Happy! Volume 1: Grant Morrison, Darick Robertson, Richard P. Clark, Tony Avina, and Simon Bowland

By Tracy -


Release Date - May 2013

Grant Morrison
Darick Robertson
Richard P. Clark
Tony Avina
Simon Bowland
Image Comics

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Nick Sax lost his job as a cop and now makes a living as a hit man. His problems with alcohol become the least of his issues when a hit goes wrong and both the mob and police are hot on his tail. Worse, there's a flying blue horse named Happy that keeps appearing to Nick saying that a little girl desperately needs his help. Nick knows one thing, as much as he wants Happy to disappear, Happy is equally determined to get Nick to save the day.

There are things I loved about Happy! and many of them extend beyond the actual story. Nick Sax is a dark man with many issues and many skeletons in his closet. In panels with Nick, the mood is captured perfect with darker drawings. Then Happy arrives and the little horse brings in bursts of color.

The drawings are amazing. They can be quite bloody from time to time, but that fits the story. This is not a pretty story and Nick is a smart, yet cunning killer who gets the job done when he has to. Images of brains being blown out must have taken the creators hours to draw. The talent shines through.

The story is just as good. It is definitely a crime story with a dark feel.I can't say I liked Nick at first. He's a killer and a drunk and I do have issues with people who drink excessively. I've seen them ruin far too many families. Happy adds humor that helps lighten the mood from time to time, but one things starts to become clear, Nick truly does have a human, emotional side and when it came into play, I really became attached to his character.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

By Tracy -
Image
 Release Date - October 6, 2020 If there's one thing I needed right now, it was something light and fun. Between news stories, family health matters, the ongoing pandemic, and the topics I research for work, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. In a Holidaze was a heavy dose of exactly what I needed. Rush to get your hands on this engaging holiday romance. College friends gather with their families every year for the holidays. Maelyn Jones, her parents, and her younger brother are back for another gathering, but this year is different. They learn that the Hollis family is going to sell their vacation home. Mae's already having a tough time with a job that's not what she expected. She's never told Andrew Hollis how she really feels about him. After learning this could be their last Christmas together, her family is in a car crash. She wakes up on the plane days earlier with Christmas week ahead of her. Something is going on. December 21st keeps happening over and over
Read more

Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books

By Tracy -
With the holidays approaching faster than many of us would like, it's time for Chronicle Books "Happy Haul-idays" contest. For those who didn't hear of this amazing festivity last year, Chronicle awards one lucky reader and one lucky book review blogger with the chance to win $500 in books. This year, they're adding a third winner - the blogger chooses a favorite charity to receive $500 in free books. Most children and adults love books, so if you're anything like me, the thought of $500 in free books is enough to make me giddy! However, I learned about 10 years ago that not every child receives encouragement to read. My neighbor's son was 10 years old and had bounced from school to school without learning how to read more than toddler books. His reading and spelling skills were atrocious. By spending a lot of time in our house surrounded by books, he discovered Gary Paulsen's books and developed a passion for reading. The Children's Literacy Fou
Read more

The Nesting by C. J. Cooke

By Tracy -
Image
 Release Date - September 29, 2020 Following a suicide attempt, Lexi Ellis isn't sure what to do next. Her relationship is over. She needs a place to stay, a job, and a new start. When she overhears a woman and her friend discussing a live-in nanny position in Norway, Lexi listens in. The woman doesn't want the job, so Lexi snaps a picture of the woman's CV and job inquiry and poses as that woman. She never expects to land the job, but that's exactly what happens. Tom Faraday is an architect who is working on his late wife's dream cliffside home. She died tragically, but he can't let her dream end. He needs a nanny to help their daughters, and Lexi seems like the perfect fit. After all, Lexi finds herself enamored by the two young girls and a mother figure is exactly what the little girls need.  It doesn't take long before Lexi realizes there is a serious problem. Young Gaia keeps seeing a "sad lady" haunting the home. Lexi finds muddy footprin
Read more