Review of "Black Bolt," by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward

Review of

Black Bolt, by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward ISBN 9781302907327

Five out of five stars

 Blackagar Boltagon, more commonly known as Black Bolt, is the king of the inhumans as well as the most powerful. They are a group of genetically modified humans with super powers that try to avoid contact with normal humans, a task that they do not always succeed at. Black Bolt has often been at odds with his mad brother Maximus, whose goal is to take over the leadership of the inhumans. Black Bolt’s signature superpower is the destructive nature of his voice, it can shatter the hardest of materials and level mountains.

 This story opens with Black Bolt being held prisoner in an environment so suppressing that he can speak without causing any damage. Other creatures are also being held captive and alliances are formed against their captor(s), which are generally left unknown. The powerful canine Lockjaw, capable of moving through space and dimensions, provides critical assistance at key moments.

 This is the opening story of what is a six-part series. In that area, the book does what it should do. It provides the initial context for the main plot of the series, creating a series of key questions, yet not providing answers, leaving them for the following installments. The reader also learns much about what makes Black Bolt the effective leader of the inhumans that he is.

Review of "Comics & Sequential Art," by Will Eisner

Review of

Comics & Sequential Art, by Will Eisner 0961472802

Five out of five stars

 This is a book where a master of the comic artform explains how to tell a story in images and a few words. Several different expressions of a specific scene, such as a backshooting in an alley are given and the differences explained. No artistic ability is needed to understand why if the figure getting shot in the back is depicted the proper way, there needs to be no text telling the reader that he was shot in the back.

 Emotional expressions are also compared and contrasted, several different facial expressions are demonstrated and how different they are in depicting the same emotion. My favorite section of the book is another expression of the Shakespearean story of Hamlet. The main character is a male in a hippie attire on the rooftop of an urban building. It opens with the classic lines, “To be, or not to be. That is the question.” He goes through the lines, expressing alternate forms of melancholy and anger, finally going down the stairs carrying a knife and a lot of anger. This is Shakespeare that the modern teen can relate to.

 Whether you are an aspiring comic artist or are just interested in how they are created, this book will pique your interest.

Review of "The 823rd Hit," by Kurtis Scaletta

Review of

The 823^rd Hit, by Kurtis Scaletta ISBN 9781419704468

Five out of five stars

 Chad is the batboy for the minor league baseball team the Pine City Porcupines. His position requires him to occasionally perform those duties for the opposing team, so he gets to know most of the players in the league. He learns which ones are decent guys and those that are self-centered egoists. When Teddy “the Bear” Larrabee hits a home run on his birthday, he logs it as the 823^rd hit of his career. Teddy has logged all his hits in a notebook starting with his first days in T-ball.

 It is such a memorable hit that Teddy wants the ball back, so he sends Chad into the stands to retrieve it. The man that ended up with the ball is a longtime baseball fan that has never caught a home run ball. Therefore, he refuses to part with it, so Teddy considers the absence of the ball to be bad luck and goes into a batting slump. It is the last part of the season when both the playoffs and school are starting, creating problems for Chad. His parents will not allow him to be a batboy on nights that conflict with school.

 This is a simple YA story that is about baseball and life, ending as nearly all such books do, with the big game at the end. In an interesting twist, above average player Andy Pafko is mentioned regarding a baseball card. What should have been stated is that Pafko was the left fielder over which the famous Bobby Thompson home run flew when the Giants beat the Dodgers in 1951. This is a sports book where the role of sports in the life of a boy is kept in the proper perspective.