Articles written by Lydia Ballard
All 31 articles written by Lydia Ballard
Doctor Octopus – Year One: Otto Octavius A.K.A. Doctor Octopus Gets His Start
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
With his surge in popularity following the release of Spider-Man 2, fans got curious about Doc Ock's origin. Does the Marvel mini-series satisfy? more...
The Riddle Factory: The Prince of Puzzlers Terrorizes Gotham in a Weak Offering From DC
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Fans of the Riddler beware: your favorite villain doesn't get his due this time out. more...
Paper Towns: Author John Green Paints a Realistic, Poignant Picture of First Love
Category: Teen Fiction (general)
With novels like Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' topping the charts, there's been a surge of teen romances flooding the market. Does 'Paper Towns' stand out? more...
Category: Teen Fiction Series
Girls everywhere want more than anything to be Bella Swan. Is she setting a good example for a generation of impressionable teenagers? more...
Frank Miller's 300: Leonidas Leads His Men to Posthumus Victory in this Arresting Novel
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Critically acclaimed and beautifully rendered, Frank Miller brings us the battle of Thermopylae as only he can: with style, drama and artistic license. more...
Harlequin's Romance Manga Imprint: Graphic Novels: the Ginger Blossom Line
Category: Manga
When you think 'romance novel', you don't necessarily think 'graphic novel'. Harlequin seeks to change that with their revolutionary Ginger Blossom line. more...
Joker's Asylum: Penguin #1: Storytelling Duties Have Temporarily Been Handed Over to the Joker
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
When an insane asylum patient tells a story, you better listen up--especially if it's the Joker. Sit back, relax, and listen as he spins a tale of woe about the Penguin. more...
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Chaos Comics' original flagship character, Evil Ernie, gets his start in the down and dirty trade paperback that's sure to please the bloodthirsty horror fan. more...
Hellboy Animated: Volume Two: The Judgment Bell: The Animated Series Universe is Still Going Strong
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Hellboy: Animated continues with a second, stronger offering, leaving the first volume in the dust. more...
Star Trek: Year Four #1: The Original Series Lives On
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
IDW Publishing brings back Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy in this new series. Can it live up to the original Star Trek's cult status without disappointing fans? more...
Stephen King's Cell: A Review of the Fast Paced Novel
Category: Modern American Fiction
When a terrorist act makes the world come undone, almost completely wiping out humankind as we know it, a small band of survivors are left to pick up the pieces. more...
Tom Piccirilli's Hellboy: Emerald Hell: A Look at the Fast Paced Novel Starring the Big Red Hero
Category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction (general)
Hellboy takes on 'gators, moonshiners and crazy preacher men in Hellboy: Emerald Hell, a romp through the bayou that's so good it just might surprise you. more...
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
After conquering the big screen and the small screen in equal measures, Hellboy makes the leap back to comics with this Animated Series style comic book series. more...
Blue Beetle Volume 1: Shellshocked: A review of the relaunch of one of comics more obscure heroes.
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Spider-Man may be the world's most famous teen superhero, but with DC's relaunch of the Blue Beetle mythos, the Beetle may give the Spider a run for his money. more...
Dark Horse Comics' ArchEnemies: A Review of the Mini-Series from Creator Drew Melbourne
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
In this clever mini-series, the question is posed: What if a superhero and a villain were roommates--and didn't know it? more...
Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk: A Review of the New Movie, Starring Edward Norton and Liv Tyler.
Category: Action Films/Thrillers (general)
Move over Spider-Man, there's a new lovable superhero franchise in town. Marvel's jade juggernaut makes a pleasantly surprising second impression. more...
Two-Face: Crime and Punishment: Gotham City's Most Tortured Villain Takes a Turn in the Spotlight
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
One of Batman's most complicated foes, Harvey "Two-Face" Dent is often reduced to nothing but a villain-of-the-week gimmick. Not so this time. more...
Category: Action Films/Thrillers (general)
As far as comic books go, you can't get much more iconic than Will Eisner's character the Spirit--and as far as comic book movies go, you can't get much worse. more...
Category: Teen Fiction (general)
With millions of teenagers following Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and loving every minute of it, is the message the series narrator sends positive? more...
Dark Horse Comics' The Helm #1: A Loser of the Highest Degree Gets a Superpower With Attitude
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
When lifelong loser Mathew Blurdy finds a magical artifact that speaks to him at a garage sale, his normal existence unravels, turning him into a gung-ho wannabe hero. more...
Harlequin Ginger Blossom: The Look at Harlequin's Attempt at Romance Manga Continues
Category: Manga
Famous for those romance novels with the lusty covers, Harlequin gives producing manga the good old college try with mixed results. more...
Batman: Two Faces: DC Presents a Look at What Gotham Would be Like in the Victorian Era
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Batman vs. the Joker is probably the oldest one in the book, but this time around, it's something fresh thanks to the alternate reality of DC's Elseworlds. more...
DC Comics' Switch: Devin Grayson & John Bolton Ask: What's the Joker Without His Smile?
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
In this twisted, fascinating and utterly surreal graphic novel, readers are offered the chance to look inside the Joker's head. See anything you like? more...
30 Days of Night: Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith Offer a Stylish, Gory Vampire Tale
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
The vampire graphic novel that helped change the face of horror comics isn't all it's cracked up to be. more...
Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness: Ash Has Seen Some Strange Things, But This Takes the Cake
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Everyone's favorite lunkheaded horror hero falls into the Marvel universe in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Can he survive it? more...
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics (general)
Based on the Evil Dead series of groundbreaking films from Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, Ashes 2 Ashes successfully brings horror hero Ash J. Williams to the comic page. more...
Hellboy: On Earth as it is in Hell: Brian Hodge's Novel from Pocket Star Books
Category: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction (general)
Part of the prose fiction Hellboy universe, Brian Hodge's novel pits Hellboy and company against the forces of heaven and hell in a fight over an ancient artifact. more...
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight: The Next Romeo and Juliet? Not Quite.
Category: Teen Fiction Series
Does the blockbuster teen vampire romance novel series offer anything for a discriminating, adult audience? more...
Steve Martin's Shopgirl: Size Doesn't Always Count for Value as this Short Novella Proves
Category: Modern American Fiction
A poignant story that doesn't trade realism for idealized perfection, Shopgirl is a tender love letter to every woman trying to find herself, and every man as well. more...
Category: Action Films/Thrillers (general)
With his drinking problem and bad attitude, John Hancock may seem like a poorly executed Tony Stark rip-off. If only it were that simple. more...
DC Comics' The Dark Knight: A review of the new movie starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
Category: Action Films/Thrillers (general)
Long anticipated, unlikely to be duplicated, The Dark Knight is a fast paced thrill ride through gritty Gotham that even the pickiest of fans will have a hard time hating more...
How to subscribe to Lydia Ballard's article feed