Kireth

Wow, first experience with Image comics and I loved it - there were so many ways Monstress stood out to me in the graphic novel medium. Firstly, you get dropped into the middle of this rich pseudo-steampunk/ fantasy land, full of power struggles and tensions that feel reminiscent of conflicts like WWII and the Cold War. The worldbuilding was immense but gave you just enough context to carry you through the journey of Maika Halfwolf, with flashbacks and a strong antagonistic group. Secondly, the art was gorgeous, with slanted lines between panels and a remarkable sense of pace and scale that adds to the sense of danger. Thirdly, whilst the characters were the weakest points they are highly fascinating both visually and in their slowly-revealed backstories. Oh, and how refreshing was an all-female cast, writing team and perspective? Am keen to continue this heavy story.

WHY: I recently finished the heartbreaking Clone Wars TV series which naturally leads in to Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith, but did not want to rewatch the film - instead opting for a novelisation and my first Legends material due to the stellar reviews.
DIFFERENCES: I really liked some of the additional story material and artistic vision presented here, especially in the first half of the novel. There's a deeper introspection into Anakin's thinking and character through his perspective, as well as masterful manipulation from Palpatine in both the condensed timeline and manoeuvring of key players. Further, I really enjoyed the image of Coruscant bathed in blood-red flames and smoke due to the opening battle, and wish this detail was more relevant in the canon - it fits the story's themes of darkness and subterfuge.
WRITING: The writing overall was good, but unfortunately I had a few issues with the exploration of the dark and light theme. At times it was very cool, especially in regards to Yoda and Sidious, but also had me confused with its concluding message after being prominently interweaving itself through the plot. Also, some Star Wars action just can't be translated to page - whilst it was interesting to learn about different droid thinking and different lightsaber forms, it is much more captivating to watch a space battle or Jedi and Sith duel.
WHO: Really, really for the hardcore Star Wars prequel trilogy and Legends fans. Otherwise, this novelisation is very much skippable for the rest of the reader base. The film and its visuals not just cover the story better but add more perspectives and emotion.

Definitely the best CHERUB book yet. This is finally an entry in the series that focuses on one long mission, whilst developing the core cast of characters surrounding James, including Michael, Gabrielle and Bruce. The gang war premise is set up excitingly from the perspective of two agents deep in their mission at the start of the story, and the stakes are instantly real. The gang characters themselves are complex and the plot ties them together, Muchamore rarely losing his reader. There's also a funny cameo from another popular YA spy character. Probably the biggest strength of Mad Dogs was its moral ambiguity, with the plot not tying everything neatly together on a larger scale and James again facing questions of cruelty on-campus and this time within the mission. Left me thinking...

The theme of fear was clear from the opening. Having Batman's rogues escape without a good plot explanation was cyclical, but luckily there wasn't too much focus on it, instead on the new empowering formula they were taking. Some issues: the new villain White Bunny a) could've been explored with more depth considering the whole descent into madness thing and b) definitely should have had more clothes on. The other villains all seemed to be reading Bruce's monologue as well because they started talking about fear for no real reason. Also, Batman took a LOT of hits and I was left at times scratching my head at his superhuman nature. Everything else was good though, with some typical fights and clean simple art.