WJR: Graphic Novel Reviews (Transformers Vol. 1, Snow, Glass, Apples, & Friday)

Do you enjoy reading and looking at pictures? In this What Jeff Read, we’ll go over three graphic novels. Giant robots, fairytale characters, and teen detectives feature in this trio of tales that find themselves in very different genres from one another.

Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise

By Daniel Warren Johnson

I was really looking forward to reading the first volume of the new Transformers series published by Image Comics after seeing some of the stellar reviews it received. Unfortunately, after finishing these first six issues of the ongoing series, I was extremely disappointed.

Firstly, it’s important to point out that I was never a big fan of the Transformers cartoons, comics, or toys growing up. I don’t have any sort of inherent dislike for Transformers (and it would be weird if I did) – it’s just not one of the properties that I ever really got into. I suspect that the majority of the praise for this comic series is coming from those who are (or were) big fans of Transformers.

I think that nostalgia is playing a huge role in some of the praise being heaped on this series. Perhaps fans of Transformers haven’t gotten any decent Transformers ongoing comic book stories in a while, so when one comes out that isn’t awful, they view it as terrific.

Looking at the story in Transformers Volume 1 as someone unbiased, there isn’t much of substance here. There are two giant robot factions and they fight one another – that’s basically it. The characters aren’t particularly interesting or well-developed. I had trouble keeping track of who some of the different robots were since some of them look similar.

Johnson’s art is just fine to me. There’s a lot of action in these comics and sometimes it doesn’t flow nicely from panel to panel. Overall, I think if you love Transformers, you’ll like this series. As someone coming in without a deep understanding of Transformers lore, this graphic novel wasn’t enjoyable or memorable in any way.

Grade: 3.5/10

Snow, Glass, Apples

By Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran

Snow, Glass, Apples retells the story of Snow White from the stepmother’s point of view. Originally, it was published as a short story by Neil Gaiman in 1994. This 2019 graphic novel is an adaptation of that story by Colleen Doran, who also did the art for the book. This Dark Horse-published title was well-received and won an Eisner Award the year of its release.

Overall, I enjoyed Snow, Glass, Apples. The tone of the book is definitely more in line with the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale than it is with the Disney adaptation that first comes to mind when thinking of Snow White. Focusing on the stepmother’s versions of events is an interesting take, but the real standout of this graphic novel is Doran’s art. Doran’s illustrations are gorgeous and are perfect for this adult, dark fairy tale.

If I had one major complaint with Snow, Glass, Apples it is that it’s too short. The hardcover version of the book that I bought retails for $19.99 and that’s a lot to spend for something that takes maybe 15-20 minutes to finish reading. Still, this is a quality book, and I enjoy the art and story enough that I’d recommend it as a fine addition to any graphic novel collection.

Grade: 7/10

Friday Volumes 1-3

By Ed Brubaker and Marcos Martin

Friday is a nine-issue digital comic where you can choose what you pay to read each of the issues online. Since I prefer reading comics the old-fashioned way as opposed to on my phone or laptop, I purchased the three trade paperbacks that compile the complete story.

I really enjoyed the first couple issues of this series. The premise is basically that a Encyclopedia Brown/young Sherlock Holmes-type character and his female sidekick, Friday, have investigated cases throughout their youths, but are now growing up. After Friday returns home from college, she immediately finds herself wrapped up in their biggest case yet.

Friday isn’t meant for a young audience, but it still feels more juvenile than writer Ed Brubaker’s other work. This comic is definitely dialed back noir when compared to his more violent (and far better) titles like Criminal or Sleeper.

Marcos Martin’s art is a good fit for a story such as this, and I like it overall. I think Martin is not great with fast-paced action scenes, but there aren’t many of those in Friday. A lack of action is probably to the book’s detriment as it does feel pretty expository towards the end.

I was a little disappointed with the later chapters of Friday. It was still totally fine, but it feels like Brubaker had a lot of ideas for a late-teens detective story and decided to include them all here. There’s too much telling and not enough showing. I’d definitely recommend the writer’s other work (Sleeper, Criminal, Fatale) before Friday.

Grade: 6.5/10