MILF on the Shelf

author: Nico Rosso

I am super creeped out by the Elf on a Shelf thing. A creepy pervy elf that moves around your house, reporting to Santa if you’ve been good or not? Talk about preparing kids for life in the surveillance state.

Happily, this is not about that. It’s about a woman who’s been “on the shelf” for years, and suddenly a former classmate of her 21-year-old daughter blows into town for Christmas, and between his extremely hot motorcycle and his extreme hotness, she’s quite taken in the pants area.

There are a couple of things I really liked about this one- much more than I expected to. Lori is Chinese-American, and there’s just enough information to give you a sense of who she is and why it’s been years since she had a relationship. In a few sentences, Rosso sketches out her history with her family and with marriage, and what she’s sacrificed for her business and her daughter. It’s really well done.  Dylan, the hero, is a little less defined, but he’s only 21, he’s got less history to allude to. Dylan is also black, so you have an inter-racial relationship where neither person is white, and that is appreciated. Also, the sex is really, really hot.

The issue I often have with novellas is that there’s not much time to develop and resolve a relationship, and I think Rosso gets that: this isn’t totally resolved, but he gets Lori and Dylan to a place where they have made the choice to continue banging, and should this evolve into something else, yay! Good for them!

– Redheadedgirl

Erotica/Erotic Romance, Novella, Romance

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1

author: Amy Reeder

If the post-holiday doldrums have set in, cheer yourself up by reading Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, the new Marvel comic by Brandon Montclaire and Amy Reeder. In this comic, a brilliant African American tween girl named Lunella tries to use science (Inspector Gadget style) to avoid becoming an Inhuman. The Inhuman thing is part of the new Marvel mythos, but don’t worry about it – the point is that she’s super smart, she’s into science, and she fears change, and you’ll get all of that from this comic even without having other Marvel knowledge.

When Lunella discovers some alien technology, it brings her into contact with a giant alien Tyrannosaurus Rex. At this point in the comic’s run (end of December 2015/beginning of January 2016) the series is only two issues in, so we don’t know where the story is going, but we do know that this could be the cutest Girl and Her Dog Dinosaur ever. The comic is a reboot of a Jack Kirby classic, Devil Dinosaur and Moonboy, but again, you don’t need to know anything about the original to adore this reboot.

Look at the cover of Issue #1. LOOK AT IT.

Let’s be honest – if the first issue consisted of this cover and a bunch of blank pages, I’d still give this comic an A. I’m utterly helpless before its powers. This is possibly the most adorable yet badass thing I’ve ever seen.

This comic has adult appeal and kid appeal. The first two issues have been perfectly enjoyable for me as an adult but have also been suitable for kids at least eight and up, or younger depending on how the parent feels about comic-book-style violence.

It’s too early for me to know a great deal about this comic, except that it’s thrillingly diverse, colorful, and exciting, it has some underlying themes anyone can relate to, and it’s SO MUCH FUN.

– Carrie S

Comic

The New Deal

author: Jonathan Case

The New Deal is a light-hearted graphic novel with just a touch of noir. It involves a bellhop named Frank who has a crush on a hotel maid named Theresa. They work at the Waldorf-Astoria in 1936. One night, two particularly notable guests check in. One is a rich and powerful man to whom Frank owes a lot of money. The other is a beautiful, mysterious woman named Nina who is endlessly kind and generous to the staff and who stands up for Theresa when Theresa is accused of theft. Initially, Frank and Theresa suspect each other of the theft, but they quickly become uneasy allies as mysteries, dangers, and temptations pile up around them in a crazy crime caper.

This story deals with class, gender, and with race. Theresa deals with sexism and racism. Theresa is also in the cast of a production of Macbeth. This was a real production, and frankly, I’d have loved a story just about the play. It was directed by Orson Wells starring only black actors and it’s a great thing to Google if you want to go down the 1930’s history rabbit hole (which, honestly, who doesn’t?). It’s fun to see something written in this time period that deals with class, race, and gender, but that isn’t grindingly depressing (the time period was called “The Great Depression” for a reason). The glitz of the Waldorf and the glamour of the mysterious guest gives the story a fairy tale glow and elevates it into a fantasy about mysteries, fashion, and jewels.

While there are hints of a romantic HEA between Theresa and Frank, I suspect they will go their separate ways. Frank, Lord love him, has no ethics and is dumb as a bag of hair, which is a terrible combination. Initially his advances towards Theresa are clearly unwanted, and she seems to ally with him more for convenience than anything else. They are a fun comedic duo, though, and Theresa’s battle of wits with Nina is utterly delightful. The art is pretty sparse (although Nina’s clothes are unfailingly gorgeous) but it is a satisfying short read with a highly entertaining setting and cast of characters.

– Carrie S

Historical: American, Graphic Novel