The Great British Bump Off
by John Allison, and illustrated by Max Sarin
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Content: There are panels showing poisoning. It’s in the graphic novel section of the bookstore.
The basic plot is that there is a Great British Bake Off-style competition and one of the competitors ends up in the hospital in critical condition from being poisoned. Was he poisoned on purpose? If so, who did it? Enter Shauna, medicore baker and armchair detective to solve this closed-room mystery.
This was ridiculous. There’s no way around it. It was silly, it was ridiculous, and it was dumb. But it circled around from being really stupid to being fun, especially if you (like I am) are a fan of the GBBO. I liked the parodies of the hosts, the challenges, and even the types of bakers that appear on the show. The ending was a bit forced and rushed, but I really didn’t expect anything else. For what it was, it wasn’t bad at all.
Superman for All Seasons
by Jeph Loeb, illustrated by Tim Sale
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Content: There is some superhero-type violence. It’s in the Graphic Novel section of the bookstore.
In this series of four short stories, we follow Superman through each of the four seasons. From Kansas to Metropolis, each story is narrated by a different individual in Clark Kent’s life, as he learns to use his powers in the most effective way possible. That makes it sound trite, but this is really an excellent portrayal of Superman. I liked the retro-feeling art, and the way the stories were connected, building off each other. I think the authors really got the character of Superman, but also made him complex and not one-dimensional. I liked both Lois and Lana and how they influenced and were influenced by Clark. It’s a stellar graphic novel.