Review of “Classic Bible Comics”

On April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 By binzeoIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Classic Bible Comics from Sophia Press

Lovers of vintage comic books will enjoy this recently published reprinting of a series of classic comic strips. These comic strips retell over 20 famous Bible stories. The book starts with Adam and Eve and continues through to the Ascension and Pentecost. With vivid full color pictures and all the action, I think Classic Bible Comics will appeal to most kids in the 6-8 year old range.

What we liked

My 8 and 6 year olds snapped this book right up and spent a couple hours pouring over the vivid pictures and simple text. They gave it a thumbs up as an exciting and engaging way to learn basic Bible stories such as Joseph, David & Goliath, and Jonah. Their only complaint was that this book was too short!

Comparing to other Picture Bibles

If you’ve seen my list Good Graphic Novels and Comic Books for Catholic Kids, you know we enjoy exploring all the great religious-themed comic books out there. So to compare with some others I talk about on that list, Classic Bible Comics is easier to read than The Picture Bible or The Action Bible. It’s also much shorter: it hits the famous stories, but doesn’t attempt to provide a comprehensive picture of salvation history. Basically, this book is short and sweet, like your favorite comic strips from an old newspaper.

You can buy Classic Bible Comics through my Amazon affiliate link: Classic Bible Comics

Or you can buy it through the publisher: Sophia Institute Press.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Classic Bible Comics” from Sophia Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Review of “Maximilian Kolbe: The Saint of Auschwitz”

On July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

St. Maximilian Kolbe is truly a saint for day modern-day Catholics to admire and emulate. From his successful media outreach work to his missionary work to his sacrificial death, St. Maximilian Kolbe lived a life of charity and love. This exciting new graphic novel from Sophia Institute Press brings St. Maximilian Koble’s story to life with high quality illustrations and photographs of the saint.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small fee for qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

The Whole Story

Most Catholics are familiar with St. Maximilian Kolbe’s dramatic sacrificial death as Auschwitz: so much so that he is often known as The Saint of Auschwitz. But this graphic novel delves deeper and follows the thread of Maximilian’s life from childhood to death. Through St. Maximilian’s remembrances in concentration camp, you will learn about Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s work establishing the Militia of the Immaculata, establishment of Catholic magazines and newspapers, missionary work in Japan, and more. As I read The Saint of Auschwitz, I was blown away by how much a young priest with tuberculosis accomplished in his short life.

Inspiration for Today’s Teens

This graphic novel will powerfully motivate tweens, teens, and even adults to live life with joy, charity, and a missionary zeal in the spirit of St. Maximilian Kolbe. I think most tweens will be fine with the level of intensity. St. Maximilian Kolbe’s story is sad and intense; fifteen days in a bunker waiting to die of hunger and thirst is a horrifying death. But his choice to embrace this death out of charity for a stranger and his joy in suffering is an inspiration that today’s youth will respond to with enthusiasm.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Maximilian Kolbe: The Saint of Auschwitz” from Sophia Institute Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Looking for more great graphic novels for Catholic kids? Check out my list of Graphic Novels and Comic Books!

Review of “Finnian and the Seven Mountains”

On February 3, 2020 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Finnian and the Seven Mountains is an exciting new comic book series from Phil Kosloski and Michael LaVoy at Voyage Comics. Voyage Comics is dedicated to providing high-quality, engaging comic books with Christian and Catholic themes. Finnian and the Seven Mountains weaves together legend, myth, and real history into one Irish lad’s personal quest for a sword and wisdom.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. This simply means that if a purchase is made I will receive a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you, of course.

History and Legend

On the eerily beautiful island of Skellig Michael, Irish monks lived, worked, and prayed for over 600 years. This ethereal landscape and ancient history inspired Finnian and the Seven Mountains. The beautiful Celtic island and mountain pictures in this are a refreshing change from the urban setting of many comics.

Kosloski was also influenced by mythology, Viking history, and Catholic faith and legends. Finnian encounters a mysterious broken sword, a Viking warlord, demons, and a monk as Brendan the Nagivator. Kosloski brings these disparate influences together in a surprisingly cohesive story of character growth and the conflict between good versus evil.

Good versus Evil

I appreciated the clear cut battle lines between the good and evil characters in Finnian and the Seven Mountains. The anti-hero protagonist motif, fairly common in comic books, is absent in these books. Yes, Finnian makes mistakes, such as seeking revenge, but there is a clear pattern of character growth. The evil Vikings are portrayed as truly wicked, and the monks are holy men striving to live out their vocation in peace.

The series is far from complete, so I’m excited to see how Kosloski spins out the plot of Finnian seeking revenge for the wrongs done his family. There is a lot of potential for exploring forgiveness and finding meaning in suffering in later books!

Who will enjoy this series?

I think children 7 through early teens will enjoy these professional quality comic books. Boys will especially delight in the adventure and battle scenes, but girls will appreciate the addition of a female character in Issue #2. Any content to be concerned about? Parents of more sensitive children should be aware that there are several scenes of the Vikings striking people down and a rather disturbing looking demonic animal that attacks Finnian. Overall these are enjoyable comic books with a Catholic flavor!

I recieved a copy of Finnian and the Seven Mountains from Voyage Comics and Publishing in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Looking for more great comic books and graphic novels? Check out my full list!

Good Graphic Novels and Comic Books for Catholic Kids

Review of “The Weapons of War”

On December 9, 2019December 10, 2019 By binzeoIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Weapons of War, Brendan and Eric in Exile — *This article contains Amazon Affiliate links. See footer for full disclosure.*

The Weapons of War

Catholic Apologetics in graphic novel form: what could be better? In this latest volume of the Brendan and Eric in Exile series, everyone’s favorite space pilots are reassigned to fly the space taxi in recently settled Mars. There, they find a society where religion has been outlawed and Christians face real persecution and death. Brendan and Eric find themselves defending the sacraments and Catholicism like never before in Weapons of War!

Solid Apologetics

The mysterious author of the Brendan and Eric books is actually a contemplative monk and priest, so it comes as no surprise that these books are steeped in solid theology. Readers will find handy notations in the bottom margins of the story noting key passages in the Bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church which back up Brendan’s reasoning. In this latest volume, Eric and Brendan debate on a wide range of apologetical issues: with Protestants who challenge them about the priesthood, confession, and Baptism, with atheists on marriage and the Eucharist, and even with a lady who believes in universal salvation. The Bible verses fly as fast as the drones in this novel!

Ecumenical Cooperation

In this latest book, Brendan and Eric spend a good deal of time debating Biblical interpretation with the Protestant pastor. But when faced with a anti-Christian society, the Protestants and Catholics on Mars work together to get the message of Jesus’ love and promise of salvation broadcast to the uncatechized inhabitants of the planet. Risking all their lives, they broadcast a message about Jesus’ love and mercy. Later, the Protestant pastor and his assistant again help the Catholic characters to rescue their priest, who has been imprisoned. There’s a great message in this novel about working together with our separated Protestant brethren, who are Christians too.

Great For Teens

The graphic novel style of this book will speak to tweens and teens. This book would make a great gift for First Holy Communion or Confirmation, or even for someone completing RCIA. Even adults will enjoy brushing up their Sacrament Apologetics with this easy to read format! The other two books in the series are also excellent. In the first volume, The Truth Is Out There, Brendan and Eric learn about God, and how faith and reason are not contradictory. Then in The Big Picture they combat a maniac who wants to change God’s plan for salvation. This series is a wonderful way for Catholic kids to learn about the Catholic faith and apologetics in a fun, engaging format.

For my great graphic novels for Catholic kids, check out this list!

I received a copy of Weapons of War from Catholic Answers Press in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Good Graphic Novels and Comic Books for Catholic Kids

On February 5, 2019July 28, 2020 By binzeoIn Book List8 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. For full disclosure see footer.

Comic Books and Graphic Novels are the reading material of choice for many kids these days, especially boys. Fortunately for Catholic parents, there are some awesome options being published in this genre by Catholic publishers. Check out these great options which teach about Saints, the Bible, the Catechism, and apologetics! Also included are a few clean, enjoyable comic books just for fun!

I recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing “The Saints Chronicles, Collection 1”, the first in a great new series being published by Sophia Institute Press. For more details, check out my review here.

The Adventures of Loupio chronicle the escapades of Loupio, a young troubador whose life is forever changed when he meets Saint Francis of Assisi.

Maximilian Kolbe: The Saint of Auschwitz is a high-quality graphic novel from Sophia Institue Press. Check out my full review here!

Pauline Press is coming out with its own series of graphic novels based on the lives of popular saints with books like Legend of Saint Christopher and and Saint Clare of Assisi.

The Action Bible is one of the most professional looking graphic novels on this list. Little surprise since its illustrator works for Marvels Comics! This Bible isn’t specifically Catholic, but it sticks fairly close to the Bible stories and is a great way to get kids interested in reading God’s word.

The Picture Bible, which inspired The Action Bible, is also a great resource for bringing to the Bible to life for kids! It points out themes and has some discussion questions for the major stories.

The Illustrated Parables of Jesus is published by Ignatius Press, which also publishes an entire New Testament by the same illustrator and author. We love these versions of the Bible with their gentle pictures which even toddlers enjoy pouring over.

I’ve included the Catechism of the Seven Sacraments on other book lists already because I can’t say enough good things about this brilliant idea for a Catechism. The information is simply presented, yet somehow touches on information many adult Catholics don’t know. For example, my six year old understands the Four Cups and how they relate to the Mass after reading this book. He had to explain it to me because I barely knew what he was talking about!

I was extremely impressed by the caliber of apologetics presented in The Truth Is Out There: Brendan & Erc in Exile, Volume 1. This book, and its sequel, The Big Picture: Brendan and Erc in Exile, Volume 2, present arguments for Christian and Catholic doctrines in a format that will be accessible and memorable for tweens and teens. Volume 1 deals with big picture questions about God’s existence, heaven, and happiness. The presupposition is that you are talking to someone who is an atheist or agnostic, which will resonate with teenagers as they begin to interact more with secularists. In Volume 2, The Big Picture, Brendan and Eric begin to learn about God’s plan. Again, there is an outspoken agnostic character who challenges the RCIA teacher about everything from Galileo to the Trinity. All this hard core apologetics is set against an appealing Sci Fi backdrop complete with junky space ships and villains.

Brendan and Erc The Weapons of War Review

Weapons of War: Brendan and Erc in Exile, Volume 3 recently came out. Read my full review of this newest volume here!

The Zita the Spacegirl Trilogy is an award winining series from Catholic graphic novelist Ben Hatke. His books are clean, age-appropriate, fun, and definitely worth buying!

Mighty Jack is the first in another great series by Hatke. With nods to Jack and the Beanstalk, Hatke creates an exciting world inhabited by dragons and biting pumpkins. I love that one of the characters is a (mostly) mute autistic girl. I found the themes about having a sibling with a disability timely in our current day with autism rates skyrocketing.

The Adventures of Tintin by Herge. What can I say? TinTin is a classic boy-sleuth series that every boy (and lots of girls) inhale. These books are clean, fun, and funny. Lots of adventure and quirky characters. Note that there is some drug and alcohol use, not portrayed favorably. Also some rather humorous swearing along the lines of “Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles in a Thundering Typhoon.”

Voyage Comics and Publishing has some fantastic high-quality comic books that blend faith and entertainment. Finnian and the Seven Mountains is one of their series. Check out my full review here!

Review of “The Saints Chronicles, Collection 1”

On January 8, 2019January 17, 2021 By binzeoIn Uncategorized4 Comments

A 2018 offering from reputable Sophia Institute Press, Saints Chronicles Collection 1 is obviously an attempt to make the stories of saints from ancient and modern times compelling to today’s tweens and teens, who often prefer graphic novels and comic books to traditional chapter books. This is the first volume of four collections that Sophia is publishing, all similar comic book style volumes of about 120 pages. Each collection contains the stories of about five saints. This first collection tells the stories of Saint Patrick, Saint Jerome Emiliani, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Henry Morse, and Saint Joan of Arc. Saints Chronicles Collection 2 relates the stories of Saint Nicholas, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Brigid of Ireland, Saint Pachomius, and Saint Anne Line.

These collections are visually arresting and fast-paced. I appreciated the focus question at the beginning of each story which hints at the theme to carry away. Though the stories themselves are not heavy on details, each one concludes with a one page summary of the life of the saint with important dates and life events in a timeline format.

The selection of saints is a thoughtful blend of the well known Saint Patrick and Saint Francis of Assisi combined with the unknown Saint Henry Morse and Saint Anne Line. I do wish the publisher had picked a few saints from more recent times like Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto or Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Maybe in a later collection.

This collection is appropriate for children as young as 7 or 8 in most regards, though if you have a sensitive child be forewarned. The saints are often in mortal danger or actually die in the course of the story. However, the pictures are not gory or gratuitously violent at all. For example, Saint Henry Morse is last shown at the gallows about to be hung, but not after he is hung. Saint Joan of Arc is not shown burning at the stake; the book simply says she was.

I am not personally a huge fan of the comic book style, but I know it is very popular these days! Overall, I think most people, especially tweens and teens, will find Saints Chronicles Collection 1 to be an enjoyable, informative comic book. I imagine this volume and its sequels will capture the imaginations of many children who might otherwise find the lives of the saints dull and dreary.

I will be adding this collection to my book lists Good Catholic Books for Catholic Teens and Good Books for Catholic 12 to 13 Year Olds.

Update 1/17/2021

Sophia has continued to publish this excellent series. I recommend buying the whole collection through Good News Book Shop, an online Catholic bookstore.

Affiliate links