Really enjoyed this one! It played with werewolves

and vampires in a fun way. it even managed to get a bit dark, when one of the vampires manipulated Artie.

I absolutely loved the all Black werewolf town/pack. And the wolf daddy even had a durag! Y'all I'm out. You can tell this story was truly made with love.

I was definitely be down to see more adventures with Artie, but this is also a fitting end.

The artwork was beautiful, just lovely and colorful. I enjoyed Vonceil and the close sibling relationship despite a large age gap. It reminded me of my brother and I; very close but we're 6 years apart.

In addition, Vonceil had a lot of agency, determination, and a fun adventure. She had to save the day due to her raggedy brother's actions. The witches in this story aren't the typical ones either. Overall, fun, creepy, and whimsical.

One nitpick I thought the ending was perfect

with older Vonceil meeting Dee's daughter

, then they added a few more pages that made things confusing. 

+ High stakes! There’s serious tension that things may not end up happily ever after.

+ The kids really ran the spotlight this time. They had full agency and had little assistance from the adults this time.

+ Parents have big enough hearts for all their kids.

Maya’s papa had a previous family that was slaughtered by the Lord of Shadows. In this book, we find out one of the kids survived, and the child and Maya learn there’s enough room for both of them.

+ The Darkbringers get some complexity here. Everything isn’t black and white.

+ The book doesn’t sugarcoat death, violence, or war.

+ New character Zeran

+ Ghost army! 

+ Another cover from GDbee!

o This is very plot-driven, so if you like connecting with characters, it may not interest you.

- Unfortunately, my same complaint from book 1 is here. Frankie and Eli are so utterly boring. Eli has his love for the paranormal and unfunny jokes and Frankie is super smart. Okay. You could replace these two with cardboard cutouts and miss nothing.

- Maya was dry here. We, understandably, only feel her terror for her papa. But, at times, it feels she’s just reacting to what’s happening

- Zeran, who I liked, feels very tropey. But again, tropes aren’t bad it’s how you used them.

- the writing style was bit bland and the pacing felt verrry slow

- Too many godlings. It’s been a while since the first book, but it’s like everyone and they mama got powers now.

Of course, I definitely acknowledge I’m not the target audience here.

 This series is still fun! I’ve never seen a (subverted) suicide attempt end in such a goofy, heartwarming way. A lot of the stories admonish desiring someone who loves all of you even the YOU on your period. c: 

In this volume, we finally get when the character “wants” their period to come.

pregnancy scare and even contemplating abortion!

 

The scribbly, quirky art style adds to the charm. 

5 point deduction: I enjoyed the RPG couple, showing “the after of happily ever after,” when they got used to their marriage. But

‘ol boy seemed like he had every intention to cheat before that monster came.

Despite that, the aftermath was sweet. 

This was … really boring. I don’t know if things were lost in translation, or maybe I’m missing a deeper meaning. 

Here, the cat isn’t the main focus and just pops in from time to time. The brunt of this volume were rumors of a marriage conversation and the older dusty men trying to convince a young man not to marry a woman because she may inherit her mother’s huge, toucan-like nose. The jokes about this lady’s nose got old quickly. The ending was a bit of a downer but strangely fitting.

On the positive side, the artwork was nice.

 I love the artwork, and Creepy Cat is effectively creepy! There’s something very unsettling about Creepy Cat and its friends that feels tangible. 

A rare “slice of life” story that wields horror and humor well. As someone who usually hate horror, I’m intrigued. I think everything’s hinting toward a bigger story. The "policeman who loves Flora" jokes do get repetitive since they all end the same.

People who read Webtoons or 4koma will be familiar with and enjoy the format, but those who are used to linear comics may take time to acclimate. 

 I really enjoyed reading this. The story and the spunkiness of Honoree grabbed me from the first few pages and never let me go. We got married too, by the way.

The history was rich and seamlessly weaved in. I thought the slang and 20's terminology was good though did they have the f-bomb back then, idk. In some stories, it can feel like they're info-dumping the time-period's slang. I didn't feel that way here.

I also enjoyed all the main characters and their complexities. Even Trudy, who wasn't the typical mean girl. Eziekel annoyed me but had me rooting for him all at the same time.

If I have a nitpick, Sawyer's struggle with guilt and

and depression

seemed to magically disappear after a few talks with Honoree. But maybe he just needed to be true to himself. I don't know why Ms Kent liked him. I also always feel weird when the fictional characters meet real-life historical figures. How am I supposed to know if they're in character lol.

CW: colorist remarks, death, attempted sexual assault 

This was set in 1885, but you must have some suspension of disbelief. Mei’s multiracial community is a bit of an outlier, where everyone mostly gets along, until microaggressions which later turns to racism ruins things. Mei tries to cope with things by imagining an all-powerful “Auntie Po” as a deity who protects her community and lifts the kids’ spirits.

Also, Mei and her friendship to Bee was so wholesome. It is hinted Mei may be gay or at least has a crush on Bee, and I thought that was portrayed very well. 

Overall, this was really engaging and, even emotional at some points. 

The author's note turned me off.  It dampened my enjoyment slightly.

the author acknowledges how integral Native Americans/the various indigenous nations in the US were integral to the logging industry, but chose not to include them. I agree I don't think the author should've tried to write from the perspective of a native person in that time, but it feels like a missed opportunity not to include at least a reference or acknowledgement in story. As simple as "There used to be a log mill operated by people of __ nation. But they were ran off/killed/fired/replaced/etc.

and with the claim Black people/African -Americans were complicit in taking indigenous land. Ho, the enslaved and descendants of the enslaved did not asked to come here. that is not the same. redirect that to the slave masters who brought them to stolen land. kay, bye