Devin Grayson

Why did Tamora Pierce have to give us a graphic novel adaptation of the Protector of the Small series, rather than finish the planned duology about Numair?!?! Count me annoyed, even though I really enjoyed reading this little book. Kel’s story of being the second woman to attempt to gain a knighthood in Tortall may not have been my top story to come out of Pierce’s magical world, but it is a perfect story to adapt to a YA-marketed graphic novel. Her youthful exuberance, numerous animal show more characters, and slightly more expected narrative than that of her predecessor, Alanna, would easily appeal to readers of this age group, without the added visual complication that hiding a cross-dressing protagonist would have caused. Obviously we don’t get as much detail as the original novel, but adaptor Devin Grayson does a decent job of simplifying the storyline without losing the major thematic elements and the important character development, and Becca Farrow’s illustrations work well to bring the story to life. The visual style is decidedly simple, lacking intricate backgrounds in favour of soft backdrops and relying on a sombre muted palette to keep the story realistic (for all it’s a magical land, Tortall is realistically grounded in its pseudo-medieval setting), but we get plenty of action scenes of Kel battling the knight-school bullies and learning to fight on the training grounds to keep the visual narrative just this side of exciting. By the final pages we’re definitely caught up in Kel’s tale of quiet bravery and determination (once again, if we’ve read the original series), but it’s unclear when or if a second book in the series is going to be released. I sure hope so, since at least these give us an excuse to journey back to one of our favourite magical lands! show less

This original "prose" (i.e. not sequential-art) novel about Marvel occult superhero Doctor Strange was published in 2016, concurrently with the release of the MCU film featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Master of the Mystic Arts. In this book, Strange is already long established as the Sorcerer Supreme, and there is thankfully none of the "sling ring" gimmickry that was on display in the movie. The style of the book is very Marvel, with ample intertextual references, deep investment in show more the prior narrative continuity, and occasional wisecracking. There is sparing black-and-white illustration in this book, for which nine different artists are credited! I suspect that the art was simply repurposed from previous comics work.

The Fate of Dreams concerns itself with Strange's efforts to address an enigmatic corruption affecting the realms of dream. He works in eventual concert with a dream-specialist neuroscientist, a young Inhuman (i.e. superpowered human-alien hybrid), and Strange's erstwhile foe Nightmare, a sovereign of the dream realms. The characters are interesting and fairly well-developed relative to superhero genre standards, and the plot is quick-moving. Author Devin Grayson introduces some Nebraska backstory for Strange prior to his career in medicine, and this material was new to me despite extensive reading in old Strange Tales and Doctor Strange comics. I don't know if the ideas are original here, though--she seems to be working hard to use as much comics material as she can.

I was pleasantly surprised when the plot resolution turned out to hinge on the Inhuman Jane Bailey taking the role of a messianic sacrifice to redeem the dream realms. Her function as a sort of Gnostic Sophia on these lines was amply foreshadowed with reference to the descent of Inanna, along with other related tropes. In this particular drama, Strange was awarded the part of an esoteric Judas!

The Fate of Dreams is likely to engage and entertain fans of Doctor Strange comics. Those readers familiar only with the theatrical film will perhaps find it a bit inaccessible for its constant allusions to the larger Marvel metatext. Non-comics-fan occultists and students of the occult who are looking for a gratifying potboiler tale of magical heroism might perhaps be better served by Frank Lauria's Owen Orient novels from the 1970s and 80s. show less

Devin Grayson and Becca Farrow’s adaptation of Tamora Pierce’s First Test: Protector of the Small – Book 1 faithfully adapts the first book of Pierce’s third Tortall quartet. The story introduces Keladry of Mindelan, who trains as a knight a decade after the events of the “Song of the Lioness” quartet in which Alanna trained and Jonathan of Conté made it legal for girls to train. Kel faces an uphill battle from the beginning with an added probationary period which other pages show more need not pass, though she seeks Lord Wyldon’s approval. Her sponsor, Nealan, sponsors her in the training and helps her learn the unofficial rules of training. Along the way, Kel discovers that she has a secret benefactor and makes friends while she challenges the systemic bullying at the school.

Each of Pierce’s Tortall quartets may be read on their own and this works as an easy entry point for new readers, though some prior familiarity with “Song of the Lioness” and “Immortals” will help readers appreciate the world that Pierce built. First Test may appeal the most to new readers’ tastes, however, and what they expect from YA fantasy. Grayson’s adaptation honors the original text while taking into consideration the areas in which the art will tell the story. Farrow brilliantly compliments Pierce and Grayson’s writing with distinctive character designs and great visual world-building. Her art and Grayson’s adaptation will introduce new readers to Pierce’s writing and enhance their appreciation of Tortall. The book concludes with Farrow’s character sketches and a glossary of medieval and fantasy terms for newcomers. I look forward to Grayson and Farrow continuing to adapt the other books in the “Protector of the Small” quartet. show less

An excellent compilation in that great jigsaw puzzle style where they took the trouble to actually interweave the various issues into a near-seamless, single narrative -- this doesn't really seem to happen anymore. Constantly, this sort of collection will today present the issues with little more thought than publication order, causing them to outright spoil each other, and making beats and reveals happen at awkward or underwhelming moments. Not so here, and it adds immeasurably to the show more reading experience.

My main complaint, really, is that the early issues set this up as a murder mystery, but by the end of the volume, the investigation has gone by the wayside, and the story is a more personal one, centred on the character of Batman, and his relationship to his alter ego and to those few who know his secret and love him. This is a good story, and with a satisfying and emotional conclusion, but it is not what the story's beginning felt like it promised, and it is frustrating to have to read the three-volume "Fugitive" arc that followed to search for the eventual payoff.

But this is a minor gripe. There is great narration here -- I was genuinely moved by the last page of the issue "Timeless", for instance, as well as by Grayson's constant insistence that Bruce could not have done this when everyone around him start admitting doubts. I got chills from several Moments of Cool in the inner narration, especially that of Batman himself, not to mention Oracle's casual brilliance and Cassandra Cain's Batgirl's hyper-competence. And while they belong to the mystery plotline that fell by the wayside, it was exciting to see the Major Crimes Unit from the excellent "Gotham Central" show up to investigate such a high profile DC universe story beat. The various artist's art styles blend surprisingly well considering the jigsaw-nature of the compilation mentioned above, and all in all, this was a satisfying reading experience.

I'm already chasing down the long out of print "Fugitive" volumes to read the conclusion. Hopefully it will deliver. show less