Reading List: April

A balanced month, with four books and four graphic novels, this is what I read in April:

Wildstorm Revelations
Nemesis, Savant, and Backlash try to prevent the end of the world in this fun comic book written by Scott Beatty and Christos Gage, and drawn by Wes Craig. This book makes you laugh, and the action is continuous and very dynamic. A fun, fun read!

Jumper
The book that inspired the movie, this novel written by Steven Gould has nothing to do with the film I saw last February. Other than having a main character named David Rice who can teleport to different locations, the two stories are so different they could well be two completely unrelated tales. I thought the movie was entertaining, and I really liked the novel.

Minx sampler
Several graphic novels targeting young female readers are showcased in this collection I got for free. As a rule, the stories are interesting and well written, but the artwork is not very good in any of them. I guess young girls like good stories but crappy artwork.

The Goon: Chinatown and the Mystery of Mr. Wicker
A flashback to Goon’s earlier days, Chinatown tells the story of how Goon got his scar, and why he has trouble with women. This had already been hinted at a couple of times, and Eric Powell finally delivers the sad, melancholy tale I already told you about here.

The Escapement (The Engineer trilogy, vol. III)
The story of runaway engineer Ziani Vaatzes comes to an end in the final volume of K.J. Parker’s saga. As I’ve said before, these three books are very interesting and well written, even if the pace is everything but fast. Still, a very enjoyable read!

G is for Gumshoe
Another excellent Kinsey Millhone story by Sue Grafton, this one has Kinsey trying to solve a case while trying to stay alive, since she’s being targeted by a hitman. Very entertaining, if not as great as F is for Fugitive.

Empowered, vol. 3
Adam Warren strikes back, and his whole Empowered cast is back for another book packed with craziness, humor, and damsels in distress. In this volume we find out Emp’s and Ninjette’s real names, we dig into Thugboy’s backstory, and we witness a ridiculously long and violent (but oh so dynamic and well drawn) ninja fight. Looking forward to volume four!

H is for Homicide
Yet another Kinsey Millhone adventure, in which Kinsey investigates some false insurance claims for California Fidelity. It was a good story, but I think it is the least funny of all the books so far. I missed Kinsey’s acute observations and remarks, as despair and gloominess seemed to permeate everything in this book. Still, you could do worse than getting to know this private eye!