustrations by Lesley Vamos.  The art style is a bit cartoony, but considering the age level of the intended readership, I would have to say it fits in nicely.  In the back of the book is a glossary of the Spanish terms used throughout the book, so that readers gain a bit of a learning experience from reading it (although, in most cases, readers will be able to figure out the meaning of the Spanish sentences and phrases used by their context, and in other instances, the characters themselves provide the translation in the dialogue).

Overall, it was a fun little read, and I would certainly recommend it to those who enjoy children's mysteries.

RATING:  8 rose gold Sugar Mountain Sisters necklaces out of 10 for mixing mystery, diversity, and fun to create a really good book!

Dark Shadows Audio Tales, Vol. 1 - Echoes of the Past

Thus begins a new era in Dark Shadows audio stories. After 50 audio dramas, plus a 50th anniversary special, Big Finish re-started the audio series back at #1, altering the format so that each volume features several short stories. Each short story centers around a different character from the Dark Shadows universe, and each story is read by a different actor. I wasn't sure how this format would fare, but it is Dark Shadows, after all, so it's not like I wasn't going to get it and listen to it!

"Echoes of the Past," the first of these new volumes, feature four tales - the first starring Reverend Trask, the second Quentin Collins, the third Maggie Evans, and the fourth story starring Angelique. Each of these four tales is read by the actor who portrayed the character on the television show: Jerry Lacy, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and Lara Parker, respectively. Now, be warned - these are not full- or even partial-cast audio dramas; no, these are simply short stories read by the actors (the same way regular audio books are done). Yes, the actors do put a little emotion into the dialogue (particularly Lara Parker!), but they are still just stories read by the actors. That was a little disappointing to me, as I had grown accustomed to audio dramas with at least two or three actors, or often-times more, sound effects, and storytelling techniques that made me feel like I was listening to episodes from the TV.

Regardless of the change in format, the authors of these stories at least stayed true to the characters and to the Dark Shadows mythology. With Reverend Trask, we learn a bit more about his background before he came to Collinwood in 1795 and accused Victoria Winters of witchcraft. Trask is a charlatan, but when he comes face to face with a real demon, he makes a bargain to not only save a girl's soul, but also to garner some success of his own in the eyes of the townspeople. With Quentin Collins, it's another glance at Quentin's immorality, as he tries to once again evade inspection - but what happens when a fan obsessed with an old silent werewolf film seeks him out to find the lost footage of the aged film? Quentin will do just about anything to protect his secret, but that lost footage may reveal more about Quentin than he wants anyone to know. For Maggie Evans, the planning of a party for the upcoming lunar tide event is keeping her busy; however, a newcomer to town may be more than she seems, and when a mysterious mist comes in from the ocean and starts making everyone in Collinsport sick, Maggie realizes her days of fighting the supernatural are far from over! Finally, with Angelique, it is time to confess. Angelique, whose love for Barnabas has cost her so much over the years, has finally gone too far in her quest to protect him, and now the stoker of hell's fire has come for recompense - the only way to escape eternal damnation is to confess to all her sins. Of course, Angelique is full of tricks, and one is left to wonder - how will she escape this time?

The stories themselves are not bad at all, and I could easily see any of them turned into their own full cast audio drama; however, I cannot hide my disappointment in simply hearing them read by the actor as if they were reading a book for an audience. For me, this caused the stories to fall a little bit flat, and it took away some of the enjoyment and excitement I've had over the past years listening to the dramas by Big Finish. Don't get me wrong - I still enjoy listening to new tales of my favorite characters and storylines, but I will definitely miss the feeling of hearing a "real episode" rather than a book reading.  At least I know Big Finish is working on a sequel to the Bloodlust story, so that is something to look forward to!

RATING:  7 perfectly preserved movie reels out of 10 for providing more back story and further adventures of the DS characters for fans who continue to cry out for more!

Short Lived Comic Series #9 - Marvel Comics' Beware! The Claws of... The Cat

Now this little series is something I was eyeing at my local comic store for quite a while.  I've always loved comics with female leads, and this series was originally published long before I started reading comics. But the store had them a bit high priced, so I waited until they had a 50%-off back issue sale, and I purchased the complete set (and later found the Marvel Team-Up and the Spidey Super Stories issues that featured this character).  And now, I finally got caught up on a lot of my other comic reading, so I had the chance to read it!

Beware! The Claws of... the Cat was a four issue series published by Marvel Comics back in the early 1970s. As with comics back in that day, her origin story was told in one issue (egads! imagine that!), but there was enough story packed into that first issue, that you definitely got your money's worth! The Cat, it turns out, is Greer Nelson - a former college student turned housewife after she meets the man of her dreams. But, as all dreams are wont to do it becomes a nightmare when her husband, a police officer, is killed in the line of duty. Greer returns to college and volunteers with an old professor to help her on a project. It turns out, however, that the project is one that gives volunteers extraordinary powers. When an unscrupulous partner steals the technology and creates his own powered volunteer, it turns to tragedy - Greer watches helplessly as the woman falls to her death!

But, as with any good origin story, from tragedy comes the birth of a hero - and, thus, the Cat is born! Greer takes on of the other woman's costumes and goes out to avenge her professor (who she thinks is dead) and takes on the bad guys. And all of this was just the first issue!

Written by Linda Fite (a woman writer for a woman character - and a darned good one at that), the first issue boasts art by Marie Severin and Wally Wood. The second issue keeps Severin, but the inker is switched to Jim Mooney. The third issue saw a new penciller, Paty Greer (coincidence?), and a new inker (Bill Everett), and the fourth and final issue brought yet another art team, with Jim Starlin and Alan Weiss taking on the pencils, while Frank McLaughlin was on the inks. I find it odd that a series that only lasted four issues had four different pencillers and four different inkers in the span of four issues. This was a bi-monthly book, so I wonder what Marvel was thinking, switching the art team around they way they did. Was it Marvel's choice, or was it the creator's choice? At least the writer remained the same, so the stories were consistent, building on one another, and while the artists did change, the quality of the art never wavered.

The second issue featured the Owl, the third issue brought in the Kraken (along with some aliens pretending to be government scientists), and the fourth issue found the Cat battling the Man-Bull. Something interesting about the fourth issue is that it features a short back-up story starring Marvel Girl (of the X-Men). It had no connection to the main story, and I have no clue why that was thrown in, unless the main story just didn't fill out enough pages.

Now, before the series was cancelled, the Cat did make an appearance over in Marvel Team-Up, issue 8 of that series. Perhaps as a way to try and promote the character in the hopes of selling more issues of her regular title, the Cat teams up with Spider-Man to fight the villainy of the Man-Killer. It's a fun little tale written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Jim Mooney.

The Cat made one other appearance two years later in issue 12 of Spidey Super Stories, the younger-age comic presented by Marvel in collaboration with The Electric Company. The Cat guest-stars in the main story (there are a couple of short stories after the main one), in which she and Spidey team-up to battle ... the Owl. Interesting that she fought the Owl in her own title, and fights him again in this all-ages story. With the plethora of villains Marvel has to choose from, why re-use one she's already faced? And, being the first Spidey Super Stories comic I've ever read, was surprised to see how large the font was - I guess to make it easier reading for the children who picked up the comic.

Now, something I didn't realize - apparently the Spidey Super Stories issue, which came out in 1975, featured the Cat after she had been turned into Tigra (the character she still is today), since Greer became Tigra in Giant-Size Creatures #1 in 1974. Something else I have to wonder about - the Cat's costume is yellow and blue and very similar in so many ways to Hellcat's costume (a/k/a Patsy Walker). So, being the diligent little detective I am, I looked it up and discovered that it IS the same costume, as Patsy found it in Avengers #144 and dons the costume to help the Avengers.

With all that explained, I can look back at Beware! The Claws of... the Cat and say that I enjoyed the short-lived series very much. It's a shame that so many series back in the day with female leads just could not seem to last - Night Nurse, the Cat, Ms. Marvel, Dazzler, Sheena, etc. Even today, while there are a number of female-led titles on the market, with the exception of Wonder Woman, the others are on a constant rotation, restarting, changing, etc.  Is it the fans' lack of interest in the titles?  Is it the creative teams not telling good stories?  Or is it the comic companies' belief that female leads cannot sell titles?  Who knows....

RATING:  8 far-reaching grappling claws out of 10 for introducing Marvel's newest action bombshell to comic fans of the '70s and creating a character that, although changed drastically, has managed to maintain a presence in the Marvel universe all these years!

Captain Superlative - Life is Too Short to Be Anything Less!

When I was down in Key West earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to have met Judy Blume, the children's author who happens to own a bookstore in KW. While at the store, she offered those of us there to pick from a shelf of "Advance Reader Copies" of various books that she had received.  I went through the titles, and nothing really stood out for me, but since she offered, I though I might as well snag one. I saw the title, Captain Superlative, and after reading the back, thought it might be readable. Anyone who knows me knows that I love series books, and if it's not a part of a series, it is not very likely I will pick it up, let alone read it.  But, there's always that rare exception.

This one definitely turned out to be one of those exceptions.

Since this is the Advance Reader Copy and not the final product, not sure what, if any, changes were made prior to its final publication (other than a few grammatical mistakes I noticed while I was reading), but I hope they didn't change a thing. Captain Superlative may appear to be a light-hearted tale of middle-school friendship - a young girl dresses up and acts like a super hero, running through the halls of Deerwood Park Middle School, holding doors open for teachers, picking up books for students, preparing study guides to help others pass their tests, and standing up against the school bully. Yet, as with people, and particularly children, not everything in this book is what it seems.

Now, reading this as an adult, I quickly began to pick up on some of the signs of where this book was headed.  And, quite honestly, I almost didn't want to finish it. This past year has been extremely rough, and the ultimate reveal of Captain Superlative's secret was a bit hard to take. But, I stuck with it and finished the book, and let me tell you - author J.S. Puller definitely doesn't pull any punches. She does, however, balance the serious moments with some lighter scenes, and there are a few times where you will want to stand up and cheer!

While the title character may be a super hero (of sorts), the main character in the book is actually Janey Silverman, a middle school nobody that likes to stay off everyone's radar and does everything she can to avoid being noticed. Particularly by Dagmar Hagen (gotta love that name!), the star pupil of Deerwood Park Middle School, and also the domineering tyrant who scares everyone - but no one more than Paige McCoy, a shy young student who has the misfortune of being Dagmar's number one target. Janey hates seeing Dagmar torture the girl, but there's nothing she can do. Until she shows up.

Captain Superlative!

"Have no fear, citizens! Captain Superlative is here to make all troubles disappear!" With that one line, this young hero in a swimsuit and cape starts to make waves that have a ripple effect throughout the whole school. Janey can't believe she would make such a spectacle of herself. Why would she bring attention to herself like that? Until the day Janey witnesses Dagmar slapping Paige; and, without thinking, she does the unthinkable - she tells Dagmar to knock it off!

And thus begins Janey's road to transformation - from being a wallflower to being a full-fledged sidekick to the school's number one (and only!) super hero! Janey finds that doing good and helping others is surprisingly catchy, and she begins to see other students following suit (although no one else is dressing up in a cape and gloves like C.S.). She is truly happy and enjoying herself for the first time since her mother died, and everything is going great. Until the Captain misses a day of school.  Then two days.  And then three. And Janey is determined to find out what's going on.  What she finds out, though, rocks her (and the reader) to her core and will change everything about what she believed.

Puller writes a very thought-provoking, funny, tender, and heart-breaking story about childhood innocence, bullying, and the unseen things in others' lives that we never really know about; and, while she doesn't beat us over the head with it, Puller definitely makes the reader realize that before we judge someone else's actions, we should stop and consider why the other person is doing what they are doing.

It may not have been a series book, but Captain Superlative was definitely worth the read.

RATING:  9 floating paper lanterns out of 10 for making me laugh, cry, cheer, and empathize for the characters more than I would have thought possible.