Read or Die: Book Reviews by Emily

(Grade 10 and up) If you don’t know what Penny Arcade is, stop reading right here and Google it. Okay? Good. It’s been five years since the comics collected in this volume were first published, yet the art and words of Gabe and Tycho are as timely now as they were in 2007. I mean, obviously a lot has changed in the gaming industry since then, so a lot of this is old news. But Deep Crows—consider, for a moment, the fell terror that is the Deep Crow. And remember Rock Band? And our introduction to the idea that maybe, just maybe, you can hate people to death? It was a simpler time, it was a better time.

I’m with Tycho on this one: yeah, studying magic seems cool and all, but if fiction has taught us nothing else, it’s that that shit is dangerous. I’m not even much of a gamer anymore, but I still make a point of reading Penny Arcade every week; as time goes by, Tycho’s writing continues to be excellent and Gabe’s art continues to amaze.  If you’re looking for a webcomic replete with foul language, beautiful images, and social commentary on everything from the media to parenting to soft drink advertisement, look no further than this most excellent book. Or, you know, since you’re reading this online right now, you could just go to <penny-arcade.com>. Your call. (4.5 out of 5 stars)

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Oni Press (August 29, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1620100061
• ISBN-13: 978-1620100066 (Source of Publication Data: Amazon.com)