a treasury of victorian murder

the borden tragedy
the beast of chicago
the case of madeleine smith
the saga of the bloody benders
a treasury of victorian murder
rick geary
nbm publishing inc.
published 2003

He was the world's first serial killer and he existed in the late 19th century, operating around the Chicago World's Fair, building a literal house of horrors, replete with chutes for dead bodies, gas chambers, surgical rooms.  He methodically murdered up to 200 people, mostly young women.

Dry, fact-based accounts of some of the more notorious murderers in history.  They read almost like textbooks.  There is no creative license taken in any of these.  While interesting, some get downright boring.  The Bloody Benders was spent going on a history lesson of Kansas and of the guesstimations of where the Benders might have relocated.  Very little was spent on the family itself because it seems very little is known of the family, which begs the questions why include them in this series?

I found The Borden Tragedy most interesting because out of the four I read it had the markings of a true whodunit.  By all accounts it would seem that Lizzie Borden was innocent.  So who then, murdered her father and step-mother?

Madeleine Smith was also an intriguing because it seemed only she could be the culprit and if so she got away with murder to live a long and fulfilling life.

The Beast of Chicago was impressive mostly in how H. H. Holmes's trail of back and forth travels was kept straight!

If you're looking for no nonsense reads on murderers these are your books.  If you're hoping for some entertaining read I might try elsewhere.

north world vol. 1: the epic of conrad

north world vol. 1: the epic of conrad
lars brown
graphic/fantasy
oni press
published 2008

Northworld really isn't that different from our own...the biggest difference is the presence of mythical monsters, talking bears, arcane arts, and, of course, the heroes who stand ready to defend the innocent and helpless from these extraordinary threats!  Conrad is one such hero and he's about to experience something scarier than any of the mighty beasts he's faced down - his ex-girlfriend's wedding!

OK, so I know that there are other books but I don't know if they're connected.  Is Conrad's story continuous or do we move on to another character???

I did like this one, but dang it what happened?!  He does make some life decisions that seemed to be weighing on his mind, but the case that he's sent out to take care of.....nothing.  I mean, the reader knows what's what, but Conrad is clueless.

But yes, I really liked it.  There was so mystery, some action, a little love, some family drama....seriously, what more could you ask for?  Now I just have to wait for my library to fill my request for the second book....

murder mysteries

murder mysteries
neil gaiman & p. craig russell
graphic/mystery
dark horse
published 2002

Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth is an immense task, which God has divided up amongst the various ranks and stations of angels.  As with any such huge effort, there are bound to be casualties.  This unique passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation, as well as one lonely man in Los Angeles who gets to hear the whole story of a most unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise!

What is interesting to me is the motive for what is deemed as the first murder ever.  Other than that I was just 'eh' about this one.  Really short, only about 50 pages or so.  Maybe I just don't get it because I don't believe in God, but it irks me that this guy gets away with his crimes and even then we don't know why he committed them in the first place.

The art is fantastic though.  So there's that....

12 reasons why i love her

12 reasons why i love her
jamie s. rich & joelle jones
graphic/romance
oni press
published 2006

A romance novel told in twelve individual vignettes, 12 Reasons explores the relationship of young couple Gwen and Evan, and the ups and downs of their relationship.

This was a sweet book.  The stories are each a different moment in Gwen & Evan's relationship.  It's funny to me how many of them are their arguments, but when I thought about it more they were all pivotal moments in their relationship.  I also liked the things you would sometimes catch in the background.  Like the waiter who may or not be drunk and may or may not be getting fired.

Simple and sweet.  Part of me wishes I got more of just this glimpse into their relationship, but the other part kind of likes that we got the high lights.

chew, vol. 1: taster's choice

chew, vol. 1: taster's choice
john layman & rob guillory
graphic/mystery/scifi
image comics
published 2009

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret.  A weird secret.  Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why.  He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Divsion of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.

Ermahgawd this was so good!

Twisted, surprising, grotesque, hilarious and sweet (yes, sweet).  LOVED IT!  Tony Chu is my favorite new cop even though his method of investigation rolls my stomach.  The art is fantastic, but the story steals the show.

After 116 million people worldwide died of what the government deemed avian flu all chicken became illegal.  Tony and his partner John Colby are on a stakeout trying to get evidence of a Poultry Speakeasy and it's proprietor who is responsible for 5 murders.  Right after they see the break they needed they're approached by a giant named Savoy who works for the FDA and what happens afterwards changes Tony's life forever.

Cases that are all unconnected seem to be piecing together to all be related, or at least close to it.  Everything has to do with the chickens and it all goes back to whether the avian flu was a real thing or a government conspiracy.  Tony's less concerned with what the government is up to and more with following the rules.  We'll see how long that lasts.

dark water

dark water
koji suzuki & meimu
graphic/manga/horror
adv manga
published 2004

Inspired by the Japanese thriller of the same name, these pages hold the macabre tales of a mother's psychological torment in a rundown apartment complex, another man's terror upon the open sea, the unshakable lure of the deep, and a message from a watery grave.  A haunting will begin, and these people will learn that no one is safe from the mysteries that lie within the murky depths of Dark Water.

Teeny tiny short stories.  Not quite creepy enough and the art was lacking.  It was as if they really wanted to get this out very fast for some deadline and they just half-assed it.

Some of the stories were trying to be outright creepy.  There's something dangerous in the water.  Then there was the 'water can kill you' one.  Meh.  I've said before that I don't generally find scary books scary so maybe it's just me, but I think this one missed the mark big time.

bokurano ours, vol. 1

bokurano ours, vol. 1
mohiro kitoh
graphics/manga/scifi
viz media
published 2010

Saving the world is hard.  Saving yourself is even harder.  One summer, fifteen kids innocently wander into a nearby seaside cave.  There they meet a strange man who invites them to play an exciting new video game.  This game, he explains, pits a long giant robot against a horde of alien invaders.  To play the game all they have to do is sign a simple contract.  The game stops being fun when the kids find out the true purpose of their pact.

Fifteen kids is a lot to keep track of and try to figure out what their stories are.  Luckily, in this first volume while we're introduced to all of them the story focuses mostly on the first two kids who get 'the call'.

The story was fun and creepy enough, but there wasn't a lot of chance to get character development so it didn't feel complete.  Of course, it's not complete since this is the first volume in a series, but at least with other series you kind of have a good grasp on who the characters are.  Here there are too many to do that.  Right now, it's just a bunch of creepy little kids!

Tons of questions and so far no answers at all.  Guess I'll have to keep reading...