HTTP/2 301 x-powered-by: PHP/8.2.29 vary: accept,content-type,Accept-Encoding content-security-policy: upgrade-insecure-requests; strict-transport-security: max-age=31536000; x-xss-protection: 1; mode=block x-content-type-options: nosniff referrer-policy: no-referrer-when-downgrade x-redirect-by: WordPress last-modified: Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:42:16 GMT etag: "56fc3369c7926c5662239e6914d42d4d" location: https://comicsworthreading.com/feed/ content-length: 0 content-type: application/rss+xml; charset=UTF-8 date: Mon, 29 Dec 2025 20:44:21 GMT server: Apache HTTP/2 200 x-powered-by: PHP/8.2.29 vary: accept,content-type,Accept-Encoding content-security-policy: upgrade-insecure-requests; strict-transport-security: max-age=31536000; x-xss-protection: 1; mode=block x-content-type-options: nosniff referrer-policy: no-referrer-when-downgrade link: ; rel="https://api.w.org/" last-modified: Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:42:16 GMT etag: "56fc3369c7926c5662239e6914d42d4d-gzip" content-encoding: gzip content-length: 8295 content-type: application/rss+xml; charset=UTF-8 date: Mon, 29 Dec 2025 20:44:22 GMT server: Apache https://comicsworthreading.com The Longest-Running Independent Graphic Novel, Manga, and Comic Book Review Site Online Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:42:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://i0.wp.com/comicsworthreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Site-Icon-55169b3dv1_site_icon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 https://comicsworthreading.com 32 32 1066359 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/26/a-ghost-story-for-christmas/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/26/a-ghost-story-for-christmas/#respond Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:42:16 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31528

I wrote two posts about the British A Ghost Story for Christmas short TV film series for the Beat (because Heidi indulges me). The first is a brief overview of the history of A Ghost Story for Christmas. The second is about this year’s entry, The Room in the Tower, which I got to see earlier this month at the BFI preview showing, and I thought was the best yet.]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/26/a-ghost-story-for-christmas/feed/ 0 31528 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/18/the-great-british-bump-off-kill-or-be-quilt/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/18/the-great-british-bump-off-kill-or-be-quilt/#comments Fri, 19 Dec 2025 02:31:27 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31518

The sequel to The Great British Bump-Off, a very British humor mystery comic I very much enjoyed, is now out. The Great British Bump-Off: Kill or Be Quilt is also set among crafters who behave in a very quirky, local, entertaining way. It’s written by John Allison with art by Max Sarin. Amateur detective Shauna Wickle is bidding farewell to a group of friends before setting off on a slow summer holiday on her uncle’s canal boat. (The group of [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/18/the-great-british-bump-off-kill-or-be-quilt/feed/ 3 31518 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/18/upcoming-sheep-detectives-looks-hilarious/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/18/upcoming-sheep-detectives-looks-hilarious/#respond Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:56:39 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31508

I just found out about a movie coming out in May that I’m highly anticipating for the following reasons: It’s a murder mystery With Hugh Jackman And an impressive cast, including Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, and Rhys Darby But best of all… talking sheep. Here’s the trailer. And the plot description: George (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/12/18/upcoming-sheep-detectives-looks-hilarious/feed/ 0 31508 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/11/11/more-enola-holmes-graphic-novels-coming/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/11/11/more-enola-holmes-graphic-novels-coming/#respond Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:13:21 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31481

The first six Enola Holmes novels were turned into comics and collected in two graphic novel volumes a few years ago. Now, with the third movie due out next year, comes news that there will be a third comic collection! Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels Volume 3 will collect three stories: The Case of the Black Barouche, The Case of the Elegant Escapade (I liked reading that novel!), and The Case of the Mark of the Mongoose. Art is by [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/11/11/more-enola-holmes-graphic-novels-coming/feed/ 0 31481 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/11/09/raymond-chandlers-trouble-is-my-business/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/11/09/raymond-chandlers-trouble-is-my-business/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2025 02:00:45 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=30945

When it comes to mysteries, I’m much more interested in the cozies (from the English tradition, Agatha Christie and the like, puzzles in artificial yet attractive settings) than the American hard-boileds, which brought their own mannered “realism” into the genre. I’m interested, though, in understanding the appeal, particularly when it comes to some of the classic authors, such as the one who created this story. Raymond Chandler’s Trouble Is My Business is adapted by Arvind Ethan David and illustrated by [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/11/09/raymond-chandlers-trouble-is-my-business/feed/ 1 30945 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/29/manga-classics-sherlock-holmes-a-study-in-scarlet/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/29/manga-classics-sherlock-holmes-a-study-in-scarlet/#respond Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:30:37 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31439

The Manga Classics line has released its first full-color title, and it’s one dear to my heart, as it’s the first Sherlock Holmes story. Manga Classics: Sherlock Holmes – A Study in Scarlet, originally written by Arthur Conan Doyle, is adapted by Crystal S. Chan and illustrated by Julien Choy. It’s faithful to the source material, with authentic language and setting, although the characters are, obviously, manga-styled. Sherlock Holmes’ wild hair, as seen on the cover, is often in a [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/29/manga-classics-sherlock-holmes-a-study-in-scarlet/feed/ 0 31439 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/25/the-mystery-of-the-blue-train-mini-mysteries/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/25/the-mystery-of-the-blue-train-mini-mysteries/#respond Sat, 25 Oct 2025 19:50:35 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31411

The Mini Mysteries line continues with the second book. (The first was The Mysterious Affair at Styles.) As before, this children’s book is written by Marci Kay Monson and illustrated by Greg Paprocki based on the original novel by Agatha Christie. The Mystery of the Blue Train was Christie’s eighth novel and the fifth featuring Hercule Poirot. Why the jump ahead? At a guess, because the in-between books were The Murder on the Links — too historical in the plot, [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/25/the-mystery-of-the-blue-train-mini-mysteries/feed/ 0 31411 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/20/mycroft-holmes-and-the-apocalypse-handbook/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/20/mycroft-holmes-and-the-apocalypse-handbook/#respond Tue, 21 Oct 2025 01:38:36 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31376

I love comics. I love Mycroft Holmes. There is only one comic starring Mycroft, and you’d think I’d enjoy the combination. However, Mycroft Holmes and The Apocalypse Handbook is terrible. People ask me, whenever it comes up, why I think this, and I become incoherent. I don’t like the plot, the art, the characters, the storytelling, the cliches… So this piece is a way to finally lay out why it’s so disappointing. The comic, published in 2017, is a tie-in [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/20/mycroft-holmes-and-the-apocalypse-handbook/feed/ 0 31376 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/09/im-going-to-thought-bubble/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/09/im-going-to-thought-bubble/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:36:05 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31284

I’m thrilled to be able to go to Thought Bubble this year! The Thought Bubble comic festival is held across Yorkshire, in the UK, with the main comic convention held November 15-16, 2025, at the Harrogate Convention Centre. Guests I’m particularly looking forward to seeing are Posy Simmonds (I ADORE her work), Rachael Smith, and Alex Norris, who does the “Oh No!” webcomic. There are plenty of other guests to check out too. I’m also thrilled to be catching up [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/09/im-going-to-thought-bubble/feed/ 2 31284 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/04/the-deep-dark/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/04/the-deep-dark/#respond Sat, 04 Oct 2025 16:28:57 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31272

Molly Knox Ostertag’s The Deep Dark is an amazing accomplishment. It’s almost 500 graphic novel pages that present a compelling exploration of feeling isolated, using the comic format to create a visual representation of the monsters inside us we are afraid of showing to anyone else. Magdalena lives with and takes care of her grandmother. Mags is messing around with a girl she went to school with, one who won’t acknowledge her because she has a boyfriend, and has a [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/04/the-deep-dark/feed/ 0 31272 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/03/the-novels-of-antoine-laurain/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/03/the-novels-of-antoine-laurain/#respond Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:54:33 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31262

I’ve been enjoying working my way through the novels of Antoine Laurain. He’s a French author who puts out works that I’d describe as romantic fantasy — but not in a “falling in love with a knight kind of way”. It’s about wonderful and life-changing things happening in France, often Paris, so it’s more like “finding your true self by visiting the Eiffel Tower”. Maybe it’s magical realism, but without any actual magic, just luck and whimsy and maybe a [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/10/03/the-novels-of-antoine-laurain/feed/ 0 31262 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/29/physics-for-cats/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/29/physics-for-cats/#respond Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:18:37 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31243

The thing about reviewing a book of Tom Gauld cartoons is that I don’t know what to say beyond “there’s a new Tom Gauld collection, go get it.” Physics for Cats collects 160 science cartoons previously published in New Scientist. Gauld’s sense of humor is dry and smart. I love his insight and observations, as well as how creative he can be with the comic format. Examples include an experiment about being in a cartoon, the “conceptual phrase” of a [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/29/physics-for-cats/feed/ 0 31243 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/07/small-press-expo-2025-next-weekend/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/07/small-press-expo-2025-next-weekend/#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2025 18:38:44 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31217

The Small Press Expo, one of the best shows of the comic calendar, is next weekend! It’s held September 13-14, 2025, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland. I will be there, and I’m honored to be moderating the “Spotlight on Ngozi Ukazu” panel. It’ll be on Saturday from 1-2 PM. Ukazu (Check, Please!) is a Special Guest and debuting her new book, Flip, at the show, so we’ll talk about that. It’s only one [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/07/small-press-expo-2025-next-weekend/feed/ 2 31217 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/01/a-vampire-in-the-bathhouse/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/01/a-vampire-in-the-bathhouse/#respond Mon, 01 Sep 2025 15:07:48 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31206

Luka is a hungover vampire who discovers Japanese bathhouses in the human realm. Sakura is a young man whose grandfather owns the bathhouse where Luka appears (impressively naked, with the exception of some mist or sometimes a sound effect). That’s the premise of Niko Izuki’s A Vampire in the Bathhouse. Luka can do magic, but not well, as his powers work differently away from the demon realm. Sakura needs help at the bathhouse, and because Luka took some of his [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/09/01/a-vampire-in-the-bathhouse/feed/ 0 31206 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/08/22/babylit-primers-teach-kids-colors-sounds-counting-more-with-classic-literature/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/08/22/babylit-primers-teach-kids-colors-sounds-counting-more-with-classic-literature/#respond Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:20:41 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31190

Thanks to publisher Gibbs Smith, I got a chance to check out a few of their BabyLit Classic Lit line of books. These board books for babies use classic literature titles to teach colors, counting, and other topics. (Site readers will not be surprised to see the titles I chose.) Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles uses the moody setting to tell us that hounds howl and stairs creak, among other typically gothic items. A Christmas Carol is [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/08/22/babylit-primers-teach-kids-colors-sounds-counting-more-with-classic-literature/feed/ 0 31190 https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/08/14/cat-crazy-volume-1/ https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/08/14/cat-crazy-volume-1/#respond Thu, 14 Aug 2025 22:46:40 +0000 https://comicsworthreading.com/?p=31176

I quite enjoyed Wataru Nadatani’s Cat + Gamer series, with its lessons about cat behavior, so I thought I’d try Cat + Crazy volume 1, by the same author. The title is accurate. Several of the characters in this manga are really out there. So much so that I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series. They’re just too wacky. (This six-volume series came out before Cat + Gamer‘s eight volumes.) Yamada is a normal schoolgirl. She’s been wondering [...]]]> https://comicsworthreading.com/2025/08/14/cat-crazy-volume-1/feed/ 0 31176