Jayson’s Reviews > Katana, Volume 1: Soultaker > Status Update
Jayson
is starting

Notes:
(1) October buddy-read with my comic book crew. Theme is "The Horror Show": horror books or horrible books.
- Being Ann Nocenti, it's plainly the latter.
(2) Why subject myself to another awful Ann Nocenti ordeal?
- The same reason people eat Tide Pods or Carolina Reapers... because sometimes poor judgement stares you in the face and says "You don't have the gonads!"
— Sep 30, 2021 05:35AM

Notes:
(1) October buddy-read with my comic book crew. Theme is "The Horror Show": horror books or horrible books.
- Being Ann Nocenti, it's plainly the latter.
(2) Why subject myself to another awful Ann Nocenti ordeal?
- The same reason people eat Tide Pods or Carolina Reapers... because sometimes poor judgement stares you in the face and says "You don't have the gonads!"
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is on page 231 of 234

End Notes:
At the start of this, I had the bright idea of doing a status update after every issue. I just couldn't keep that going after issue 7. It seemed like this would be a goldmine of over-the-top Ann Nocenti inanity. But, though a few issues did skirt that level of train-wreck, the bulk of it ended up being just regular-awful, as opposed to the shock-awful I expected.
— Oct 07, 2021 05:50AM

End Notes:
At the start of this, I had the bright idea of doing a status update after every issue. I just couldn't keep that going after issue 7. It seemed like this would be a goldmine of over-the-top Ann Nocenti inanity. But, though a few issues did skirt that level of train-wreck, the bulk of it ended up being just regular-awful, as opposed to the shock-awful I expected.
Jayson
is on page 171 of 234

Notes:
(1) Despite my previous assessment that this hasn't been as terrible as I expected, issue seven was actually fairly painful to get through.
- I spent pretty much the entire time shaking my head and muttering "what!?"
(2) Supernatural love triangle. We have just crossed over into YA territory.
(3) There's this new villain, "The Falconer." Wasn't that an SNL character?
— Oct 06, 2021 01:30PM

Notes:
(1) Despite my previous assessment that this hasn't been as terrible as I expected, issue seven was actually fairly painful to get through.
- I spent pretty much the entire time shaking my head and muttering "what!?"
(2) Supernatural love triangle. We have just crossed over into YA territory.
(3) There's this new villain, "The Falconer." Wasn't that an SNL character?
Jayson
is on page 150 of 234

Notes:
(1) I've read the Creeper origin already, back when I did my run of "Forever Evil" tie-ins.
- I can't say that my opinion's changed... though, I wasn't shocked by how terrible it was this time. Likely as I've read it before, or perhaps I've been living in Nocenti-land for too long and have become used to the stink?
(2) On the positive side, the story does make sense.
— Oct 05, 2021 11:40PM

Notes:
(1) I've read the Creeper origin already, back when I did my run of "Forever Evil" tie-ins.
- I can't say that my opinion's changed... though, I wasn't shocked by how terrible it was this time. Likely as I've read it before, or perhaps I've been living in Nocenti-land for too long and have become used to the stink?
(2) On the positive side, the story does make sense.
Jayson
is on page 128 of 234

Notes:
(1) What drives me nuts is that there's so much blood and serious, mortal wounds, yet no one's injured or gets medical attention, and everyone's immediately able to fight again.
(2) Villains flee in shame. Not exactly made to look like formidable foes.
(3) What was the point of Killer Croc? Does he come back? Is his story continued elsewhere? Plot holes need filling!
— Oct 05, 2021 10:50AM

Notes:
(1) What drives me nuts is that there's so much blood and serious, mortal wounds, yet no one's injured or gets medical attention, and everyone's immediately able to fight again.
(2) Villains flee in shame. Not exactly made to look like formidable foes.
(3) What was the point of Killer Croc? Does he come back? Is his story continued elsewhere? Plot holes need filling!
Jayson
is on page 108 of 234

Notes:
(1) Alex Sanchez shares art duties with Cliff Richards on issues 5. I'm a big fan of Richards, he should be a much bigger deal, and not just a fill-in guy.
- I don't know what it says that the series regular is so far outshined by his backup.
(2) This is still dumb, but at least here it looks pretty while being dumb. Being pretty makes stupidity a lot more tolerable.
— Oct 05, 2021 03:30AM

Notes:
(1) Alex Sanchez shares art duties with Cliff Richards on issues 5. I'm a big fan of Richards, he should be a much bigger deal, and not just a fill-in guy.
- I don't know what it says that the series regular is so far outshined by his backup.
(2) This is still dumb, but at least here it looks pretty while being dumb. Being pretty makes stupidity a lot more tolerable.
Jayson
is on page 88 of 234

Notes:
(1) Issue 4 was another not-terrible one. It suffers mostly from situational disjointedness.
- Katana suffers a major setback. One scene she's rushing by, telling people the matter's urgent, and the next scene, "days later," she's back at her waitress job looking slovenly and depressed.
(2) Of course, "WAP" had a totally different meaning in 2021 than it did in 2014.
— Oct 04, 2021 04:00PM

Notes:
(1) Issue 4 was another not-terrible one. It suffers mostly from situational disjointedness.
- Katana suffers a major setback. One scene she's rushing by, telling people the matter's urgent, and the next scene, "days later," she's back at her waitress job looking slovenly and depressed.
(2) Of course, "WAP" had a totally different meaning in 2021 than it did in 2014.
Jayson
is on page 69 of 234

Notes:
(1) Nocenti makes a big deal about this ultimate weapon, the spiral sword. It doesn't exist, she invented it.
- It's not so much a sword as it is a flat-metal whip... though in execution, it's more like a gymnast's dance ribbon.
(2) So get this: Katana's husband's soul is trapped in her sword. So she has intimate time with it. But he's not the only one in there. SMDH
— Oct 03, 2021 03:00PM

Notes:
(1) Nocenti makes a big deal about this ultimate weapon, the spiral sword. It doesn't exist, she invented it.
- It's not so much a sword as it is a flat-metal whip... though in execution, it's more like a gymnast's dance ribbon.
(2) So get this: Katana's husband's soul is trapped in her sword. So she has intimate time with it. But he's not the only one in there. SMDH
Jayson
is on page 47 of 234

Notes:
(1) After a shockingly not-terrible first issue, the second issue is back to the good ole exasperating, brain-melting Ann Nocenti I know and loathe.
- I was getting worried for a sec.
(2) Ann Nocenti makes the mistake of having everyone speak like Ann Nocenti.
- Jazzy colloquialisms don't really sound quite natural coming out of twenty-somethings or elderly Japanese.
— Oct 03, 2021 07:15AM

Notes:
(1) After a shockingly not-terrible first issue, the second issue is back to the good ole exasperating, brain-melting Ann Nocenti I know and loathe.
- I was getting worried for a sec.
(2) Ann Nocenti makes the mistake of having everyone speak like Ann Nocenti.
- Jazzy colloquialisms don't really sound quite natural coming out of twenty-somethings or elderly Japanese.
Jayson
is on page 26 of 234

Notes:
(1) First issue wasn't terrible. I think, with a reputation like Nocenti's, if it's not viscerally appalling, then you feel let-down.
- I just recently read Nocenti's "Klarion," and this isn't even in the same ballpark of bad.
(2) Really, it just reads like teenage fan fiction, from the clunky dialogue, to the stupid concepts, to the feeble grasp of Japanese culture.
— Sep 30, 2021 05:00PM

Notes:
(1) First issue wasn't terrible. I think, with a reputation like Nocenti's, if it's not viscerally appalling, then you feel let-down.
- I just recently read Nocenti's "Klarion," and this isn't even in the same ballpark of bad.
(2) Really, it just reads like teenage fan fiction, from the clunky dialogue, to the stupid concepts, to the feeble grasp of Japanese culture.
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Kadi
(last edited Oct 01, 2021 07:18AM)
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Oct 01, 2021 07:18AM
Now that's a great banner! Makes me want to read this just to use it😂 I've found a copy of this on Hoopla so whilst I'm finishing off these DC YA graphic novels I just borrowed I'll consider whether I want to put myself through the torture of reading this...
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Kadi wrote: "Now that's a great banner! Makes me want to read this just to use it😂 I've found a copy of this on Hoopla so whilst I'm finishing off these DC YA graphic novels I just borrowed I'll consider whethe..."Thanks, glad you like the banner! It's always somewhat strange to see people use things I make in their reviews, but a sense of pride too.
Great thing is you need not have to read this book to use it. You can use it for Outcast too, which you mentioned you might be reading. Personally, I'm going to read the two books I've committed to, and perhaps join in for more if there's time.
This book has that Creeper one-shot that you read. I thought that was dreadful, but, as I recall, you didn't think it was too terrible. To be fair to Nocenti, I didn't think the first issue of this book was terrible either. So, there's an outside chance this may not be as headache-inducing as initially advertised 😅🤞
@Jay the banner is definitely cool! So professional-looking wow😍 I got to use it for the first time on the Geiger buddy read and I was happy because it's such a great official look. I'll use it for Outcast too when I get round to reading it probably next week.Also I have zero recollection of the Creeper one-shot. I don't even remember having ever read that! But I did love Creeper in DCeased so it's likely I did read the one shot lol.
I've been watching your progress on this one and I'm thinking maaaybe it won't be that bad of a read? Aaah I can keep contemplating it whilst you finish it anyway because I still have a bunch more stuff to read that will expire soon. Kinda hate reading on a deadline😩 but it's good for prioritising what to read.
Kadi wrote: "@Jay the banner is definitely cool! So professional-looking wow😍 I got to use it for the first time on the Geiger buddy read and I was happy because it's such a great official look. I'll use it for..."Yeah, I find that seeing us all use the same banner on reviews and statuses has sort of been like wearing the same team jersey. As far as this book goes, I'm halfway through it and there's only really be one terrible issue. There's every chance that it'll take a nosedive in the second half, but thus far it's not been spectacularly bad. Certainly not Klarion or Joker's Daughter levels of bad :)

