A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Smallville: "Identity" - Does this mean the series is nearly over? And that last scene... huh.
• Battlestar Galactica: Season 1 Miniseries - Netflix is a new and useful thing for us. We plan to watch the entire series, and so we started with the mini. I can see the links to the original series, but there are a lot of changes. I miss the "King Tut" helmets. I like the updated Cylons, and the whole "network" excuse for why the entire fleet went down as quickly as it did. Looking forward to the rest.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Traditional Dishes" - I could eat at any of those places. None of them looked so good I'd go out of my way, but I'd eat there. One thing this episode drove home is how much this town needs a good Italian restaurant.
• Numb3rs: "Scan Man" - A very good one, with some serious intensity. The math was minor, but the social issues were powerful.
• Dinner: Impossible: "Street Cart Critics" - Ouch! Lots of plans got derailed in this one. But he somehow pulled it off. The ads for the episode made it seem like he failed, but the reviews at the end were mostly positive. I wonder what they'll do next?
• Ghost Hunters: "Live Show Results" - While the pulling of the coat seemed very impressive, Grant kept his right hand in his pocket the entire time, making me wonder if they hadn't rigged something. Also, the "You are not supposed to be here!" voice sounded like someone trying to be creepy on a walkie talkie. Not saying they faked it, I'm just not convinced. The second place... I hope they were able to reassure the woman, but if I were her I'd get someone to check out the stability of that house. From the creaking floorboards to the bees nest, it needs some TLC.
• Smallville: "Bloodline" - I don't know why, but I enjoyed this episode more than any other recent episodes. And I'm not a Kara fan at all. I still don't quite buy Davis for what he's supposed to become, but... well, it makes a little more story sense now.
• Battlestar Galactica: "33" - Netflix sent us the second disc of season one, which happens to be the first of the actual season. This episode is a grim start, with the fleet jumping through space every 33 minutes to keep ahead of Cylon attackers. It was an intense episode that didn't remind me at all of the original series. Wow. Good stuff.

---

Comics this week:

• Tiny Titans #9 - Very cute as always. Not enough Aqualad (in fact, I don't think he was in this at all). Beppo! The Atom Family = Cute gag. Again, I gotta wonder who the audience is supposed to be for this book?
• Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1 - I'm not a big fan of Lantern tales. I'm a little interested in the other colors, though, and seeing a Blue Lantern was nice.
• DC Universe Halloween '08 - This was a mish-mash of stories that didn't work as an anthology. The linking arc didn't do anything for me, though it was nice to see the Dibnys again. The only one I liked was the Vixen tale, despite it being an interruption of another tale for no apparent reason. None of the others were better than mediocre.
• Checkmate #31 - Um. Ok.
• DMZ #35 - Ah, a sweet arrangement they have on the island. As usual, Roth arrives just in time for things to be shaken up. The final pages were chilling, for potential not for what was on the page.
• Northlanders #11 - I'm always up for a good resistence story. This one ... makes me want to hit the history books and make sure I'm up to speed. The date is interesting. As is the mention of Brian Boru. Looking forward to more of this tale.
• Hellboy: In The Chapel Of Moloch - There is nothing quite like a Hellboy tale written and drawn by Mike Mignola. When I read Mignola was doing the art on this one-shot, I ordered it without fear of the book being anything other than first class. I was not disappointed. I love this type of Hellboy tale, and wish there were more.
• Usagi Yojimbo #115 - A really good done-in-one issue that shows the nature of both Usagi and one of his friends. The scene in the castle was chilling. As always, one of the best comics on the shelves.
• Obama: The Comic Book - Less a comic book, more an illustrated mini-novel. Still, it includes his famous 2004 speech that propelled him to the national theater, and it gives a decent background of the man.

---

This week's movie was Four Minutes, an ESPN movie about Roger Bannister. This was a nice solid movie about a milestone in sports history. It managed to be well-paced and engrossing both despite and because of the subject matter. The side stories were kept out of the way of the main plot, but still managed to hold my interest. This was a much better movie than I was expecting. Worth checking out if you have 90 minutes to spare. By the way, my fastest mile (in 8th grade) was 6 minutes 56 seconds.

---

My library book this week was The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau. I read the City of Ember based on the Unshelved review, and enjoyed it. When I heard there is going to be a movie, I also learned there are sequels to the original book. I promptly visited the library to check out the first of the three other books. This book picks up shortly after the first one ends, and shows how people from two vastly different cultures find a way to get along. I can't tell you the precise reading age of this book, but it is definitely aimed at younger readers, maybe pre-teen and teen. That shows in the writing style and the plot resolutions. I enjoyed it, but if you are used to more sophisticated fare, this might be a little too light a read for you. The other two books of the Ember series include a prequel and a sequel to this book. I may pick them up, but haven't decided yet.

---

Agatha Christie this week was The Seven Dials Mystery from 1929. This one is a sequel of sorts to The Secret of Chimneys in that a few of the characters from that book are the sleuths in this one. Particularly the charming "Bundle", who has a confusing and sometimes amusing adventure figuring this one out. I admit, I was fooled. But, again, that had to do with the narrative style Christie uses. I think perhaps I need to open my mind a bit more when reading her books. Next up is 1930, a year in which Christie had three books published, but only two of them under her own name.

---

Fortean Times #242, December 2008. I got this last week, for anyone keeping track, and read it fairly quickly. I needed some extra time to think about some of the articles, and as a result have gone back to reread and ponder since then. First up: I hate the cover. The wax doll of the Tocci Twins is just creepy. Not because they are cojoined twins, but because wax dolls in generally are creepy. I would've preferred one of the photographs from the article. Speaking of the article, I think I would've liked to chat with the twins, but I guess after the horrific childhood they had, they probably would not have wanted a chat with me. The seaside cave on page 8 made me say "I want one!" until I realized how high I'd have to climb on a sheer cliff to reach it.

The Ken Campbell obit was detailed and interesting, and I recognized a lot of names of people who crossed his path. Wow. The Project Kugelblitz article was a nice touch of sanity. Who says that some number of UFOs aren't caused by military efforts? Linking it to the Rendlesham Forest incident worked for me. I'll accept it as an untestable hypothesis. The article further debunking the Betty and Barney Hill incident was nice. I think Making Light completely debunked the Hill abduction over a year ago, but that doesn't stop anyone who truly believes it happened, and further debunking is always good reinforcement.

The short article on Cryptozoology and the modern point-of-view was one of those articles I had to ponder a bit. I think Josh on Destination Truth does a nice job with this... he takes the locals very seriously, takes his hunt very seriously, but doesn't expect to find mythical beasts so much as the origins of myths in his hunts. I don't entirely disagree with the author, but I think he needs to give cryptozoologists a little more credit. I was glad to see the Anakin Skywalker double-exposure photo from page 12 of FT #241 was pointed out and apologized for in the letter column. The review of the ghost hunting video game almost made me want to try it... almost. I also liked the look at Easter Island.

But the article that really got me was "Laughing with Charles Fort" by Simon Wilson, who manages to finally put "Fortean" into terms that most people should be able to understand. He uses a joke to express the duality which Fortean thinkers work in, and from there posits that Forteans are more ready to laugh with the world than skeptics, who tend to laugh at the world and it's foolish beliefs. I'd rather be laughing with than at, if I have a choice. It's an article I can see myself returning to in the future, if only to remind myself to not take everything so seriously.

---

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

A Sunday Review

Two weeks' worth of reviews for you this Sunday, thanks to the LEGO convention last weekend.

---

TV this week:

• Smallville: "Plastique" - No Aquaman. No interest.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Big Flavor" - Yeah, I'd eat at those places. I'd love to try the pizza place, because I'm curious what the crust is like. The proof of the pizza is in the crust. A good crust will make up for a lot in a pizza, and nothing ruins a pizza faster than a bad crust.
• Food Detectives: "Heartburn Remedies" - I used to get heartburn a lot when I was obese. Now that I'm ... less obese ... I haven't gotten it as much. While attempting to buy Stepford House, I got it frequently, and was introduced to the baking soda cure by Eric's mom. The other segments (cooking by dishwasher and car engine, and backwash) were also good fun.
• Heroes: "One of Us, One of Them" - Strangely compelling despite continuing plot holes.
• Ghost Hunters: "Ghosts of the Sunshine State" - Nothing conclusive in either location, but the voices at the second hotel that woke Jay were spooky. Too bad they could have easily been someone standing out in the hall who then took off before he got up and checked. They should have left cameras running in the hall too. The missing flip-flop was also fun. I half-expected someone to admit to hiding it, as the crew are apparently notorious pranksters.
• Destination Truth: "Aswang; Haunted Forest" - The Aswang bit was hilarious. Ryder was... a bit overreactive. I bet I'd be even more goofy in that situation. The story of the haunted forest was very sad. The kids they ran into looking for a dead body reminded me briefly of Stand By Me. Very very briefly.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Cookin' It Old School" - I think I'd visit all of them, even if I wouldn't try everything. Big Mama is one of those people I'd love to meet. She was cool.
• Ace of Cakes: "Tanks, Trucks and Vikings" - 76 cakes for one couple? Wow. The Viking cake was gorgeous. I always wonder what I'd want in a custom cake, but can never think of anything that seems challenging but fun enough. I suppose I could get a TARDIS. That would be cool.
• Heroes: "I Am Become Death" - Ug. Time travel. Ug. How about a good story sometime instead of a convoluted, rehashed X-Men tale?
• Food Detectives: "Spicy Foods and Sleepless Nights" - So, spicy foods actually can disturb your sleep? Hm. The smelly food and the amount of water you get from regular foods segments were also nicely solid. Turns out I get plenty of water each day.
• Smallville: "Toxic" - Green Arrow's origin story! And a proper introduction of Mercy! But no Aquaman, so... meh. Sad, seeing Oliver shirtless just reminds me of what could've been if Mercy Reef had been picked up. *sigh*
• Numb3rs: "High Exposure" - I liked the climber couple. They were fun, and made the human drama a little better. I only care so much about Charlie getting his security clearance back.
• Iron Chef America: "Symon vs Adjey" - What an ingredient! And the explosion of the lighter was a true highlight, as one person said it made for some really good TV. Luckily, no one was hurt. If it had exploded even one second later, Adjey would have been seriously burned. And the result was... interesting.
• Destination Truth: "Issie; Icelandic Elves" - Hard to tell what they ran up against in Japan, but if that was an eel, it was a rather peeved eel. The elf-hunt was great fun, and I laughed aloud many times at their antics. The electronic difficulties they had were definitely suggestive, but as Josh points out, not conclusive of anything. I love this show. It's the ultimate snipe hunt, but everyone is in on the joke.
• Ace of Cakes: "The Big Cake-owski" - That Star Wars cake rocked the party. I loved it. I don't know anything about the The Big Lebowski, but I wouldn't want to be a cake at that party.
• Smallville: "Instinct" - Maxima? Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

---

And here's comics from the last few weeks. I'll be getting twice-a-month shipments from here on out, so I'll never be sure when I'll get a chance to review a book.:

• Tiny Titans #8 - Lots of fun seeing the Tiny Titans mentors. I squeed at Aquaman, but Blue Beetle definitely won that one in the joke department. I'm surprised the cover didn't have Aqualad getting a "sea".
• Checkmate #30 - Bored. Want the end of this story.
• Captain Britain and MI13 #5 - Ok, a Marvel book I'm enjoying. Wow. I really like Faiza. A nice grounded character who, nonetheless, has powers. Nice cliffhanger.
• Spirit #21 - This really is a fun book. I think we dropped it... but it is fun.
• Castle Waiting #12 - Wow, two cool bits in this one. Simon's monster was great, and the story of the doctor was tragic. I love this book, I just wish it came out a little more often.
• Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #2 - Theo Adam is a bit of a pain, isn't he?
• Powers #30 - Hey, an issue finally came out! Wow! And it's even an ending of sorts. Yay!
• PS238 #34 - I have a feeling I'm not going to like the new Tyler very much. I wonder what his powers are?
• Usagi Yojimbo #114 - Fascinating tale. Did the Shogun actually have spies like that, I wonder?
• Northlanders #10 - Brutal. This series is just brutal. I'm not sure if I like the idea of a series of standalone stories about different Northmen, but so far they've been good. This two-parter was very well done. And brutal.
• The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror #14 - The Simpsons do Death Note! Scary how much Lisa looks like "L" in those scenes. And Krusty makes a great Shinigami. The other two stories were ok, but forgettable.
• Land of Oz Manga #3 - Eeeek, too fast! The retelling is going way too fast! Somebody slow this sawhorse down!
• Justice League of America #25 - YAY ELSEWORLDS!

---

My library book this week was The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. I've read the entire Vorkosigan saga repeatedly, and it's a series I go back to when I need a comfort read. I need to get the entire series in hardcover someday, because I think I wore out the library copies. Anyway, the point is that I really like Bujold's work... but I've never read any of her non-Vorkosigan books. I kept meaning to remedy that while living in Frankenhaus with access to King County's library system, but didn't get around to it. So I made it a top priority here with the regional library system. I got my copy of this book the same day hubby-Eric got his library card (unrelated) and set down to read it immediately, in between bouts of unpacking. The verdict? Well, I don't find it as comforting as the Vorkosigan books, but I enjoyed it a lot. Bujold can pick up a character's story long after the "exciting bits" have happened, and take that character further. In this case, Cazaril has endured a lot before the story starts, and he isn't your typical hero. But then, no Bujold character ever is a typical hero. The philosophy in this story is amazing, and the words "thought provoking" don't justify the theology. I can see that I'll be rereading this book in a few years and probably getting more out of it the second time. So my verdict: it's not a book about Miles or Cordelia but it's still very good and worth a read. Go on, check it out.

---

Fortean Times #240, October 2008. Got this just before I moved out of Frankenhaus, and so had to read it in bits and pieces as I moved into Stepford House. The title story is about rocketmen from the future, and has a nice collection of sightings that make you wonder about what was really happening to the witnesses. The Time Storm article was very neat, and I enjoyed it for fannish reasons as well as in the usual Fortean sense. I loved the coverage of the John Titor hoax. That seems like the kind of hoax that, if you only have enough imagination and the right sort of information, would be terribly easy to pull off. Ghostwatch had a tale in it that was covered later in the issue by a book review, enough to make me want to read the book. All-in-all, another good issue of the oddest magazine on the newsstands.

---

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Big Daddy's House: "Dream Dinner" - Looked tasty, but mostly stuff I don't generally eat. This guy makes me feel like I could almost make it, despite my ability to make the easiest recipe turn into inedible slop.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Brain Freeze" - Ok, I'd love to try the sweet potato ice cream. But I really don't need most of the ice cream. I want it, but I'm strong enough... I don't need it.
• Food Detectives: "Brain Freeze" - I almost never get brain freeze, because I usually eat ice cream pretty slowly. The freezer burn advice was good, and I will no doubt use it in the future.
• Ace of Cakes: "Swimming With the Sharks" - I wanna swim with the sharks.

Comics this week:

• Green Lantern Corps #27 - A bit of a day-in-the-life issue, with some nasty set up. Natu appears, but only briefly, so I'll say it was a so-so issue.
• Captain Britain and MI13 #4 - I like Faiza. The rest, not so much.
• Checkmate #29 - This book is nearly done, right?
• Action Comics #868 - Um, go Brainiac?
• Batman #679 - Don't know what is happening in this issue, don't really care.
• Doctor Who #6 - Hrm. If the issue hadn't had a review of what happened, I wouldn't have understood it at all. As it was, the story was almost too confusing to follow.
• Tiny Titans #7 - Wonder Girl playing with an Aquaman action figure? CUTE!

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? - Finally! They got rid of the one I didn't like. Any of the remaining singers would be good. I'm satisfied.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Diners You Sent Me To" - They got me with the "scratch-made biscuits and gravy". Maybe I'll have to visit Salt Lake City again.
• The Next Food Network Star: "Vegas Throwdown" - Ok, I really didn't expect that. Really.
• History Detectives - I really enjoyed this one. But then, I usually do enjoy the show. I was particularly interested in the balloon bomb story, as I'd heard about the people killed by one in Oregon, and have always been fascinated by the attacks. I wonder how many of those bombs are still out there, deadly and waiting.
• Dinner: Impossible: "Far East Feast" - Every time Robert gets into a bad situation, I just think, "he's getting what he deserves." But this one is bad even for him. Let's face it: if the equipment works and he gets all the supplies he needs, he'll always beat the clock.
• Ace of Cakes: "World's Largest Cupcake" - Eh, cupcakes. I liked the roulette cake much more. I also loved the stupid little skits they scattered through this episode. Utterly silly but amusing.
• Ghost Hunters International: "Devil Dog" - None of the evidence was convincing, but the stories were great. I prefered the place in England to the Opera House. Theaters are always a bit boring, because sound carries entirely too well in them. The abandoned house, on the other hand, was a creepy place just on its own... add in the stories and it looked like a place that would be fun to visit and scare yourself in.

Comics this week:

• Trinity #7 - I really want to like this book, but I'm just sort of "eh" about it.
• Checkmate #28 - Someday I will figure out what is going on in this book.
• Tiny Titans #6 - YAY! Pure goofy kid goodness! YAY! Super-pets! Fluffy the fish is included! YAY!
• Conan the Cimmerian #1 - Typical Conan story. Not bad, not great.

I got another issue of Fortean Times, but delayed reading it until the house went on the market. This issue's cover story is about the Golem of Prague, and the article is quite good, covering the possible real origins of the legend in a pretty convincing way. It's all conjecture, but it's reasonable conjecture. I also enjoyed reading about the Liverpool appearances of Spring-heeled Jack. If we weren't moving, I would put several of the books reviewed into the KCLS system to see if I could get them. As usual, Fortean Times was a good read this month. I hope I get my new address very soon, so I can make sure I don't miss an issue.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria - I'm not a big fan of reality competitions, but this was an interesting look at how casting decisions must be made... and how hard they are. As I told hubby-Eric, if I knew John Barrowman was going to give me a hug like he gave those girls, I would try out for the part, too.
• Iron Chef America: "Symon vs Bloomfield" - The judges were GREAT on this one. I love it when they actually argue about the merits of the dish and disagree with each other. It made for interesting TV and told us far more about the dishes than we normally hear.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Comfort Food" - Fun fun fun! I don't know which place I wanted to go to most... just all of them. I want to try the cereal dipped french toast.
• The Next Food Network Star: "You... In a Jar" - My least favorite didn't get kicked out, but my favorite is still in the running. I'm slightly disappointed at who got booted, but he wasn't really showing his personality, so I wasn't surprised.
• Ghost Hunters: "Fort Delaware" - That is a WAY cool place. I would love to visit there, not for the ghosts, but just for the history. I hate how overproduced the sound in this show is. Too many stupid sounds, even when the people are listening closely for something. I'd rather listen along! Shut off the stupid sounds!
• Doctor Who: "Turn Left" - This is the "Doctor light" episode, featuring mostly just Donna. And... wow. Very interesting. Not what I was expecting at all, but it worked very well. As I was watching it with a crowd of fans, the various recognizable moments went over well and elicted great responses as the episode progessed. All in all, impressive. I worry about the last two episodes, as I've been disappointed after good build-ups at the end of previous seasons, but hopefully this will be the year that bucks the trend.

This week's library movie was My Super Ex-Girlfriend. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a light comedy of the nerdly variety. I really enjoyed it for what it was, but could see how people would be disappointed in what it wasn't. It wasn't a superhero movie. It wasn't a drama. And it certainly wasn't deep. If you need a light, funny movie to watch, this is a good one.

My library book this week was Titans of Chaos. This is the final book in the trilogy, and it ends well, if not how I expected it to end at all. There is a bit too much of the battles in multiple dimensions in this one (battles which are very confusing), but aside from that complaint, I liked it. Wright does a surprisingly good job of explaining the four paradigms in such a way that I usually didn't get confused. Usually. This book is weaker than the first two, but certainly a good read nonetheless.

Another library book I picked up was The Servants by Michael Marshall Smith, recommended in Fortean Times #237. The book is written from the point of view of an 11-year-old boy who is angry about his parents' divorce. While the boy attempts to deal with his new situation by learning to ride his skateboard, he learns that something is very wrong in the house he's moved into with his mother and her new husband. This is a light fantasy, meant for kids. It's a very quick read but has a lot of substance, and some strong emotion. I wasn't entirely happen with the ending, but there couldn't have been any other with this story. If you want a good read, go check this out.

I also read Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn from the library. This was also a sort of recommendation from Fortean Times, but the review was a later book in the series. I decided to check out the first book. And it's not too bad. It's your typical Vampires vs Werewolves dealing with modern life story. A bit of gore, a bit of sex, and an attitude too cool for words. It's good if you like that style of book. I liked the angle of the main character being a radio DJ afflicted with lycanthropy who stumbles into fame when she starts talking about vampires and werewolves on air. I'm not yet sure if I'll be picking up the second book.

A quadruple dose of Agatha Christie this week, starting with The Man in the Brown Suit. No Poirot in this one, but Anne works in this book as a strong narrator. I'm amused at how Christie threw suspicion off of one character immediately, then built up other characters so at any given time you have no idea who to trust. As for the mystery, I thought it was a little too complicated, but in the end all the threads pulled together nicely and despite my thoughts that this one might be a little too clever, I think it still worked well. But then, it's Agatha Christie. Of course it worked well.

I also read Agatha Christie's The Secret of Chimneys. Another "standalone" mystery, with Anthony Cade as the main character. And he's a real character! I figured out bits of the mystery, like always, but never solved the main one. I think that's the genius of these books: she gives you enough information that even a quick reader like me can pick up enough to solve part of the mystery. And she leaves you with the impression that if you read carefully, you can solve all of it.

Then I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I knew it, but I rejected it. But throughout reading it I kept coming back to it as the solution. I knew it and the only reason she fooled me was because I didn't believe she'd have the audacity to do it. ARGH. I would go into great detail about this, but really, it's a mystery. Spoilers.

Lastly, I read The Big Four. We're back to Poirot, and he's paranoid and goofy in this one. This book had multiple mysteries which Poirot solves, ending with a final battle at the end involving Poirot's twin. I was very amused to see this book as a clue on Jeopardy the day I finished reading it (Friday).

Agatha Christie books are a bit like popcorn or potato chips for me. I have to restrain myself or I'll just keep reading one after another. They are fun, light, and quick reads. I've been forcing myself to read other books in between the Christie books, which is one reason I read so much last week!

Because I was busy reading books, comics this week didn't all get read, so some will show up next week. Here's what I did finish:

• Trinity #3 - Three issues in and I'm no more interested than I was after reading the first issue. It just hasn't caught me.
• Spirit #18 - I applied Agatha Christie thinking to this one, and had it mostly solved well before the reveal. Scary.
• Star Wars Legacy #25 - I got a bit mixed up on who was supposed to be who, despite the reminders within the issue.
• Checkmate #27 - Environmentalism and immoral medical testing in one issue.
• DMZ #32 - It's a very strange political situation, and I'm not sure I fully understand what's happening. But it's also still a very good book.
• Fallen Angel #27 - Ah, twilight zone. Love it.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

Light TV this week:

• Classic Doctor Who: "Invasion of Time" Parts 1 & 2 - Tom Baker at his most mad. Lots of fun to watch.
• American Gladiators - The trash talk is remarkably funny in a horribly corny sort of way. I really like Toa. The Buddy Cop theme was nice.
• Have I Got News For You: "Kirsty Young, Charlie Higson, and Frankie Boyle" - The horse doing a somersault was rather impressive. But I was spoiled by the Brian Blessed episode. None of the rest are nearly as funny as that one was.

Comics this week:

• Super Friends #3 - One of the best comics on the shelf at the moment. I LOVE the Aquaman in this book, he's competent and confident and HAPPY. And the finger puppets... SQUEEE!!! Ok, one false note: Aquaman's disguise? BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!
• Justice Society of America #15 - Not enough Ma Hunkel.
• Checkmate #26 - Brutal.
• Justice League of America #21 - More tie-in to Trinity and Final Crisis? I think I've had enough of crossovers.
• Spirit #17 - Pretty good! The cover has less than usual to do with the inside, though.
• Star Wars: Legacy #24 - Too much history in this one, and not enough book to explain it all. What was explained was good, but there were some befuddlement moments.

I got a Fortean Times. Issue #236. This one concerns itself with the Copycat Effect and Suicide. Not my favorite subjects by a long shot. The magic numbers article amused me, and checking my "lucky number" against their chart made me laugh aloud (chamber pot). The Crop Circles article was nicely skeptical, and did a good job examining the phenomenon. The bit on Victoria Woodhull was enough to make me want to go hunting for more information on her. What a character! I put a couple of the books they reviewed on hold. But the gem of the issue was the Fortean Traveller article on Brittany, which made me want to make a trip to Europe.

This week's library movie was Shrek the Third. Nice and fun. There really isn't much more to say. If you enjoyed the first two, you will probably enjoy this one. The inclusion of Arthur Pendragon was amusing, even if they didn't develop his whole love triangle thing like they considered. Maybe they can do something with that in the fourth movie.

My library book this week was The Mysterious Affair at Styles: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie. After watching last week's Doctor Who I decided that I really needed to read some Agatha Christie. As far as I know, I've never actually read any of her stories. So I decided to start at the beginning and read every book she's written. And the first Agatha Christie novel is The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Which I enjoyed. Poirot is quite a character, and I didn't figure out the solution, though I picked up on several of the clues that the narrator (Arthur Hastings) didn't. A good read, I'm looking forward to reading more. Anyone know of a complete list of all her books and short stories? (and plays and everything else?)

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

Comics this week: Best book of the week, month, and year so far is Super Friends #1. I'm now a fan of writer Sholly Fisch (hmm, "fish"?). And this is the first time I've read a comic book and immediately started thinking of children I need to give it to. By contrast, Countdown 6 was terribly depressing, with non-existent people trying to fight the end of the world. Tangent: Superman's Reign #1 was bizarre, but the back-up story helped explain things a little. Good choice, having a back-up story like that.

Justice League of America #19 ties in with Salvation Run, which I haven't read. Funny to see Waller again. Speaking of, Checkmate #24 was incredible. I think that story was built up the right way. I'm a little surprised we didn't get any Aquaman in the various hero scenes, but it was still incredible. And lastly, Witchblade #116 wasn't as good as the last few issues, but was still ok. I think she should've let the Witchblade strangle that dude, though.

I finally got through the latest Fortean Times, which has an awful cover. I hate those paintings. As I've reported elsewhere, I was reading the bit on Arthur C Clarke's opinions of UFOs when I set the magazine down, logged into Twitter, and learned about his death. Very Fortean, and not in a good way. The Vegetable Lambs were interesting, but overall this wasn't the best issue ever.

TV this week: Robin Hood: "Lardner's Ring" (I like the Fool), Iron Chef America: "Flay vs Back" (once again cheering for the challenger... and Popeye), Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Like Mama Made" (Oh I'm craving some biscuits and gravy... my absolute favorite breakfast ever), Robin Hood: "Walkabout" (nice suspense and humor in this one), Torchwood: "Adrift" (give the poor woman some retcon, Gwen!), Ghost Hunters: "Words From Beyond" (cool library, and the diary find was interesting), Destination Truth: "Wildman; Swamp Dinosaur" (in this episode: Josh eats the strangest things), Supernanny: "McKeever Family" (what an incredibly cowardly and selfish father!), Ace of Cakes: "Police Cars and Wine Bars" (fun snowboarding attempt), Smallville: "Traveler" (Lionel continues to demonstrate his really bad judgement), and Torchwood: "Fragments" (unexpected TW bonus this week... bombs and flashbacks).

I got through a couple of books this week. A Haunted Tour Guide to the Pacific Northwest by Jefferson Davis was a quick read, because I didn't bother to go through most of it page by page. I just flipped through looking for places I've been or intend to go. If I wanted to do an actual tour of haunted places, I'd probably look for a copy of the book. As it is, I thought it was ok, but not very interesting as a book to sit and read. I did, however, enjoy Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, and Michael Jan Friedman. The voice of the book was Jason from the TV show. He tells of some of the pre-TV show cases, then goes into detail about a few of the ones that made the show. I thought I'd be bored with it once he got into the stuff I'd already seen on TV, but I found myself interested in reading even the bits I already knew. It was an easy and comfortable read, despite the odd subject matter. I wouldn't recommend this to someone not interested in ghosts, but anyone who has an interest might find this book intriguing.

This week's library movie was Pan's Labyrinth. Wow, what an intense film. I was only partway expecting the ending... it didn't quite take the form I expected. In any case, I'm glad I avoided spoilers for it before seeing it. The violence was a little more graphic than I anticipated, and there were several times I had to look away, which was tough, as I also needed to read the subtitles. I finally figured out how to cover most of the screen while still making the subtitles visible. It was difficult to tell if what Ofelia was experiencing was true, or just her imagination, which may have been the point. Anyway, I highly recommend it, but only if you can stomach some intense moments.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

I started this week by catching up on my Manga anthology reading by going though Shojo Beat and Shonen Jump from the last few months. As I've said before, it was worth subscribing to Shonen Jump just to keep up with Hikaru No Go, which is one of my favorite comic stories, bar none, at the moment. I would easily pay $3 an issue just for Hikaru, and with the subscription I was paying less than that and getting five other decent series as well (along with one crappy/unreadable one). Yes, it's in black and white, but I pay $3 an issue for good b&w independent comic books. Unfortunately, I won't be getting SJ anymore, as Hikaru No Go has been dropped as of the May issue.

Incidentally, if you use my links to Amazon to buy a book, I generally end up using the tiny amount of money I get to buy the latest volume of Hikaru No Go. Which might give you a hint of how little I get through those links. But as long as I get Hikaru No Go, I'm happy.

My main complaint with Shojo Beat is the fluffy and disconnected style of some of the stories. In many shojo stories, the writer assumes that the reader knows the writer's intention without it being explicit. Well, sometimes the writer is correct. Other times the jumps are too much and instead of stark and beautiful it is confusing and annoying. Not every story suffers from the problem, but the ones that do tend to irritate me. Here's my thoughts on the stories I caught up with this week.

• Absolute Boyfriend: One of my favorite features... it ended in the March issue. And it actually managed to have a decent ending, even! I was a little surprised. This one was a solid adventure from the start.
• B.O.D.Y. (Preview): Enough to set up the premise, not enough to convince me to try it.
• Be With You (Preview): The preview was too short to get more than an impression of the style. It's impossible to tell if I'd enjoy this or not. I learned more about the tale from the one-page ads in later issues than from the preview.
• Crimson Hero: My other favorite story, about a girl determined to be a volleyball player despite her family's wishes. This has been a solid feature of this book.
• Haruka: Beyond The Stream of Time: All the characters look the same, and it's difficult to tell who is male or female. And it's very fluffy and disconnected.
• Honey and Clover: At times too fluffy, but overall fairly sweet and readable. The characters have distinct personalities, which sometimes doesn't seem to happen in shojo manga.
• I-O-N (Preview): Another preview that's a little too short to figure out whether it's worth picking up.
• Monkey High! (Preview): Now this is how a preview ought to be. Enough of the meat of the tale to know what it's going to be about, enough art to judge the style. It's a cute story, typical shojo. I suspect it will do well.
• Sand Chronicles: Too much wishy-washy looking at the past. If the story didn't fall into retrospective in every single issue of the magazine, it wouldn't be so bad. But this one goes a little overboard with the "Oh, how neat things were in the past!" meme. Otherwise, a halfway decent story is buried in there.
• Vampire Knight: I hated this when it started, but I've grown to almost appreciate it since. The main character is a wuss, and annoying. If she'd grow a spine, I think I might start to like this.

Overall, I'm not sure why I bother to subscribe to this anthology. Especially now that Absolute Boyfriend is ended. It doesn't have any one feature that I find so compelling that I have to buy the book, like with Shonen Jump. It's a smaller anthology than Shonen Jump, with less extras and a higher price tag. I tell myself I get it to keep my fingers on the pulse of manga, but I'm not really sure it's worth it.

I've said that I would buy Shonen Jump just for Hikaru No Go, so it's been fortunate for me that I also enjoy some of the other stories. The ones that have been in the book since I started reading it have grown on me. For the most part, I've been able to take these stories as they are intended (shonen=for boys) and appreciate the goofiness. Here's my thoughts on the stories I caught up with this week.

• Bleach: This one is relatively new to Shonen Jump, and I can't say I like it. I tried reading the first volume some time ago and wasn't impressed. The chapters in Shonen Jump pick up in the middle, and while I try to read it, I'm still not drawn into it yet.
• Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo: I can't stand this feature. It's poorly drawn, badly plotted, and generally stupid beyond any reasonable level of stupidity. I no longer bother to try to read it.
• Hikaru No Go: My favorite tale, about an irresponsible kid who is possessed by an ancient master of Go, which changes his life. The last few installments have been REALLY interesting, as the Go master wants to take center stage, as he's been feeling out of the action.
• Naruto: SJ took a short break from this feature to dump a whole lot of graphic novels on the fans, and get a bit ahead of the story. The new storyline is intriguing, and if they had to jump ahead, I think they did a good job with it.
• One Piece: Ridiculous, silly, and at times hard to follow... but this one manages to be amusing and have a plotline as well. This one took a long time to grow on me, but I find it funny now.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: I enjoyed the original Yu-Gi-Oh to some extent, as it was a fairly compelling story with a nice history. A bit too much fighting, but most of these stories have too much fighting. This version, set later in time than the original, has it's high points as well.
• YuYu Hakusho: This one seemed like entirely fighting for the first year or so that I read it. Now it's settling down a little into a bit more than that. Another one that's grown on me.

After I've read SJ and SB I donate the magazines to the local library for the young adult librarian to give away as prizes. I then buy the collections of Hikaru No Go for my library. In the future, I'm only going to be buying the collections, which means the librarian is out some prizes. Sorry, library.

No movie for this week thanks to a full weekend. Hubby-Eric did finish watching the extras on the Dreamgirls DVD set that we got from the library.

TV this week: Classic Doctor Who: "The Invisible Enemy" parts 1 & 2 (I haven't seen this story in ages, it's practically new to me), Robin Hood: "Ducking and Diving" (Josie Lawrence!), Smallville: "Fracture" (yawn), Dinner: Impossible: "Late for the Luau" (most of the foods don't appeal to me, but I'd love to smell them), Torchwood: "Dead Man Walking" (don't listen to headphones during an evacuation), Supernanny: "Wilson-Knutson Family" (poop and songs, a perfect combination!), Ghost Hunters International: "Frankenstein's Castle" (interesting EVP there... but I'm disturbed by one of the Ghost Hunter's disrespect for the location), American Gladiators: "Grand Finale" (rip-roaring fun, and not much else. But then, that's sports in a nutshell), and Ace of Cakes: "The Spy Who Caked Me" (that housekeeping staff has a lot to answer for).

Got the latest Fortean Times, #233, to hit the Americas. This one had a couple of intriguing bits. The cover story, about two Italian guys who listened to messages from space just as the space race was starting, was very interesting. Especially the bits about possibly lost cosmonauts. Yikes. It's certainly something I can imagine the USSR doing to prevent knowledge of its failures, but you would think that somebody would have come forward by now with some hint of what really happened... wouldn't you? I also enjoyed "Rock's greatest lightshow" in which it is theorized that Neolithic rock art was in part inspired by a Southern plasma lightshow, an auroral storm. There was some unexpected Johnny Cash, as well. The reviews weren't very captivating this time, but overall a good issue.

My library book this week was The Doctor Who Was Followed by Ghosts: The Family Saga of a Chinese Woman Doctor by Li Qunying and Louis Han. An excellent book, it's basically the story of a woman's life through the last 80 or so years of China's history. She joined the Communist Army as a teenager, served in Korea, became a doctor and had four children. She survived the Cultural Revolution, and her first-hand account of all the events are amazing and frightening. She brings history alive in this book, in a down-to-earth manner. While not everyone will love this one, it is worth reading. Particularly if you have only a little understanding of China's recent history.

This week's comics arrived a bit late for me... because I was sick and not able to get them the day they arrived in the shop, for once. How do you know Laura is really sick? She doesn't get her comics on Wednesday. Anyway, on to my thoughts on this books... Checkmate #23 lost me a bit. I remember the previous issues in which this character infiltrated Kobra, but I felt like it jumped too quickly into the new plot. I think maybe I'm being nitpicky. Moving on... Justice League of America #18 did nothing for me because I'm not paying attention to the whole salvation run series, or whatever it's called. The various crossovers in DC-land are getting too much. Speaking of crossovers, Brave and the Bold #10 was a solid little tale featuring an almost unknown Aquaman character and a major event in Aquaman's life. And Aqualad actually looked correct in this one, wonder of wonders.

The Spirit #14 was fun, as usual. The old folks home was a nice touch. Witchblade #115 was a standard day-in-the-life story, and worked for what it was. Art was too cheesecake-y, but not as bad as it has been in the past. Conan #49 had lots of gore and not much plot.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews

A Sunday Review

Hubby-Eric and I watched more of Sapphire and Steel: "The Railway Station". Nicely spooky. Very slow, deliberate pacing.

On television, I watched American Gladiators (but the TiVo cut it off!), Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (just to watch Guy eat), Ace of Cakes (mmmmm...cake), Ghost Hunters International: "Haunted Village" (Barry and Brian lost in the woods, almost worth watching it just for that), Colbert Report (had some good bits this week), Torchwood: "To the Last Man" (that was really heart-breaking), Robin Hood: "The Angel of Death" (catching up on this series), and Mythbusters: "Airplane on a Conveyor Belt" (Ok, I understand the whole plane thing. But the radiation myth was DISGUSTING).

A book I checked out from the library was Do Not Open by John Farndon. It looks like the perfect coffee table book. Something to have sitting around to pick up and read when you are waiting around. It's not a terribly good borrow from the library, though, because it is the kind of book you want to savor. I hope I someday get a copy as a gift, but for now I returned it to the library.

Another library book was Peach Fuzz Volume 2 by Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges which continued the ferret-y fun. I'm really enjoying this series, and this I'll check out volume three as soon as it becomes available at the library. It also seems like it would be a good gift book for a pre-teen girl.

I finally broke through my "do not feel like reading comic books" barrier and caught up on a few titles. For superheroes: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual was an excellent Elseworlds tale. Wonder Woman just isn't holding my interest. Sorry WW fans. Checkmate #22 was good, I like the historical aspect. Justice League of America #17 made no sense. JLA Classified has a fairly decent story going in the last two issues. Superman/Batman #45 completely got Joseph wrong (Hint: he's not going by "Arthur" anymore (doesn't anyone actually read the books before writing a character?)). Green Lantern #27 had one really amusing bit, as in who was chosen as the Sinestro Lantern on Earth... heh. The Spirit had a couple of solid standalone issues.

And in non-mainstream books: The last couple issues of Witchblade have been extremely readable, with very little unclothed women. I wonder if my friend will drop it now, so I can't read any more now that I'm enjoying it. Castle Waiting #10 has a bit of mystery, and I'm feeling very impatient for the next issue. Usagi Yojimbo #109 had an ending that I didn't want, but totally expected. Enough with Jei already! And I also loved Amelia Rules #19. Family history is cool (my sister is posting family pics on Flickr, so I'm experiencing my own Family History lately, as well).

We attempted to watch Ratatouille as our movie of the week, but the library copy we got was scratched enough that it wouldn't play all the way through (in fact, it stops just as Remy gets into the kitchen). GRRRR. How much brains does it take to be smart enough to NOT ruin a library item? What's with people who damage library DVDs?

Really Rapid Reviews

These are mini-capsules: about one sentence per book with whether or not I recommend the book.

21 February 2007

52 Week Forty-Two: "Trigger Effect": Oh. Wow. Oh, what a payoff. Wow. Man. Wow. Recommended.

Checkmate #11: "Corvalho Part One": A strange misprint on the second and third pages made them hard to read in our copy of this book. Otherwise, it's another solid installment of a solid book. Waller is some piece of work, isn't she? Recommended.

The Flash #7: "Speedquest Chapter 1: Angel City": Not a bad jumping on point. It's a set-up story, which is what I needed, since I haven't picked up Flash in awhile. Mildly recommended.

Brave and the Bold #1: "The Lords of Luck: Roulette": A solid Silver Age-y book that is well worth checking out. Recommended.

Ion #11: "Lovers & Enemies": I could still dump this book in a second, but at least Soranik shows up. Mildly recommended.

Shadowpact #10: "Cursed": I really liked this one. The team may be cursed, but this is a pretty good book. Recommended.

Superman #659: "Angels": Whoa. Very interesting standalone story, that also happens to work within the greater arc. Highly Recommended.

Birds of Prey #103: "Truth or Dare": Oracle losing control of her spiderweb, intriguing. Recommended.

Aquaman: Sword of Altantis #49: "Dreams of the Fisherman": A great ending to a good story. This revamp of The Fisherman is one of the more successful retcons of a villain in a long time. I love it. Highly recommended.

Powers #23: I just wish this story would speed up the pace a little. Otherwise pretty good. Mildly recommended.

Star Trek: The Next Generation #2: "Captain's Pleasure": Nice little mystery, in the Star Trek style. Not bad. Mildly recommended.

Local #8: "food as substitute": Megan needs to crawl her way back from the depths she's hit, and I think the end of this one started that process. Mildly recommended.

The Spirit #3: "Resurrection": A retelling of the origin of The Spirit, and a good 'un. Recommended.

DMZ #16: "Public Works 4/5": Man, what a cliffhanger. This is a painful book, but wow, it is GOOD. Recommended.

PS238 #20: Time travel is the most difficult of concepts to deal with in a comic book, but I do believe Aaron Williams has managed it this time. Highly recommended.

Really Rapid Reviews

These are mini-capsules: about one sentence per book with whether or not I recommend the book.

17 January 2007

52 Week Thirty-Seven: "Secret Identities": Way to spoil the story on the cover. Sheesh. And the "Secret of 52" as revealed in the code is the back is hardly a secret at all (Both JSA and Ion have made that clear already). But it's got a great little cliffhanger or two, and just what is Skeets?!?? Recommended.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #48: "Here Be Monsters": I've been waiting for this story since Kurt told me about it in that phone call over a year ago. And it completely lives up to my expectations. Highly recommended.

Green Lantern #16: "Wanted: Hal Jordan" chapter three: Not entirely bad. Very mildly recommended.

JLA Classified #32: "The 4th Parallel Point of Origin": A new villain, and most of the book is taken up with his origin. Mildly recommended.

Birds of Prey #102: "Freedom of Motion": Oooh, I like Lois versus Barbara face-off. Very fun. Recommended.

Shadowpact #9: "Three Laws Safe": Nice statement of the laws of superheroics. Recommended.

Spirit #2: "The Maneater": Wow, second issue and we're already getting some background on P'Gell. Cool. Recommended.

Wisdom #2: "The Village That Walked Like A Woman": Sorry Paul, you know I love ya and all, but I just can't get into this book. Pete Wisdom doesn't interest me, and the writing style that works so well for prose seems jumpy in this comic. I hate to do this to you: Not recommended.

Conan #36: "Silent to the Sea": Nice finish to the Pict story. I still wish Kurt was on the book. Mildly recommended.

Stardust Kid #5: "An Endless Ending": I wanted to like this book. But I didn't. Not recommended.

Phantom #14: "Walker's Line" part one: Nice flashback tale tying into other stories. Mildly recommended.

Castle Waiting vol II #4: OOOOH! OOOOH! More about Lady Jain's lover, Pindar's father. Lots of neat stuff spilled in this one. Highly Recommended.

24 January 2007

52 Week Thirty-Eight: "Breathless": This one had very little of interest for me in it. Very mildly recommended.

Checkmate #10: "The End in Sight": Well, that explains why no one can infiltrate Kobra. Mildly recommended.

DMZ #15: "Public Works 3/5": I didn't think Matty would go through with it, but I'm not entirely sure just what he did. Recommended.

Noble Causes #26: Too much going on that I don't understand. I'll probably enjoy this one more once I've seen where it's going. Mildly recommended.

Fallen Angel #12: Asia Minor actually comes across as creepy in this one. Mildly recommended.

Mouse Guard #6: "A Return to Honor": Very soon I'm going to sit down with all six issues and read this one through from the beginning. And I bet it'll get even better when I do. Recommended.

True Story, Swear to God #3: Lots of good bits in here, from Tom dealing with a neighbor's barking dog to Lily's act of shaving her head being an inspiration. Highly recommended.

Yay! I'm caught up again! Well, except for that review copy I just got from Larry and the Previews review. But hey, I'm closer than I've been for many weeks.

Really Rapid Reviews

Time to try to catch up on my reviewing... These are mini-capsules: about one sentence per book with whether or not I recommend the book.

13 December 2006

52 Week Thirty-Two: "Seven Days in Nanda Parbat": I really have to wonder how Dibny's tale is going to end. Mildly recommended.

Justice League of America #4: "Being Human": This is a confusing morass of a story with a mildly shocking ending. Neutral.

JLA Classified #30: "Secret History, Sacred Trust" part five: Aquaman talking about horses and zebras? Um. Ok. Mildly recommended.

DCU Infinite Holiday Special: Cute. Some of the stories were great, one was incomprehensible, and there was even an Elseworlds marked as an Elseworlds. Recommended.

Batman #660: "Grotesk" part 2: Too many characters all fluffled together. I might enjoy the story if I could keep it straight. Mildly recommended.

Green Lantern Corps #7: "The Dark Side of Green" part one: Wow, I'm just so uninterested in this book that I wonder why I bothered to read it. Neutral.

Spirit #1: "Ice Ginger Coffee": Wow, that's jumping right into it! I think I like this, let's see if it stays good. Recommended.

Fallen Angel #11: "The Long, Slow Seduction of Jude" part one: Still strangely compelling. I don't know why I read this book, but I continue to read it. Mildly recommended.

DMZ #14: "Public Works 2/5": Nasty, nasty, nasty. Ouch. Recommended.

PS238 #19: I named it best book of 2006, what more do you need? Seriously, a great finale to an interesting story. Highly recommended.

20 December 2006

52 Week Thirty-Three: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year": It feels like the story took a break for Christmas. Oh well. Very mildly recommended.

Checkmate #9: "Pawn 502" part 2: Nice. I just like the way this book puts pieces together. It is like a chess game. Recommended.

Birds of Prey #101: "Broken Wing": I really like Zinda. But I'm not sure about the rest of the gang. Mildly recommended.

Ion #9: "Off on a Tangent": Ok, I like the Tangent universe... but just what's up with this? Mildly recommended.

Shadowpact #8: "Ragtime": I like the backstory on Ragman. Very cool. Recommended.

Secret Six #6: "Cutting the Cord": I don't think I'll be getting any more minis featuring these guys. Neutral.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #47: "Coral Song": Nice ending to the flashback, nice fleshing out of Aquaman's world. Recommended.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis TPB: "Once and Future": A basic collection. I would've enjoyed it more if there were some extras... any extras. Recommended, but only if you don't have the individual issues.

Conan #35: "They Shall Be Lords Again": Not a bad little tale, but not enough to make me regret dropping this book. Mildly recommended.

Next up: I try to finish last year's books and get into this year. Wish me luck. I need it.

Really Rapid Reviews

These are mini-capsules: about one sentence per book with whether or not I recommend the book.

15 November 2006

52 Week Twenty-Eight: "Beyond the Black Stump": Just what is Lobo actually up to? And is anyone else confused at Red Tornado's status because of this book and Justice League? Mildly recommended.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #45: "Watery Grave": Oh, I'm so pathetic. I can't look at that cover speech balloon without thinking "NO, To the PAIN!" Ahem. I enjoyed this issue. Recommended.

Birds of Prey #100: I like the few scenes we got of female supers in the DCU responding to Oracle. I just wish Mera had been one of them! Both stories were good, but I hope Black Canary stays in the book in some form. Recommended.

Checkmate #8: "Pawn 502 Part 1": Oh, now that is intriguing. And I have to wonder who Mr Terrific wants as his bishop. Mildly recommended.

Green Lantern Corps #6: "The Price of Duty": Soranik Natu is the only character in this book so far that I care at all about, and while her bits were good, there weren't enough of them! Mildly recommended.

Shadowpact #7: "The Laws of Battle": I'm liking this book more with each issue. It's not a top book for me, but I'm enjoying it. Mildly recommended.

Astro City The Dark Age Book Two #1: "Eyes of a Killer, one of four": Back to the two brothers. I find myself drawn into their tale again, and when the book ended I just wanted more. Recommended.

Squadron Supreme #7: "Turnabout": I'm losing interest in this book so rapidly that I don't think I'll be getting it much more. Neutral.

What If... Spider-Man The Other: That's a twist on that tale I didn't expect, but in the end it wasn't really as intense as I was hoping for. Mildly recommended.

Phantom #13: "Tiger's Blood part 2": If I understood this, a man who thinks the Phantom is responsible for his love's death hatches an elaborate plan to kill the Phantom using, basically, a fear gas. Hrm. Not bad, but not the best. Mildly recommended.

Really Rapid Reviews

These are mini-capsules: one sentence per book (unless I feel like writing a bit more) with whether or not I recommend the book.

18 October 2006

52 Week Twenty-Four: "Just Imagine": Ambush Bug? Mildly Recommended.

Birds of Prey #99: "Headhunt Part Four: Class Dismissed": The Batgirl is annoying, but worse is that the Birds are breakin' up. Neutral.

Checkmate #7: "Rogue Squad, Part Two": Amanda Waller is quite the witch, isn't she? Mildly Recommended.

Conan #33: "Dogs of the Hills": There is definitely something lacking in this book since Busiek left it. I'm slowly (very slowly) losing interest in it. Mildly Recommended.

Noble Causes #24: My only nit with this book is that I really dislike the way Race is drawn. Except for that, it's Recommended.

Shadowpact #6: "The Wild Hunt": It's a fun one, with a balanced level of explanation and action. Recommended.

Catching up again.