Review: "Ares: Bringer of War" by George O'Connor

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Type: Graphic Novel, History, Greek Mythology, Mythology, Ares, The Iliad, War of the Gods, Book 7, Series, So Much Death and Destruction

About the Book: The myth continues in the tenth year of the fabled Trojan War where two infamous gods of war go to battle. The spotlight is thrown on Ares, god of war, and primarily focuses on his battle with the clever and powerful Athena. As the battle culminates and the gods try to one-up each other to win, the human death toll mounts. Who will win this epic clash of power? And how many will have to die first?

My Review: This volume felt like a let down when compared to the previous ones - especially the Poseidon and Aphrodite volumes, since those were particularly awesome. The art is still on par with the rest of the series, but it was the story itself that didn't work for me.

I didn't like this volume as much as the previous ones. The author decided to take on The Iliad for Ares' story and it became a confusion of names more than once. Unless the reader is already familiar with the story, this would have been a bumbling mess. But the quality of the previous volumes is still there. 

That said, I think this would be a great companion story to anyone working their way through the Iliad. The rest of the series I recommend giving to anyone struggling in a mythology class, or maybe just someone who can't stop devouring mythology books - but this volume isn't something I would just hand to someone. It almost feels like it comes with some extra homework.

I am hopeful there will be more books in this series. George O'Connor does a fantastic job capturing the Greek myths in graphic novel form. And hey - he hasn't even finished the 12 Olympians, so he better keep going!

Cover Lovin': Well done on the cover. It matches the rest of the series, and I'd say this battle cry stance fits the god of war perfectly.

Recommendations: For fans of Greek Mythology, and Graphic Novels. This would be a good companion for a high school or college student reading the Iliad, as well.

Final Rating: TWO POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (2.5/5). As stated above, this seems like a step down in quality compared to the previous books in the series. Unless the reader has a good grasp of Greek history and/or the happenings of the Iliad, this book will seem like an info dump.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

Review: "Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" by Neil Gaiman, Alice Cooper, Michael Zulli, Dave McKean

Disclaimer: I received a free, advance e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Type: Graphic Novel, Anniversary Edition, Re-release, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Music, Comic Book, The Theatre from Heck

About the Book: Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Coraline, American Gods) brings shock rocker Alice Cooper's concept album to life in a surreal sideshow of the soul! Join a young boy named Steven on a surreal journey of the soul, as an enigmatic and potentially dangerous Showman seduces him into joining his carnival. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this seminal Gaiman work, returned to print for the first time in over a decade. Fully remastered in color, this Deluxe Edition incorporates complete scripts to all three chapters, black-and-white thumbnail art of pre-colored pages, an original outline of the project by Neil Gaiman, and a collection of letters between shock rocker Alice Cooper and the author! "I'm really happy that The Last Temptation is coming out for a new generation of readers, who have not seen Michael Zulli's glorious drawings, or know of the Showman and his wicked ways," says Neil Gaiman. "I wrote this a long time ago, driven by love of Ray Bradbury's dark carnivals and of Alice Cooper's own pandemonium shadow show. It's time for it to shuffle out onto a leaf-covered street and meet the people who don't know about Stephen and Mercy and show what's coming to town."

My Review: As a fan of Both Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper, I went into this graphic novel with high expectations... And I was definitely not disappointed! Working together, these two geniuses created a dark, haunting story that left me more than a little creeped out. The art was truly stunning, perfectly matching the storyline.

In full cover on my device, the pages were gorgeous, I can only imagine what this book looks like in all its physical glory. This is a must have for any true fan of these amazing artists. And even better, this story lends itself to re-reading, to catch all the subtle hints and tricks that have been weaved into the tale. I'm grateful I got the chance to go to read this graphic novel before it's re-release. Be sure to check it out when it comes out October 21, 2014!

Cover Lovin': Great cover - appropriately haunting, considering the masterminds behind the title.

Recommendation: For fans of Neil Gaiman and Alice Cooper. For graphic novel readers that want something weird and creepy to go along with your Halloween read-a-thong. Or maybe for people who just like weird stuff.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Creepy, awesome, and made me have a nightmare or two - a perfect read for Halloween, or really, any time.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~