Publisher : BOOM ! Studios Written by : Gabby Dun Illustrated by : Claire Roe ISBN : 9781684154272 Ages : 13 +
Madison Jackson star of her college newspaper at Emerson works as an intern at the Boston Lede . As a reward for some tedious grunt work Madison finds herself in possession of a work car for the night . When a call goes out on the police scanner Madison finds herself at a gruesome crime scene . Prominent Boston socialite Dahlia Kennedy is seen covered in blood and being booked for murder . Thinking she has her hands on a scoop Madison is sorely disappointed when Lexi a seasoned reporter is sent to cover the story instead . Madison soon finds herself back on the case when after striking out Lexi , tells Madison to see if she can get Kennedy to talk . When she does Madison is dragged into a deep and dangerous conspiracy where morals and integrity will be tested .
Refreshingly full of LGBTQ + and POC representation this title also manages to secure all the tropes of a standard noir . What could be more cynical than a cub reporter adding roofies to the drink of a potential source or stealing police files from a cop she recently made out with ? Moral dilemmas and stereotypical characterizations aside Bury the Lede has a complicated plot ; don ’ t be surprised to find yourself back tracking to understand timelines and who ’ s who . While parts of this title feel like maybe Dunn bit off a little more than she could chew , the illustrations by Claire Roe along with the coloring work of Miquel Muerto set a perfect noir feel . Drinking , sex , spiking of drinks , blood , and gore make this one for the adults .
Review by Carla Avitable , Librarian II , San Mateo Public Library
Die Volume 1
Written by : Kieron Gillen Illustrated by : Stephanie Hans Publisher : Image Comics ISBN : 9781534312708 Ages : 16 +
Keiron Gillen ( STAR WARS , THE WICKED AND THE DAMNED , IRON MAN ) brings one of the most original tales I ’ ve read in a long time . Being an avid D & D player , the premise of this book both terrifies and thrills me at the same time . Hopefully , this series will run for a many issues , as the adventures are limitless ...
Six teenagers sit down to play a role-playing game with dice and paper .
They create their characters : “ The Dictator ” controls emotions and uses the 4-sided die . “ Grief Knight ” feels terrible hurt to access tremendous power . Uses the 8-sided die . “ Neo ” is a cyberpunk rogue whose craving for gold hinders the party . They use a 10-sided die . “ Godbinder ” gathers deities to use for his bidding . A 12-sided die works their magic . “ The Fool ” is the simplest class , but also the driving force for many of their bad decisions , using the 6-sided die . Finally , “ The Master ”, using the coveted 20-sided die , is the guide and leader of the game .
They roll the dice and vanish .
Two years later , 5 of them appear on the side of the road , having been thought dead by their parents and friends . 25 years later , after their return , one of them receives a bloody d20 in the mail . Looking on with horror , he knows it belonged to the one they left behind . All adults with their own lives , and having moved on , they gather together again , called back to a game that isn ’ t over yet .
I ’ m completely hooked on this comic . The genius of Keiron Gillen ’ s worldbuilding shines through and is the perfect complement to the art of Stephanie Hans . If you are over the age of 15 , and an RPG player , you should absolutely be reading this comic .
Review by Adam Fisher , Reference Services Librarian , Lane Libraries
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