UPGRADE by Blake Crouch

It’s exciting starting another Blake Crouch novel, akin to heading to the theater for the latest summer blockbuster, anticipating the spectacle and excitement. This new novel is set in the near future where genetic engineering has reached a dangerous height and genetic study and practice in general has been deemed illegal. And after a raid gone sour, Genetic Protection agent Logan Ramsay starts to notice that he’s changing…

While the concept is fun and much of the material here is pretty thought-provoking, I couldn’t help but feel that this one fell a bit flat for me. It was thrilling to read how Logan's ability kept evolving and I was constantly pausing to Google genetic science shit and do more research. But I’m used to his novels hitting hard in the emotional feels just as equally as the cerebral ones, and the attempts here at sentiment just didn’t work for me and felt tacked on. The book is still fascinating in concept and has the excitement that I’ve come to expect. In general though, it felt a little “paint-by-numbers.” In other words: “Crouch-lite.”

GRADE: B-

PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

With this latest novel, Andy Weir has created another entertaining love letter to the power of science, technology, and nerds. The story opens with a man waking up on a spaceship with no memories of how he got there and why he's there. But as he begins to regain his memories, and armed with just his knowledge and instincts, he realizes that the most impossible mission has been placed on his shoulders, and the fate of the entire world is at stake. 

One of the big critiques that some people had about Weir's smash debut, The Martian, was that it read like a science textbook at times, with its repetitive focus on the protagonist sciencing the hell out of one problem after another. I partially disagreed with that but if you felt that way about The Martian, then stay away from Project Hail Mary, as it beefs up the sciencing to 100! There were times when it felt a bit tedious detailing every step in Ryland Grace's problem-solving, sort of like a science computer game. But dammit if Weir has a real knack for making this stuff pretty entertaining! There are great, clever twists that I didn't see coming and one of the things that really worked was how we discover bits of the past as Ryland begins to regain his memories, and we piece together the entire backstory, with surprises throughout. A very effective way to deal with exposition.

It's best to go into the book knowing as little as possible about the plot, so I'll just leave it here. If you can make it through all of the science, you'll find an effective, escapist read, and just might learn something new along the way!

GRADE: B+

SUMMER FROST by Blake Crouch

If you loved Blake Crouch’s recent novels, Dark Matter and Recursion, there’s a great chance you’ll enjoy his latest novella. Focused on the discovery of a minor, non-playable open-world game character that gains independence and explores her world, the book is smart, speculative science fiction that explores the increasingly fickle idea of what it means to be human. 

Although the danger of AI with a growing awareness has been told many times before, it’s still told well here, using the story to present interesting looks at gender identity and how what we see as life isn’t that much dissimilar to a computer program. It’s all well-conceived with clever twists, by an author still at the top of his game. 

GRADE: B+

RECURSION by Blake Crouch

This might be one of the most batshit crazy novels I've read in a while. It features a high-concept plot that I'm not sure didn't contradict itself and break it's own rules, but it's so complicated and so damn entertaining that I didn't have the time or the brainpower to pick it apart. And I kinda don't care either. Similar in design and tone to Blake Crouch's previous banger, Dark Matter, this novel begins as a curious mystery about false memory and builds from there into something that I'll only describe in two words: MEMORY. WARS. If that's not enough to get you to buy this book right now, I don't know what would.

In it's final third, the book starts to fly off the rails. But instead of simply plummeting to a fiery death in the canyon of silliness, it sprouts wings and starts to soar on it's own winds. It really is awesome to witness a writer so in command of his work, and have the balls to be able to pull something like this off. And not only does the book have moments of high-concept, speculative brilliance, but (like Dark Matter before it) Crouch also never sacrifices character depth and emotional weight. By the end, the novel stays memorable not only for it's sci-fi flair, but also for the journey with the characters. It's possible that a better novel might come out this year, but I'm willing to bet money that there won't be one that does it with as much style.

GRADE: A-

BLACK SCIENCE PREMIERE VOL. 1: TRANSCENDENTALISM by Rick Remender

A big advantage that second books have in a series is the fact that they don't have the burden of exposition holding them back. And that's definitely the case here. So we're free to ride the fast-paced tidal wave of action from the very beginning of this book. And I'm glad because it gets pretty crazy, let me tell you! After the cliffhanger of the first premiere edition, I was eager to where our characters end up and where it all goes from here, and I was not disappointed. More imaginative sci-fi thrills, jaw-dropping twists and turns, family drama, and shifting character dynamics makes this yet another great Black Science read.

GRADE: A-

BLACK SCIENCE PREMIERE VOL. 1: THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ENTROPY by Rick Remender

Bold. Imaginative. Visionary.

I was not sure what to expect with this series but it hit me like a runaway train as it pulled me away on it's adventure. I don't want to go into too much detail about the plot as it might be best to go in almost completely fresh the way I did, and jump headfirst into this trip down the rabbit hole and into the onion as this flawed crew of travelers try to survive their dangerous trip through countless dimensions.

The biggest thing that struck me was how fast the story moves. It drops the reader right into the middle of the action from the beginning and NEVER stops. There is no exposition to get you acquainted with the world at the start, and there is no time to take a breather during the entirety of its 400+ pages.

I've seen reviews talk about the speed of its storytelling was a problem with it being too confusing but I totally disagree. I really appreciated that the creators didn't treat the reader with kid gloves and trusted the readers to keep pace with the story. And learning more about the rules, the background of the expedition, and info about the characters while the story was moving forward really added to the experience. So buckle your seatbelt before jumping into this one, and keep up!

The artwork here, especially the inking and the color work, was a real standout here, providing a singular atmosphere that's really memorable. Whenever I think about this story in the future, I'll visualize those sharp lines and bold neon-ish colors.

There are a few reasons why my grade for this was dropped a couple points though. The constantly shifting POV narration became a little obnoxious and sometimes distracted from the flow of the story, I wish that there was a bit more variety in the nature of the different dimensions, and I wish some of the action was easier to follow. This story also seems like it might benefit from it being read in big chunks like this premiere volume, which collects the first three trade paperback. I seemed to have responded to this better than other friends who started reading it in the shorter paperback volumes.

For me, this was a wild ride and I can't wait to continue.

GRADE: A-

ALEX + ADA by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn

I've been increasingly interested in artificial intelligence and the idea of artificial conciousness after watching things like Westworld, Her, and Ex Machina, and Alex + Ada was a great way to continue that exploration. Set in a future where owning robots are an everyday trend, lonely and recently heartbroken Alex is gifted a state-of-the-art X5 model robot for his birthday. At first he wants nothing to do with it but then sees something special within her and decides to do the forbidden: allow her to gain sentience.

The simple, minimalist art works very well with this story, it's stark, digital appearance lends perfectly to this world and the atmosphere. Not only is this a an ambitious, heartfelt romance about true love crossing boundaries most people normally wouldn't think would be possible, it's also a smart,, humorous, thoughtful commentary on tolerance and an allegory that works in many different ways.

GRADE: A-

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US - YEAR ONE by Tom Taylor

Remember that shitty Batman vs Superman movie from a couple of years ago? The most interesting part of that movie was also its most random, a dream sequence where Batman is the leader of a resistance in a dystopian America led by a villainous Superman. You see, contrary to popular opinion, I love seeing Superman as a villain, I think he's too powerful of a hero, leading to a lack of a sense of danger in many of his stories. I love the idea that he's an all-too-human god among men that is as susceptible to corruption as the rest of us. I keep telling people that that dream sequence was what Batman vs Superman (or the new Justice League movie) should've really focused on; it would've made a much more interesting story. So this Injustice series of graphic novels is right up my alley!

In one of his most ambitious ploys, The Joker succeeds in creating absolute chaos by manipulating Superman into accidentally killing Lois Lane and their unborn baby, and nuking Metropolis. Superman understandably goes a bit bonkers and decides to enforce peace in the world with an absolute iron fist. Many of the more powerful Justice League members, including Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Green Lantern, and The Flash, stand to support him. But Batman can see how forcing people to be good can lead to disaster and gathers a small group of lesser heroes to stand against him.

I love this idea but I was admittedly hesitant in reading a comic book based on a video game, thinking that it would just be a cash-in adaptation. But this book is way better than it has any right to be, and it's one of the better superhero stories I've read recently. Similar to Marvel's Civil War, you can understand both sides of the debate. The book also did a great job at showing the downfall of the relationship between Batman and Superman, and the increasing contrast in their worldview. And although it still suffers from much of the usual superhero comic bloat (there's yet another Darkseid invasion that lasts about 19 seconds, and a random Lobo issue), it's one of the more exciting graphic novels I've read recently, a very well-paced compelling tale, and everything that Batman vs. Superman should've been.

GRADE: A-

ASTONISHING X-MEN OMNIBUS by Joss Whedon

I've never been a big Joss Whedon fan-boy. I've never really understood the hype. But after reading this...man, he can write a mean X-men story! It can be tricky writing for the X-Men, especially these days, with tracking so many characters and trying to keep it fresh and interesting, but Whedon does an skillful job here in this 25-issue run that he had with the heroes.

Whedon shows a real love for the characters here, and the book features some of the most creative sequences I've seen in an X-Men tale. Whedon takes these well-known characters, consolidates all of their best attributes, and lets it all fly in this epic story. He not only has a great sensitivity to each X-Man's personality, but he takes their specific powers and explores all of the possible ways to showcase them, leading to massively entertaining sequences. One great example is the way the book shows how powerful skilled psychics can be, especially in the amazing sequence in the third volume, Torn, when the mansion is attacked by the Hellfire Club and telepathically manipulated by Cassandra Nova and Negasonic Teenage Warhead.

You can also tell the love that Whedon (as with many other writers) has for Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat). She has many fans but Whedon really showcases all of the aspects of her powers here and it's all very fascinating. What happens when Kitty has an orgasm? One of the reasons why the X-Men are some of my favorite heroes to read is because of the specificity of their individual powers, so I had a blast with all these little moments. And the book also features one of the coolest character entrances ever with the appearance of Colossus.

And of course the witty dialogue and entertaining  set-pieces that Whedon is known for is on full-display here, showing that he might be one of the best candidates to tell superhero stories, which he's proven here, and with his popularity with the big superhero movie franchises. And with this book run, he set a good standard for X-Men storytelling!

GRADE: B+

PAPER GIRLS: BOOK ONE by Brian K. Vaughan

After falling in love with his Saga series, I wanted to branch out to other projects written by Brian K. Vaughan, and that led me here! The Paper Girls are Erin, Tiffany, Mackenzie, and KJ, pre-teen kids living in 1988 Cleveland, who meet on their respective newspaper routes early in the morning after Halloween, and find themselves dropped into an epic fantasy adventure.

This adventure of the Stranger Things/Goonies variety happens to be a bit of a mind-wreck filled with parallel timelines, multi-verses, dinosaurs, giant maggots, and futuristic soldiers.

Oh who am I kidding, it might not be about that stuff at all; I would be lying if I said I understood everything that was happening here! The comic lets it's secrets out on its own terms and it can get a little frenetic and confusing but the interesting thing is that I didn't really care. I enjoyed the characters and their budding relationships so much that I could watch them do anything. Plus, I'm a sucker for time travel so I'm down to being patient and seeing where it all goes! The second volume in particular is a rollercoaster of crazy-ass ideas that are sometimes hard to follow, but I'll be holding on for the ride.

The two volume included here in this deluxe edition are also available in cheaper single editions.

GRADE: B

SAGA: BOOK TWO

We pick up again with our heroes as they try their hand at living a normal life on the planet Gardenia, with Marco taking up stay-at-home-dad duties while Alana wins the bread as an actor in shitty tv shows on the Open Circuit. Oh and Hazel is a toddler!

The first part here is really great as we really focus on the relationship between Alana and Marco and I thought it was a wonderful look at how doubts, trust and insecurity can strain a marriage even outside of the fact that the two are star-crossed lovers from enemy alien races. But just when the relationship is at it's lowest, the past catches up and the story is off again on an intergalactic adventure that's even more action-packed than before, involving new alliances, space heists, and a dangerous quest for dragon jizz. 

It's once again addictive, imaginative, and exciting, with characters you care about, proving once again why it's considered one of the top comic series being published right now. 

GRADE: A-

SAGA: VOL. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan

Everything comes to a head now in this installment of Saga as all of our characters converge around Oswald Heist's lighthouse home on the sleepy planet Quietus. You can tell that the creators are more confident and comfortable with the characters and the story as things quiet down a bit and they focus on exploring them. But then it all blows up in grand action-packed form in the end. My favorite characters are still Prince Robot IV and The Will, the three-dimensional antagonists hunting our heroes. The series continues to be heartfelt and endearing and I can't wait to see where they take the story next! Tons of possibilities!

GRADE: A-

SOUTHERN CROSS: VOL. 1 by Becky Cloonan

This moody piece is a bit of cosmic horror and mystery set aboard a large passenger vessel on the way to the Saturn refinery moon Titan, where ex-con Alex Braith wants to find out the truth about her sister's suspicious death and ends up stumbling onto something terrifying aboard the Southern Cross. I enjoyed a lot of the atmosphere in this one and the way the cold artwork made the ship feel almost subterranean. I especially loved the creative panel work to show the geography of the ship and some cool imagery. The story itself wasn't as memorable as I hoped and the heavy first-person present narration is a pet peeve of mine. Especially in a comic book. I'd rather the makers show not tell. The constant "I wonder what's around this corner" or "What have I done?" type of narration tends to grate my nerves.

See a sample of this below:

I might continue to see where this all goes but this first volume was disappointing.

GRADE: C

SAGA VOL. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

Jumped back into Saga with this second volume! We pick up again with our heroes as they are still on the run in their rocket ship (which happens to be a living tree they picked out of a rocket ship forest). And The Will, Lying Cat, and their two unlikely new partners are still in hot pursuit. This volume is just as enjoyable and hilarious as the first one. But we also explore the characters a bit deeper.

We get flashbacks that show us the time when Alana and Marko first meet as enemies and fall in love, which not only pushes the story forward by setting up their desire to seek out Oswald Heist, but it also makes the reader love them even more as a couple which is what makes the series work so well. Every character is great and I want to learn more about them! I especially enjoyed the further development of Prince Robot IV and his PTSD.

Vaughan and Staples seem to have found something really special here with this series.

GRADE: A-

SAGA VOL. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

Yes, I know I'm a bit of a "Richie-Come-Lately" to this Saga party and you've probably heard this before, but I'm here now, better late than never. This one is the real deal, this is what great comic book work is supposed to be: creative, original writing, iconic art, and most importantly (and I suppose the most difficult), a fine balance between the sequential art and written word. I always think it's important to understand what is going on, to provide just enough text to be able to understand things that you can't portray with pictures, but it's also important to avoid getting so wordy to the point that the writer probably should've just written a novel (Dark Tower books, anyone?).

Saga is an epic space opera that takes place in a far away galaxy where two warring races have been battling for generations. In the middle of the fight are two enemy soldiers, Alana and Marko, who fall in love, and along with their newborn baby, must evade both sides of the fight to find a safe place to start their family.

The makers of this series are really singular in their vision. It's so refreshing to see a piece of work so wholly original. And I think that Brian Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples achieve this by completely ripping away the limitations of their imagination. It's as if they reverted parts of their brains back to those of their six-year-old selves and just let all the crazy shit fly out and onto paper! Not only is our hero a magical warrior with horns on his head and our heroine a soldier with wings that shoots a pistol that stuns you by breaking your heart, but there's also a prince that has a television for a head, a seahorse that's also a talent agent, a bounty hunter client that walks around with a big hairless grumpy cat that is also a lie detector, and he's sad about getting friend-zoned by the love of his life, which happens to be this thing:

But the real genius is being able to wrangle all of these wacky ideas into something relatable, charming, and enthralling. It's got well-drawn action, witty, smart comedy, all mixed in with moments of tenderness. I can see what all the fuss is about with Saga. Based on the covers, I didn't think that this comic series would interest me, but boy was I wrong. And if you haven't read it for that reason, you're probably wrong too, so definitely give it a try. If you're a fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, you'll probably love Saga.

GRADE: A

INCOGNITO by Ed Brubaker

Another great book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips; a fun, pulpy adventure with a strong, nifty concept. Zack Overkill is an infamous super-villain that is now working as a file clerk in a boring town while under Witness Protection and bored out of his damn mind. Once he starts getting loaded on some recreational drugs, it unlocks his long dormant powers and he decides to stretch his wings a bit, go on some adventures and actually save a few lives for a change!

I like the idea of a remorseless mass killer being forced into a normal life and then finding an outlet for his talents by being a hero just for kicks. Once Overkill finds himself stuck in the middle of an on-going battle between the cronies of his old mentor the Black Death (a Red Skull-type villain), and covert agency SOS (sorta like S.H.I.E.L.D.) the book becomes packed with action and twists, not to mention a scene-stealing supporting cast sporting cool super-names like Ava Destruction and Zoe Zeppelin. This is definitely not as strong as the other books I've read from this team so far but it's definitely a fun, escapist read.

Oh and I found my new nickname within these pages! You all may now call me: DICK DEADLY!

GRADE: B

ANIMOSITY VOL. 1 by Marguerite Bennett

One day, all of America's animals inexplicably gain human-like consciousness and the ability to speak English and talk alotta shit. They rise up and this leads to a new way of life where the human-animal relationship is shaky at best. But through all of this, a little girl named Jesse and her beloved dog and protector Sandor (cause he's a Hound...duh!) go on a journey to find Jesse's half-bro. Animosity has an eye-catching premise and some really inspired elements. For example, what would happen to all the meat lovers in this brave new world where a cow might be policing the streets? But this first volume was a bit inconsistent in tone and that was a little distracting. And the writers seemed to struggle with finding each character's voice. But hopefully those are the growing pains of a first volume and it'll all get rectified next time!

GRADE: B-

ALL-NEW X-MEN VOL. 1: YESTERDAY'S X-MEN by Brian Michael Bendis

The X-Men comics were my favorites when I was younger, and I wanted to jump back into reading them with a more contemporary story. The X-Men have been around for a while, embedded in our zeitgeist with many different iterations, and sometimes it feels like they've told every story they could. Not only that but one big critique that many people have is that the universe has gotten too big, with too many characters, and it can get a bit overwhelming. That's why I think that this story arc in the debut volume of All-New X-Men is so cool. Bendis not only was able to find a fresh, clever idea, but with this idea, he was able to bring the focus back to the basics: a core, familiar group of mutants, the original five!

Because the X-Men can't figure out how to handle Cyclops, who recently broke bad and is now modeling himself as a mutant revolutionary with Magneto and the White Queen at his side, Beast has the dumbass genius idea to go back in time, gather up the original five teenage students of Xavier (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, and Beast himself), and bring them back to the future to see if they can talk some sense into mean Cyclops and show him how far he's fallen. What could possibly go wrong?

So this first volume isn't exactly jam-packed with mutant action but focuses more on fleshing out the cool concept and it's ramifications. How would the act of bringing the past versions of the X-men to this time affect the time/space continuum? How would the younger versions feel with seeing what their future lives entail? How would today's Cyclops react after seeing a younger version of himself and Jean Grey, the wife he's lost? And speaking of the young Jean Grey, she's the real star of this show who provides the book's heart. She begins to develop her telepathic powers and it's not the easiest thing, especially under the circumstances. I'm excited to see what happens next, and I think it would be awesome if Bendis used this time travel incident and tied it into established X-canon. For example, it would be so interesting if, by going into the future and developing her abilities there, that's the way that the Phoenix Force was initially able to tap into Jean Grey, jump-starting the popular Phoenix Saga? So many possibilities...

GRADE: B+

BY THE NAILS OF THE WARPRIEST by Nik Korpon

I’m finding myself in the gutter more often than I’d like.

In this brooding mash-up of noir and science fiction (I guess sorta like Blade Runner in that sense), a nameless former hero of a failed revolution known as The Struggle is now trying to keep food on the table by working as a memory thief, stealing memories of the time before the Struggle, and selling them to memory junkies that want a little inkling of happiness. But then the thief finds something in those memories that might be the key to discovering the truth behind his dead wife and son. 

This is an atmospheric, moody novella that is richly written, with author Nik Korpon constantly conjuring great imagery (The sky is a dome of pitted steel). I found myself re-reading passages constantly, just to soak it all up. This is the way dystopia should be written. It's depth of emotion, it's gloom, it's creativity, and it's portrait of a tortured soul resonated with me more than many books that are quadruple it's 60-page length. A must read for noir lovers, sci-fi readers, and dark fiction lovers in general.

We tell ourselves things can change, we can change. A long time ago, someone said that in order to change the future, you have to look at the past. I’ve held hundreds of pasts in my hands, and I don’t see a fucking thing.

GRADE: A-

DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch

It's really hard to find something else to add to the ton of accolades that's already been heaped onto this book, one of the most talked about novels of the year. The story by Blake Crouch, of a physics professor who is kidnapped one night and forced into an adventure beyond anyone's wildest imagination, has all the elements of crowd-pleasing, perfectly escapist entertainment. It has an amazing concept on which Crouch expertly adds layers upon layer, forcing me deeper into the rabbit hole. But not only does the concept make for great entertainment but it's also an ingenious way to tackle the issues that Crouch is really after: choices, regret, and what it truly means to love your family.

Along with a tender romance, a likable protagonist, and possibly the worst villain you can imagine, this book is a fast-moving adventure story that kept me reading past all the acceptable time limits! I'll just stop now because I don't have much more to add other than what others have already written. The book is cool as hell and much more fun than this redundant review.

Go read it.

GRADE: A-