When they discover a kitten asleep in their doorway, real-life artist couple Rachel and Mike immediately fall prey to her charms. Soon, the new queen of their home is a blue point Siamese cat named Frankie. Stealing snacks, making mischief, and taking snuggling very seriously, Frankie proves, again and again, the wholesome joys of a feline companion.

Hilarious indie comics darling Frankie Comics is collected for the first time in this full-color hardcover edition – purrfect for cat lovers everywhere. 

As an owner of a very crazy cat, I was eager to pick up this one and read about the adventures of another cat. Sure, a lot of the situations are pretty normal for most cats and examples of everyday life with a cat, but with the adorable art and full personality of Frankie, it was a joy to read. Frankie’s antics are hilarious and heartwarming as she takes over her human’s lives.

Anyone who loves cats or lives with cats will probably identify with a number of these comics. They are entertaining, quirky and full of love.

Happy reading!

Monsters will rise, cities will fall…but best friends are forever!

Zelda, Eunice, and Juliet are three best friends: orphans of the Kaiju Generation, and adoptive mothers to their own baby Goliath! For years they’ve searched for the elusive King of All Goliaths, the one fabled to bring the Forever War to an end. But they’re not the only ones on his trail. From Sam Humphries (Harley Quinn, Green Lanterns) and Alti Firmansyah (X-Men ’92, Star Lord and Kitty Pryde), comes a story about hope during wartime, and the power of sisterhood. The fate of the world lies in the hands of three teenaged girls and their pet kaiju, as they fight to save us from the goliaths, and save the goliaths from us. Created by Sam Humphries and Alti Firmansyah.

This first issue of the story was a great introduction to the world as well as kindof dumping you in the middle of the action. There’s a few pages of world building that set up the situation before diving into the lives of the remaining Goliath girls. Their characters are established quickly and it’s a roller coaster ride from there. The art style is punchy with bright, vibrant colors and text bubbles are color coded so you know if someone outside of panel is speaking. It was a fun first installment and I’m eager to read more from the series to see where the story goes.

Happy reading!

Bear is a guide dog who would do anything for his owner Patrick – and embarks on an epic quest from the forest to the city to regain his sight so he can protect his best friend.

Bear is a service dog who would do anything for his owner and best friend Patrick who is blind. But when Bear suddenly loses his vision, he worries he’s lost his purpose in life—protecting Patrick! Following the misguided advice from some self-serving raccoons, Bear embarks on a transformative journey to regain his eyesight. Out of both necessity and survival, he learns to tap into his other senses and begins to see the world from a new perspective that is at times more rich and colorful than the world he’s always known. 

Writer Ben Queen (Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2 and Cars 3) draws inspiration from real life stories of how memory can influence how we recall our own surroundings, and artist Joe Todd-Stanton (A Mouse Called Julian) lovingly renders an unforgettable story of one dog’s grand adventure from the wooded countryside to the heart of Manhattan where he encounters new friends and discovers his true calling.

This book was so adorable and touching, I just flew through it. In it we follow Bear, a service dog who guides his owner, who is blind, but suddenly loses his own sight and starts questioning himself. He goes on a journey out of both panic and a need to find a solution. What follows is an adventure of learning that relying on one sight alone may not be the most ideal solution, making new friends and trying to find his way back home.

We also follow his owner, Patrick, who of course is concerned for Bear’s safety and doesn’t know what is wrong. It’s an interesting story to read from the two perspectives and really tugs at the heartstrings. I especially loved all of Bear’s interactions with different animals and how things were shown in his mind’s eye. It definitely brought tears to my eyes.

Happy reading!

The annual BOOM! Box Mix Tape is an eclectic collection of stories featuring beloved characters from established BOOM! Box series as well as original stories showcasing up-and-coming creators and brand-new content. With original stories featuring Lumberjanes, Giant Days, Cyanide & Happiness, Goldie Vance, The Backstagers, and many more! Collects the BOOM! Box Mix Tape 2014, 2015, and 2016.

This collection was super fun and served as a great sampling of all of the different artists/authors included. Each story, even if it was from a specific series was easy to jump into and a great introduction to each author. While I didn’t love all of the stories, I really enjoyed all the different art styles and differing genres. There were more than a few that I immediately wanted more of, or wished they had continued, which is the best feeling to have when reading a collections such as this.

There were definitely some stand outs that make the collection worth reading overall and if you want a taste test of some of the featured series, this is a great way to find out if you enjoy the characters and art style.

Happy reading!

Smothered by her backwater hometown and frustrated by its 1980s cult-movie fame (The Gloomies…have you seen it? It’s a real classic, y’know.), Wilder is pretty sure she’s seen everything Cannon Cove has to offer. She’s desperate to get away from home as soon as she can, and move on to bigger, better, and less annoying things…even if that might mean leaving her best friends behind. But when Wilder discovers a centuries-old pirate map, she may find out that REAL adventure was in their tiny town all along…and they need each other to get to the bottom of it! It’s a rip-roaring adventure written by award-winning screenwriter Kiwi Smith (10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde) and Kurt Lustgarten, and illustrated by Naomi Franquiz.

I picked this one up since it was an obvious reference to The Goonies and that is something I love, so I wanted to check it out. There are tons of references and similarities as it follows teens in the town where The Gloomies was set. Some of them at least are unsatisfied with where they are in their lives and looking for something to catch their interests, so in a twist they find a map that could take them on an adventure similar to that found in the movie.

There are a wide range of characters, including villians that give the story a Scooby Doo type vibe, but all in all it fell just a little short for me. It felt a little too much like a mirror of the movie it took inspiration from. I would still continue on with the series because I did enjoy it, but it didn’t blow me away.

Happy reading!