Mickey is a teenager with quite a few issues, the biggest of which is the fact that his mother is in drug rehab and the second being the fact that his father is deceased. There is a mysterious lady called The Bird Woman who keeps suggesting that Dad is alive, even though he's supposed to be deceased. As Mickey searches for answers, he uncovers a few mysteries.
The story falls apart because of inconsistent character actions and disconnected storylines. He was looking for his missing girlfriend when a mysterious lady informed him that his father was alive. This can lead to confusion and frustration, causing the story to lose its coherence and impact.
I'll try book 2 to see if this was just world-building and character development or if it's just lackluster. If the inconsistencies persist, it may be best to abandon the series and read something else. Resolving the inconsistencies may improve the story's enjoyment and make it worth reading.
Apart from that, Shelter is a decent mystery novel.
John Constantine is an apathetic, somewhat amoral occultist who always comes out on top through a combination of luck, trickery, and genuine magic. Discover a protagonist who showcases both their greatest strengths and flaws in this innovative Vertigo comic series...
I was unsure whether to give this a one or two-star rating.
Until reading this, I never understood the hype for Hellblazer or John Constantine... Despite all the hype, I don't understand why people are so excited about it.
All characters, including Constantine himself, say that he is cool. Aside from that, he sometimes works on paranormal events, making them worse and becoming dreadfully uninteresting.
Hellblazer challenges me. Despite its lame content, I'm tempted to read the second collection, probably because I cannot believe something this lame got so popular for some major leap in quality. It's not all based on misremembered nostalgia from their youth that makes the world love this character so much? There's a deeper phenomenon here that eludes me. I'm going to give the second collection a try to see what I can learn. I'm determined to find out why everyone loves this character so much.
Likewise, I guess we'll have to wait and see whether the second collection will provide the answer.
In Blank Canvas, Akiko Higashimura, known for Princess Jellyfish, shares her own autobiographical experience. In the first volume of Blank Canvas, she describes her early days as a manga artist starting when she was a naïve sophomore in high school. The adult Akiko reflects on her past and dedicates much of what she has learned to Hidaka Kenzou, her strict sensei. She uses her story to connect who she used to be and who she eventually becomes, which is one of the most important aspects of the series.
From the perspective of an older adult, the story is charming and shows the younger, immature self from a mature adult's perspective. The flow is fairly good, except for the time jumps. Despite its best efforts, it can't explain and connect.It actually has nice art. Initially, I didn't like it much, but as I went along, I came to appreciate it more.
My major complaint is the sensei's method of teaching. The method will not suit everyone, no matter how hard they try. I comprehend his stance of “never give until you've mastered it” and pushing students to go beyond their limits.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Higashimura's autobiography. Her career arc doesn't begin as a rookie manga artist, which I find really interesting. The story is told through the viewpoint of an amateur high schooler who is trying to brush up on her art skills. It only makes us curious to see if she enrolls in art school in the future. Her down-to-earth approach makes her story much more relatable.
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