Cinderella, Vol.2: Fables are Forever by Chris Roberson

Cinderella, Vol. 2: Fables are Forever by Chris Roberson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this quite a bit. It follows the superspy motif perfectly, with a solid foundation of fairy tales and folklore. It's a fun read and definitely for fans of spy thrillers. Cinderella's arch nemesis is someone very familiar, but never seen in this particular way. I can't say anything more without it being an absolute spoiler. I absolutely love the cover art by Chrissie Zullo. Her style is so distinctive. Just her artwork makes these worth checking out. A lovely adjunct to the Fables series, and this falls in shortly after Fables, Vol. 15: Rose Red.

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Velvet, Vol.2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (Illustrator), Elizabeth Breitweiser (Illustrator)

Velvet, Vol. 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men by Ed Brubaker
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This second volume steps up the intensity by a big leap. Velvet is back in the game, and she has her former employees on her tail, not to mention the traitor who is trying to frame her. "The Secret Lives of Dead Men" delves deeper in Velvet Templeton's past, and her secret hurts. The reader learns that she has more than one reason to take her betrayal personal, and also we see how she embarks on the life of a spy at a young age. While Velvet can hold her own, the reader sees that she has vulnerabilities just like any other human being, despite her formidable skills.

This is fine storytelling with excellent art. I think this would be an awesome movie or limited tv series. Velvet is an excellent role for an older (fortyish actress), and she'd not only get to show some real dramatic acting, but also plenty of buttkicking.

This book has a heck of a cliffhanger that has me waiting with baited breath for the next installment.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Velvet, Vol. 1: Before the Living End by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (Illustrator), Bettie Breitweiser (Illustrator)

Velvet, Vol. 1: Before the Living End by Ed Brubaker
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Velvet is the Real Deal!!!

I picked this up because I have enjoyed other volumes by Brubaker. He definitely has the noir, crime story vibe down. This book is about a woman who everyone has been overlooked because she's the Moneypenny (as in Miss Moneypenny from the James Bond series). Nice to flirt with, make travel arrangements, and take notes in the meetings for her Director. She holds the keys to the kingdom in that way that Executive Assistants often do, but not who you would consider a field agent. Well, they learn quite to their surprise that still waters run deep. This woman is a serious bad*ss! When one of the field agents get killed and the frame starts to fit Velvet Templeton, she goes off the reservation and puts herself back into active service. It turns out she's one of the most lethal agents her agency ever ran.

I'm a huge spy fan. I especially love action-oriented spy stories. While I will occasionally sit down and watch a movie like "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (admittedly for Benedict Cumberbatch), I prefer spy stories with lots and lots of action. This one doesn't disappoint. And I love that the beginning is a bit of a misdirection. You think this is about the boys, but nope. This woman gives the boys a run for their number. Keep reading and you realize exactly why this is called "Velvet."

I loved this book. It's violent and has some sexual content, but nothing I couldn't handle. I'm giving Velvet a high-five. She's definitely a Grade A Kickbutt Artist, and she knows her spycraft just as well as James Bond. If things had went differently, perhaps Sydney Bristow might have ended up like Velvet. I'm reading Volume 2 right now and it's probably even better!

This so needs to be a movie one day!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Cinderella, Volume 1: From Fabletown With Love by Chris Roberson, Shawn McManus (Illustrations), Cover Art by Chrissie Zullo

Cinderella, Vol. 1: From Fabletown with Love by Chris Roberson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cinderella is a Fable, an ex-wife of Prince Charming, and an internationally active spy.  She's been a spy since shortly after she came over from the Land of the Fables, with Bigby Wolf as her spymaster. 

This is an incredibly fun graphic novel.  Cinderella has plenty of energy and authority as a spy.  She uses her benignly pretty debutante and shoe store owner facade as a weapon along with others in her arsenal. This Fable can take care of herself and get out of some of the tightest spots. She even has 'assets' who help her along as she needs them.  Assets being magical animal Fables with unique skill sets.  On this mission, she teams up with another recognizable character from the world of fairy tales and fables, that you might know as Aladdin. They make a good team, and share humble origins.  Cinderella even faces some shadows from her own Fable past.

The story is strong and the artwork is gorgeous, especially the cover art by Chrissie Zullo. Her work is beautiful and luminous, showcasing a Fae delicacy to this lethal spy.







Even with a different writer, the spirit of the Fables series remains strong, and its focus on strong women prevails with Cinderella showing how spying Fable-style is done right.

I liked the fairy tale "Cinderella," as a die-hard, inveterate fairy tale aficionado, how could I not? But I definitely love the idea of Cinderella as an international spy even more. On to the next adventure.





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Queen and Country, Volume 4; Operation Blackwall by Greg Rucka, Jason Alexander (Artist)

Queen and Country, Vol. 4: Operation Blackwall by Greg Rucka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This case hits to close to home for Tara Chase, Minder 2 for the British Special Service. Her school friend has been involved in a sex scandal, a sex video being used to blackmail her father into caving and backing out of a multimillion dollar communcations business deal by a player in the French government. One of her bosses sends her to France to investigate and to intervene in any way possible. In the meantime, her affair with a coworker is starting to get too serious, and Tara knows she's going to have to pull the plug.

This was good stuff. While the art is all black and white, it's beautifully done. The use of lines and shadows show talent that doesn't require coloring to dress it up (although I'm all for full-color artwork when it's there).

The narrative is tense and suspenseful, even though the dialogue is very economical. Tara is a complex woman. Not exactly personable, but she shows a lot of integrity and grit. I like that about her.

This is the first graphic novel I have read on my Kindle Fire, and I was pretty impressed at how easy it was to read and how good it looks. I'm kind of a cheapo, so I'm not saying I'm going to buy a lot of graphic novels in ebook format, but I will consider it more seriously now that I know I like the way they look on my ereader.

Queen and Country is spy fiction, and it works very well in the graphic novel format with the excellent artwork and good writing by Rucka. I paid $3.99 for the Kindle version, and I was pretty satisfied with the purchase.

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The Cleaner by Brett Battles

The Cleaner by Brett Battles
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The Cleaner was a slow read for me, but ultimately I enjoyed it. I appreciated the attention to detail evident in this novel. It felt authentic (although I could hardly say yay or nay since I am not a spy and I don't know any). I feel that the world-building lends a credibility to the concept of Quinn as a Cleaner, at any rate.

As far as characterization, Quinn remains a mystery, but I felt that I get to walk inside of his skin and get a feel for how he processed things. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to the spy world. He is more than able to handle himself in a lethal situation. He uses his brain to get himself out of tough spots, and violence is a last resort, although he has no problem using it if necessary, although lethal force is not his preferred method. In his way, he is a man with values. He might steal a car, but he won't murder an innocent person, and he tries to protect those who are under his charge. It's clear that Orlando is very important to him, although he doesn't feel he can act on that. I think is apprentice Nate is in good hands with him.

I feel that people who enjoy spy movies (like myself) but haven't read a lot of spy novels might enjoy this book. It had that feel of the spy TV shows and movies I enjoy. Although at times it wasn't the most exciting book, I wasn't at the point where I wanted to give up on it. I would read it and then put it down if my attention wavered. But I did want to go back to it. I wanted to follow the story and see where it led me. I think that was because I was engaged with Quinn's character and his shadowy world of a cleaner, a man who goes behind the ops and erases any evidence of what occurred.

I will read more of these books.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars

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