Archie Meets KISS

 

Archie Meets KISS by Alex Segura

 

It's been awhile since I've read an Archie comic, so when I was ordering this round of graphic novels I couldn't resist including Archie in his latest antics. The characters of Riverdale remain the same, with a few unexpected visitors, Sabrina the teenage witch, Josie of Josie and the Pussycats and well obviously KISS - oh yeah and throw in some zombies. The storyline is the following: When one of Sabrina the Teenage Witch's spells goes awry and summons forth a gang of dangerous monsters bent on turning the people of Riverdale into mindless zombies, what can Archie and the gang do to save the town and their friends. Enter KISS - four supernatural heroes with their sights set on the frightening invaders.

 

Things I liked: Reading an Archie comic again. KISS lyrics sprinkled throughout the text. The chapter cover artwork that mimics KISS album covers. The artists sketchbook at the end of the book - I love to see where the inspiration comes from.

 

Things I didn't like: It was a little predictable and I would have liked the monsters to be more monsterish.

 

Here's the trailer

This Dark Endeavour

This Dark Endeavour : the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel

Wow! just finished and yes WOW. From the opening chapter, I was hooked, dark, mysterious, historical, brothers, jealousy, love, action/adventure, magic, villans. Hooked yet? If not -here's the summary from the book jacket.

The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions.
Sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.
The Dark Library contains anceint tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor know he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.
The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten the quest at every turn. Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love - and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

The Monstrumologist

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

I'm a big fan of Rick Yancey, but unfortunately I haven't had much time to read this one yet, maybe it will come home with me later in the year, but in the meantime. I think some of you will be interested.
Summary from back cover:

Monsters are real.

Will Henry is the orphan apprentice of a doctor with an unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. When a midnight visitor brings them the body of a young girl entwined with the corpse of an Anthropophagus, it is the start of the most mysterious case of Will Henry's life.

Anthropophagi are headless monsters whose razor-sharp teeth are in their stomachs - and they are supposed to be extinct in this part of the world. Now Will and the monstrumologist are in a race against time to put a stop to the plague of monsters before they kill again.

Here's the book trailer.

Killer Pizza

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor

This was one of my summer reads but I'm just remembering to blog about it now. This was a fun book that had me at times sitting at the edge of my seat and other times cracking up out loud.

Here's the summary: Pizza you'll die for. Toby McGill dreams of becoming a world-famous chef but up until now his only experience was watching the FoodNetwork. When Toby lands a summer job at Killer Pizza, where pies like The Monstrosity and The Frankensausage are on the menu, things seem perfect. His co-workers, Annabel and Strobe, are cool, and Toby loves being part of the team. But none of them are really prepared for what's really going on at Killer Pizza: It's a front for a monster-hunting organization! Learning to cook pizza is one thing , but killing hideous, terrifying monsters ? That's a whole other story. Still if Toby quits, will the monsters take over his town?

Much like the Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp - Toby kinda falls into the role of defender of good. There is plenty of action, crossbows, explosions, car chases, deadly talons and fangs, as well as a recipe for Killer Pizza - which makes this monster chasing adventure truely worthly in my opinion.

Read On

Beastly a fairy tale

Beastly by Alex Flinn

This is a modern day retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, told from the beasts' point of view.

Kyle Kingsbury has it all, he's rich, goodlooking, friends, hot girlfriend, smart, he goes to an elite prep school. He's quick to judge people on looks alone and gets caught playing an evil trick on the social outcast at school - Kendra. Little does he know that by treating Kendra as the butt of his joke he will be spending the rest of his days covered in fangs and fur. That is unless he can change his ways.

From the back cover:

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright - a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever - ruined- unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly ... beastly.

I especially like the online chat group that the beast belongs to along with other cursed misfits from fairytales. I felt that this was a fun, light-hearted read, for some it maybe a bit too predictable, but really we all know that fairytales usually have a happy ending ; )