Marvel adventures: avengerS: unitedRating: All Ages
There is mild violence, though the only blood is in the comic "If He Be Worthy" when a civilian's leg is injured. Comparable to the Avengers Assemble cartoon otherwise. The comic is actually a collection of quite a few short comics from various Marvel Adventures stories, which were written to be All Ages. Collecting: Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes #17 and #19 and Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #1-2. Back cover: "There are dangers that mankind cannot conquer. A mighty few would risk their lives to defend us all. They are SUPER HEROES! The Mad Thinker takes over Iron Man's armor, forcing Hawkeye to team up with Tony Stark to bring down the most sophisticated and deadly weapon in the world! Meanwhile, the tough and deadly Avenger Black Widow protects a secretive mystery man from the world's greatest assassins. Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Captain America take a day off from Avengers duty--but unseen dangers wait for them at Manhattan's Museum of Natural History. And on Asgard, Odin has a little fun switching up his sons' weapons--putting brothers to the test to see whether Loki is worthy of THOR'S hammer!" |
Let's review each story individually.
The first comic is 11 pages long, so don't expect any crazy character development or anything. They're just short little stories for kids to enjoy. I like reading them though, as there aren't that many Marvel comics that are...ah, appropriate. Anyway. The first comic is called Rabid Dog. Hawkeye is helping a courier on his first day when an empty Iron Man suit comes down and begins attacking them. Hawkeye is going to need Tony Stark's help to deactivate the suit and protect the civilians.
The second comic, Tell No Secrets follows Black Widow on an assignment from Nick Fury, who won't tell her anything about the woman she is tasked with protecting. Natasha and the woman find themselves on the run from unknown attackers at almost every given moment, keeping them from a moment's rest. Who is behind the constant trouble?
The third story is called If He Be Worthy. Odin decides that Thor's hammer has made him arrogant, so to prove a point he gives it to Loki to test both brothers' worthiness. The two are sent to Midgard (Earth) to assist in a situation involving a sinister purple cloud. How can Thor help when he reverts back to Doctor Donald Blake, just a normal human? NOTE: One of the civilians is shown with an injured--bleeding--knee in one panel, though it really isn't that bad.
The fourth comic, A Lesson in History, Naturally shows us Steve Rogers and Hank Pym at the Museum of Natural History, enjoying their day off. The back cover of the book says Hawkeye is with them, but he is not--it's just Steve and Hank. As the two are admiring a large model of an ant, they hear the Wrecking Crew arrive and take a tour party as hostages. The two suit up and give up on the idea of having a quiet afternoon out, fighting the Wrecking Crew to save the captives. I did observe that Hank wasn't really in character in this story, but that's a small fan squabble, nothing big.
The fifth story is from the first volume of the Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, and it's called The Replacements (It's the first comic in the Avengers series in the Marvel Adventures line). The Avengers are brought into a government facility and told that they won't be needed anymore. ULTRON is introduced, and it doesn't take long before he defects and decides humanity should be destroyed, of course. It's up to our heroes to destroy the artificial intelligence before it destroys them.
The sixth and final tale in the just-under-100-page-long book is also taken from Marvel Adventures: The Avengers (It's the second issue in the Avengers series in the Marvel Adventures line), and is named The Leader Has a Big Head. The Avengers have been called to subdue mutated, overgrown ocean creatures. Soon it is discovered that The Leader, a gamma-altered brainiac, is behind the alterations. The team has to find a way to stop him from continuing his experimentation, and stop his accomplice--the Abomination.
I would probably recommend this comic for slightly older kids, just based off the more serious tone of some of the comics included. That said, if your kid likes stories like that and you're cool with them reading it, go right ahead and let them enjoy it. I really loved the artwork in most of the comics, and was pleasantly surprised to find it just as good as most of the mainstream comics. I still enjoy the comics, despite now being 15. That just shows that they truly are All Ages! c:
The first comic is 11 pages long, so don't expect any crazy character development or anything. They're just short little stories for kids to enjoy. I like reading them though, as there aren't that many Marvel comics that are...ah, appropriate. Anyway. The first comic is called Rabid Dog. Hawkeye is helping a courier on his first day when an empty Iron Man suit comes down and begins attacking them. Hawkeye is going to need Tony Stark's help to deactivate the suit and protect the civilians.
The second comic, Tell No Secrets follows Black Widow on an assignment from Nick Fury, who won't tell her anything about the woman she is tasked with protecting. Natasha and the woman find themselves on the run from unknown attackers at almost every given moment, keeping them from a moment's rest. Who is behind the constant trouble?
The third story is called If He Be Worthy. Odin decides that Thor's hammer has made him arrogant, so to prove a point he gives it to Loki to test both brothers' worthiness. The two are sent to Midgard (Earth) to assist in a situation involving a sinister purple cloud. How can Thor help when he reverts back to Doctor Donald Blake, just a normal human? NOTE: One of the civilians is shown with an injured--bleeding--knee in one panel, though it really isn't that bad.
The fourth comic, A Lesson in History, Naturally shows us Steve Rogers and Hank Pym at the Museum of Natural History, enjoying their day off. The back cover of the book says Hawkeye is with them, but he is not--it's just Steve and Hank. As the two are admiring a large model of an ant, they hear the Wrecking Crew arrive and take a tour party as hostages. The two suit up and give up on the idea of having a quiet afternoon out, fighting the Wrecking Crew to save the captives. I did observe that Hank wasn't really in character in this story, but that's a small fan squabble, nothing big.
The fifth story is from the first volume of the Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, and it's called The Replacements (It's the first comic in the Avengers series in the Marvel Adventures line). The Avengers are brought into a government facility and told that they won't be needed anymore. ULTRON is introduced, and it doesn't take long before he defects and decides humanity should be destroyed, of course. It's up to our heroes to destroy the artificial intelligence before it destroys them.
The sixth and final tale in the just-under-100-page-long book is also taken from Marvel Adventures: The Avengers (It's the second issue in the Avengers series in the Marvel Adventures line), and is named The Leader Has a Big Head. The Avengers have been called to subdue mutated, overgrown ocean creatures. Soon it is discovered that The Leader, a gamma-altered brainiac, is behind the alterations. The team has to find a way to stop him from continuing his experimentation, and stop his accomplice--the Abomination.
I would probably recommend this comic for slightly older kids, just based off the more serious tone of some of the comics included. That said, if your kid likes stories like that and you're cool with them reading it, go right ahead and let them enjoy it. I really loved the artwork in most of the comics, and was pleasantly surprised to find it just as good as most of the mainstream comics. I still enjoy the comics, despite now being 15. That just shows that they truly are All Ages! c:
Amulet, book one: the stonekeeper
Rating: All Ages/Young Adult (Depending on source)
This is the first in a very story-oriented series. You have to start from the beginning, otherwise it won't make sense.
In book one there is mild violence, such as Emily, the heroine, pricking her finger. Bloody noses are fairly common in this series as well, and starting a couple books later there is a good bit of violence. There is a rather frightening "Arachnopod" that abducts their mother, so if you're looking for something for a younger children, keep in mind what might scare them. I would recommend this series, but only to older kids--maybe even teenagers. I might be over guessing, but it's up to you what you think. The story is phenomenal, but it is very dark and sad. (I'll probably make a spoiler-ridden review at the bottom of this page, meant for the series on a whole. |
The story begins with Emily and her parents, heading home after a long day to pick up Navin, her little brother. Unfortunately the sweet family scene doesn't last long when their vehicle crashes through a guardrail and tumbles down the hill. They all live, albeit a bit beaten, but have to escape the car before it falls over the cliff. Emily and her mother do. Her father doesn't. (This all happens within the first twelve pages, so...it's not that much of a spoiler.)
Two years later, their mother takes Emily and Navin to a small town to live in an old family home. Emily finds an old library that belonged to her ancestor, Silas Charnon. She gets curious about something inside, and winds up pricking her finger. Through that she discovers a beautiful amulet, which she takes. Get that? Amulet. Huh. Wonder what the series could be about...
The first night, things go awry and the three find themselves thrown into another world. Their mother entered it inside an Arachnopod, a large spider-like creature. It doesn't take long before chaos sets in. Emily and Navin set out to rescue her, meeting quite a few interesting characters along the way. Emily also learns that her amulet has a voice. It isn't the nicest sounding thing either...But it teaches her how to channel her amulet's energy and use it for battle. And trust me, through the whole series, there's a lot of battling.
I've read six of the seven books that have been released, and soon I'll be able to check out the seventh from the library. Very excited about that, as the story is so intense! But because of that I wouldn't advise it for young readers. It is rather frightening at times, and even I was a bit...okay, well, I got freaked out at a couple moments. But, for probably 12 and up this would be good. It really depends on your judgement, so I would recommend (if you can) reading a couple of the books before you let any kiddos read it. One very nice thing about it is, it doesn't have any language. That's something I've grown weary of. Why is it necessary? Obviously Kazu Kibuishi understands how I feel about it, because as far as I can recall there hasn't even been one usage of the Lord's name in vain. That's a major plus for me.
So, as I keep saying, I'd recommend this one, but definitely not for any children 8 or younger. I'd really prefer for 12 and up to read it due to some of the story elements, as they are fairly disturbing. I personally really enjoy it though, so check it out!
Two years later, their mother takes Emily and Navin to a small town to live in an old family home. Emily finds an old library that belonged to her ancestor, Silas Charnon. She gets curious about something inside, and winds up pricking her finger. Through that she discovers a beautiful amulet, which she takes. Get that? Amulet. Huh. Wonder what the series could be about...
The first night, things go awry and the three find themselves thrown into another world. Their mother entered it inside an Arachnopod, a large spider-like creature. It doesn't take long before chaos sets in. Emily and Navin set out to rescue her, meeting quite a few interesting characters along the way. Emily also learns that her amulet has a voice. It isn't the nicest sounding thing either...But it teaches her how to channel her amulet's energy and use it for battle. And trust me, through the whole series, there's a lot of battling.
I've read six of the seven books that have been released, and soon I'll be able to check out the seventh from the library. Very excited about that, as the story is so intense! But because of that I wouldn't advise it for young readers. It is rather frightening at times, and even I was a bit...okay, well, I got freaked out at a couple moments. But, for probably 12 and up this would be good. It really depends on your judgement, so I would recommend (if you can) reading a couple of the books before you let any kiddos read it. One very nice thing about it is, it doesn't have any language. That's something I've grown weary of. Why is it necessary? Obviously Kazu Kibuishi understands how I feel about it, because as far as I can recall there hasn't even been one usage of the Lord's name in vain. That's a major plus for me.
So, as I keep saying, I'd recommend this one, but definitely not for any children 8 or younger. I'd really prefer for 12 and up to read it due to some of the story elements, as they are fairly disturbing. I personally really enjoy it though, so check it out!
Princeless vol. 1: save yourself
Rating: All Ages
Do I agree that it's all ages? HECK NO!! I wouldn't let kids read it due to some rather inappropriate references. Something to keep in mind is that the writers for it were obviously trying to make a point. A very feminist point. Now, I'm not against feminists or anything like that (Won't delve into my standpoint on that here), but I really don't think that it worked for this story. I understand they were trying to point out the issue with the common portray of women in comics, but...I think there was a better way to do that. I also recall a bit of language in the story (like taking the Lord's name in vain--yes, that is profane, people!).
Anyway, it wasn't a bad concept, but it could have been executed much better. I find it particularly sad that so many people were raving about how good it was, and when I read it found nothing really enjoyable about it. The art was decent, but...that was about it. And to make sure it wasn't just the first volume, I read the second too. That one was even worse than the first! I think what killed the charm for me was how unlikeable Princess Adrienne was. She was not kind whatsoever, and what really makes me like a character is moments of pure good acts. I only saw her as self-centered, despite her "Concern" for her imprisoned sisters. I really wouldn't recommend it for kids. At all. Everyone is so eager to let their daughters read this story about a strong warrior princess...please don't. Just don't. From a Christian point of view, this book isn't advisable for children. |
The premise is that the daughters of the royal Ashe family are each put in a separate tower, guarded by a dragon. Adrienne, our lead character, is one of these princesses. Basically she winds up finding a sword under her bed and uses it and her dragon, who she's good friends with, to escape. She takes some of the armor from the princes and knights who have failed...and kinda got eaten...and puts it on to disguise herself. Then she gallivants around and tries to make a point. I really don't remember much of it because I didn't find it interesting enough to remember. The story was basically just trying to point out that, oh, look! The royal family is BLACK! The main character is a GIRL! She can fight like a MAN!
Honestly? I don't care! It doesn't matter to me that this is such a widely adored series about a black girl who is a princess who becomes a knight. That is way too focused on the point the writers were trying to make. I found most of the story to be rather obnoxious as well, and ironically the only character I even liked was Princess Adrienne's BROTHER. How's that for tragic? They tried to make a lovable female heroine, but instead I like her brother, who's a shy, quiet young man, way more!
Overall I just really, really disliked this series. I found nothing redeemable in it, and I genuinely can't understand why everyone loves it so much. On Amazon you read so many people saying that the more adult themes are very hidden, and children wouldn't even notice or understand them. Everything is perfect for a kid to read in this! Well, guess what? IT WASN'T! I found the adult themes to be very obvious and rather crass. Maybe it was that I wasn't the targeted audience, but I thought all girls were supposed to love this series? Honestly, I almost despise it.
Sorry for the rant, but I thought the world needed one person to actually review this honestly and accurately. If you read it and liked it, that's fine! That's your personal view. This has been my view, and I understand that I'm one of the very few people who has it. That's alright. Just remember what I said here if you decide you want to try it.
Also, as a last comment...the whole black heroine thing? The way they do it is rather aggressive, really. A prince or a knight or someone at the beginning of the story comes to rescue Adrienne, and he shouts up something about "Coming to save the fair maiden!" Well, Adrienne leans out the window and screams back, "DOES THIS LOOK FAIR TO YOU?!? I'M BLACK!!" While gesturing at herself. That...is aggressive. I didn't enjoy the series one bit. I agree it is nice to see more diversity in characters, but pointing out the diversity isn't what I want to see. I just want to see characters of various appearances just...being there. Nobody pointing out, "Look, a BLACK LEAD CHARACTER!!" or "Check it out, they're HISPANIC!" That doesn't matter to me. I have many characters of various appearances and geographical backgrounds. I, never once, will have someone point out their ethnicity in one of my comics. Why would I? Aren't we all people? Isn't that enough?
Honestly? I don't care! It doesn't matter to me that this is such a widely adored series about a black girl who is a princess who becomes a knight. That is way too focused on the point the writers were trying to make. I found most of the story to be rather obnoxious as well, and ironically the only character I even liked was Princess Adrienne's BROTHER. How's that for tragic? They tried to make a lovable female heroine, but instead I like her brother, who's a shy, quiet young man, way more!
Overall I just really, really disliked this series. I found nothing redeemable in it, and I genuinely can't understand why everyone loves it so much. On Amazon you read so many people saying that the more adult themes are very hidden, and children wouldn't even notice or understand them. Everything is perfect for a kid to read in this! Well, guess what? IT WASN'T! I found the adult themes to be very obvious and rather crass. Maybe it was that I wasn't the targeted audience, but I thought all girls were supposed to love this series? Honestly, I almost despise it.
Sorry for the rant, but I thought the world needed one person to actually review this honestly and accurately. If you read it and liked it, that's fine! That's your personal view. This has been my view, and I understand that I'm one of the very few people who has it. That's alright. Just remember what I said here if you decide you want to try it.
Also, as a last comment...the whole black heroine thing? The way they do it is rather aggressive, really. A prince or a knight or someone at the beginning of the story comes to rescue Adrienne, and he shouts up something about "Coming to save the fair maiden!" Well, Adrienne leans out the window and screams back, "DOES THIS LOOK FAIR TO YOU?!? I'M BLACK!!" While gesturing at herself. That...is aggressive. I didn't enjoy the series one bit. I agree it is nice to see more diversity in characters, but pointing out the diversity isn't what I want to see. I just want to see characters of various appearances just...being there. Nobody pointing out, "Look, a BLACK LEAD CHARACTER!!" or "Check it out, they're HISPANIC!" That doesn't matter to me. I have many characters of various appearances and geographical backgrounds. I, never once, will have someone point out their ethnicity in one of my comics. Why would I? Aren't we all people? Isn't that enough?