gargi's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this review!
I started this book with very high expectation, what with the great reviews and the writers' credentials. However, I found the book a little lacking. I thought the humour to be forced and the entire story just drawn out.
This shouldn't discourage any readers, though. It pokes fun at the superhero trope and the mindless activities that are engaged in. Allen's story was quite painful to read, not at the least about his general lackadaisical behaviour.
I guess that's the point the author was trying to make. I just felt it was a little lost on me.
I started this book with very high expectation, what with the great reviews and the writers' credentials. However, I found the book a little lacking. I thought the humour to be forced and the entire story just drawn out.
This shouldn't discourage any readers, though. It pokes fun at the superhero trope and the mindless activities that are engaged in. Allen's story was quite painful to read, not at the least about his general lackadaisical behaviour.
I guess that's the point the author was trying to make. I just felt it was a little lost on me.
jilljemmett's review against another edition
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I laughed out loud many times.
Allen is not the typical son of a hero. He's nerdy and weak. He's not like Thor, who is just as strong as his father, and able to complete his father's tasks. This story takes that typical father-son heroic story and flips it.
There were many strange creatures along the way, that were just so weird and funny. They met horse-donkeys, animals with the head of a horse and body of a donkey. Everyone was freaked out by these creatures, even though they look pretty ordinary. There were also owls wearing hats and three foot tall "giants."
There was a point when the creators of the book appeared in the story. I love when this meta technique is used, drawing attention to the fact that this is a graphic novel.
There were some graphic parts of the story (i.e. A head being ripped off a body) and lots of sexual innuendo, so this book is for a mature audience.
This was a really funny story. You should read it if you want to read something a little different from the typical heroic graphic novel.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Allen is not the typical son of a hero. He's nerdy and weak. He's not like Thor, who is just as strong as his father, and able to complete his father's tasks. This story takes that typical father-son heroic story and flips it.
There were many strange creatures along the way, that were just so weird and funny. They met horse-donkeys, animals with the head of a horse and body of a donkey. Everyone was freaked out by these creatures, even though they look pretty ordinary. There were also owls wearing hats and three foot tall "giants."
There was a point when the creators of the book appeared in the story. I love when this meta technique is used, drawing attention to the fact that this is a graphic novel.
There were some graphic parts of the story (i.e. A head being ripped off a body) and lots of sexual innuendo, so this book is for a mature audience.
This was a really funny story. You should read it if you want to read something a little different from the typical heroic graphic novel.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
caomhin's review against another edition
4.0
Alvin, sorry Allen: Son of Hellcock is a hack and slash fantasy story with heroes and villains, dragons and wizards, quests and taverns... And it's also a meta-comedy poking fun at both fantasy stories and comic books. The humour is pretty random, almost surreal in a couple of places, and can be a little hit and miss. But, when it misses it's not bad so you don't have to endure cringing, and when it hits the jokes are funny enough that you forget you just read the previous punchline with a straight face.
The core plot/running joke of Allen and Kaarl being pale imitations of their fathers Hellcock and Krong is pretty clever. The fathers are throwbacks and the sons are modern people. It's a joke that could easily be a trainwreck but it works rather well.
All in all it's a fun and easy read. It's not got the depth to make it truly compulsive, but it's quirky and fun, and if you know the genres you can join the authors in affectionately chuckling at the cliches and tropes that you know and love.
The core plot/running joke of Allen and Kaarl being pale imitations of their fathers Hellcock and Krong is pretty clever. The fathers are throwbacks and the sons are modern people. It's a joke that could easily be a trainwreck but it works rather well.
All in all it's a fun and easy read. It's not got the depth to make it truly compulsive, but it's quirky and fun, and if you know the genres you can join the authors in affectionately chuckling at the cliches and tropes that you know and love.
nerdlibrarian's review
4.0
Entertaining read if you like epic fantasies and graphic novels. This is a parody about the weak and nerdy son of the most loved of epic heroes and the quest he goes on to defeat the nerdy son of his father's greatest enemy. Easy to read through in one sitting.
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