Scan barcode
johnnyideaseed's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
dryden's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
markcdickson's review
5.0
An absolutely stellar collection of stories. I could talk forever about how much I enjoyed every second of this.
Despite jumping into the middle of Marla Drake's adventures - and how many of the antagonists are faceless mobster goons - it's surprising how quickly and intensely you get caught up in the adventures. Not much time is spent with Marla Drake (and even less is spent with her in costume) but it's an engaging story throughout.
As the foreword so aptly forewarns, Tarpe Mills loves her villains. More time is spent showing you the lives of the villains "behind the curtain" that you might argue that you understand them more than the titular hero. However, allowing this level of dramatic irony builds the anticipation for the moment when Marla eventually does get involved because of how shrewdly she puts the pieces together.
The art itself is so gorgeous from start to finish, you start to forget that she was putting this out on a consistent weekly basis for many years. The level of emotional expression makes everyone feel three-dimensional in behaviours as well as presence; also, the sense of fashion is unparalleled.
The only real criticism that I have of this book is that it was finite. The foibles of living a mortal life, I guess.
Despite jumping into the middle of Marla Drake's adventures - and how many of the antagonists are faceless mobster goons - it's surprising how quickly and intensely you get caught up in the adventures. Not much time is spent with Marla Drake (and even less is spent with her in costume) but it's an engaging story throughout.
As the foreword so aptly forewarns, Tarpe Mills loves her villains. More time is spent showing you the lives of the villains "behind the curtain" that you might argue that you understand them more than the titular hero. However, allowing this level of dramatic irony builds the anticipation for the moment when Marla eventually does get involved because of how shrewdly she puts the pieces together.
The art itself is so gorgeous from start to finish, you start to forget that she was putting this out on a consistent weekly basis for many years. The level of emotional expression makes everyone feel three-dimensional in behaviours as well as presence; also, the sense of fashion is unparalleled.
The only real criticism that I have of this book is that it was finite. The foibles of living a mortal life, I guess.
More...