Fatalysia #2

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics.

Title: Fatalysia
Issue: 2
Date: January 2008
Publisher Primeval
Writer: Liam Kemp
Artist: U!
Letterer: Chris Tabor
Cover: Myke Amend

A dark fairy tale with a classic gothic horror vibe. Susan lives in an isolated village surrounded by forest. Trapped in an abusive home, she is haunted by dreams of a mysterious scarecrow, and she has begun to believe that there is something awaiting her in the forest that is more than just the stuff of dreams.

Meanwhile, her father, the town butcher, is succumbing to his own brand of madness.

This was moody and intriguing, with a great look to it and an interesting group of characters. The story is developing slowly, and it didn't feel like I missed much by starting at the second issue, but it still did a nice job of getting me interested and building tension.

Rating: 7/10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck

The Kiddo brought this one home from the school library.

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
Publisher: Puffin Books (a division of Penguin; series website at wimpykid.com)
Date: 2013
Writer: Jeff Kinney
Artist: Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley is down on his luck. His best friend Rowley suddenly has a girlfriend, and Greg has been given the full third-wheel treatment.

As his life at school spirals out of control with the loss of the friend he relied on (here meaning "exploited") for everything from homework help to dog-poop spotting on the walk to school, Greg turns to a magic eight-ball to make his decisions for him.

The romantic drama is one big sexist trope dragged out over the course of the whole book, but fortunately it does not take center stage for most of the story.

What does work is the big expansion of interesting characters from Greg's school and family, as well as a subplot about family greed over a lost diamond ring. There are also some revelations about Greg's mom as Greg gets a look at some of the secrets in her bedroom closet.

It was also nice to see Greg actually grow a bit and learn something from this round of mishaps.

Rating: 5/10