A Sunday Review

This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 14: Espionage Escapades (1917) - This is the ridiculous one. It starts with bumbling spies in Barcelona and Indy being put into an utterly silly situation that gets rapidly more silly. Then Indy meets Kafka and we get a total bizarre and freaky story. A bit too much. Again, the documentaries shine.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Dec 7th
• Justice League International #4 - And... Booster's team of misfits fails to save the world. Figures.
• Stormwatch #4 - So, the group wins the day by talking to some ancient city, thus setting up another storyline for the future. I'm not sure what is going on here. I'm not sure what I expect. I'm not sure we're going to be keeping this book.
• Dec 14th
• Mister Terrific #4 - There is something just *off* about this book. It's like it's going through the paces, but doesn't quite want to be there. I was really looking forward to it, now I'm just disappointed.
• Green Lantern #4 - Lovely cliffhanger. Nothing less than what Sinestro really deserves. Pity he's going to survive it. He's practically the hero of the book now, so he can't die.
• Resurrection Man #4 - Lots of fighting, and the unkillable guy gets killed. Not sure what to make of it. Not sure I should be reading this sort of comic late at night, either, but here I am.
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 - Don't know why, but this one really made me happy. I never really thought of Ragman as a character who protected a neighborhood, but it works.
• SpongeBob Comics #6 - Mermaid Man shows up (sort of) so it's a good issue.
• Doctor Who #12 - An almost wordless Christmas tale, with some hilarious moments and a few touching moments. I liked it. Artwork was a little rough, but it was good enough for what it was.
• Grimm Fairy Tales Presents the Library #3 - Not entirely what I expected from this book. True, there is some formula there, but the creators are having fun with it. And the Wicked Witch is nicely frightening, as are the flying monkeys. Good stuff.
• Dec 21st
• Justice League #4 - Can't stand Aquaman's look, but the response to GL's "what can you do that we can't?" was pretty nice. Lose the jewelry, Aquaman. Sheesh. Yuck.
• Green Lantern Corps #4 - Ok, so the lanterns belonged to a planet, and the Guardians took them away. That's annoying. But more annoying is how Martian Manhunter has been retconned in the new 52. I think I'm ready to go back to the real DC Universe now.
• Tiny Titans #47 - Arthur Jr is so cute. And I love his announcements of each of the sea creatures he called up to visit him. SO CUTE!
• Young Justice #11 - Not a lot of Aqualad, but there's set up there. I want this series to go on for a long time, which means it'll be canceled soon.
• Fables #112 - There is too much of this book to catch up on. I hope we can start getting the trades soon so we can. I understood the gist of the story, but I didn't really understand the circumstances.
• Sergio Aragones Funnies #6 - The Kachina Dancers story was really chilling and neat. I also liked the Christmas set up story and the railroad tale. As usual, if you like Sergio's artwork, you need to get this.
• Dec 28th
• Aquaman #4 - I like that Aquaman cares. That's the Aquaman I know, the one I'm a fan of. He cares about the creatures of the trench, even though he accepts what he has to do. Not sure about the dog, though.
• Green Lantern: New Guardians #4 - I still don't have a lot of interest in this storyline. But I'm still reading it. I'm not sure why.
• DMZ #72 - What a ride this book has been! I enjoyed the trip, overall. Didn't understand all of it, but I understood enough. And, it's a pretty good way to bookend it... literally.
• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #4 - I didn't remember most of the adventures depicted in this issue, so my memory of the book is clearly not that great. But wow, very fun. I loved how Eureka was playing with the fish.

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This week's comic book related review is Amelia Rules: The Meaning of Life... and Other Stuff by Jimmy Gownley. This made me cry. Again. This book often brings tears to my eyes. It's really really good stuff told in a simple and dynamic way that makes you just want to reread it and then give it to a kid so they can see that they aren't alone either. It's just really good stuff. Did I mention it was good? Seriously, go out and get Amelia Rules.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Crisis 22,300 Miles Above Earth!" - The JSA with the JLA all having a happy little party together. I really quite enjoyed this one. Good stuff, including Aquaman.
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Four Star Spectacular!" - I'm not all that impressed with this one. Four short stories, and at least a couple of them were more-or-less crap. Not pleased.
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Mitefall!" - Well. Huh. Not that I mind a Batmite story, but the abrupt appearance of another goofy character was a bit of a surprise. The in-joke with Aquaman's voice was irritatingly amusing. So. That's the end? Pity. It was a good run.


• Young Justice: "Revelation" - An interesting story about the importance of the team. This version of the Joker is really quite horrific, but then I think we knew that already.
• Young Justice: "Humanity" - Good to know that Red Tornado isn't the mole, but what does that mean for the rest of the team?
• Young Justice: "Failsafe" - Holy Moley, as Captain Marvel might say. That was totally unexpected and stunning. And yet it made a great deal of sense. The whole team went a little crazy there. Wow.
• Young Justice: "Disordered" - I'm glad that the events of the previous episode weren't ignored in this one. The experience that they went through definitely would affect them, possibly change them, and it only makes sense for them to still be smarting. Add the Forever People to it, and whee!
• Young Justice: "Secrets" - And there is Secret, finally. Not in the same excellent form as in the comic, but at least she's there. And Harm as well. This was a great episode, particularly the inclusion of Zatanna. The Halloween party subplot was fun as well, but the appearance of Secret was one I was really looking forward to seeing.

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This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 11: Oganga, The Giver and Taker of Life (Dec 1916-Jan 1917) - Indy and Remy have to travel across brutal African landscapes, battling disease and hunger. This was a terribly brutal, and yet that's just how it might have been. I was impressed by the strength of the supporting cast in this one. The entire thing was really touching, and as good as half the movies available out there that are supposed to be features. Some really good moments of cinematic drama as well. And seeing Indy really question the war and its goals so completely also was a nice moment.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Nov 9th
• Mister Terrific #3 - Still uneven and strange. All the beats are there, all the story points, it all fits together... and yet it doesn't.
• Green Lantern #3 - I do not like Sinestro, but this makes him almost seem sympathetic, right up until that final panel. Even then, it appears to not be Sinestro's fault. Hmmm.
• Resurrection Man #3 - I don't recall ever liking the Body Doubles in the original series so many years ago, but I have to admit they are kind of fun in this revival.
• All New Batman the Brave and the Bold #13 - Lots of Robin in this one. A slightly surprise ending, but not really. I mean, it IS Batman.
• Nov 16th
• Green Lantern Corps #3 - Scary nasty guys, powerful guy risking everything... this was actually a surprisingly good issue of a series I didn't think I was enjoying. Good.
• Justice League #3 - I hate hate hate this visual representation of Aquaman. Sideburns are dreadful, jewelry is tacky, chain is boring. I want my Aquaman. How can this version of Aquaman be from the same writer of the regular series?
• Young Justice #10 - Not enough Aqualad. I liked the resolution, though. Nice twists at the end.
• Northlanders #46 - Brutal, again. I'm going to have to reread the Icelandic Trilogy, or at least this part of it, when it's done.
• Sergio Aragones Funnies #5 - I loved the piano story. Very Sergio. And the autobiographical stuff is always cool. Awesome book, with plenty to make you go back and keep examining the backgrounds. Heck, the cover alone is worth an hour, minimum.
• Nov 23rd
• Dark Horse Presents #6 - Ok, not the whole book. I only really got this for the Beasts of Burden story, like I got #4. And it was worth it, darn it. I loved what the tale was meant to do, and how it succeeded. The final panel just totally cracks me up. I want another Beasts of Burden series!
• Usagi Yojimbo #142 - I wonder about Usagi's dedication at times, but no one can doubt that he saved the day for that clan in this one.I really enjoyed this story, and every time I wonder if every story in his universe has been told, there's another tale. I'm always looking forward to the next issue of this book.
• Aquaman #3 - I'm not sure what to make of Mr. Shin, but it could be a neat addition to the mythos of Aquaman. I do like the look of this version. He's literally out of place, and trying to be what people expect him to be. He only relaxes when he's with Mera. Very nice work on the art
• Green Lantern New Guardians #3 - Lots of fighting, not a lot of progress.
• Doctor Who #11 - I'm not really fond of the art, but the story was fun enough. I love the kiss. Heh. Poor Rory.
• DMZ #71 - Wow. I wasn't sure what I'd be seeing in this one, but there it is. Someone has to take the fall, and Matty is man enough to do it. One more issue, right? Wow.
• Nov 30th
• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #3 - I don't really remember all the details from the book, but the Wizard pulled some fast ones on the Mangaboos there, didn't he? As we got to the next land, I vaguely recalled some of the bits, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they play out in this version.
• Tiny Titans #46 - Aqua-Ohs! Yay! And a mysterious lady who is obviously poking fun at something to do with the new 52, right? Right.
• Fables #111 - Oooh, so we have a North Wind. And a non-flying monkey in a lot of trouble. And I'm really wishing we could afford all the trades so I could catch up with this series. I think I mostly know what's going on now, but there is more background I want to read.
• Green Lantern The Animated Series #0 - It seems odd to me to start out a new Green Lantern version with Red Lanterns... but then, I'm old. Nifty. All the strange things I think because I'm so old now compared to modern fans. *sigh*

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This week's comic book related review is DC Super-Pets: Heroes of the High Seas by J.E. Bright and Art Baltazar. When a whirlpool threatens Atlantis, Aquaman and his pets go to the rescue. The fact that this has Ark in it made me squee madly. ARK! Aquaman's Golden Age sidekick! Yes, Topo and Storm are awesome, but they included Ark! I like the silly Black Manta pets, too. Reminds me a bit of Ursula's pets in the Little Mermaid. As for the story and all, this appears to be an excellent book for young readers. It's almost a chapter book, but with plenty of illustrations. The spacing on the text is wide and comfortable. A good thing for an Aquaman fan to have, and a good book for young readers in general.

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My library book this week was The Monstrumologist: Isle of Blood. Will Henry and his strange master seek out the ultimate monster. I was not really surprised that this book had a lot of the same issues as the second book. Will's narrative is no longer straightforward horror, but he's talking about growing up, mentally and in other ways. The story is pretty gruesome, but I thought it was amazing anyway. A very neat adventure. Another thrill with this third volume was the framing story within the framing story. In the main framing story, Yancey talks about trying to track down the real Will Henry, but within the story Will Henry also frames the tale with his own introduction. Altogether a very interesting story, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.

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Agatha Christie this week was Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, published in 1975. Hastings rejoins Poirot at the site of their first case together in England for Poirot's final battle against evil. Oh wow. Oh my goodness. That was ... not what I expected from Poirot at all. And yet, so very much like him. Almost exactly like him. It's one of those things that is totally unexpected and yet completely consistent. Wow.

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

A Sunday Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Sep 7th
• Grimm Fairy Tales: The Library #1 - Fun start. There's a great deal of potential in the "poor little rich girl" story alone, add in the mystical and we've got ourselves a possibly fascinating mini-series. If the series ends with daddy realizing he hasn't paid enough attention to his kids and trying to be a good father... well, that's how this sort of series always ends. Maybe we'll get something more creative. Probably not. For the record, we picked this up because of the potential for Wizard of Oz content.
• Justice League International #1 - Despite attempts to create a new universe, this still feels like we were dropped into the middle of a story. I don't know all these characters, but I guess I'll get used to them.
• Stormwatch #1 - Well, finally we got our J'onn. So he's part of a shadowy group that is saving the world from the sidelines now. Nifty. I'm going to take a wait and see attitude on this book.
• Usagi Yojimbo #140 - The finish to the mystery tale started in the last issue. I loved it, as usual. I don't think there's been any issue of this book I didn't like, and very few that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.
• Sep 14th
• Mister Terrific #1 - A bit of a mess. The art is weak in places, the story seems to hold together but never really gels. So it's a mild disappointment. I hope it gets better. Fingers crossed.
• Green Lantern #1 - Ok, so some of the old universe is still in place in the new DC Universe. The whole adventure with the darkest night and brightest day apparently happened, and the war of the lanterns. I'm not sure I like that, because it starts the book out as a resolution to a cliffhanger. I guess we'll wait and see.
• Resurrection Man #1 - A new twist on the old story. I think I'm going to really enjoy this series. I hope it goes on for a long time.
• All New Batman the Brave and the Bold #11 - A time travel adventure. I love the cover, and in fact enjoyed the story as a whole. Fun stuff.
• Sergio Aragones Funnies #3 - I honestly haven't got anything more to say about this series. I mean, really. If you like Sergios work you absolutely MUST get this. If not, eh.
• Sep 21st
• Dark Horse Presents #4 - I only got this for the Beasts of Burden short. I've only skimmed through the rest of the stories. I enjoyed the Beasts tale, and I'm glad I pre-ordered the next one that will have them in it. Pity there isn't a regular Beasts of Burden ongoing.
• Green Lantern Corps #1 - John and Guy dealing with Earth not being their home anymore, illustrating why super-heroes have secret identities. Not too bad. Didn't like the final splash... or rather non-splash.
• Tiny Titans #44 - Crosswalks of doom? I love this book. You know it. It just keeps me happy when I'm not sure what to think of things.
• Young Justice #8 - Artemis. Learning a lot about her, but I'm still not sure what to make of her. I want to rewatch the series so far and reread the comics... not going to happen. Not enough time, but it's got me interested.
• Fables #109 - I admit I'm much more interested in the Oz side of the story than the winds side, but finding out that Ozma gave the prophecy was a nice touch that tied them together. I think we should have been getting this book from the start. Hindsight is 20/20.
• DMZ #69 - Matty continues his tour of the Five Nations while a bridge, literally and figuratively, is blown up. Huh. Not sure what to think of this one.
• Northlanders #44 - Brutal as usual, along with the strange bits of slavery and not slavery. When is slavery not slavery? Hard to say. But this is a brutal book and not for kids. Wow.
• Simpsons Treehouse of Horror #17 - Fun as usual. Some strange stuff in this one. Overall, a good issue of the ongoing series based on the ongoing series of episodes of the very ongoing animated series.
• Stan Lee's Soldier Zero #12 - And so it ends, with a fight and a discussion. I'm not sure if I liked it. I know I didn't hate it, so that's something. Maybe I'll get the continuation, if there is one.
• Sep 28th
• Aquaman #1 - Yes, I finally read it. It took me long enough. I enjoyed it too. The art is sweet, the expressions on Aquaman's face perfect for each of the situations he is in. The storyline has a little bit of promise, but alien underwater creatures popping up from under the floor of the ocean only to discover the new world above has been done a couple of times already, both poorly and not so poorly. The twists need to be big for this one to work for me. I'm going to just cross my fingers and hope for the best, but I can say that I really enjoyed this issue and I'm looking forward to the next one, which is already in my pile waiting to be read.
• Green Lantern New Guardians #1 - Kyle's getting a little too much, isn't he? I'm surprised that everyone would assume he's a thief, though. Very strange.
• Doctor Who #9 - Kevin just totally cracks me up. And his appearances here are great. The whole mind control aspect was mildly annoying, but it all worked out better than I would have expected it to in the end. Fun stuff. I like the tourist aspect of the whole thing as well. Heh. Kevin. Heh.
• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #1 - Good start to a book I hardly remember. I do recall liking Jim and Eureka, so I'm hoping for some fun as this gets going. Actually, I seem to recall the start of this book being rather creepy. So far, my memory is correct.
• Futurama Comics #57 - I normally don't bother to read this book, just let the hubby enjoy it. I'm not a big fan of the show. But the steampunk aspect was just too funny a twist to pass up, and I actually mostly enjoyed the book.

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My Kindle book this week was Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb by MJA Ware. This Kindle book, currently available for free, is a zombie romp for young adults. The story is about a couple of teenagers who run away from home just in time for a zombie invasion to cause their hometown's evacuation. On their return, they have to clear the town of zombies before the government decide to sterilize the town by other means.

The characters are fairly strong, but they are typical teenagers. They aren't quite old enough to drive, they snap at each other and don't understand each other, and they take over the local Walmart as a fortress against the zombies. Fortunately for them, the zombies aren't too smart, as I wouldn't rely on any Walmart product to keep a zombie out. The adventures the kids have are logical. We follow them from their first discovery of the zombies to their eventual attempts to return to normal life.

What was interesting is how the main character grows and changes through the book. He's a typical teen at the beginning, but rapidly figures out that he doesn't know much, and yet manages somehow to deal with both his ignorance and his embarrassment at his own ignorance. When the initial pair are joined by a nerd who has all the answers, the main character defers to him when needed and is gratified to get respect back. The relationships between the characters took this book from a typical zombie romp up a notch.

The only big downside I found was a lack of distinctive voice for the second character in the book, the lead character's best friend. There are times when I confused their speeches because they both spoke with much the same voice. The nerd had a nicely distinctive way of speaking, and his growth was decent as well, but he was still the nerd.

The science in the book is also a joy. It isn't complicated science by any means, but it is nicely explained and would be enough to inspire some kids to try making their own little zombie bombs, I bet. All in all, I really did enjoy the level of fun and sophistication in the book, and found myself satisfied at the end.

But wait, there's more! Once you reach the end of the book there are two bonus stories added for your reading pleasure: "Hobgoblin Horror" and "Bloody Mary". The first is about two boys visiting an old man at a nursing home, and listening to the war stories he tells. The second is about a popular sleepover game that maybe isn't as innocent as it seems. The first story was better than the second, if only because the ending of the second story left a few questions about what had happened. Anyone unfamiliar with the game might be left clueless despite the exposition delivered in the story. But both were good horror tales to read on Hallowe'en night, which is when I read them, so I'll give them credit for that. Definitely a book worth checking out if you have a chance.

I've read a couple of other stories by Ware, and was offered this book for review before it was offered free at Amazon.com. So far I've enjoyed all of Ware's efforts to some degree, and I look forward to reading more.

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Agatha Christie this week was Elephants Can Remember from 1972. I got this one. I got the whole thing, motive and everything. It's the first one I can honestly say I figured it out as soon as I had the hints, and not at the reveal. Anyway... Poirot is asked by the mystery writer Mrs. Oliver to investigate an apparent suicide pact from over a decade ago. I love reading Christie's MarySue character, and this was a good one for her. The insights into society and how a person was expected to act were lovely to read about. Reading some Christie again after a break was like putting on a warm winter coat during the first freeze. I want to read all the rest right now, but kind of want to save them for later as well.

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

A Sunday Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 17th
• Green Lantern Corps #63 - Yawn. Humans are the bad guys. Racism in the corps. More nonsense. Will these stories ever be resolved? Hard to say. Do I care? No.
• Flashpoint: Abin Sur the Green Lantern #3 - Not what I was expecting, really. In fact, I fully expected the cliffhanger of the previous issue to be resolved with blood and Hal. Good stuff, actually.
• Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #3 - At first I was afraid it wasn't supposed to be read after the last Emperor Aquaman, but it all became clear eventually.
• Justice League of America #60 - What was that? A summary, or something else? It was more of the same of this team that I never liked, barely got through, and am glad is going away. Will they be remembered? Yeah, probably, but not by me.
• Power Girl #27 - What kind of idiot doesn't take Power Girl's speed into consideration when calculating how she will respond to multiple crises?
• Zatanna #16 - Ok, I know she's a responsible magic user, but if she just *has* to be home, why'd she bother with the flight and not just, you know, "ekat em emoh, won!"?
• Tiny Titans #43 - Aw yeah Aqualad! Aw yeah Mera doing laundry! Aw yeah Aqua-Ohs! Happy happy! Dang, I love this book. Silly and fun with very little worries about continuity. I definitely like having a book or two like this in my monthly pull.
• Fables #108 - A child will be a king, and some folks are sneaking into Oz. I think I'm following the story, but MAN I want to get the first few volumes in trade format so I can really catch up to what's going on.
• DMZ #68 - So Matty has to go around an see what the Five Nations of New York are, and he's starting in the "first" nation. What would the place be like after a decade of war, occupation and constant death?
• Sergio Aragones Funnies #2 - What can I say? If you like Sergio's art, you want this book. Period. If you don't, well... what the heck is wrong with you?
• Soldier Zero #11 - Wow. Pretty intense stuff, but hey, I thought they were hanging out in the Northwest, why would the rain be caused by the aliens?

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My Kindle book this week was Seattle Quake 9.2 by Marti Talbott. When Seattle is hit by a major earthquake, ham operators and a small local radio station work on spreading information and saving people. I purchased this book based on the description and the sample, and because at the time of purchase it was only 99 cents, which is a good price for what looked to be a good read. It was worth every penny.

The start of the book is split between two storylines, one about a private investigating firm monitoring a woman they think is a man's missing, once thought dead, wife and the other about the local radio station. While the storylines never quite merge, the distant between them evaporates once the earthquake actually hits. What pleased me as a reader is how much I really cared about the resolutions to both storylines as the book came to a close.

There is one major flaw in this book that threw me out of the story every time I hit it. Perhaps I'm being pedantic, I'm not sure. But I have NEVER heard anyone refer to the Alaskan Way Viaduct as the "Alaskan Freeway". I've heard it called Alaskan Way. I've heard it called the Viaduct. I've heard it called 99. I've heard a lot of different names for it, but in all the time I lived in Seattle and its environs (and I'm a Seattle native), I never heard any regular person on the street call it the "Alaskan Freeway" so every time a character in the book referred to it by that name, I stopped and thought, "Where the heck is this person supposed to be from?" because they sure aren't a native.

Other than that, though, it's a darn good read. The descriptions of the locations were good enough to figure out where people were and the descriptions of the devastation were terrifying, all the more so because they are clearly based on reality. I was amused that the Kingdome fell, but only because it places the book firmly in the realm of fiction and dates it to between July 1999 and March 2000.

The driving force of this book and what made it a compelling read was the characters. From the woman trapped in a high-rise to ham operators I cared about what happened to them, and found myself mourning the dead along with the characters. The very good depiction of ham operators made me realize just how important such people would be in an event like this. Yes, we have the internet, but when all communications are cut off, what then? Radio still works, and the hams get through where the rest of us would fail. So I felt a sudden desire to find myself a ham radio and get a license.

Definitely a good read, and one with few enough flaws that unless you are a pedantic Seattle native, you are probably going to enjoy it quite a bit.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Torchwood: Miracle Day: "The Blood Line" - And so it goes, and Torchwood is, as usual, a step ahead of everyone else. The funeral scene was heart-breaking, especially considering who was there. And that finale... whew. Plenty of plot-threads to pick up if someone should make another series.
• Doctor Who: "The Girl Who Waited" - Considering how long Rory waited, I'm not sure Amy has anything at all to complain about. Bitter Amy is spooky. I prefer the regular Amy.

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This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Chapter 8: Trenches of Hell (Somme and Germany, 1916). And Indy gets into war, the civilized way. He's a good guy, but wow, war was simply insane. His adventures and bravery were interesting to see, as was his capture and escape. He gets that escape bug early. I love how he just happens to run into a ton of famous and later famous people as he goes. It's just very like him to waltz through history.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Jul 13th
• Green Lantern #67 - Huh. Definitely not the way I was expecting the whole thing to end. What payment for all that hard work Hal did? Yikes.
• Green Lantern Corps #61 - There's way more to John Stewart than planet-killer. I hope we get more of this type of tale someday. He's an unfairly abused character.
• Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2 - Wow. A new origin for Aquaman woven from his Silver Age origin with great skill. And it's got steampunk Vulko in it, too, looking like a toady to the old King. I'm really loving this book. But then, I always loved Elseworlds and Aquaman has NEVER gotten this great an Elseworld treatment before.
• Flashpoint: Deathstroke the Curse of the Ravager #2 - Aquaman is very brutal in this world, and I think that's all this book is trying to say about him. Ouch.
• Birds of Prey #14 - I want to read the next issue right now. I haven't been so curious about the end of a story for some time. I love Zinda.
• All New Batman The Brave and the Bold #9 - Hawkman and Hawkgirl are good in this one. I particularly like that final splash page showing what she's been up to while he's out wandering.
• Northlanders #42 - Ouch. Be careful what you do to a child, they may learn the lesson entirely too well.
• Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life #4 - About how I expected the whole story to end, but nicely done as it turns out. The reasons for everything were fleshed out very well, too. A good story.
• Jul 20th
• War of the Green Lanterns Aftermath #1 - What happened to Sinestro is quite a little surprise, but what's going to happen to him is far more interesting. I used to really like Soranik, now I'm just not sure about her.
• Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 - And now we know what happened. And why Diana is wearing the same helmet Mera was wearing (euwww!). Brutal, and depressing how each misunderstanding built on the last.
• Justice League of America #59 - Is this horrid story over yet?
• Power Girl #26 - Heh, Power Girl Convention. Heh. Cosplayers. Heh. I would have thought a few more would have done variants on the design. That could have been cool. I like the little kid. Heh.
• Zatanna #15 - Ouch. Nasty from the start, and really nasty what she does to them at the end.
• Tiny Titans #42 - I'm just gonna say this issue is bizarre and leave it at that. *snerk*
• Cinderella: Fables are Forever #6 - Ew ew ew ew ew. I agree with Cindy, I threw up a little in my brain. But this is definitely not over, as that's not how the Fables universe works.
• DMZ #67 - Into the final storyline, and there's a lot left to happen despite the seeming ending to the war. Looking forward to the final few issues.
• Sergio Aragones Funnies #1 - I need about another two weeks to look at all the artwork closely before I can judge this book! No, kidding... it's one that will be great on rereads because of the detail, but as it stands it's really good already. If you like Sergio's work, just get this book already.
• Soldier Zero #10 - Um, wow? Are we going to get some sort of resolution now?
• Jul 27th
• Green Lantern Corps #62 - Kyle and Soranik... not a great relationship to start with, apparently much worse now. Yikes. And the Pink Lantern has learned a valuable lesson about interference.
• Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #12 - So that's it? Send out Guy and the problem is solved? I can't buy that no other Lantern was able to come up with that solution before.
• Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2 - Um, cool? Sorry, just not really impressed with this one for some reason.
• Action Comics #903 - More Doomsday nonsense. Is it over yet?
• DC Retroactive: Green Lantern the 70's #1 - Was it just me or did none of the stories in this have conclusions? There was a Green Arrow tale... that didn't really get resolved. And a Green Lantern tale... that didn't get resolved. Then the classic GA/GL tale that led into a much longer story.
• DC Retroactive: Justice League of America the 70's #1 - Ok, if the GL book annoyed me with the lack of resolution, let's not talk about the incredibly annoying reprint in this book. Sheesh. At least the main story wrapped up nicely.
• Justice Society of America #53 - Ah, so now we know what the city is, and what it has, and what's going wrong. Now, will we get a solution before the new universe jumps into effect?
• Young Justice #6 - Superboy's battle within is deflected by Robin's internal origin recap, since he can't tell his teammates Batman's secrets. Not much happens in this one.
• Fables #107 - I can't quite figure out where this fits in the whole storyline. Maybe we really do need to get the previous volumes.
• Doctor Who Ongoing V2 #7 - Sontarans are clones, so they can only be used to the chaos. But what can you do with a dozen or more Doctors?

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My Kindle book this week was No Good Deed by Mary McDonald. Mark Taylor has an antique camera that can help him predict the future, but when he tried to prevent 9/11 he gained some unwanted attention. I got this book for free, but there was a LOT of positive chatter about this book before I got my hands on it. The first half of the book is about Mark being suspected of being a terrorist, and what that means for his life. The second half is about putting that life back together. The amazing thing is how the book manages to treat the subject with respect and dignity, and allows questions to remain about the morality of the actions of some of the characters. The urge to preach had to be nearly unbearable. I found it a difficult read due to my own strong opinions on some topics, and yet I can't complain about the presentation. You may find you really disagree with the book, possibly regardless of your political viewpoint, which makes it more balanced than 90% of the stories on this subject out there. Not a book people will want to read lightly, but it is fiction and the end is definitely feel-good escapism.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Torchwood: Miracle Day: "Rendition" - And the action really starts in Torchwood style. Gwen is fantastic in this one, and Rex is growing on me, although his decision to arrest Torchwood and take them to the States seems overwhelmingly nasty on the surface. By the end of the story I'm enjoying his role. I'm definitely hooked now.


• History Detectives: "Season 9, Episode 5 - Drone Propeller; Clara Barton Letter (repeat); Teddy Roosevelt War Club" - The drone propeller story gave me some information that I've never heard about from WWII. I thought drones were a more recent phenom. The Teddy Roosevelt story was hilarious, partcularly the nature of the guy that made that club. It was a lovely tale, and a very strange artifact. I'd already seen the Clara Barton letter piece, but it was good to watch again.

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This week's movie was The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Journey of Radiance (Beneres and Peking, 1910). Still watching the borrowed DVD Set. In the first half, Indy is led on a spiritual journey by Jiddu Krishnamurti while Indy's tutor Helen Seymour questions Charles Leadbeater and Annie Besant about their beliefs. Corey Carrier puts in a great performance as Indy in this one, while Margaret Tyzack's portrayal of Miss Seymour gives her added depth. There's another age jump as we enter the second episode. In this story Indy's father is detained and the rest travel around China, but Indy gets sick. This becomes another story of Indy's mother's strength, as she is determined to save her child. That journey with Miss Seymour and Ah Pin would be one worth seeing, too bad it happened off-screen. Another fun adventure with Indy.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Jun 8th
• Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #1 - And so we learn how Aquaman sank Europe, and to a lesser extent why. I love the steampunk Vulko look, and how his hair is shown as properly trailing off in the water. I also like the inclusion of Rodunn, a relatively new character in the Aquaman family. Very nicely done.
• Flashpoint: Deathstroke The Curse of the Ravager #1 - I'm not really familiar with Deathstroke, but this is clearly tied into Aquaman and his villains, so I picked it up. Pretty good for a pirate book.

• Birds of Prey #13 - To make a threat that actually is dangerous to the Birds seems unlikely anymore, so it was nice that this threat got built up so well that it worked. Still, that combination of heroes shouldn't have much to fear from anyone in the DCU.
• All New Batman Brave and the Bold #8 - This one made me laugh so hard I very nearly fell on the floor. Particularly one bit while Aquaman and Batman are in the whirlpool. I'm still giggling about it. I may well be giggling about it for years to come, in fact. Oh, and the rest of the book was good, too. More Vulko in a week is always a good thing.
• Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Tomar Re - It would have been nice to get these Prequels before the movie came out, but no such luck. Still, a slightly interesting story of how Tomar Re's choices result in events that happen in the movie.
• Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Kilowog - Rookies are so foolish! Um. That's about all I can say about this one.
• Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life #3 - Still trying to figure out what is happening here, although most of it is obvious. I'm really enjoying parts of this story, especially Amy's characterization.
• Spongebob Comics #3 - I just want to note that Mermaid Man is on the cover... on the cover of a comic book that Spongebob is waiting for! And there's a nice little Mermaid Man story, broken up with a framing sequence. Fun!
• Jun 15th
• Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #1 - And so we learn why Wonder Woman is so angry with Aquaman. And we get to see Garth for a short time, as well. Wonderful little tale to start and seemed to be leading up to a fairy tale ending. Good stuff.
• Power Girl #25 - Ah, this is not an entirely bad way to end this story and this book, but I'd like to know when Batman had time to review the black box recordings and come to that conclusion? The sequence of events is missing something.
• Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Abin Sur - I like the movie version of Waller even more now. I didn't think that was possible.
• Tiny Titans #41 - The Flashes race around. I loved the Spanish sequence with Mas Y Menos and Blue Beetle, all the more because I understood every word of it (except the backpack, I had to check the key for those bits). And Aqualad was in it! yay!
• Northlanders #41 - Another done-in-one, this about a girl who is heir to her father's island. A strange little character study, with the requisite amount of swearing and gore for this book.
• Doctor Who Ongoing v2 #6 - Poor Rory. In for death again. But hey, Sontarans! Awesome!
• Soldier Zero #9 - Every time I pick up a new issue of this book to read out of our pile I wonder why we got it, then I read it and enjoy it and it stays on the list.
• Jun 22nd
• Action Comics #902 - So... Doomsday gained intelligence and wants to *what*? Pretty typical Superman story. Not my cuppa.
• Justice League of America #58 - Still chaotic and overwrought. I'm just wanting this whole thing to end, the sooner the better.
• Zatanna #14 - This whole story is just filled with frustration, enough to annoy me even though I'm not the victim. It ended on a sour note, and I think I didn't really enjoy it.
• Young Justice #5 - Great story from Aqualad, but then, I would say that, wouldn't I? The cliffhanger is nicely done as well, as I'm thinking it'll lead into a good little bit of much-needed therapy for Superboy.
• DMZ #66 - This is about Zee and how she got involved, and what she thought of it. A good little character study, and a nice lead-in to the final story-arc.
• Fables #106 - While the end of the main story was clear enough, because I haven't read a ton of the previous issues, a lot of the tying up of loose ends went over my head. I really need to get the previous trades so I can catch up.
• Jun 29th
• Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 - Fairly standard, except for the whole being at war thing. Yippee.
• Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #11 - Done-in-one tale of Guy Gardner being... Guy. Not bad.
• Justice Society of America #52 - I'm really beginning to feel sorry for Mr Terrific, while at the same time admiring his determination. As for the JSA bringing in specialists... really? Seriously? I would have waited for Dr Fate to come back.
• JSA 80 Page Giant 2011 - A decent set of stories. It's a mixed anthology, no particular theme except maybe "what does it mean to be a hero?" Like any anthology, some of them were fine, some not so fine.
• Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Hal Jordan - Meh. Not much there, really.
• Usagi Yojimbo #138 - And so ends the saga of the Scorpion gang. Wow, another intense one. And another worthy comic in the Usagi adventures. As always, I love this book.

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My library book this week was Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama. This is the story of how a young man torn between multiple cultures learns to accept himself. My interest in the book has a bit to do with the family connection I have with Obama. His mother is a Dunham, and I'm a Dunham, and we share a common ancestor a few generations back. So I read the bits about the Dunham side of his family with great interest, knowing that there was a tiny link with me there. The story of growing up black in America is alien to me, and I know that I will never truly understand it. I was taught that there is one race, "human", and that ethnicity and culture only matter as far as you let it. However, it's true that a lot of people have hang-ups about ethnicity and impose their views on others, making that hopeful teaching of my youth a little naive. I've met outright racists. I've had conversations with them. And, growing up in a racist culture I'm sure that I'm racist to some degree as well, no matter how much I wish I could protest that I'm not. This book doesn't have the answers to that, any more than it gives answers to Obama's questions about his background. But at least it raises the questions, more than once, and in a decent manner. To some extent, as long as we keep asking the questions and never allow ourselves to believe that this generation is post-racist, then that is a good thing. This isn't a great book, but it's good. Worth reading if you have the time and interest.

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This is Endtown. A mutagenic plague has turned humans into animal-like mutants, and they are hunted by "pure" human survivors of the war that followed the plague. Retreating underground, the mutant survivors create a community and try to hold onto themselves and come to terms with their new forms. I received an Endtown promotion comic from creator Aaron Neathery, and have read two of the storylines online (all availabe in the goComics archives). I'm technically reviewing the promotion, a nice done-in-one comic that fit into a long envelope, but I'll say a little about the other two stories. The first story was about a survivor living with the mutants who seems to have not changed from human. He and his girlfriend go on a quest, and have some terrifying adventures that define this new world. The second story is the current tale, which involves a wanderer who finds Endtown and joins in, only to feel like he doesn't fit in. The promo comic is about the Mayor of Endtown struggling to recapture some of the familiar past. The art is good, sketchy and evocative. The stories are strange and wonderful. And the characters are built up so nicely that you can't help but be pulled into their world, feeling their struggles. I've become fond of this comic strip, and I'm glad to recommend it to you.

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

A Sunday Review

Two weeks in which I'm traveling more than staying at home, so two Sundays without a Sunday Review. How did you people survive without me? Very well, no doubt. Get ready for another break in reviewing while I go off to Oz in a couple of weekends. Ok, here's some of what I watched and read over the last three weeks.

TV this week:

• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "Nightfright" - I love the Vincent Price tribute. Eric called the villain in this one as soon as the person showed up not in costume. This one felt like an old-fashioned episode from my childhood. It was goofy, pointless, and the villain had way too much power. Loved it.
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "The Siren's Song" - A siren begs for Velma's help in solving a mystery, and the crew take up the challenge. I love the reference to Scrappy-Doo. The ongoing plot is nicely advanced by Velma in this one.
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "Menace of the Manticore" - More about Hot Dog Water, and lots of fun spooky stuff. I definitely get the feeling that Fred's dad is not only the Mayor, but something else as well.
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "Attack of the Headless Horror" - Early on in this one we both correctly guessed the villain of the piece, but it was still a great deal of fun. I really liked Charles.


• Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Scorn of the Star Sapphire!" - Lots of women in this one. The pre-credit sequence with Wonder Woman made me giggle uncontrollably. The rest... well, good enough. I enjoyed it.


• Primeval: "Season 5 Episode 3" - Nice art gallery. Nice to see Emily being kick-butt in her own time, pity about what was going to happen to her. I'm worried about Abby and Connor's relationship, and also about what Connor has accomplished. Yikes.
• Primeval: "Season 5 Episode 4" - Connor's new invention endangers all the gang, and nobody is happy about it. Jess reveals that she's got a serious problem. This one is really really creepy. In lots of ways. Double Yikes.


• Young Justice: "Targets" - During tense negotiations between two warring countries, Red Arrow saves the mediator but gets into deeper water, and calls Aqualad for help. In the meantime, Miss Martian and Superboy start school and meet a bunch of people (Snapper Carr, Wendy and Marvin, Mal Duncan and Karen Beecher, lots of homages and/or potential teammates). I really like Aqualad. Yum.


• History Detectives: "Yakima Canutt's Saddle; The Ni'ihau Incident; Civil War Cannon" - Ooh, a good one. The cannon was something I think I heard of once, it was nice to get a little more detail on it. The Zero crashing during Pearl Harbor wasn't something I knew about. It's a sad story, but fascinating. The saddle, on the other hand, wow. The name caught my attention immediately, and the story behind Yakima Canutt was a nice relaxing one after the previous two. Another great episode.

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This week's movie was Green Lantern in 3D. Some caveats: I watched the trailers and clips, and virtually every time I saw one my expectations for the movie got lower. The lead, Ryan Reynolds, just completely turns me off. The more I saw of him in the role, the less I wanted to see the movie. And so I went into the theater expecting something that would not impress me. And I got what I expected. Oh, it wasn't bad for a superhero movie. It just never pulled together and made me interested. Heck, the most alive character out of all of them was Amanda Waller, and she was both in a minor role and not trying to outshine the rest. The special effects were great, but we expect that now. The story tried, but it never really pulled together well enough. It needed a few more drafts by an expert hand to line it all up. So I wasn't really disappointed, as I wasn't expecting much, but I am sad that DC can't seem to make a blockbuster movie that isn't Superman or Batman.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• May 18th
• Justice League of America #57 - Er, nice cliffhanger? But we like the moon!
• Power Girl #24 - Wow. That's one way to get you into the story and really supporting the guy. I think I like Rayhan. I hope they don't kill him.
• Zatanna #13 - That's one annoying cat. And Spectre is a twit. Not sure what to make of Detective Colton and his little revelation.
• Tiny Titans #40 - This issue was a load of Kroc! *giggle*
• Young Justice #4 - A pretty sobering reminder that this is still a new team and they make mistakes. Aqualad gets to show off his powers a bit.
• Fables #105 - Not sure the cover has much to do with anything else there. As for Ozma... ouch. That had to sting a little.
• DMZ #65 - Wow. We're coming up on a bit of a bleak ending. How is Matty going to be able to pull anything out of this mess?
• Doctor Who: Fairytale Life #2 - That's kind of a severe sort of quarantine, isn't it? Getting into this one.
• Stan Lee Soldier Zero #8 - Not really sure exactly what's happening with this book, nor I'm am sure why we're still buying it.
• May 25th
• Action Comics #901 - My interest in Doomsday is just about zero, as is my interest in this book.
• Justice Society of America #51 - The main story, showing how Fate and the rest are fighting for Lightning, is very good. The ongoing plot with the city and Flash is surprisingly well done for just a few pages. And have I mentioned that I really really hate those Super 8 inserts?
• Green Lantern #66 - I'm really beginning to think the Indigo rings are more about redemption than compassion. Otherwise, pretty standard stuff.
• Green Lantern Corps #60 - Speaking of redemption, John's going to need a lot of it now, isn't he? As for Mogo, he's already been dead once, right? Right?
• Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #10 - And finally we get down to the final battle. About time.
• Doctor Who Ongoing V2 #5 - Neat little bit of history, well two bits of history. Fun standalone story.
• June 1st
• Flashpoint: Abin Sur the Green Lantern #1 - Well, this certainly suggests fairly different histories in the Flashpoint universe than in the regular DCU. Wonder how this will work out. Lots of good hints, at least.
• Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #1 - Another look at the Flashpoint Universe, more clues as to what is happening, and a pretty decent story besides. Glad I got this one, even if Aquaman isn't on the cover like the preview showed.
• Batman Beyond #6 - Terry really needs to pay attention when Bruce tells him to go invisible. And Max... whew. Getting exciting. I hope this book isn't gone for long during the relaunch.
• Doctor Who Classics #5 - I'd read the first story once, long ago, but not the second. Both of them are pretty good.
• Ozma of Oz #7 - Ah, Billina really gets to show off in this one. Love it!

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Destination Truth: "Thai Tree People/Aiya Napa Monster" - Josh goes to Thailand to hunt the Naree Pon, a tiny creature that grows on trees and leads people to their deaths. In Bangkok again, Ryder and Josh have fun with handcuffs. I like the elephant riding scenes. Josh did some dangerous spelunking and I sometimes think this series will end with the report that Josh was killed in an accident somewhere. All the crew brought back were pictures of the temple Naree Pon corpses, which were shown to an expert who couldn't determine what they actually are, so the mystery continues. The crew goes to Cyprus to look for a sea monster. They have the usual luggage and vehicle issues, and Josh snarks at a market. Then Josh jumps off a cliff. I like the video of a shipwreck they got while diving. Again, they don't find much, and decide the basking shark is a suspect for the identity of the monster. But it was sure nice to have an episode all about cryptozoology.


• Ghost Hunters: "Chasing Ghosts" - TAPS investigates the Higgins Armory Museum in Massachusetts. This would be a really awesome location for an episode of Doctor Who. Especially the basement, where creepy mannequins with covered faces lined the walls. The place was a personal collection of armor from history and was turned into a museum later, and the ghost stories are much the standard type. It's just an awesome location, and the group has entirely too much fun wandering the place, playing, and enjoying the atmosphere. They do some excellent debunking, particularly on doors that open themselves. In the end they find sounds and chains moving when they shouldn't, enough to make them want to come back.


• Being Human (US): "Dog Eat Dog" - More divergence, more developments, and another element of the original series added to this new one. Older vampires, Aidan's past, and dogfights. This series continues to add on and grow away from its roots. It's a pretty good episode. The Dutch are creepy. Interesting that the older vampires show up so quickly in this version.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• March 9th
• Zatanna #10 - Um, yikes? Wow, that's a cliff-hanger and a half. Well, it's some sort of hanging, at least.
• Birds of Prey #10 - So, I think I get what they are trying to do, but I'm not at all convinced they did it.
• JSA All-Stars #16 - Mostly a big battle scene with an unexpected twist that required the build up from previous issues to understand. I'm ambivalent about it. Fun and clever bits, but requires too much backstory.
• All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #5 - Guy Gardner? Not the best ever team-up for poor Batman, although I seem to remember in the regular universe that a certain punch involving those two made history. And the guest star, wow. Fun.
• March 16th
• Brightest Day #22 - Not much Aquaman, unless you count zombie Aquaman. At least the DC zombies were creative and made in-universe sense.
• Power Girl #22 - I must've missed an issue where some dramatic events relating to Karen's company happen, as the whole thing is described within the issue in a throwaway line. Still, fun enough despite my confusion.
• Knight & Squire #6 - Oh wow. Wow. Not at all what I was expecting. Nothing like I wanted to see. But really really darn good. More, please?
• DC Universe Legacies #10 - So that's the end. Not talking to a reporter, like I thought. Sad. I found I wanted to read more. It was a good series. And the backups weren't all that bad either.
• Young Justice #2 - Needs more Aqualad, but I thought it was funny that Superboy hesitated with Superman, then tossed Aquaman over to check his theory.
• Tiny Titans #38 - This one was even more odd than usual, and that's saying something. Of course, I was so busy "SQUEE!"-ing that it harder matter. Artie Jr is AWESOME. Want more of Atlantis. Obviously.
• PS238 #49 - Ah, this is a really satisfying issue for me, as all the threads are finally coming together and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not that this book is ever tunnel-like, but I can feel the payoff coming up quick. YAY!
• Doctor Who V2 #2 - Wow, Amy really knows her history, doesn't she? Nice to see the psychic paper, nice to see it not work consistently.
• DMZ #63 - Parco didn't make the best choice, but I wonder what exactly he gave to Matty, and how it's going to affect the war.
• Northlanders #38 - Nasty nasty, with battles that really don't make sense from any realistic point of view - therefore entirely too true to life.
• Soldier Zero #6 - Oh, so that's it then?
• March 23rd
• Green Lantern #64 - Part one of the War of the GL. Hal and the gang meet up with Krona's big black book, and the Guardians get what they probably deserved.
• Green Lantern Corps #58 - Part two of the War of the GL. Ganthet's group is back from Qward, and get quickly involved in Krona's schemes. Um. Ok. Not pretty, but maybe this is going somewhere.
• Justice League of America #55 - Massive threat, GL involved, Starheart. Not sure what I think about this. I'm not warming up to it.
• Fables #103 - Wow, Ozma's a snot, isn't she? Pity she's probably right about it all. I'm warming up to this book. *sigh* That means we're going to have to get the trades and catch up, doesn't it?
• March 30th
• Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #8 - Part three of the War of the GL. Guy's very messed up group is headed home when Krona's actions hit them. The main draw of this one might be the knock-down drag-out fight between Hal and Guy. But all the threads are pulling together now.
• Action Comics #899 - I was disappointed at first, then justified, then disappointed, then justified. So I think this book worked. It's going to be fun to see what Superman makes of the whole mess.
• Jimmy Olsen #1 - While this seemed to be a lot of reprint, it all held together much better in one big issue. I thought it was a fun little book, and a nice way to introduce Chloe Sullivan into the DC Universe.
• Justice Society of America #49 - I think this and JLA are out of joint. But then, what else is new? Not liking the "new" GL. But at least the storyline seems to be slightly over.
• Zatanna #11 - Yay for smart assistants willing to dress down in order to rescue the super hero. And eek, and double-eek for the whole situation.
• Doctor Who V2 #3 - Ah, the most dangerous of situations, when one side is trying to play the Doctor off the other. I admit, I did look up the historical event involved to see how it really happened.

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My library book this week was The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman. Hubby-Eric snagged this from the library to see if there were Oz references, I think. And I couldn't help but read it as well. Elizabeth is an average student who gets a job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a type of library that deals with objects instead of books. I really liked the building of Elizabeth as a character, with details of her family and social life coming through as needed. The story was a very nice take on fantasy and magic in the real world, and a different angle than I've seen before despite many many books about magic worlds hidden within New York. This would be a good one for teens to read, and is safe for younger children although the romance might just turn them off. Of course, it's a fun read for adults as well.

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Fortean Times #271 (March 2011). Fun cover with an intriguing promise asking if H.R. Giger is actually the "designer" of the Chupacabra as it is currently imagined. And the cover article makes a compelling case for the theory. In short, when the killings started taking place, a movie called Species was big in Puerto Rico. And the look that the monster took was based on a single eyewitness who happened to have seen that movie recently. The article argues that the witness confused events that had happened with the imagery in the movie, creating the Chupacabra we recognize now. It's a fairly compelling argument, taken all together.

Strangedays starts us off with the whole Wikileaks saga, and although the story itself is moving faster than a magazine can track, it does a fairly good job giving an overview of how Wikileaks has affected conspiracy theories. Another article is about the boys that were lost at sea for 48 days. There's also a story about dogs dying mysteriously after walking in a certain wooded area. Another frightening story covers some severe allergies.

An article in Medical Bag claims that there are studies that determined that prayer does work to heal people. I know that a lot of people cite a study that says the exact opposite, but I also know how the media almost always gets science wrong. Ghostwatch has more on the ghosts of those executed, and in some cases the executioners. Archaeology claims the Uffington Horse is probably a dog. The UFO files are good, again, with the discovery of recycled UFO photos used in later hoaxes, and some other short pieces. Blasts from the Past covers falls of flesh and blood... eeuuuuwww! The Random Dictionary is all about the religions that UFO contactees have created.

Another article talks about Quakers and their tendency to nakedity. There's a tribute to the UK World of Wonder magazine that ran in the early 1970s, including wonderful two-tone illustrations from their Strange Stories features. I'd love to see a collection of those. The Forum starts with an article about the shirt Charles I was wearing when he was beheaded, and the three claimants for being that shirt. The second article is about the music that used to be played at Japanese crosswalks. A third article talks about the King Cheetah, and whether it existed in Asia. The last article is about the Cholera outbreaks in Haiti and why the people blamed the UN troops.

The reviews cover some fun stuff, and have two perfect 10 ratings, which is not unheard of but is fairly rare. One of them is something I already want but cannot afford, the gigantic 75 Years of DC Comics book by Paul Levitz. The tagline on the review is entirely too true: "An extravagant treasure with a heart-stopping price tag". Too true (list price is $200, ouch). The other is a book called Cambridge Ghosts by Robert Halliday and Alan Murdie. The review's tagline describes it well: "You used to get a better class of ghost in Cambridge..." The other reviews are also good, and a couple of items got added to my wishlist. The issue is wrapped up with a pretty good set of letters. Another great issue of this great magazine.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Being Human: "Though the Heavens Fall" - As if I didn't hate Herrick enough. WAAAAAAA! I don't know if I want to watch the last episode now.
• Being Human: "The Wolf-Shaped Bullet" - Well. Wow. Not what I was expecting to happen, at least not exactly. That is a bit of a cliffhanger, even. Wow.
• Young Justice: "Bereft" - The team loses their memories. This was a fascinating look into the personalities of most of the team. I liked seeing how they interacted when they didn't know they were teammates. Poor Aqualad.
• Doctor Who: "Space and Time" - This was the red-nose special, two very short episodes featuring the Doctor, Rory, and Amy. And a very confused bit of twisty time and space stuff. Fun little "episode", looking forward to the new season.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• December 29th
• Green Lantern #61 - How on earth did he make Atrocitus a sympathetic character?!?
• Action Comics #896 - A crossover with a book I don't currently read ending on a cliffhanger. Sorry, didn't enjoy it.
• Justice Society of America #46 - Not sure what to make of this one. Waiting for a conclusion, I guess.
• All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #2 - Ah, just what I wanted for Christmas, the Psycho-Pirate and Captain Marvel!
• Tiny Titans #35 - Alternate Aqualads are so cute! And I want some Aqua-squares along with Aqua-ohs!
• January 5th
• Brightest Day #17 - Hmph. No Aquaman. At least we're getting more of the Hawks story, finally.
• JSA All-Stars #14 - I actually care about most of the characters on this team more than the ones on the regular team. How about that? I enjoyed this issue.
• Batman Beyond #1 - Aquagirl! She doesn't get much page time, but at least she's there. Story isn't too bad.
• Torchwood #6 - As jumbled and confused as ever. But every story actually wrapped up, so I guess I'll forgive them for the moment.
• Ozma of Oz #3 - I'd almost forgotten how utterly creepy Princess Langwidere is. And Billina is still my chicken hero. But it's the Wheeler leader who makes this issue awesome for me, for reasons I can't disclose (Linda Medley, write your Oz book, please!).
• January 12th
• Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #6 - Isn't Guy making his nightmares come true with his actions?
• Birds of Prey #8 - I'm Spartacus! What exactly has Dawn got herself into?
• Knight & Squire #4 - There is nothing quite as creepy to me as a doppelganger, and while this didn't fit that exact mould, it was still very creepy.
• All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #3 - Nice Oz references. I'm not sure about the rest, though.
• January 19th
• Brightest Day #18 - Mera and Lorena, that's it? As for the rest, well... that Hawk-thing can't be over.
• Green Lantern Corps #56 - Wait, who am I rooting for in this one?
• Justice Leagues of America #53 - Done now? I hope? On to something a little more... interesting?
• Power Girl #20 - Wait, another crossover? I'm getting really really tired of Max Lord.
• Young Justice #0 - Not enough Aqualad. And wait, Tommy and Tuppence? Seriously? Where are they from, besides being two of Agatha Christie's earliest detectives?
• Tiny Titans #36 - Ah yeah, serpents of doom! I think I'll go dig up a few in my yard.
• DMZ #61 - And so we now have the origin of the Free States. Soon enough, we'll have the whole tale.
• Northlanders #36 - Sad ending to a sad tale. But then, most of these aren't laugh-a-minute, set in such brutal times and places.
• Doctor Who Vol 2 #1 - Spam invades the TARDIS. Nicely done, funny as all get out, and actually fit the characters for the most part.
• Doorways #3 - Took him long enough to figure it out.
• Soldier Zero #4 - Hmm. Nicely complicated story for the protagonist. I don't know how this is going to go, but it's looking nasty so far.
• January 26th
• Action Comics #897 - I don't think Luthor played that one well at all. And is he really missing what's going on around him, or is he just playing cool because he knows what's happening?
• Justice Society of America #47 - I'm still not sure if I like this storyline or not. I kind of just want it to end, so I'm thinking not.
• Zatanna #9 - Ok, good story. And the back-up story was strong as well. Liking this book.
• Fables #101 - This was reported as a) a good jumping on point, b) art by Eric Shanower, and c) heavily involving Oz, so we got it. And, yup, it's interesting. We'll eventually get the trades of the earlier issues, I think, but for now... fun stuff!

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Fortean Times #269 (January 2011). The cover features Gef the Talking Mongoose of the Isle of Man. The story is really very funny, and also slightly perplexing. While I lean toward the giant hoax theory, I do have to wonder about some of the reported facts. I guess it's long past solving, now. But a fun one. And while the cover is bizarre, at least it's not embarrassing like a few in the past.

Strangedays starts with Druids being recognized as an official religion in the UK, and continues with some great headlines, personal fave was "Death called symptom of bigger problem". Yeah, I'll say. The big picture spread was goats up in difficult to reach spots. More short articles include magnetic people, the flat that time forgot, predicted disasters, a pig and a lamb both with no back feet, and the Ig Nobel awards. There is a science article about wolves and dogs and how they may have affected human development. Ghostwatch is all about bugs and their relationship with ghosts, both as misidentifications on CCTV cameras and how they sometimes appear in classic hauntings. Archaeology talks about the tomb of Saint Paul and an early icon depicting him. There's also news about the oldest known shoe. Alien Zoo goes into the world of insects with a mega-millipede and a continuation of the saga of the blue spiders of Yorkshire.

The UFO Casebook wraps up the five part Life With The Aliens series with an interesting summary of the articles so far, coming to no strong conclusions but pointing out that "Much of what we see within the alien contact story says more about ourselves that another species 'out there'." Another long article examines a particular UFO contact story and contrasts it with other contactee events. The Random Dictionary gives the stories of many well-known contactees, and pokes fun at their stories and how the types of stories change as time rolls on.

Blasts from the Past covers stories of invisible things that damage crops and hurt people, including the Japanese Kamaitachi, also known as 'the sickle weasel', that slashes people then makes their wounds painless for a time. Another short article talks about a couple of mediums who use "ghosts" to create art. The Forum has one thoughtful article about cryptids, one intriguing article about financial market data, and one completely bizarre article about moustaches. The Reviews were great as always, but nothing stood out as a must read. The letters were pretty normal for this magazine, and the cartoon was nothing super special. All-in-all, yet another good issue of the best magazine available.

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

A Sunday Review

There will be no sunday review next week as I'll be at Emerald City Comicon with Torvald and my evil twin.

I'd also like to point out this review of TODAY THE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU I did earlier in the week. The review copy was from NetGalley which provides pre-publication review copies to readers from various publishers, mostly via ebooks. This book was in PDF form, I've got two more from them that are on my Kindle.

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TV this week:

• Being Human: "Type 4" - A zombie joins the house despite a bad stink and obnoxious behavior, Nina and George have a little problem, and Mitchell gets a stalker. It's amazing how this show goes from incredibly funny to touching and emotional in moments. And this episode swings back and forth in an instant.
• Being Human: "The Pack" - While Annie and Mitch get to know each other, Nina and George seek out advice from MacNair. I like Nina more and more. And her willingness to let Thomas know that MacNair was lying to him just made it better. I'm disturbed by Mitch's continued inability to admit his recent crimes to his friends, as it's clear that's the key point in this entire series (season).
• Being Human: "The Longest Day" - Herrick returns and causes chaos. Not a lot of humor in this one, as Herrick is a nasty character in that nastiness grows around him. The dilemma that George goes through in this episode puts him right up against Mitch, and it worked well. Not much humor, no.


• Who Do You Think You Are?: "Rosie O'Donnell" - I agree with hubby-Eric after watching this: let's get more comedians on this show. Rosie also does some deep digging to hunt down some mysteries in her family's past. Her great-grandfather's first wife's story was stunning, as was the reaction of her cousins when she met them. The trip to Canada was neat enough, but then she headed to Ireland and found more mysteries. A good episode.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• December 15th
• Brightest Day #16 - I'm so far behind that I've seen spoilers for how this part of the storyline ends and I'm just starting to read it now. Still, pretty cool bits of Jackson and Aquaman's lives.
• Green Lantern #60 - Well, we know who's behind the stealing of the entities, now.
• Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #5 - I can't believe how little interest I have in how this storyline turns out.
• Green Lantern/Plastic Man - Cute little tale. Of course the aliens have to look like ducks if Plas is involved.
• Birds of Prey #7 - That was extremely unwise of the birds to take Dove to that place for her birthday. Just saying. Although I enjoyed Zinda's... remarks.
• DMZ #60 - And now we see how the war began. It's chilling, and yet not so impossible to believe anymore.
• Soldier Zero #3 - So, the first hybrid meets another one, and they fight. Yup. Not feeling the excitement yet.

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My library book this week was To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Awhile ago, hubby-Eric and I watched To Kill A Mockingbird and I enjoyed it quite a bit. But then I sort of halfway joined a book club, and was told this was the book they were reading. At that point I realized I'd never read it in school, so I'd better get cracking on it. The framing of the story is how Jem broke his arm, but of course the narrative takes a very roundabout way to get to that part of the tale. The narrator, Scout, is looking back on her childhood as an adult. She tries to tell the story as she saw it happen, but her outlook on events is definitely mature compared to Scout's naivity of the time. I found the picture this book painted of the town and its people to be surprising, different than I was expecting in many ways. They weren't as, excuse the expression, black and white as I had felt they would be. In the end, I'm very glad I read this, and pretty glad I've seen the movie as well. Let's see if I can read the next book the book club has assigned... David Copperfield.

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Agatha Christie this week was Endless Night from 1967. A young man tells how he acquired Gipsy's Acres and what it cost him. It would be really difficult to write much about this without giving something away. The book started slow, and was pretty slow all the way until the final part, then it disappointed me more than a little. It's not my favorite by any means at all, and in fact is fairly close to the bottom for me. I hope the next one is better.

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Fortean Times #268 (December 2010). I'm well behind on reviewing these, for once not because they are late but because I got a Kindle and stopped reading everything else for awhile (which is also why I'm behind on the comics). Let's see, this is a standard issue, lots of good stuff, wierd stuff, and some stuff that can gross you out. Some highlights: The Renfrew ghost video is so clearly a flare on the lens (it moves with the camera) that I can't believe even a ghost hunter would put it up as evidence (YouTube). The pictures of the giant tumor and kidney stone were enough to turn my stomach. The UFO files was good, and has been particularly good the last few months.

The cover article is about the connection between home renovations and hauntings, and was an ok overview. There didn't seem to be a lot new there for me. Another good long article is about the link between Christianity and Horror, and covers a lifelong horror fan who became a Christian and retained his love of horror. It was a different angle on the subject than I expected. Mischief Night is covered in a history article that I found extremely fascinating, as it is a tradition that doesn't really exist anywhere I've lived. And another article discusses a possible attempt to steal Barnum's body from his grave.

The reviews were excellent as usual, and for the first time I looked for Kindle editions of the books I thought I might be interested in if I could find them in that format. I was able to locate three of them to add to my Kindle Wishlist. The letters were the usual high quality, and "It Happened to Me" as freaky as I normally find it. The comic page was a new one for me, "The Cryptid Kid Investigates", and it wasn't bad. Overall, another good issue of the best magazine out there.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Darkseid Descending" - Aquaman is in it, so I wanted to like it. But it was a bit of a mess of a story, with the introduction of a new Justice League full of second-stringers up against Darkseid. I just didn't feel like it made the grade. Ok, I found the brawling with Booster, Guy, and Aquaman to be mildly amusing, particularly when J'onn joined in. The tease at the beginning featuring Firestorm was ok, but only just. I hope the next episode is better.
• Sapphire and Steel: "Assignment Four: The Man without a Face" - Wow, intense story. I can see why the Torchwood episode "From Out of the Rain" was compared to this tale, even though there are significant differences. The terror of the burning of the photograph was very well done. I can't quite imagine being able to do what Steel told the girl to do at the end. Another strange and interesting episode of this show.

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This week's movie was Firebreather, an original movie from Cartoon Network based on the comic book from Image comics created by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn. I've never regularly read the comic, so I came into this movie mostly unfamiliar with the character. This was a slightly confusing intro. Not to the character himself, that was clearly explained. My big problem was that the characters seemed to have certain knowledge, but then later that knowledge is treated as a big reveal. Duncan, for instance, knows who his father is, but when he actually runs into Belloc his mother starts to tease him with the whole "I suppose you're wondering how you happened" thing. Um, wouldn't he have already been aware of that particular strangeness? And Barnes at one point seems to act like he didn't know that Duncan was Belloc's son. But if that was so, why was he assigned to watch him? Despite those distracting moments, the movie was pretty good. The CGI was only a little annoying at times, the characters were fun, and the story was amusing. Overall, I found myself wanting to see more. I may have to check out the comics.

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Here are some reviews of the DCBS comic book shipment that arrived this week, of books originally released in November:

• November 3rd
• Brightest Day #13 - No Aquaman. Not very interesting to me.
• JSA All-Stars #12 - Cyclone lost her powers, but now... what? Crazy stuff. Pity the artwork is so bad.
• Ozma of Oz #1 - Excellent as usual. I love Billina. She's just about my favorite Oz character in a lot of ways, and her showing up at this point is lovely.
• PS238 #47 - Not really enjoying the alternate universe storyline, and Ron's adventures with Tyler in space needs to wrap up or change soon. But I still enjoyed it.
• November 10th
• Birds of Prey #6 - Ah, a nice wrap up of a storyline I wasn't sure I was enjoying. Huntress comes out well in this one, and even Shiva got an "oh yeah" moment from me. More like this.
• Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #4 - I really really don't like how this storyline is going. But I'm getting drawn into it anyway.
• Knight & Squire #2 - I love the Morris Men! Wonderful as a set of villains. And I love the "secret" identities of Knight and Squire and how pretty much the entire town protects them.
• All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 - Batman and Superman team up and visit Kandor. I enjoyed this one. Lots of fun, a nice little mystery with plenty of hints for the reader, and you know it's a good start if you've got Superman guesting.
• Tiny Titans/Little Archie #2 - Oh yeah, Josie and the Pussycats! Oh yeah, lots of little fun bits. I think I even caught a glimpse of Aqualad in one panel. I'm not sure who those Archie bad guys are supposed to be, though.
• November 17th
• Brightest Day #14 - Well, that solved one big mystery for me. And even had a tiny touch of Aquaman. Not enough, of course, but a little. I just am waiting for Aquaman to really return to the book.
• Green Lantern #59 - Um. I kind of have to agree with the Flash in wondering what the heck GL thinks he's doing. But then, all the Green Lantern Corps seems to be insane at the moment. Must have something to do with that whole Blackest Night thing.
• Green Lantern Corps #54 - Speaking of insane. I like Natu. But this whole Sinestro's daughter thing is annoying. At least her heart is still in the right place.
• Justice League of America #51 - Sigh. It's an ok book, but it's just not the Justice League. Sorry.
• Power Girl #18 - I like Power Girl, but I haven't been impressed with this run. And the way it's tying into Brightest Day isn't making me happy. I don't like Max.
• Zatanna #7 - For items in a magic museum to come to life and still have the personalities of those people... I was amused. I particularly liked the reactions of the LA Superman and Batman impersonators in the opening page.
• DC Universe Legacies #7 - Ah, the death of Superman. The back-up story was a good one.
• Tiny Titans #34 - The Aqua-Ohs make another appearance, YAY! The whole confusion between Zatara and Superboy was cute, but I'm not really sure what to think of it.
• Northlanders #34 - I'm not really sure what happened with some of the supernatural stuff at the end of this one, but then it's been strangely supernatural all the way through. Glad this story is done.
• George RR Martin's Doorways #1 - I suddenly want to see that pilot. It suffered the same fate as the Aquaman pilot: it was as close to a sure thing as is possible in TV, then circumstances pulled the rug out from under it. This is an interesting story, I'm glad the hubby ordered it.
• Stan Lee: Soldier Zero #2 - Still promising. Gotta see how this one continues.
• November 24th
• Action Comics #895 - And now Vandal Savage is in the mix. Ok. Looking forward to seeing more.
• Justice Society of America #45 - So, is Jay learning a lesson or something here? I'm not sure what to make of this one.
• Batman Beyond #6 - Amanda Waller has gone batty in this DCU.
• DMZ #59 - Matty made his bed, and now he's gone back to make sure he lay in it properly.
• Stan Lee: Traveler #1 - Very promising start to this new series. Pity we didn't order the second issue.
• Usagi Yojimbo #133 - I wonder what Usagi wished for at the end. But it was a very touching story.

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My library book this week was The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster. I saw this on the "new books" shelf at the library and picked it up on a whim, because I've enjoyed Foster's work in the past. I was unaware that it is the first book of a trilogy, or I might not have bothered. As I got close to the end, I suspected it wasn't a standalone, and sure enough it ends on a sort of half-hearted cliffhanger. This is a bubblegum sort of book. Don't look too closely or the seams will show. It's fun, a good read if you like Foster's stuff, but definitely not his best work.

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Agatha Christie this week was The Clocks from 1963. This was the first book I read completely on a Kindle, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. In this case, I figured out the murderer fairly quickly but missed the crucial clue about the motive. I wasn't nearly as disappointed that I didn't figure this one out, at least I fingered the murderer right away. I'm looking forward to the next one, which I think I have an eBook of as well. If not, the library has it. I'm getting nearer the end, and I'm going to be sad when there are no more Agatha Christie stories for me to read.

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Fortean Times #267 (November 2010). My first thought on seeing the cover, "The Magical Battle of Britian", was isn't that the plot of 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'? Well, not exactly, as it turns out. According to the cover story, while Britian fought against the invasion, an occult army on the ground fought the forces of evil dredged up by Hitler's occultists. Even if you don't believe in magic, the human story behind the people who strove to protect their homeland is compelling enough to make it an article worth reading.

Strangedays was the usual mix of bizarre and intriguing. More monster sightings, a termite Buddha, giant goldfish, very old people, and trained monkeys. The science section was about astronomical mysteries including dark matter and something slowing two Pioneer probes. Ghostwatch was about an increasing number of ghost reports in the UK. The UFO files has an interesting bit about the fluidity of memory, using a case report of a man who originally thought he'd had a childhood alien encounter, but then found notes he had written that convinced him much of the events had been created later. I wasn't keen on the poetry and paranormal article for some reason, but it had some interesting information. The Forum and Reviews were great, as usual, with lots of stuff that I don't feel like writing a ton about. I'll just say I found it worth reading. Overall, another fantastic issue of the funniest and strangest magazine available.

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