Yes I am joining the 9th Annual Graphic Novels and Manga Challenge

The challenge is on its 9th year, so I hope they keep going and make it to their first decade. For me, this is the third year I have participated. In the previous two years, I have made it to the Bronze Level.  Graphic novels, comics, and manga are a big part of my reading life, so this challenge falls right into my reading flow. Between NetGalley (and Edelweiss to a lesser degree), my work library, my local public library, and my personal collection which has a lot of graphic novels and mangas on TBR status, I should be able to find plenty of titles to read and review for my four readers of the blog as well as for the reading challenge. I will likely cross some of the readings here with my other reading challenges this year, and that is a good thing. So, let's get on with it.

The 9th Annual Graphic Novels and Mangas Reading Challenge.

Highlights of the rules. You can read the full details and sign up for the challenge as well at the link above.

• What counts:  graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books or combinations of text and bubbles all in the same book. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable.  My personal criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts.  I'm not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.
• The challenge runs from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2016. (And odds are good I could be cutting it close like I did last year. We'll see.)

This year I am committing to the Bronze Level. I could read enough to make it to the Silver Level, but my issue often is not reading the works. The issue at times is getting the reviews up in a timely fashion. So, we'll see how it goes. If I do manage to go higher, I will upgrade my challenge commitment accordingly.

Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.) (I think I can). 

As usual for my reading challenges, I will be making the list as I go throughout the year. I will be posting my reviews on the blog as usual, and I will link the list as I post them.

This will be the only graphic novels and manga related challenge I am doing this year. The other one that I used to do apparently is not happening this year. I will miss it since that one also included video game (and gaming) novels in the challenge; it was my easy way to count my Warhammer 40,000 reading. Oh well. Overall, I am glad at least one good challenge in this category continues this year. 

List of books read for this challenge:

1. Troy Little (adapter) and Hunter S. Thompson, Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. 
2.  Russel Brettholtz, Side-Kicked.
3. Kevin B. Eastman and Peter A. Laird, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Ultimate Collection, Volume 3.
4. Brandon Badeaux and Rob Williams, Star Wars: Rebellion, Volume 2: The Akahista Gamble.
5. Don Brown, Drowned City. 
6. Greg Rucka, Star Wars: Shattered Empire. 
7.  Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Harley Quinn Volume 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab.
8. Ted Rall, Bernie. 
9. John Lequizamo, Ghetto Klown. 
10. Donny Cates, The Ghost Fleet, Volume 1: Deadhead. 
11. Harlan Ellison and Ken Stacey (artist), Night and the Enemy. 
12. Tim Seeley, Grayson, Volume 2: We All Die at Dawn. 
13. Sean Ryan, New Suicide Squad, Volume 2: Monsters. 
14. Rob Williams, et.al., Martian Manhunter, Volume 1: The Epiphany.
15. Masahiko Murakami. Nichiren. 
16. Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, My Bad: a Zits Treasury. 
17. Scott Snyder, Batman, Volume 8: Superheavy.
18. Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, Zits Unzipped.  
19. Patrick Gleason, Robin Son of Batman, Volume 1: Year of Blood. 
20. Kim Andersson, The Complete Love Hurts. 
21. Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello, Batman Europa. 
22. Scott Adams, When Did Ignorance Become a Point of View? 
23. Charles Soule, Star Wars: Lando. 
24. Robert Kirkman, Battle Pope, Volume 3: Pillow Talk.  
25. Robert Kirkman, Battle Pope, Volume 4: Wrath of God. 
26. Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer. 
27. Donny Cates, The Ghost Fleet, Volume 2: Over the Top. 
28. Erik Burnham, Ghostbusters International.  
29. Adrian Tomine, Scenes from an Impending Marriage. 
30. Tim Seeley, et.al., Grayson, Volume 3. 
31. Jason Aaron, et.al., Vader Down. 
32. Daniel Way, et.al., Deadpool: The Complete Collection, Volume 1. 
33. Corinna Sara Bechko, Aliens/Vampirella. 
34. Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, Harley Quinn, Volume 4. 
35. Wilfred Santiago, 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente. 
36. David J. Wilkie, Coffee with Jesus.
37. David J. Wilkie, A Second Shot of Coffee with Jesus. 
38. Carole Cable, Cable on Academe. 
39. Stephanie McMillan, The Beginning of the American Fall. 
40. Gustavo Duarte, Monsters! and Other Stories. 
41. G.B. Trudeau, Yuge! 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump.
42. Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, et.al., Harley Quinn, Volume 5.  
43. Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Thieves and Spies.
44. Sean Michael Wilson, et.al., Cold Mountain. 
45. Ted Rall, Trump: a Graphic Biography.

Update note (7/7/16): I completed the initial challenge of Bronze Age with 27 titles. I am upgrading to the next level and trying to complete it by end of year:

Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)

I think at my pace, should be able to make it.  

Update note (12/30/16): Well, we are at the end of the year, and I did not quite make it. I did get pretty close. I did have a few more graphic novels to read for the challenge, but the later part of the year 2016 was just rotten, and my reading slowed down. Still, I did complete the initial challenge, and I think I will sign up again next year if offered. Overall, I did find some very interesting graphic novels this year.