This is the third volume of the fantastic Assassination Classroom manga and, in my opinion, is the installment where it goes from being “very good” to being “absolutely amazing!” So, I definitely suggest picking it up if you read the first two. Do bear in mind that this review will contain spoilers for the first two volumes.

So, as you may remember, the last volume ended with Kayano and Kanzaki being kidnapped by some thugs during a school trip. This, I felt, was a real turning point for the ongoing story, because it was then that it was clear that they’re actually going to deal with some fairly dark subject matter, even if the general premise of a tentacled smiley face teacher who wants to blow up the world is rather absurd. Seeing this story resolved was very enjoyable for me.

It’s not just the drama that I enjoy, though. Volume 3 has some really nice, lighthearted moments. In particular, I am referring to the fact that we get to see the boys and girls gossiping in their dorms during the trip and Koro-sensei is keen to be involved. It probably sounds a bit boring without me actually telling you what happens, but trust me, it’s quite funny and it makes Koro-sensei even more endearing to me.

We’re also introduced to a new character: Ritsu, a new transfer student. She’s actually one of my favourite characters, but she’s… a little unusual. I wouldn’t like to reveal too much about her, as the surprise is quite exciting. Anyway, I really like her and think that she has a lovely little story arc in these chapters (which is also a little bit sad.)

This volume doesn’t leave us on quite as much of a cliffhanger, but I don’t think that really matters. Volume 3 is superb and sees the story coming into its own (if that makes sense.) I highly recommend it.

Rating: 9/10

Buy it here.

Mary McDonough is best known for her role as Erin Walton in The Waltons, which just happens to be one of my favourite TV shows. I was very fortunate, in that I was able to attend a book signing and meet her (along with Michael Learned) but this is a review of the book and you can read about that experience in my previous blog post.

So, what is this book about? Well, it focuses on three generations of women within the large Fitzgibbon family, who live in a small town called Oliver’s Well. The story mostly centres around Alexis who has just married PJ (one of the younger Fitzgibbons.) She struggles to adapt to life as part of a large family and we get to see how it effects her and her relationship with her husband.

I don’t want to spoil the storyline, but essentially there’s conflict between certain members of the family. What I was extremely impressed by, was the fact that the book doesn’t tell you who’s right and who’s wrong and instead leaves you to decide for yourself. I found this to be very true to life. A lot of stories have an obvious bad guy when it comes to conflict, and that’s fine, but the way that it’s handled in One Year feels very much like you’re reading something which could be true. Some of the arguments were downright uncomfortable, because they were so real.

A particularly interesting character is Mary Bernadette Fitzgibbon (PJ’s grandmother) who is in her 80s, a devout Catholic and very strict. At times, you’ll think that she’s just a very nasty and self-righteous person – but other times, you’ll find that she’s actually a lot more sympathetic than that. She, like every other character in the book, is very fleshed out and three dimensional.

I was also very fond of Megan, who’s PJ’s mother. You know how sometimes there are characters in books who are just really nice and really likeable? Well, that was Megan in this book. Her interactions with Mary Bernadette, a woman who’s very different to her, were some of my favourites aspects of the book.

Something I was particularly fond of, was the book’s focus on the women in the family. Usually these kinds of stories will have a strong focus on the sons, fathers and grandfathers and how they bring the family together during hard times. In this book, the focus is on the women (not that the men don’t play significant roles) and it was nice to have such a strong, female perspective.

One thing I’d like to add, is that I especially enjoyed reading it as a fan of The Waltons. There are no overt connections to the show and it definitely has its own identity, but it has a similar sort of tone and there were a few moments and characters who strongly reminded me of certain Waltons elements. Fans should definitely give the book a read.

I suppose the only real negative thing I can say, is that it takes a little while to get to grips with who everybody is. There are a lot of characters and it can be a bit hard to keep track of at first. One chapter was basically just introducing a long list of people and I’d say that it was kind of boring. However, once everybody has been established, the book becomes quite addictive. It’s like a box of chocolates, where you decide to have just one more and then have about five “one mores” and you can’t stop.

Rating: 9.5/10

Buy it here.

The Strange Deaths of Batman is a graphic novel which collects together various comics which deal with the death of Batman. As the title implies, many of these stories are actually rather weird. As somebody who is quite a fan of the weird side of comics, I was naturally drawn to this collection. Here’s a break down of each story:

The Strange Death of Batman by Gardner Fox
The first story is the one that the collection gets its name from. At first, it’s a standard story about Batman and Robin facing an unusual villain called The Bouncer (who can bounce like a rubber ball.) Batman and Robin save the day and the story ends. It then cuts to the author in his apartment, who is wondering just what might have happened if The Bouncer had killed Batman – we then get to see this scenario play out! The ending is really weird. Rating: 7/10

Robin’s Revenge by Cary Bates
This story gets started right away, with Batman, Robin and Superman coming up against a villain. He is quickly able to kill Batman by trapping him in a glass dome and incinerating him. The villain gets away and we then get to see what happens to Robin as the years go by without Batman. I liked this one quite a lot – especially the emotional depth. Robin and Superman get some good development and there’s a nice twist ending. Rating: 8/10

The Corpse That Wouldn’t Die by Bob Haney
Batman investigates the disappearance of a woman named Debbie Manton – somebody he seems to care about very much. However, because he is too determined, he becomes reckless and is killed during the investigation. But death is not the end. Another DC hero, (called The Atom) shrinks himself down to a tiny size and enters Batman’s body, which he controls by manipulating his brain. A little grittier than the last two, and another which I quite liked. Rating: 8/10

Where Were You the Night Batman Was Killed? by David V. Reed
Batman is dead… but nobody knows who killed him. The villains of Gotham City are having a trial in order to determine who is responsible for his death, because in the criminal underworld, this is something to be very proud of. Catwoman, The Riddler, Lex Luthor and The Joker all have their own stories, about who it was they who killed Batman. Two-Face acts as the prosecutor and Ra’s al Ghul is the judge. It’s perhaps a little longer than I’d have liked, but it’s still nice that all of these characters have something to do. The Joker’s part of the story was my favourite. Rating: 7.5/10

Buried Alive by Gerry Conway
Batman wakes up inside a coffin, buried underground. Robin and Superman realise that he is missing and have to work to find him as quickly as possible – he only has a limited amount of air in that coffin after all! A good suspenseful story and I liked the ending quite a lot. Perhaps my favourite one. Rating: 8.5/10

The Prison by John Stanisci
Ra’s al Ghul tells his daughter Talia that she must kill Batman in order to prove her loyalty to him. It’s quite a basic story, really, but I quite like the art style and the way that the story is told. I like the al Ghul family, so I am pleased to see them featured in another of these stories. Another of my favourites in this collection. Rating: 8.3/10

Modern Romance by Chuck Dixon
The shortest and probably the worst story. Batman and Catwoman get married and, as you can imagine, they’re not an ideal couple. Also, the ending is pretty rubbish. Rating: 5/10

Average rating: 7.5/10

So I’d say it’s a collection worth investigating – especially if you’re already a big fan of Batman or DC in general. If you’ve never really dipped into the strange side of comics, perhaps this would be a good place to start? I found this collection for quite a low price and I thought it was good value for money. I definitely enjoyed reading it and I’d recommend it to others. Although it is a bit of a shame that the stories lack the depth which you’d find in graphic novels which focus on a single plot.

Buy it here.

(Don’t miss today’s Finger Puppet Show!)