Big Nate: A Good Old-Fashioned Wedgie by Lincoln Peirce

Nate is back in a book that mostly covers the summer. He's playing baseball again but Chester isn't their pitcher this year. Instead, Nate's dad calls one of Nate's old preschool playmates to come in and help out. Nate is crushing on her pretty hard until he finds out that Jenny has moved back to town. There is a storyline with Nate being astonished that Chad is getting so many signatures in his yearbook. Toward the end, we get a few strips with Mrs. Godfrey. Because how could this be a Big Nate book without her?

Four stars
This book comes out August 29

Archie Archives: The Double Date and Other Stories (Volume 3)

I loved reading Archie in the 90s so the chance to pick up an ARC with some of the original Archie comics seemed like a great opportunity. And it was really an okay book. We get to see some of Archie's development but not really anybody else's. Except for hair color, Betty and Veronica are fairly interchangeable. We don't get to see much of Jughead or even Reggie. The character we get to see most other than Archie is his dog. There was one "game" page and several written stories that I don't remember being a part of later comics. A nice bit of nostalgia I guess but  nothing I would have wanted to read otherwise.

Two and a half stars
This book came out November 22

Dog Night at the Story Zoo by Dan Bar-el

Argh. I feel so bad because somebody spent a lot of time on this book and I just didn't enjoy it. I couldn't figure out who it was supposed to be geared toward. It had fun pictures and a cute premise (animals coming out for open mike night) but the stories seemed like they were more geared toward adults. It was an interesting dichotomy what one that made the stories work a little less.

Two and a half stars
This book comes out

The Big Bad Fox by Benjamin Renner

Poor fox. He just can't seem to get it right. When he goes over to the farm he's expected, but not feared. No one is afraid of him, not the pig, not the rabbit, not the chickens. And the guard dog doesn't even work up a sweat about seeing him in the farmyard. Even help from the wolf doesn't work. Until the wolf helps him distract the farmyard dog so that the fox can steal some eggs. But then the wolf thinks that they should hatch the eggs to have something more substantial to eat. Too bad the chicks think that the fox is their mother.
A cute story that went on a bit long. I thought from the cover that this was a children's book but would put it at a slightly more advanced reader. The jokes/story went on a little long but this might be fun for a somewhat reluctant reader who would be able to understand the jokes and read the short snippets.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out June 20

The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen by Hope Nicholson

I was surprised but grateful to get an ARC of this book after it was already on the shelves. Especially when I saw it was advertised in O magazine. And for a good reason. This book is very well-explored but with short engaging sections that start with a brief description of the comic, a lovely quote, and then information about the creators and when the book first appeared. Not just the popular comics, this book touches on some that only ran for a few issues, ones that are... not quite ready for prime time, and some comics that are just plain weird. I was intrigued by a few of the books based on Nicholson's descriptions and added to my TBR.
As easy and fun a nonfiction book as you'll ever find.


Four and a half stars
This book came out May 2

Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return by Brian Lynch

I loved both Bill and Ted movies when I was growing up so I jumped at the chance to be able to review this. The first story was about the two of them going into the future and trying to stop Chuck de Nomolos from killing them. At first it seems like they succeed in befriending him but then his evil plan comes to light and he takes over their lives. It was a good story totally in keeping with the Bill and Ted oeuvre.
There are several other shorter stories with different types of art that aren't as good as the main story but somewhere enjoyable. Definitely a book worth picking up if you're a Bill and Ted fan!

Three and a half stars
This book came out May 2

Unicorn Crossing by Dana Simpson

I've heard about this series on several podcasts and at least a few blogs and there was a general amount of squee-age involved with every review. And now I know why.
The unicorn, Marigold, and her human friend Phoebe go through a lot in this book. Halloween, winter, reading books (discussion of ebook vs. physical vs. scroll), Marigold going on a trip, and many other adventures. It's fast, it's fun, it even imparts some moral lessons. A good read.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out March 28

Big Nate: What's a Little Noogie Between Friends? by Lincoln Peirce

** spoiler alert ** If you love Big Nate, this book will be right up your alley. The usual stints with soccer and basketball. Photo Day is a compound threat with School Picture Guy being his usual self but then Coach John shows up as well. We also see more with Jenny and Nate when we all get the news that she is moving to Seattle.

Four stars
This book comes out February 28

Future Quest Vol. 1 by Jeff Parker

I think this may be a fun series but this book has to deal with a lot of the set up.
Jonny Quest and Hadji are testing out some sort of jet packs in Florida trying to get ahead of energy vortexes (vortices?) that are opening up all over the world. Dr. Quest is studying these as is his nemesis Dr. Zin. What they don't know is that these vortexes are actually part of an energy being that is trying to take over the world. Or all the worlds. Because not only do we see Birdman, Frankenstein Jr., and the Impossibles in this series, we get travelers from other dimensions like Space Ghost, the Herculoids, and Mightor. In other words, if you were a child of the 80s, this book is worth at least a look.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 21

The Baker Street Peculiars by Roger Langridge

This was not a good book for a 7" ereader. It was really hard to read the print, even zooming in. But since this was an ARC, I didn't base my rating on that. It would have been lower had I gotten this book another way.
Giant statues in London are starting to come to life. Rajani, Molly, and Humphrey (and his dog Wellington) are the only ones who decide to follow the giant lion statue. And that leads them right into the path of one Sherlock Holmes. Or is it? Anyway, the three team up together to try and figure out who or what is making these statues come alive and to try to stop them if they can.I liked the grouping of the kids, choosing people who would have been around in 1930s London but don't usually get a lot of attention. The story was interesting, but a little thin. And I wish he had learned more about the kids themselves.
Three and a half starsThis book came out January 31

Brickleberry V.1 by Waco O'Guin, Roger Black

If you enjoyed the series, you will like this book. If you never watched the series... I'm not sure how it will go for you. I saw at least one review that was shocked, SHOCKED, by the violence and language. Though, how they picked up a book with the cover having a guy with a gun for an arm and didn't expect violence or language frankly stymies me.
Picking up right at the end of Season 3, we see the Steve of the future being sent back to stop the "ArMOOgeddon" by killing Woody. This volume includes all four of the previously published books in the series so we get to see the whole story including the Bovine Overlord sending back Future Bobby to thwart Future Steve, the return of the squabbits, Denzel stealing a time device so he can exploit Jesus, and many other stories including the exciting finale between our human soldiers and the cows.

Four stars
This book comes out February 14

Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson

Goldie Vance is a teenager working in the hotel that her father manages. Right now she's a valet but has aspirations to be a detective. To that end, she helps the hotel's detective (whether he wants it or not) solve various cases like a disappearing necklace. But then the man who lost the necklace also disappears and the mysteries just build from there. What is the mysterious symbol on the necklace? Who is the woman romancing the hotel detective? Will Goldie and her father really be kicked out of the hotel because of her dubious methods of solving cases?
I didn't love everything about this story but it's some great world building, wonderful illustrations, and a main character who is a couple of steps left of norm.

Four stars
This book came out October 11, 2016

Harley Quinn's Gang of Harleys by Jimmy Palmiotti; Frank Tieri

I'm assuming that the reissue of this book in ebook form is based on the popularity of Margot Robbie in the recent Suicide Squad movie. And this was an interesting book. A bit short on the story since there had to be some world and character  building and, well, it's a comic so generally rather short.
We meet Harley's new gang (almost all have some variation of her own name, picked by a round of tryouts) and find out that they will do good deeds... well, if they're paid enough. The problem is that it appears that Harley had been kidnapped. And, at first, it seems to be a set up by Harley herself to see if her gang can handle it. But then, she actually does get kidnapped and it's up the the Harleys and their friends to get her back.
Fast read and generally fun but will probably be better when it's part of the collected series.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 7

Epic Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

A look back at the Big Nate comics over the years including an interview with Lincoln Peirce (done by Jeff Kinney, of "Wimpy Kid" fame), a brief history of the strip, and then several examples of the strips from 1991-2015 peppered with comments from Peirce about how he came up with ideas or how characters evolved.
The foreward to this book was certainly interesting. It took a very "Behind the Music" tone. I even heard Casey Kasem's voice as I was reading it, "After 18 years, 'Big Nate' had become an overnight sensation" (not a real quote).
But this was was definitely a fun read though I would recommend the hard copy, NOT the eversion. Reading this on a smaller screen was incredibly difficult, having to make the text big enough to read and then having to scroll, shift the screen, scroll, get to a new page, and then scroll took a lot out of the experience.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out October 25

Comics Confidential by Leonard S. Marcus

I think you might really have to be into graphic novels to enjoy this book. I got it on a whim, not having read lot of nonfiction books at the time and was a little disappointed by the format. This is a book where it's a series of questions and answers rather than essays written by the artists themselves.
A nice look into the world of graphic novels and the people who create them, but a little hard to read since it doesn't really flow. It was really nice to see examples of the artists work and I'll probably still go look some of them up online or find more of their books. IT also seemed like a nice cross-section of artists.

Three Stars
This book comes out September 27

Big Nate: Revenge of the Cream Puffs by Lincoln Peirce

Everything you want from a Big Nate comic book. Lots of time with his friends, with Jenny and Arnold, with Kim, and with Spitsy. We also get to see Big Nate interacting in school and, of course, in detention. We also learn that he is terrified of cats.
A fun book.
Four and a half stars
This book comes out September 6

Snoopy: Party Animal by Charles Schulz

In this book, the strips gathered mainly feature Snoopy. There are an inordinate number with just Snoopy on his doghouse. It's absolutely amazing how much Schulz was able to do with so little, just a dog on a small building. And LOTS of strips with birds. I knew Snoopy and Woodstock were good friends but I didn't realize that he liked ALL birds. At least, what look like blue birds.
As with other Snoopy/Peanuts books I've enjoyed, a nice blast of nostalgia. Great for Shulz fans and neophytes alike.

Four stars
Book comes out March 22, 2016

Big Nate: Thunka, Thunka, Thunka by Lincoln Peirce

Big Nate is back to usual shenanigans in this book. Interviewing his grandparents, going to gym class, discovering a new (teen romance!) comic strip, betting Gina he can go a full day without getting detention, and other escapades.
Those who love Nate will rejoice in this book.

Four stars
Book comes out March 1, 2016

Follows Welcome to My World

Followed by Revenge of the Cream Puffs

Ebook from NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2022 as ebook from Libby

Snoopy: Contact! by Charles M. Schulz

Snoopy rides again! Mainly stories connected to the Red Baron, this is a fantastic look at the work of Charles M. Schulz. And so many of the stories still work today. Simple, awesome. Definitely worth a read.

Will come out next week, October 20.

The Mutts Winter Diaries by Patrick McDonnell

A collection of winter strips, all in one place. it makes you realize how great Patrick McDonnell is at recycling jokes but giving them new little twists each time. Earl and Mooch are trying to figure out how to survive the long cold winter. One storyline involves hibernating while others include various types of clothing, or trying to find identical snowflakes. 

A very cute book that any comics reader will enjoy.
Will be published on October 13.