The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes

 

I read the ebook edition of The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes. This is a children's comic book roughly 82 pages in length.

I enjoyed reading The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand. It has both a nice storyline with good character development. The storyline kind of reminds me a lot of 'Avatar: of The Last Airbender'. Also, the artwork for The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand is quite delightful!

Below is the publisher's summary for The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes from Amazon's website:

Join Aang and Katara’s daughter, Kya, in The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and uncovers secrets at the edges of the Earth Kingdom.

While helping Korra recover in the Southern Water Tribe, Kya shares a story from her youth of a time when she was lost and disconnected from herself, far from home in the Si Wong Desert…

Young and untested, Kya leaves her family to seek her purpose in the wider world. Hoping to test herself and help struggling communities, she heads to the Si Wong Desert, where scarce resources and fractured communities are making the fringes of the Earth Kingdom increasingly unstable. Kya, arriving in the community of Liyuan to teach healing and help the struggling community defend itself from bandits, finds that the wounds left from decades of conflict run deep, and may be harder to heal than she first thought.

Written by Eisner-nominated graphic novelist Kiku Hughes (Displacement) with artist Alexandria Monik (The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time, Legend of Korra: Mystery of Penquan Isand) in collaboration with Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!

I am giving The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler et al.

 

I remember the rock band, Redbone, from the 1970s... And, I remembered them as a one hit wonder for the song, 'Come and Get Your Love'. Little did I know that Redbone actually had many other hits too.

I've had Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler on my reading wishlist for a number of years and finally decided to read the ebook edition this month.

I really enjoyed this comic book/graphic nonfiction book!! Redbone was an all Native American band and they made it big time. I learned not only a lot about the origins of Redbone, but also a lot about Native American history and Native American activism during the 1960s and 1970s. Pat Vegas, a co-founder of Redbone, is a Native American and Native American activist as well.

Below is a book trailer for Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler:

I am giving Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney

I've had a couple of books by Ellen Forney on my reading wishlist for quite a while. I Love Led Zeppelin was one of them. 

I read the ebook edition of I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney, which is a comic book that is (semi??) autobiographical in nature.

I Love Led Zeppelin is different than what I thought it would be. I thought it was a graphic novel with a plot that revolved around someone who loves the band, Led Zeppelin. 

Instead, I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney is a series of comics she has written alone or in collaboration with others. It's also (ssemi??) autobiographical, which isn't what I expected either.

Some of the various comics were good, some were so-so, and others were simply meh. This was my third read for 2026.

Below is more about I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney from the author's website:

Eisner-nominated I Love Led Zeppelin collects full-page comics published in magazines and weekly newspapers, including the L.A. Weekly, Seattle's The Stranger, and BUST Magazine. Stories include "How to Smoke Pot and Stay Out of Jail,” "How to Twirl Your Tassels In Opposite Directions,” "How to Sew an Amputated Finger Back On,” and "The Final Soundtrack," a death fantasy involving blood, glamour, and Led Zeppelin, and collaborations with Margaret Cho, Kristin Gore, Camille Paglia, and Dan Savage. Introduction by Sherman Alexie.

I am giving I Love Led Zeppelin by Ellen Forney a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Happy National Comic Book Day!!

 

San Ramon Library To Celebrate Free Comic Book Day

I came across a local news article a few days ago titled, San Ramon Library To Celebrate Free Comic Book Day. In the article it states the following:

It is the 20th anniversary of the first Free Comic Book Day, an annual promotional effort to attract new readers to comic books. Usually held on the first Saturday in May, the series of events were postponed until August due to COVID-19, library officials said.

People can visit any library branch in the county between Monday and Aug. 21 to receive a free comic book "swag bag" and can also attend a series of events, including an introduction to Charles M. Schulz and his famous comic "Peanuts," a cosplay panel discussion, and an online superhero storytime program.

Sounds like fun times! Is anyone else participating in Free Comic Book Day?

The Complete Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, & Tamra Bonvillain

 

The Complete Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, & Tamra Bonvillain is the second trilogy I've read in 2021. My goal is to read a total of five trilogies in 2021.

I am a Margaret Atwood fan. So, I was curious about her comic book series, 'Angel Catbird', and wondered what a comic book series would look like from Ms. Atwood. 

The Complete Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, & Tamra Bonvillain is written for kids ages 8-12. I thought the artwork was just okay and the storyline was very simplistic... A half human-rat wants to take over the world and have rats rule the world, but his plans for world domination are thwarted by half human-cats and owls.

There were a lot of cat puns throughout this series that were funny/cute to begin with, but did grow old after a while. There are also a lot of cat facts sprinkled throughout this comic series that were interesting and informative.

Below is the summary for The Complete Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, & Tamra Bonvillain from Amazon:

From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Handmaid's Tale, comes the complete collection of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel from Margaret Atwood!

Internationally best-selling and respected novelist Margaret Atwood and acclaimed artist Johnnie Christmas collaborate for one of the most highly anticipated comic book and literary events!

A genetic engineer caught in the middle of a chemical accident all of a sudden finds himself with superhuman abilities. With these new powers he takes on the identity of Angel Catbird and gets caught in the middle of a war between animal/human hybrids. What follows is a humorous, action-driven, educational, and pulp- inspired superhero adventure--with a lot of cat puns.

Includes previously unpublished art by Margaret Atwood.

Collects Angel Catbird volumes 1-3

I am giving The Complete Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, & Tamra Bonvillain a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

La Borinqueña #1 by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

Comic Book

In an attempt to expand my reading horizon to new genres and books with more diverse topics, I chose to read La Borinqueña #1 by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, which is a cool new comic book featuring an Afro Puerto Rican female superhero!

I really enjoyed reading La Borinqueña #1 by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez! The artwork and colors displayed in each of the pages in this book are very well done. I liked the story and the characters very much. I also like that the main character is a woman of Afro Puerto Rican decent, a college student, and very much for the environment. I like strong, diverse, female characters and Marisol Rios De La Luz (the main character) is such a character. I think Marisol Rios De La Luz  makes a good role model.

My only minor complaint about La Borinqueña #1 by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez is that some of it is written in Spanish and I don't understand/speak Spanish. So, I felt like I was missing out on some of what was going on in this comic book when it came to the parts written in Spanish.

I am giving La Borinqueña #1 by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

'La Borinquena' Is A New Comic Book Featuring A Puerto Rican Superhero!

Comic books, manga, and graphic novels are a genre I'm only just beginning to explore. So, I was excited to discover an article on Bustle's website titled  'La Borinquena' Is A Puerto Rican Superhero Who Proves You Don't Need Powers To Make A Difference by Zoraida Cordova. In the article, Zoraida Cordova writes:

With La Borinqueña, creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez hopes to inspire the idea that you don't need superpowers to create social change. In an interview with Bustle, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez speaks about La Borinqueña's origin story, her roots in Puerto Rico and New York City, and the ways she changes the world both as a superhero and a regular college student.

La Borinqueña is the story of Marisol Rios de la Luz, a Columbia University Earth and Environmental Sciences student who is given powers by an ancient Taino goddess during a trip to Puerto Rico. But her name, Borinqueña, is given to her by the people of the island; it's the feminine version of Borinquen, the Taino name for Puerto Rico.

La Borinquena sounds like my kind of superhero!! I love that La Borinquena is a strong female superhero of Afro-Puerto Rico descent, that she is wearing a costume that comprises both versions of the Puerto Rico flags, and that her costume isn't a skimpy one designed to treat female superheros as sex objects.

I am totally excited about reading La Borinquena in the near future... In fact, after reading Zoraida Cordova's article, watching a couple of online videos about La Borinquena, and visiting the official website where La Borinquena is sold, I ordered a copy of La Borinquena. 

I enjoy reading books with refreshing, diverse characters and topics. It looks like La Borinquena will most definitely be both refreshing and diverse!

Unlimited Comic Book Subscription Service!!!

Are you and avid comic book reader and lover??? Then Comixology may be for you!! I learned about Comixology from a Bustle article titled Comixology Launches Unlimited Comic Book Subscription Service by Emma Oulton. In the article, Emma Oulton wrote the following:

ComiXology, Amazon's comic book service, is bringing unlimited comics to readers: Comixology Unlimited allows readers in the U.S. to consume as many comic books as they want for $5.99 a month. You can read the comics on the web or through Comixology's mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire Tablet.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!!