Sunday, January 18, 2009

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

  • Ghost Hunters International: "The Ghost Child of Peru" - There is no way you would get me into that prison cell. That is one of the most twisted things I've ever seen. Humanity's cruelty never ceases to amaze me. As for the ghosts in this episode... eh. I didn't see any "child" in that video clip, just a reflection of the uniform inside the case. And none of the other evidence was even slightly compelling. Still, cool location to visit!
  • Ghost Hunters International: "City of the Doomed" - Into Brazil. Good stories in this one, a hotel and a castle. Again, the evidence isn't convincing. The guys doing the investigating aren't as good at seeming trustworthy as Jay and Grant on the regular show. Barry, in particular, is hard for me to believe.
  • Smallville: "Legion" - Part of me was watching wishing that Leah could have seen this episode. But then, part of me was just cringing because the quality has gotten so trite I can't believe they bother to make the show anymore.
  • Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Dawn of the Dead Man!" - The style holds true... the worst attributes of the characters guesting are the ones the show focuses on. Deadman's reluctance becomes the focus of this one. Still, it's a fun show. More Aquaman, please.



Comics this week:
  • Land of Oz: The Manga - Return to the Emerald City #1 - I like the artwork, and the retelling seems fine, but it makes me want to go back to the source material and see how closely he's following the book.
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 - Eric Shanower and Skottie Young combine to present a startlingly strong version of the original Oz book, starting with a first issue that doesn't leave out some of the more interesting parts of Dorothy's journey. For instance, this issue makes it clear just how long the trip was by including her stay at Boq's place. But then, Shanower is working on this so I don't have to wonder how good it will be. I know it will be great.
  • Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade - Hrm. Not really impressed with this one. The quality is fine, I just don't have much interest in the characters.
  • Tiny Titans #11 - I just really love this book. The one-pager with Aqualad and Plasmus made me giggle. So, why was Aqualad wearing a shark fin?Super Friends #10 - Wonder Woman has super-faith powers! I admit this one seemed a little too... something... for me. I love Aquaman on the cover, though. The scarf really suits him, even if he doesn't need it.PS238 #36 - Meh. *GRIN* Tyler has some serious work ahead of him. While this is definitely a stopping point, it's also got a lot of plot threads to chew on. I'm really curious to see where this book goes next.
  • Thieves & Kings: Apprentices Part One - The corrected typos in the text were very distracting. And the artwork on the very first page confused me a moment into thinking I'd gotten somebody else's copy. That said, I'd forgotten how much I missed this book. It was really good to get back to it and remember what was happening. This book also delivered a big enough chunk of the story that I wasn't left wishing for more right away. Which is good, since it will probably be awhile before another one arrives. Still, good stuff if you like Thieves & Kings.



My book this week was The Vorkosigan Companion by Lillan Stewart Carl and John Helfers. This was a Christmas present from my mother-in-law, who has always managed to pick out books I'll like... sometimes even before I know I'll like them. In this case, however, I knew exactly what this book was and couldn't wait to jump into it. As you know if you've been reading my reviews, I've read every Vorkosigan novel I could get my hands on, and have enjoyed them immensely. There are even three of the novels that I reread when I feel depressed and need a lift. This book covers the entire universe, with a concordance that takes up the bulk of the book along with several essays, forwards, summaries, maps, and a timeline. The essay on fandom was about a solid a statement as could be made of such a fluid community. It's the perfect book for any nerdy fan of the Vorkosigan books or even just of Bujold in general. Don't get it if you haven't read the books, though. Read them first (start with Shards of Honor). But then read this one.



No Agatha Christie this week because Inter-Library Loan is working very slowly right now.



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