Gisborne Boys' High School

32,156 pages read and 4,956 team points

Team members

Sean A

16,434 pts

(14,705 pages read)

2000ad

By Various

3 stars

It's going on 50 years of Judge Dredd, and the key to surviving is character development. His changing attitude to the Mechanismo units is testament to the rising humanity in the most famously unfeeling judge. Judge Dee has the big bad from The Haunting of Sector House 9 return, or did it? Fan service abounds in Tharg's 3hrillers with a brace of flash-in-the-pan cameos from Brigand Doom and Sector 13, pity there was nothing else to the story.
Star Wars: Jar Jar

By Ahmed Best & Marc Guggenheim

3 stars

Star Wars most hated character gets a one-shot. The years have been kind to Jar Jar Binks, inparticular the vitriol directed towards actor Ahmed Best is nor recognised as abhorrant. His cameo appearance in The Mandolorian was rightly lauded and now he gets to pen a story which goes some way to redeem the character. The story itself is mediocre but the epilogue is where the points stack up.
Would you like to know The Story of Christmas?

By Tim Dowley

3 stars
The Super Cool Story of Jesus

By Dai Woolridge

4 stars

My religious mother had a couple of Christian children's books for my daughter. This one starts with the immaculate conception , continuing into some parables and even some Old Testament stories. Written in rhymes it entertains and educates.
The Halfmen of O

By Maurice Gee

5 stars

Sorry about the lopw resolution cover picture - it was the only one I could find with the cover the same as the book I have. As a child I read the 'Halfmen of O' trilogy, after reading Maurice Gee's 'Under the Mountain' it seemed the right time to re-read this fantastic trilogy. The first book in the series is a captivator, grabbing my attention straight away. Written for the younger reader there the parallel with the greedy, environmentally unthinking people of our world to get an adult reader wondering about our own natures. Seemingly ending on a happy note there is plenty of hurt left in the world of O, and there's more to come...
5 Minute Ocean Stories

By Gabby Dawnay

5 stars

Although this book has prose in the form of rhyming lyrics it is more than just a kids book. The stories themselves are about different sea animals in their habitat, doing what is in their nature. There's no gore or horrow but there's also no masking that a shark is a hunter and eats fish. The stories themselves are informational, topping it off are 2 pages after each story full of facts about the creatures involved. Not only is there entertainment value, there's learning as well.
Revere

By John Smith

1 stars

Graphic novels tell a story in two ways; the written and visual stories. Revere is bad enough with Simon Harrison's psychedelic art assaulting and confusing my senses, but John Smith amplifies this multi-fold with a story that is almost non-sensical. Psychedlic artwork, maybe psychedelic drug influenced writing, I could not find any satisfaction in the complete collection of Revere - I got to the end and it appears to have been a cycle of God's playing a game, probably the most clarity there is to be found in these pages, but everything that came before was a mix-up of semi-religious psycho-babble, travelling between different planes of existence, post-apocalyptic life and supernatural abilities. Nup, not for me.
Dredd Anderson: The Deep End

By Arthur Wyatt, Alec Worley

4 stars

This collection of stories is based in the world of Dredd from the 2012 movie, Dredd. Utilising new writers the stories have a bit of freedom to explore the small differences between the characters from the movie and their original counterparts. 'Dust' explores the greater worlkd by going into The Cursed Earth while the two Anderson stories explore her PSI abilities, 'The Deep End' even introducing the supernatural. Some thought has gone into expanding this universe resulting in tales which are captivating.
Under The Mountain

By Maurice Gee

5 stars

In July I will be going to Rangitoto for a Ako Mātātupu retreat. This brought back memories from the '80's of the miniseries "Under the Mountain" (which scared the life out of me). Luckily the H B Williams memorial library had a copy available so I was able to read Maurice Gee's original novel. The horror of the Wilbeforce's is still there, but something more - I don't remember, or perhaps the TV series never portrayed, the bittersweet ending. If it wasn't in the 2 TV series it should suerely have been. The ending came as a surprise to me, which is a great thing.
Insurrection Volume 1

By Dan Abnett

5 stars

Set on a Mega-City 1 controlled world, Insurrection is centered on mutant, uplift and mech rights. A small group of local judges successfully repulsed an alien invasion without receiving any aid from Mega-City 1, only by promising the population citizenship. When Mega-City 1 demands they reneg on their promise independence is declared. The response gives reason to wonder who the good guys are. Every time hope is built up the protagonists knees are taken from under them. In the desperate end there is a horrifying choice to make - what's it going to be?
Unicornia: The Dance Show

By Ana Punset

4 stars

Set in a magical school with unicorns and spells this book provides a chunk of fantasy but more morals. There's a message of perserverance and consideration as well as the value of pushing yourself and taking a risk. Sure, it all ends well, but it gets there in a wholesome way.
2000AD 2468

By Various

4 stars

I've always loved the Mechanismo design. Now that Ronald has been given character he is instantly a favourite. In this episode he makes independent decisions which are most Dredd-like. I like where this is going. The Tharg's 3riller springs a big surprise ending with Brigand Doom appearing!, let's see where this leads us.
The Silver Chair

By C S Lewis

5 stars

When reading The Last Battle I came across unfamiliar references which I realised came from The Silver Chair. Obviously it had been too long between readings so I picked this book up again. Just like a good movie I found more easter eggs and meaning upon re-watch/re-read, upping my opinion of the novel. These nuggets were highly pertinent to The Last Battle revealing the folly of re-reading The Last Battle first. Yes, there were instances when I clicked onto surprises before they'd been sprung, but that does nothing to deter me recommending this book for the first time reader - just read the rest of the chronicles in RELEASE order, it will allow the heartbreak of the time jumps to be more impactful.
Ella and Olivia: BFF Tales

By Yvette Poshoglian

3 stars

4 stories in one, about sisters Ella and Olivia. I'll have to look up why there is an author different from Meredith Costain. The change in author is a positive move, as it coincides with a change of format - no longer being diary entries. The story is told from the perspective of the girls rather than reading from a diary and it's more like reading a proper novel. One thing I am very grateful for is everything is spelled correctly! Only two of the stories are about their friends, so the title BFF Tales is a bit of a stretch.
Ella Diaries: Friendship S.O.S

By Meredith Costain

3 stars

Ella & her family go on a cruise with her friend. There's a minor misunderstanding (which is over-dramaticised in her diary entries) but all's well that ends well. There are so many of these books so the stories become a bit repetitive, guess that's why they get set in different locations.
The Launch of Rocket Lab

By Peter Griffin

5 stars

A comprehensive covering of all events in the development and success of Rocket Lab, right up to the recent Escapade mission to Mars. Insights into the near stumbles and fortuitous encounters which shaped this quintessential New Zealand company. I'm grateful to find out why the very first mission did not achieve orbit and also for the fantastic photography.
Ella's Diaries: Treasure Trail

By Meredith Costain

4 stars

The latest Ella's Diaries (well, the latest that I've read) is a super special with double the page count and full colour illustrations. Dispensing with the classroom rivalry and negative role-modelling, we get to go on an adventure of learning after discovering a 'treasure map' in the library and subsequent clues which lead to learning about Baliness culture. Positive in all aspects, this is a fine book to read to my 6-year-old.
Olivia's Secret Scribbles: Music Makers

By Meredith Costain

5 stars

Double the entertainment! Not only was this a great story to read but it provided the ideas for crafting our own musical instruments, which became a fun weekend activity. Since we are encouraging our daughter to follow her parents into music we were able to stoke a bit of interest. Is it a concidence my school account got an invitation to rejoin the civic orchestra just now?
David Bain v The Queen (New Zealand) 2007 Privy Council Ruling

By Lord Bingham of Cornhill

4 stars

Reading a Privy Council ruling is fascinating. Although the primary objective is to assess the validity of the 3rd Court of Appeal ruling it was necessary to look at each of the points from the original, and all subsequent trials. From the ruling I can only conclude that New Zealand removing the Privy Council from being the highest appellant court is a grave mistake. In the ruling it is found that 'a substantial miscarriage of justice' has occurred. That is to say that in none of the trials were the juries presented with the full set of evidence. Now that we don't have the Privy Council to appeal to, how can we be sure that further mistrials don't occur? The Privy Council states that all convictions are quashed and that the Crown must now decide whether to have a new trial (the previous trial is now deemed to have never happened) stating they must consider whether it is in public interest to have a trial. I remember this at the time - it took the government over a month to decide to have a trial where David Bain was found to be not guilty. Although not part of the ruling, but very relevant, was the question of compensation. In a retrial case, the defendant has to prove thier innocence on the balance of probabilities. This proviso is only in affect on a retrial after the defendant was found guilty, whereas David Bain was never found guilty (The Privy Council quashed his convictions - they never happened) so this clause never came into effect, i.e. he doesn't have to prove his innocence. It further shakes my faith in New Zealand's justice system that the government ignored the finding of its own appointed QC, that Bain is innocent on the balance of probabilities, and shops around for a 2nd opinion, getting what they want from a Canadian QC. Certainly this ruling is food for thought.
Ghost Kiwi

By Ruth Paul

4 stars

As part of the spot prize pack from Read NZ I was fortunate enough to get to read a book I would otherwise have never considered. Ruth Paul's first novel is a great romp for a teen reader with a message of kaitiaki. Inspirted by the success of the Capital Kiwi project near her home I felt a little connection given, on one of my visits to a fellow Finn's Whakatane brewery, I happily purchased a fundraising beer called Kiwi Capital supporting the Ōhope branch of the kiwi conservation project. The ending brings it all together with a group effort and a bit of magic/mythology. Recommended for any young teens.
Leon and The Place Between

By Angela McAllister

3 stars

Found this book in the ER, reading it between my x-ray and treatment. I'm not sure what age group this book is aimed at. The artwork was exquisite and the fonts were truly artistic however it was all far too busy for a youngster to read.
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 47

By Various

3 stars

Most of this compilation consists of stories by writers other than John Wagner, and there was a real bent to use a variety of artists - one of the cornerstones of 2000AD is the development of new artists. As a result the majority of stories struggle to rise above mediocre in terms of Dredd world building and character development, in fact some stories almost seem un-Dredd-like. The different artwork contributes to the reading experience, it took a lot of concentration to look past the busy artwork to get to the story. I suppose it's a necessity to develop new writers, I just read that John Wagner's upcoming 2026 Dredd epic story will be his last. 49 years of writing the best of Dredd, what an accomplishment. Wagner's major contrinution is the resignation of Hershey and election of Francisco as Chief Judge. The mutie rights issue is already building major ructions in Justice Department.
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 46

By John Wagner et al

5 stars

The theme of mutie rights continues, given a lighter edge by the inclusion of the Fargo clan. The Edgar Case has Edgar returning to put the knife in one last time before her death. Still Mental After All These Years brings back our favourite 4th-wall breaking kook though, as is the case with all in Mega-City 1, things turn dark. Ratfink introduces us to the son of Fink Angel who is the equal to his father. Every one of the mentioned stories are from John Wagner. There were a slew of other writers, and their content was worthy, but the best comes from Dredd's creator.
Star Wars Insider 235

By Various

3 stars

Oh man, straight away we're hit with the news that 237 will be the last issue of this bi-monthly (every 2 months) magazine. Star Wars publications are all on the wane at the moment. I'll miss this mag, sure there is a lot of filler but there are always great segments to read. This episode has a breakdown of Lonni Jung and it gets it bang on, capturing the reason why his off-screen death hit so hard. Warwick Davis was an editor! there are always little enlightening moments like this. The article about the anniversary of the release of The Last Jedi aligned with my opinions about that movie. I'll miss Star Wars Insider.
2000ad Sci-Fi Special 2025

By Various

3 stars

The Judge Dredd story was a sequel to a 1989 Annual story, and it was written in the same style - which is circa 1977 dialogue and settings. I guess that's what these specials are about; trying new things, testing new stories. The Out was an obvious filler episode, as was the Future Shock. Ampney Crucis held the most intrigue for me, the ancient worm-gods are a trope but there's more to this character than is shown - hopefully it'll be greenlit.
Judge Death 2025 Mega Special

By Various

4 stars

A story from each of the Dark Judges framed as a conversation between Judge Death and the last living person on Deadworld (a guy Gunderson would you believe!). An interesting concept which allows for novel story-telling. The Judge Death insert story is more about Judge Anderson and links to the Anderson from another dimension in the Azimuth stories. The Judge Mortis story builds itself as a Mortis origin but flim flams to be (just another?) horror story from unhinged citizens in Mega-City 1.
Olivia's Secret Scribbles - Amazing Acrobats

By Meredith Costain

3 stars

Just like her older sister, Ella, Olivia can be a bit bossy. Thankfully Olivia doesn't bully her friend Matilda, into trying to be an acrobat, rather she gently persuades her. Good lesson for my daughter here.
Olivia's Secret Scribbles - Box Car Racers

By Meredith Costain

3 stars

I think I prefer these Olivia books about Ella's little sister - they're a bit more innocent and devoid of those 'I hate her...' moments. In this book Olivia and Matilda help a shy Bethany to build a box car racer. The wholesome ending is a great little life's lesson for the younger reader.
2000ad 2467

By Various

3 stars

The (what I suspect is the patsy) criminal in Judge Dredd is rearing his head, Herne & Shuck is as uninteresting as ever. Judge Dee starts. Thought I remembered a Judge Dee from PSI Division that had died some years ago, so assumed this story was set in the past however it is concurrent with the contemporary Judge Dredd story. If they were looking for a Judge Anderson replacement I don't think Dee will do - her character hasn't grabbed me straight away. The Tharg's 3riller was looking promising but the vampire twist? The Discarded builds a bit on the daughter's past so holds a little more interest this episode.
Ella Diaries: Spooky Surprise

By Meredith Costain

4 stars

This nook elevates itself over the rest of the series because it gently introduces 'scary' elements in a way that my daughter can follow it without being scared. Being a Scooby Doo fan from way back the ending is no surprise to me. Maybe I should introduce my girl to Scooby Doo and the gang?
Ella Diaries: Netball Rules

By Meredith Costain

3 stars

Some more solid morals, though there's the odd childish behaviour which I have to carefully explain to my girl is not good behaviour just so she doesn't pick up a bad habit. Once again I'm not a big fan of the made up words. I know Ella's a kid and spelling is difficult, but I'd rather not have to explain what a made up word means to my girl.
The Stars Burn Bright

By Lynda Tomalin

2 stars

Having never read a teen romance before I cannot rate this book by how good it is within the genre, all I can do is judge it by hoow much I enjoyed reading the book and comparing the events to my own teenage experiences. Suffice to say my experiences with romance were nowhere near as dramatic (and I use that word deliberatly) as those involving Estella and Jackson. Time and again I was forced to look past idiotic decision making in order to complete the novel. So why did I not give it a lower mark? When I pass this book on I imagine the teenage reader will get to the end of the book and come to the same conclusion as me; all of the angst and hurt could have been avoided through a bit of sanity - and that would be a good lesson.
Kalevala

By Sami Makkonen

3 stars

Being a huge fan of J R R Tolkien's works (the ones that I have read), and being a quarter Finnish, I decided to read a graphic novel adaption of Finland's 1st piece of national art: Kalevala. Although I am grateful for an English version of this masterpiece I believe something is lost in the translation. Yes the vibes are transmitted but too often the reasoning for actions are skipped over like it is assumed that would be a reasonable thing to do when I really don't see it as being reasonable. In the end I struggled through the (frequently sexually explicit) artwork and dialogue taking no great enjoyment from it but acknowledging how Tolkien has been so influenced by it.
The Walking Dead Deluxe 129

By Robert Kirkman

3 stars

Rick being a dick, it's starting to build towards answering the question: who are the walking dead? There is another divergence from the TV series - Negan has not started his redemption arc which is a bit surprising as it was Karl interacting with Negan that started Negan's redemption in the TV show, and, unlike the show, Karl is still alive in the graphic novel. Overall this is another slow buiding episode with only glimpses of possible future story arcs.
Whose Your Name?

By Various

4 stars

An interesting concept, having a group explain the importance of their names, and executed well by using the students' own words/poems/narratives. I particularly liked the stories that let their history come through.
Judge Dredd Megazine 488

By Various

4 stars

Judge Dredd in 'Halfway House' is teasing me. WHat am I missing? who is this mystery man? Joe & he were locked up by Judge Cal? - he must be a judge, and from way back, but which one? It's a great mystery, and teased so well - I think it was deliberately for big fans like me. Dreadnoughts is always good - exposing the hardships and lessons learned from the roll-out of the judge system. Megatropolis is unbelievably good. What a spin, taking all of the characters from the Judge Dredd universe and transplanting them in a very different world, yet they keep their personae. It opens the world to different story-telling. Armitage is okay, suffering from the same malaise as usual - it's quintessentially British which sits in stark contrast in the world of Dredd. I'm glad the Judge Anderson story has ended. Bringing back an adversary from decades ago was good, but the exorcism judges have never gelled with me and the story really did get farcically hocus-pocus.
2000ad 2466

By Various

3 stars

The Judge Dredd story is the saviour for this issue, I'm hooked on the growing conspiracy and happy for the return of Ronald. The Future Shock promised some intrigue but its ending is truncated and feels unfulfilling. Herne & Shuck is losing me, give me Finn any day, and Azimuth can only be described as meandering.
Star Wars 9

By Alex Segura

2 stars

What a convoluted scenario; this lot are fighting this lot, but that lot is led by this person who is enemies with these people. Topping it off there are 2 sets of protagonists in different locations with different missions. It's all too much. The conclusion is coming though, hopefully that tidies it up but it still won't erase the feeling of bleh I get from this story. Is this the end of this run of Star Wars comics? A lot of other Star Wars series have finished recently.
The Last Battle

By C S Lewis

5 stars

After building the lore and magic of Narnia C. S. Lewis brings it all to the bitter end. Although this series is associated with youth readers it has always had plenty for the older readers, and none more than this book. I've always liked the darker stories (Harry Potter just got better and better) and this one has it in spades. It's a beautiful allegory of the end of days and it illicits a grand feeling of completion (if you're read all of the books in the series) I hope beyond hopes that the rebooting movie series plays it to the end and adapts The Last Battle for the big screen.
The Heart of the Matter

By Dame Fiona Kidman

5 stars

Dame Fiona Kidman's Read NZ Te Pou Muramura Pānui. What a wonderful highlight reel of her connection to reading. Part history book, part advertisement for the reading programmes that exist, all entertainment.
The Walking Dead Deluxe 128

By Robert Kirkman

3 stars

Rick and his team are suspicious of the group they've just rescued. Is it paranoia? - I suspect so. Neegan is showing some remorse, seemingly creating a redemption arc, something inconceivable before the time jump. Not every episode can be action packed and introduce new characters, as this episode shows.
Star Wars - Legacy of Vader 12

By Charles Soule

1 stars

The finale of the series is dialogue heavy, but in a pretentious way. It feels like a rushed ending, trying hard to wrap it all up in a bow but strecthing credibility to the limit. The cover seems like a money-grab: Kylo Ren v. Darth Vader, but you open it up and it's basically a dream sequence. A fizzer of an ending for this series.
2000ad 2465

By Various

3 stars

Judge Dredd is building, the Mechanismo units are performing admirably but there's some hidden danger lurking. Herne & Shuck is weirding along. Judge Death is providing glimpses of how he came to be - the smile, the idea that people are the problem and even name-drops a beloved name from The Fall of Deadworld. Azimuth is taking a long time getting nowhere (is that the idea of a maze?!) This episode of The Discarded has some very 2-dimensional character moments. Overall all of the stories seem to be going nowhere fast.
Filmer

By H G Wells

3 stars

An enjoyable read for the wordsmithery, but for once the story lacks a kick.
The Star

By H G Wells

5 stars

Is this the first worldwide catastrophe telling? Sci-Fi at its best marrying thoughtful consideration of then-known science with hypothesised projections. H G Wells has done such a good job at extrapolating I cannot help but consider him a visionary. It is no wonder his tales are suitable for adaption to the big or small screen over a century and a quarter later.
The Crystal Egg

By H G Wells

5 stars

What fantastic Sci-Fi, and written in the 19th century to boot! Some consider this to be an early draft of War of the Worlds given the description of the Martian creatures, however I believe this is a direct prequel - part of the story. Furthermore, my first comparison was to the palantir from JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings world.
Opotiki's Upper Otara Valleys

By Lorna Aikman

5 stars

On Monday I took my mother and daughter to the remote town of Mōtū to show them where Mum's parents lived as children with their families, armed with research I had done writing our family history book. When picnicking at Mōtū Falls we had a chance encounter with a lady from Wairata. From my tramping trips following Te Kooti's footsteps I knew her family and even her house. Unbeknown to me was that her family had come from Mōtū and from Opotiki before that. Besides having a wealth of documents and some photographs of her family we discovered that our families had come from the same small valley systems in the Opotiki district, and that we both owned copies of this book by Lorna Aikman. This triggered me to read the book from cover to cover instead of only sections that were about my whanau. Reading the histories of all of the people who lived in the Te Waiti, Pakihi, and Tutaetoko valleys I appreciated that there were so many interesting stories for so many different people. Just as I am so deeply thankful that Lorna included some information about my whanau that I didn't previously know, I realised that all of these stories are so meaningful to so many people. Even for the ones who had no offspring, or whose descendants care not for their whakapapa there is a life to their stories. What an honour to be able to be part of this rememberance, and thank you Lorna for compiling this book.
Anna Finds a Friend

By Kate Egan

4 stars

A frozen prequel story that elicits interest because of its origin, but spins in some intrigue with a little surprise to create a bit of magic for young readers.
A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L'Engle

3 stars

The only reason I know about this book is from Stranger Things season 5. The multiple references to this book surprised me as I am the same age of the kids in the TV show, and this book was a seminal work for them - why didn't I know about it? My first thoughts was that, just like popular music, what is popular in the USA is not necessarily popular elsewhere. Going in I knew this book was for a younger audience, so the linear storyline, predictable plot progression, and bland characterisations were all understandable. A Wrinkle in Time does not compare favourably with The Halfmen of O trilogy in this respect, but does trump Maurice Gee's works on pseudo-science - a term I'd rather use than Sci-Fi as L'Engle's understanding of scientific principles as laid bare as rudimentary at best. Straight away I was jolted out of the fantasy when it was written that the two academically gifted parents had administered IQ tests on a pre-school son. Extra points for explaining higher dimensions using the squaring principles. As for the plot itself? Lots, and I mean LOTS, of parallels with season 5 of Stranger Things, it is obvious that the Duffer Brothers drew great inspiration from this book, NZ's own Nell Fisher did a fantastic job acting out the threads in common. Ultimately I ended up enjoying the Stranger Thing's adaptions of this book than the book itself - it's one of those rare times when the derivative work supplants the original. I have a controversial take on screen adaptions. It is my advice to watch a TV or movie adaption before reading the source material. Invariably a lot of the source material is omitted and adapted - if you don't know what's been changed you can't be annoyed about it! When you read the source material and find out so much more you get elated to a higher degree than the on-screenb adaption. Stranger Things is not an adaption of this book, but my hypothesis holds true - if I had read this book first I would've anticipated some of the TV show which would have lowered my enjoyment. I'm glad I read this book after the Stranger Things finale. Unfortunately, by doing that, the bar was set too high for the book, my rating reflecting that.
Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons - The Rise of Hellfire

By Jody Houser, Eric Campbell

5 stars

The 2nd D&D crossover is even more integrated into the TV series plot - there was a whole season on Hellfire. This story is an unashamed advertisment for D&D, but plays on the emotion of playing, comraderie, and rejecting negative influences - great positive stuff. The story-telling format is interesting as well, sharing time between the original Hellfire of the late 1970's and the 1983 version featuring the TV series protagonists. The star of this series is Eddie,just as he was the star of the 4th season of Stranger Things - stick with a winning formula, and Eddie Munson definitely works.
Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons

By Jody Houser, Jim Zub

3 stars

I hadn't considered it before seeing this comic series - do TV series have to pay any sort of licensing fee to name drop a game? To be honest, name dropping is not what Stranger Things did for D&D, D&D is intertwined with the whole premise of Stranger Things. The next question is wondering which os the two franchises; Stranger Things and D&D, came up with the plan to have a collaboration comic series? This is no ordinary crossover. The two go hand-in-hand, as does the integration of D&D into this story. The dryness of the storyline is what gets a 3.5 (if I could rate that) The way this story fills some blanks and explores the inner feelings of members of the Stranger Things gang is a real positive - it's a meaningful 'crossover' - hallelujah.
Stranger Things - Tales from Hawkins 2 #4

By Derek Fridolfs

3 stars

The artwork detracts from a mediocre story about bit-characters which I'm just not invested in. Adds a bit more background to events from the TV series.
Stranger Things - Tales from Hawkins 2 #3

By Derek Fridolfs

5 stars

Didn't like this character in the TV show, this backstory and the revelations don't do anything to change my initia assessment. Just to clarify, having the Russian heavy is needed for the plot, it's just I don't like what a **ck he is.
Stranger Things - Tales from Hawkins 2 #2

By Derek Fridolfs

4 stars

This story is set post season 1, when Will was developing as an agent of The Mindflayer, but doesn't touch on that facet. What it does do is delve into the emotional impact of being in both worlds. Loved the surprise reveal at the end.
Stranger Things - Tales from Hawkins 2 #1

By Derek Fridolfs

4 stars

For a story that predates important character learning (in the TV series), this story gets it all right. Mr. Clarke, the ladies man, stars in all of his quirkines.
Stranger Things - Tales from Hawkins

By Jody Houser

4 stars

A collection of world-building stories from someone other than Greg Pak. Jody Houser has done a fantastic job of adding value to the franchise.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles + Stranger Things

By Cameron Chittock

2 stars

Each franchise build its own world and gets its unique feeling. Stranger Things looks to have done this with major input from Greg Pak. Crossovers rarely work. 2 different feelings, one writer who is often more familiar with one franchise than the other. What doesn't help this effort is necessitating changing location which subsequently leads to breaking Stranger Things canon (admittedly canon that was established in 2025, some 2 years after this effort). This took me out of the Stranger Things word.
Stranger Things - Afterschool Adventures Omnibus

By Greg Pak, Danny Lore

4 stars

Danny Lore was lead for 'Erica the Great', which explains why this story was of less interest to me. Greg Pak continues his glorious work in fleshing out the Stranger Things world, this time focussing on Will's trauma, and the even more interesting psychological effects on the builies from Season 1. I'm sure rewatching the TV series will be better after reading these stories.
2000ad 2464

By Various

5 stars

The big Judge Dredd story is starting. A change of Chief Judge, reinstatement of Mechanismo units - it's already got an epic feel to it, my bet is the Maitland arc is going to roll into it too. The Judge Mortis backstory one-off is excellent. Azimuth goes nowhere, and Herne & Shuck (not my favourite story) do New Zealand dirty.
Star Wars - Hyperspace Stories - Tides of Terror 4

By George Mann

3 stars

Made for a younger audience, the story is predictable. That's not to say it isn't enjoyable, just that there is no real depth to this arc - no meaningful additions to canon.
Star Wars - Han Solo - Hunt for the Falcon

By Rodney Barnes

3 stars

Ending with a bit of a whimper, this story gets the pieces back to where they need to be for the sequel trilogy as we knew it would have to. The high point is the insight into Han's regrets which makes his story arc in The Force Awakens even more tragic.
Stranger Things - Omnibus Volume 2

By Greg Pak et al

5 stars

More stories to flesh out the Stranger Worlds world(s), giving more depth to the characters we already know and back-story to events and characters.
Stranger Things - Omnibus Volume 1

By Jody Houser, Greg Pak

5 stars

After watching the Stranger Things finale on Netflix I finally let myself read some of the comics. The hope was that there would be little bits of extra information. I didn't realise that all comic content is complementary to the TV show - it's all new content! Greg Pak works his magic again with content that is extra to what had already been released, yet doesn't bust any continuity of the later seasons of the show - I wonder if the Duffer brothers wrote the show around the graphic novel content? Wow, just wow, all new content - I love it.
Ella Diaries - Pony School Showdown

By Costain Meredith

3 stars

Hmmm, there's a lot to like in these stories but the negatives are starting to worry me. The title gives a little away - Pony School Showdown, it's about a conflict. That in itself is not a bad thing, but Ella's attitude is not ideal, perpetuating a rivalry when she seems to be the antagonist. Although those made-up words might be realistic, I am having to explain which words are real or not - I'd rather not have to do that.
Star Wars - The High Republic - Adventures Volume V

By Daniel Jose Older

2 stars

How did it end? The Blight - what Blight? The Nameless? - it was already done. The Battle of Eriadu? - it....ended. No surprises, no great learnings, really just a feeling of nothingness. One feeling I have is gladness - I don't have to worry about this story ever again.
Star Wars - The High Republic - Adventures Volume IV

By Daniel Jose Older & Alyssa Wong

3 stars

Some action at last. Concentrating on the battle of Eriadu there is a modicon of intensity in that we have seen a 'good guys' lose before in this arc - alas, there is no great conclusion...yet.
Star Wars - The High Republic - Adventures - Echoes of Fear

By George Mann

3 stars

Finally, a side quest which only tentatively ties back to the Nihil story line - and it's written by someone different. Like all High Republic story arcs it portrays the Jedi as childishly flawed, which is a bugbear of mine - secretly watching a nd then acting on a Sith holycron, what a juvenile thing for members of such an enlightened and benevolent group to do.
STar Wars - The High Republic - Adventures - Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone

By Daniel Jose Older

2 stars

The continuation of the Nihil arc with the narrative explained through a series of short(ish) stories, each drawn by different artists. My interest in this arc is waning with a lack of interest in the main characters and a story arc that quickly goes nowhere.
Star Wars - Hyperspace Stories - Library Edition Volume 1

By Various

2 stars

It's a strange way to tie 11 different stories together; a stuffed toy. Perhaps it was something to do with target audience as the writing is not to the level found in the main Star Wars stories. The writing is weak, with many out-of-character moments, and there's another problem: the art. With less words than novel it is important that each panel conveys a lot of information. This is harder to achieve when the artwork looks rushed and at a lower-than-ptofessional level.
Star Wars - The High Republic - The Edge of Balance volume 4

By Shima Shinya & Daniel Jose Older

2 stars

Reading this feels like doind a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces don't fit together, and when they do the pictures don't line up. Where's the connection between the Nihil and the Blight? Dealing with The Nameless in this volume is completely at odds with that of Premonition. It's difficult to stay engaged when these disparities exist.
Star Wars - The High Republic - The Edge of Balance - Premonition

By Daniel Jose Older

3 stars

It's hard for me to read Manga, I always associate the artwork with nonsensical storylines. You might think me fears were unfounded when the writer is from the USA however I have experience with this writer and IDW comics and know that his stories can be difficult to follow. Certainly Daniel Jose Older puts his stamp on this work, but the storyline isn't as whacky as it might be and I could (mostly) follow it. Nonetheless I can see why this series is difficult to obtain, it wouldn't appeal to the casual Star Wars fan.
Star Wars - Hyperspace Stories - The Bad Batch - Rogue Agents 1

By Michael Moreci

4 stars

Dark Horse has found a way back into the franchised Star Wars graphic novel providers list by taking a yung reader niche. Here they are pushing the envelope by creating work based on one of the animated series - The Bad Batch. The writer whole-heartedlt captures the zietgeist of The Bad Batch including the lean into serious Star Wars, where the stories are intertwined and even pivotal to the plot of established canon. Had no idea this was on the drawing board - what a great New Year's surprise.
Star Wars - Boba Fett - Black, White & Red 4

By Alyssa Wong

4 stars

It's a strange thing to do, start a series with a weak entry (maybe it wasn't intentional) but there's nothing unusual about ending on a bang. Alyssa Wong is drafted in and she lifts the quality immediately. This isn't just a name-dropping nostalgia call-back, it questions the morals of bounty-hunting and hints at the conflict within for Boba Fett. A much improved entry in the series.
Star Wars - Boba Fett - Black, White & Red 1

By Benjamin Percy

3 stars

Methinks the impressive black, white & red concept (all art is in black & red) is used to oversell underwhelming stories. Nothing particularly grabbed me in this one.
Ella Diaries - Friends Not Forever

By Costain Meredith

3 stars

The message in this one is to not be like Ella. Sure, I can tell my girl to not behave like Ella, but she didn't get that by herself - showing that this could be a risky one to give to a child.
Two Places to Call Home

By Phil Earle

4 stars

A straight-forward message for children from a broken home.
The Spaceman

By Randy Cecil

5 stars

What a surprising book. Is it for kids? yes, but it's something more. It made me think about stopping to smell the roses, making pivotal life choices, and re-evaluating first perceptions.
Mr. Luke's Magic Library - Ocean Adventure

By Luke Springer

3 stars

Okay, it is a classic-format kids book aimed at my girl's age bracket, with rhyming lines that keep a constant metre. You'd think that would mean a good score, but not this time. It's my opinion that this book is below MY 6-year-old's comprehension level. At best it is boring, at worst patronising, I'll be aiming much higher when it comes to selecting library books from now.
The King with Dirty Feet

By Sally Pomme Clayton

5 stars

A moral tale of the invention of shoes which opens the conversation to the stories of King Sheram and the Four Pests Campaign - great entertaining and educational diversions which get young minds thinking.
Star Wars 8

By Alex Segura

5 stars

It seems obvious that the best Star Wars stories, those which have the most complete intertwining of the arcs between the trilogies and other canon, are saved for the titular anthology. Even though Star Wars fandom is divergently opinionated I feel everyone will enjoy the thought and effort the gets invested in this series.
Exactly

By Simon Winchester

5 stars

If I hadn't been recommended this book I wouldn't have read it - 'How precision engineers created the modern world' is not exactly attention grabbing. With my history in compliance the material is interesting, and the author has done a stirling job at building a world around the technological advances: a bit about this person, a bit about this disaster, a bit about what was happening at the time. The real attraction is the way that the author writes. Much akin to H. G. Wells, the book is written with vernacular you don't see nowadays. It's refreshing that I had to stop and consider the words and their meanings (and context). Great evening reader when I was out of town.
Ella Diaries - Wedding Belles

By Meredith Costain

4 stars

Another book guiding my daughter's moral compass. I only wish they didn't use made up words - yes, I know it's written from the perspective of a girl writing in her diary which means it has her spelling ability, however made up words are difficult to explain to a 6-year-old.
Ella and Olivia - Secret Santa Stop

By Yvette Poshoglian

4 stars

I'm liking this series of books. My 6-year old and I take turn reading passages so she can try by herself, then hear any corrections I make when I read it. What really impresses me is the moral side of these stories - they aren't absolutely cookie-cutter morals, the protagonists aren't always right. It leaves the reader to discern what would be the best course of action - it's real world decision making.
Judge Dredd Megazine 487

By Various

4 stars

The Christmas Judge Dredd story nibbles at Judge Dredd's growing humanity. In Judge Anderson, it appears Cassie is fighting an old adversary. Dreadnoughts is filling out all of the dynamics of chnging the legal system to Judges. Megatropolis is being awesome with it's alternative universe Judge Dredd intrigue. Armitage is being too British for me - their judges are more like the current British police. Overall it's a good read making me look forward to the resumptio in stories after the Christmas break (except Rok the God of course)
2000AD 2463

By Various

4 stars

A quaint Judge Dredd story featuring call-backs to The Adventures of Tintin, Asterix the Gaul, and Paddington Bear. A huge one-off for Azimuth, the masterful melding together of Sinister & Dexter and Judge Anderson, with a fantastic bit of reverance to Arthur Ranson. World building of the highest quality a la Boyhood of a Superfiend for Judge Death. An interlude episode for Strontium Dog featuring that relationship dynamic with Sidney (RIP). A strangly satisfying conclusion to Rogue Trooper's Ghost Patrol, managing to dig itself out a hole. A great extra-length introduction to The Discarded - please don't be a 2-episode flash-in-the-pan. Although there were 2 stories of no signifiocance, these others keep my score lofty.
Star Wars - Jedi Knights 10

By Marc Guggenheim

4 stars

A satisfying conclusion shedding light on the master/padawan relationships of Count Dooku/Qui Gon/Obi Wan and building on the enlighteneing back story started in Tales of the Jedi.
The Walking Dead 127

By Robert Kirkman

5 stars

Did The Walking Dead start the new season time jump trope? They certainly executed it well, using it to properly introduce some new characters, allowing the spotlight to linger so there's character buy-in. Leaves you wanting to know more about the new world. The Small Bites mini is a great way to give a different perspective on the same story - I wonder how many skipped it thinking it was a children's version? - their mistake.
Star Wars - Doctor Aphra - Friends and Enemies

By Alyssa Wong, Justina Ireland

4 stars

Doctor Aphra is no Mary Sue. An instant hit amongst fandom, considerable effort has gone into building a backstory and fleshing out a brilliantly designed character. This omnibus is big on building her universe.
Star Wars - Darth Vader - Vader Down

By Keiron Gillen & Jason Aaron

5 stars

When Marvel rebooted the Star Wars series they wisely brought back Doctor Aphra, who is the star of this compilation - bring her to the small screen!
Star Wars - Tales from the Nightlands 3

By Cavan Scott

3 stars

Highbrow mystism in Star Wars form. A weak short story adding unnecessary new lore to canon and featurig the weakest of the sequal series' new characters. At least it is finished now.
Star Wars - Hyperspace Stories - Codebreaker 4 - In The Banshee's Crosshairs

By Ethan Sacks

3 stars

The finale is mildly entertaining, but obviously written for a younger audience, at least that's my take of the 2-dimensional character writing and inexplicable character decisions which serve no purpose but to advance the plot.
2000ad 2462

By Various

4 stars

'Judge Dredd' finishes it's story with anticipation of a major catastrophy arc. A benign 'Future Shock'. 'Deadtown' ends! What a fantastic premise, and scope to expand, why oh why only do 2 parts? 'Rogue Trooper's arc takes another unpredictable turn. The 'Ghost Ship' arc must be about to end as I've seen the compilation advertised for sale.
Star Wars - Han Solo - Hunt for the Falcon 4

By Rodney Barnes

4 stars

This is how you connect the sequel series to canon. There are call backs, but only fleeting, and that's missing the point - those memories are heightening the emotional stakes. Solid writing by an author who understands the characters.
Chopper - Wandering Spirit

By David Baillie, Al Ewing et al

1 stars

The earlier work with Marlon Shakespeare was super-inspired, hell, I had a Garage Project beer with Chopper on the can art! Talk about falling off a cliff, John Wagner, creator of Chopper, has admitted he should have died at Supersurf 11. This compilation is of storylines in Oz and is penned & drawn by Ewing & McCarthy, best suited for the psychedelic wierdness they've produced before. Taking songlines further than the wierdest dreamtime you could ever imagine. A contender for 0 stars.
Ella Diaries: Dreams Come True

By Meredith Costain

4 stars

Got this one from the library for me to read to my 6-year-old , but she read it through by herself over 4 days. I have read it to her over the last few nights, helping her with some of the words she found trickier. Written for 7+ year-olds I found it entertaining, more appropriate for the age group than Adrian Mole.
Essential Judge Dredd - Tour of Duty Book Three

By John Wagner et al

5 stars

Wow. he Hershey/Fransisco/Sinfeld story finally winds up, and how. Magnificent writing from JD creator, John Wagner, he even found a way to weave PJ Maybe into the web. Fantastic.
Essential Judge Dredd - Tour of Duty Book Two

By John Wagner et al

5 stars

It's brilliant how the political drama is interweaved with action arcs. John Wagner proves why he is king at writing Judge Dredd's long-term storylines.
Essential Judge Anderson - Satan

By Alan Grant

3 stars

Only 'Satan' stands out of the stories in this compilation. Gripping as the premise may be, the story falls short due to its lame ending - too much dialogue, and then an ending which is explained away in a sentence a la "somehow, the emperor returned".
Essential Judge Death - My Name Is Death

By John Wagner

5 stars

In the world of Judge Dredd there is no bigger villain than Judge Death. This compilation starts with the fantastic 'Boyhood of a Superfiend' which draws huge parallels with the anti-hero Judge Dredd, but also illicits some sort of empathy for a cold-blooded killer. The introduction of Mrs. Gunderson is almost a show-stealer! It's no small surprise she stars again in subsequent short-stories.
Essential Judge Anderson - Childhood's End

By Alan Grant

4 stars

The injection of Orlok can't imprrove the overly existential 'Childhood's End', and the bi reveal epilogue is pretty lame. Alan Grant proves why John Wagner is the best writer in the Judge Dredd universe. What picks this compilation up are the Judge Death-related short stories.
Devlin Waugh - The Reckoning

By Aleš Kot

2 stars

Initial volumes about Devlin Waugh, the whacky, camp vampire detective of the supernatural, are all about fun fighting evil creatures. They were mildly entertaining. This collection of stories devolves into absolute wierdness, I found my attention wandering and no great amount of satisfaction. If there's another anthology volume I'm not sure I'll read it.
Strontium Dog - Search & Destroy 4

By John Wagner, Alan Grant, et al

5 stars

Plenty of great sci-fi bounty hunter short stories here, but where this volume shines is 'The Moses Incident' which shows us the heart behind the clinical hunter. Emotionally draining from the horrific empathy, Strontium Dog is moving up levels.
Strontium Dog - Search & Destroy 3

By John Wagner, Alan Grant, et al

5 stars

While the short stories are of high quality, the real star is the fantastic 'Portrait of a Mutant'. If Strontium Dog was being made into a TV series then Potrait of a Mutant would be the opening mini-series. Initially I thought the text stories were cheesy, but upgraded my opinion when I realised they are draft stories never developed (and improved) so accepted the flaws.
Sláine Volume 1

By Pat Mills

5 stars

It may come across as two-faced of me to downplay Thistlebone but then rate this fantasy storyline - Slaine, so much higher. Slaine pulls off a sweet mix of comedy, violence, and moral ambivalence. Ukko, who can forget about Ukko!
The Walking Dead Deluxe 126

By Robert Kirkman

5 stars

One of the most significant deviations from the TV series occurs in this episode (rather, where the TV series deviates from the original material) Although the TV version is great, surpassing this content in terms of surprise, the original has a far more satisfying reveal of Dwight's change in heart. The Letters section is awesome, revealingt how fans of the originals reacted, and the Cutting Floor section has soom surprising reveals about what could have been.
Nemesis the Warlock Volume 3 - The Vengeance of Thoth

By Pat Mills

4 stars

Following 'The Trial of Thoth', which conicides with the last artwork of Bryan Talbot on Nemesis, the story tapers off into snippets of inconsistent work. Still, 'The Vengeance of Thoth' is top quality Nemesis. A great place for the casual reader to sign off.
Nemesis the Warlock Volume 2 - The Gothic Empire

By Pat Mills

5 stars

The pinacle of Nemesis is reached in 'The Gothic Empire', when the ABC Warriors become canon, Purity Brown comes into her own, and even Candida becomes a respected character. 1983 and an overtly Steampunk story, 4 years before the word 'Steampunk' is recorded anywhere - did it all come from Nemesis?
Nemesis the Warlock Volume 1

By Pat Mills

4 stars

It is fascinating to watch the evolution of the story from 'Terror Tube' - a one-off sci-fi story that introduced the Termight Empire, to a full-blown story arc of Nemesis the Warlock. Let's be honest though, the antogonist, Torquemada, steals the show even if he embodies all of the worst of the crusades and Spanish inquisition.
Thistlebone Book 3 - The Dule Tree

By T. C. Eglington

2 stars

Another retelling of the same curse, with the outcome well predictable. The premise of a movie being filmed at the tree makes a difference, but when it's the same situation atthe same place for the third time....
Thistlebone Book 2 - Poisoned Roots

By T. C. Eglington

3 stars

A fantasy story which would make a fine TV series, but for who? The Celtic horror theme would have limited appeal, and the convoluted underlying plot would be a detterent. Excellent art, which helps the reading - though I feel I'm only reading it for completion's sake.
Rogue Trooper - The Complete Collection 3

By Gerry Finley-Day, Peter Milligan, Pat Mills, Simon Geller

3 stars

Losing it's way, Rogue Trooper moves offworld and introduces settings which are quickly assigned to non-canon realms. Peter Milligan and Pat Mills assert their styles and take away from the character that we've grown to love.
Ross Taylor: Black & White

By Paul Thomas

4 stars

Although the book is officially a biography, it should be an autobiography as the bulk of the book is direct quotes and slightly changed transcriptions of interviews. Through reading this book I gained a valuable perspective of some of NZ Cricket's most polarising incidents, and affirmed many of the assumptions and opinions I, as an outsider, had formed.
Rogue Trooper - The Complete Collection 2

By Gerry Finley-Day, Alan Moore, Steve Macmanus

3 stars

Adding Venus Bluegenes to the character list was a real positive, but the divergence of storylines from the hunt for the traitor general takes a bit away from the feel of Rogue Trooper.
Rogue Trooper - The Complete Collection 1

By Gerry Finley-Day, Alan Moore

4 stars

What better way to prepare for the upcoming theatrical debut for one of 2000ad's most beloved characters than rereading the stories that started it all. Gerry Finley-Day's magic mix of getting the reader instantly hooked while world building at the same time is potent. Alan Moore's efforts (RIP) fit seamlessly. Genetically engineered super-soldiers in a hell-ish environment, what a premise in the early '80's.
Star Wars - Legacy of Vader 11

By Charles Soule

2 stars

The continuation of a story arc trying to generate buy-in to the sequel trilogy. Fan service may be a legitimate pathway (at times) to success, but this episode manages to snuff out one of the tethers the arc had to the Darth Vader Marvel II storyline.
Greg the Sausage Roll: Wish You Were Here

By Mark & Roxanne Hoyle

3 stars

Greg the Sausage Roll goes on a fanciful adventure. Read as a bedtime story, the book illicited too much excitement which wasn't the best thing for settling a 6 year old.
2000AD prog 2461

By Various

4 stars

The Judge Dredd arc is tying in multiple recent storylines, shaping to be an epic. New story 'Deadtown' immediately hooks with an interesting take on zombies that draws parallels with bigotry. The Rogue Trooper story has lost some direction. Brass Sun's finale leaves me wanting more - an understated cliff-hanger.

7 - 0 - 1

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Gisborne Boys' High School

32,156 pages read and 4,956 team points

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