A Sunday Review

Ok, let's start with something different. Some time ago I quit all Facebook games cold turkey. When I won my iPad mini, I started playing Doctor Who: Legacy, because I'd heard so much good stuff about it. Since then, DWL has been the only game I play. My gamer itch has been satisfied, when I needed it, by watching The Adipose on Twitch. For example, I'd never play Fallout, despite how much it resembles Wasteland... but Adi's played it and I've been along for the ride.

Another game Adi has been playing recently is The Room 3. I thought it was fascinating, and checked out the earlier versions. To my pleasant surprise, The Room, the first one, is available free on iOS. So I downloaded it and tried it.

The Room by Fireproof Games - It's basically a puzzle box game. You are greeted by a safe and invited to open it by solving puzzles. And there are a lot of puzzles. To add to the atmosphere, there's a Victorian/Lovecraftian sense of horror in the music and background noises. The puzzles aren't hard, but can be challenging in unexpected ways. You have to listen, watch and touch everything you can see to come up with the solution. Sometimes you have to think *ahem* outside the box. There are hints available. The first time through, I used them. Then I played it again without the hints. It was surprisingly replayable, because there are so many puzzles to go through you can't remember the solution to all of them. A very satisfying game... although you are definitely left wanting more by the end.

I noticed one of the reviews in the Apple store complained about the occult nature of the game... I can say that there's not much, if any, in this game. There are symbols, but I didn't see more than a passing reference to actual occult symbols anywhere. Those were only used to lend the Lovecraft feel to the story. There are tarot cards at the end of the game, but again, mostly for atmosphere. This is a horror tale, to be sure, and there is an ongoing sense of "things man was not meant to know" in the letters you uncover... but actual occult? Not in this game. Maybe the sequels have more, but what I saw in Adi's playthrough shows more along the lines of Cthulu than actual real-world stupidity. However, if you are leery of anything even appearing to be occult, then you might find this game uncomfortable.

The Room was published in 2012 and is available for a variety of platforms, including Apple, Android and Amazon. As of this writing it is free on iOS, but not on other platforms. Playthrough time is 2-4 hours, depending on how good you are at puzzles and if you use the hints.

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Eric and I have recently seen two movies that I haven't reviewed. Most recently, we saw this weekend's big movie:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Non-spoilers... I liked the new characters and loved the appearance of the original series characters. I have some trouble believing it's been this long, but oh, it felt so good. The plot itself was... how to put this delicately? Um, a little derivative. But also classic with enough twists to work. The balance between drama and humor was lovely, back at the right level. There were so many good little bits of humor mixed in that it worked overall. The big thing, the one that will have many hardcore fans upset, is that this story does not fit at all in the "extended universe" (although it wouldn't surprise me if someone no-prizes it into place). As I'm only mildly invested in the extended universe, it didn't bother me at all, but some fans I'm sure are upset and disappointed due to the canon being broken.

Ok, let's look at some spoilery moments. Gur qrngu... bu, gur qrngu jnf qenzngvp naq cnvashy. Bapr ur jnyxrq bhg bagb gung oevqtr gurer yvgrenyyl jnf ab bgure jnl sbe vg gb raq. V xarj, gunaxf gb nyy gur fcbvyref va gur genvyref, gung gur znfxrq gjvg jnfa'g tbvat gb fhqqrayl ghea tbbq. Naq V pbhyqa'g frr uvz yrggvat Una rfpncr. Fb gung jnf gung. V fnj vg pbzvat naq qvqa'g cerqvpg vg ng nyy. Arkg hc: gur svefg nccrnenapr bs gur Zvyyraavhz Snypba jnf bar bs gubfr terng zbzragf bs uhzbe. Erl naq Svaa unq gur orfg punggre qhevat gung pbairefngvba, ohg jura gurl ghea gb gur "tneontr" naq vg'f bhe byq sevraq, lrnu... purref naq ynhtugre. Nabgure gryyvat zbzrag jnf jura Erl gbhpurq gur yvtugfnore. V guvax gung zrnaf fur'f Yhxr'f qnhtugre... gung'f ubj V "ernq" gur synfuonpxf. Bgure sbyxf zvtug unir bgure bcvavbaf. Ohg sbe gur erfg bs gur svyz V xrcg guvaxvat bs ure nf Una'f avrpr, be znfxrq gjvg'f pbhfva. Gung znqr gur rcvp fnore svtug n onggyr orgjrra pbhfvaf. Fbzr guvatf gung jrer qhzo: jul vf gurer n znc gb jurer Yhxr jnf tbvat? V zrna, frevbhfyl. Naq ubj qvq by' jungfvfsnpr va gur bcravat fprar trg uvf unaqf ba vg? Sbe gung znggre, jul vf vg vzcbegnag sbe znfxrq gjvg naq rzcrebe Tbyyhz gb svaq Yhxr? Ur'f bar thl naq ur'f orra zvffvat n ybat gvzr. Jul abg whfg trg ba jvgu yvirf? Nyfb, gur yvtug fvqr qbrfa'g grzcg, fb znfxrq gjvg vfa'g orvat frqhprq ol gur yvtug... ur'f n crefba jub fgvyy unf n pbafpvrapr naq vf gelvat gb xvyy vg. Nf sbe orvat qrevingvir... jr'ir tbg gur oenir eroryf tbvat hc ntnvafg gur rivy rzcver naq gurve qrngu fgne. Fbeg bs. Gurer jrer n ybg bs zbzragf gung jrer qverpg pnyyonpxf gb gur bevtvany frevrf, vapyhqvat gur jnl Yrvn ernpgrq ng Una'f qrngu orvat gur fnzr nf Bov-Jna'f ernpgvat gb gur qrfgehpgvba bs Nyqrenna. Gung svany fprar, jvgu Erl snpvat Yhxr, jnf nznmvat. Gurer jrer n ybg bs zbzragf yvxr gung guebhtubhg gur zbivr.

In the end, I enjoyed the movie a lot, but still see it has a few flaws. But I'm dying to see the next one.

The other movie we saw thanks to the library happening to have a copy:

Inside Out - A really cute animated movie with a basic enough plot but a nicely unique way of looking at inner turmoil. I loved the voice acting and found it to be a solid little movie that says a lot about how people think and feel. It was a great movie all through, and I enjoyed it a lot... but the absolute funniest moment for me was the looks at other people in the end - particularly the look at the cat. I'm still giggling about the cat every time I think about it. A nice little solid movie for everyone to enjoy.

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TV this week:

• Supergirl: "Human For a Day" - So much good stuff in this one. Xnen trgf gb qrny jvgu orvat uhzna naq zber vzcbegnagyl, orvat uheg, sbe gur svefg gvzr. Jvaa trg wrnybhf. Png trgf n pbzcyvzrag. Znkjryy vf n wrex, ohg n tbbq-urnegrq wrex nccneragyl. Naq jr svanyyl yrnea jung Unax npghnyyl vf qhr gb n ybiryl fvrtr frdhrapr ng gur QRB. Guvf rcvfbqr vf nabgure erzvaqre gung guvf vf ABG gur znva QP Havirefr nf frra va gur pbzvpf. A fun little episode.
• Supergirl: "Hostile Takeover" - The season finale, juvpu fhecevfvatyl raqf ba n pyvssunatre. Xnen'f srryvatf sbe ure Nhag Nfgen ner gur ubbx guvf fgbel unatf ba, naq vg'f n cerggl tbbq ubbx. Ohg gur ovt fhecevfr sbe zr jnf Png svanyyl znxvat gur shyy pbaarpgvba naq pbasebagvat Xnen. Lrnu, Png vfa'g fghcvq naq vg jbhyq unir orra ernyyl onq gb pbagvahr npgvat yvxr fur jnf. Gur bayl dhrfgvba abj vf jung qverpgvba Png jvyy gnxr jvgu gung xabjyrqtr? This has been a fun show and I'm looking forward to the next season.


• Arrow: "Brotherhood" - Naq gur cnfg pngpurf hc. Ng yrnfg, bar cnfg. Naq vg'f abg n cyrnfnag rkcrevrapr sbe Qvttyr, bar bs gur orggre punenpgref ba gur fubj. Enl'f qrcerffvba vf fnq va fhpu na bcgvzvfgvp punenpgre, ohg vg'f avpr gb frr uvz jbexvat ba n ceboyrz. Naq Gurn unf n cbffvoyr fbyhgvba gb ure ceboyrz. Bayl, ubj vf fur tbvat gb trg Qneux gb pbbcrengr? Another good episode on lots of levels.
• Arrow: "Legends of Yesterday" - Gur snpg gung rirelbar qvrf va n tehrfbzr synfu bs sver naq qrngu va guvf rcvfbqr qvqa'g qrgenpg sebz ubj tbbq vg jnf va gur raq. Lrf, gvzr geniry, gung qnatrebhf gbl, vf hfrq... ohg jr xarj sebz gur ortvaavat gung vg jnf pbzvat. Naq gung zrnaf jr xarj nalguvat ng nyy pbhyq unccra va gur bcravat npg. Naq obl, nalguvat ng nyy fher unccrarq. Gur pybfvat unys jnf avpryl qbar, jvgu Oneel gnxvat gur guernqf bs gebhoyr sebz gur svefg gvzr guebhtu naq svkvat ybgf bs gurz. I enjoyed this one.
• Arrow: "Dark Waters" - Bu, sbe gung gb unir orra gur raq bs Qneux! Ohg lbh xabj gur ivyynva nyjnlf svaqf n jnl gb rfpncr, rira jvgu gjb neebjf va uvz naq n obzo tbvat bss arkg gb uvf urnq. Guvf rcvfbqr ernyyl uvg zr uneq, cnegvphyneyl gur thafuvc qebar ng gur ornpu. Gur fubpx bs frrvat xvqf, vapyhqvat n irel phgr "zvav-Sryvpvgl" nggnpxrq fb ivbyragyl npghnyyl znqr zr jnag gb fgbc jngpuvat sbe n ovg. Sbe fbzr ernfba, gung fprar jnf nyzbfg bire gur rqtr sbe zr. Gur cbvfba tnf jnf nyfb nyzbfg gbb zhpu. In fact, there were a lot of bits and pieces in this that really shocked me. A difficult episode to watch.


• The Flash: "Gorilla Warfare" - Cbbe Tebqq. Guvf irefvba qvqa'g qrfreir uvf sngr naq qrsvavgryl qvqa'g qrfreir gb or fghpx hc nybar va gur jngpugbjre jbaqrevat jung gb qb jvgu uvzfrys. V'z unccl gurl tbg uvz gb Rnegu-2 Tbevyyn Pvgl, ohg V'z n yvggyr jbeevrq ng jung ur jvyy qb gurer. Fgvyy, guvf vfa'g gur znva QPH... znlor vg'yy ghea bhg bx? Decent little episode with the potential to come back and bite the heroes in the future.
• The Flash: "Legends of Today" - Gur fcrrq sbezhyn... na nznmvat pnyyonpx gb gur Tbyqra Ntr, rira vs vg'f abg fbzrguvat fnvq (juvpu arire znqr n yvpx bs frafr) naq vafgrnq vf n frehz. Wnl vf fgvyy orvat n wrex. Gura jr'ir tbg Grnz Neebj naq Grnz Synfu gelvat gb cebgrpg Pvfpb'f tvey sebz Inaqny Fnintr. Awesome on just so many levels. A fun episode.
• The Flash: "Running to Stand Still" - Znex Unzvyy nf Fnagn Pynhf vf bar bs gur sernxvrfg guvatf V'ir frra guvf lrne. Naq vg'f orra n sernxl lrne. Guvf jnf n qrprag rcvfbqr jvgu onq thlf pbzovavat gb xvyy Gur Synfu. Gura gurer'f n pbhcyr bs tbbq fhocybgf nf jryy... Jnyyl Jrfg orvat gur bar gung xvaq bs pyvss-unatf. Ohg Uneel'f nterrzrag jvgu Mbbz vf gur fpnel bar. Vs guvf Uneevfba Jryyf vf n tbbq thl, ur'f tbg gb or senagvpnyyl guvaxvat bs jnlf gb znxr Oneel tbbq rabhtu gb erfphr uvf qnhtugre. Vg'f abg tbvat gb or rnfl. Lots to think about with this one.

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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:

• Oct 7th
• Batman Beyond #5 - Freaky story. Seems to me the fight against Brother Eye would be over quickly in Gotham, so I'm not sure how much time Batman has to put whatever plan he's got into action.
• Green Lantern #45 - Um, yay Hal? Really, there just isn't much to say about this.
• Doctor Strange #1 - It certainly lives up to the "strange" in the title. The one thing for sure I can say about this book is that it really doesn't make being a magic user appealing at all.
• This Damned Band #3 - Set in a French mansion/recording studio, this issue has the band confronting some of their demons. Sort of. Maybe? Well, probably not, because things just get worse. I love the comments from the camera crew.
• CBLDF Liberty Annual 2015 - If you are easily offended, this is not something you want to try to read. I'm no longer easily offended, but there were some pieces in here that I felt went over the line from "making a point" to "tasteless for the heck of it." Which I guess is also a point to make. I did like it overall: the key to proper censorship is for the reader to say, "Oh, I don't like this," and skip to the next item rather than attempt to shut up the original creator/publisher. And I'm capable of jumping to the next item when I'm offended.
• Legend of Oz: The Wicked West #1 - I don't know if this is the same as the original series' first issue, but it certainly is very familiar. I enjoyed this the first time around, I hope to enjoy it this time, too. I think there's an extra supplemental tale in here, as well.
• Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen #5 - There are moments I really like this book (although the clothing design for the women is often a major turn-off) and there are moments I just go, "huh?" I admit, the huh moments are more common than the enjoyable moments. But there's a good moment in this one for me, as Dorothy embraces the bad and something good happens.
• Oct 14th
• Justice League of America #4 - A single panel of Aquaman, four lines between him and Mera. Blah. The story itself isn't too bad, with the mystery of what Rao actually is coming to a head. But I need more Aquaman to be happy.
• Justice League United #14 - Caught in an eddy of time, they are stuck in a moment or two. Lots of great characters showing up, but the plot is a bit overwhelmed by it all! I think once it ends I'll try to sort out what happened.
• Earth 2 Society #5 - Jay is overwhelmed by being what he is, and quits? That's a choice for a superhero? Apparently not, as he gets dragged back into it. The identity of the villain was slightly unexpected, but I guess I buy it, considering the nature of the character in this universe.
• DC Comics Bombshells #3 - Yay! More Mera! Ahem. This one has three distinct chapters, starting with the Bat, moving to the terror in Germany, then going to Wonder Woman and Mera meeting the war on land. I love this version of Mera, teasing Wonder Woman and protecting her dolphin friends. Great stuff.
• Spider-Man 2099 #1 - A very strange first issue with a new status quo. It seems a little nasty that he's using his abilities to win a game show. I'm sure this won't turn out well.
• Star Trek/Green Lantern #4 - I was just sort of nodding along, slightly amused by this book, until the final page. I'm glad I'm familiar enough with the "new" Star Trek universe to know what that cliffhanger actually means.
• Spongebob Comics #49 - This had a few odd bits even for this comic. As the Halloween issue, it was focused on the scary... as scary as Spongebob gets, which isn't very. Still, fun enough. I am amused and unsurprised by the fate of the various delivery boys. Ha.
• Rebels #7 - A nice standalone issue featuring a woman who followed her husband into the Revolutionary War and what became of her later in life. The statement by the soldier as he left, that they couldn't make an exception, was definitely a comment on how women who fought were treated.
• Oct 21st
• Justice League #45 - I'm hoping this crossover ends soon, because I'm finding it completely boring. I'm glad Aquaman isn't involved in this snooze-fest.
• Green Lantern: The Lost Army #5 - More of Lanterns in space. Prison break, new weapons... ongoing war. What next?
• Titans Hunt #1 - So, are they remembering the original universe or something else? That's clearly Garth, so what's his deal in this universe?
• Teen Titans Go #12 - Starfire wants to date, and Robin is jealous. Then anti-Titans run into Titans and there are some issues. A silly book, but cute.
• Astro City #28 - The origin story of Wolfspider along with a more modern tale related to his past makes for excellent reading. As usual, one of the best of the super-hero books out there.
• Tales of Honor: Bred to Kill #3 - Pretty good! More twists in the story and more developments. And we catch up to the opening, as well, so by the end we are moving into unexplored territory. Great stuff. This series is so much better than the first attempt it's not even funny. This is what happens when you allow your writers to actually write comics instead of illustrated text.
• Usagi Yojimbo #149 - A very nice done-in-one story that had an utterly predictable ending. I found the premise all too believable... rich jerk spends too much on a worthless item. I thought Usagi's solution was perfect, if a tiny bit deceptive.
• Back to the Future #1 - How did Marty meet Doc in the first place? The first story in this issue tells the tale, which is just as backwards as you might expect. The second story goes back to Doc's youth as a professor, and is cringe-worthy.
• Doctor Who 9th #4 - Time agents? Much like Captain Jack is supposed to be? Interesting how they force the Doctor to do their work. What are they really up to? And what's up with Rose? What has she learned?
• Doctor Who 10th Year Two #2 - This is a story that really needs some sound to bring out the best. I would love to hear this one as an audio drama. The solution was simple, but cool.
• Doctor Who 11th Year Two #1 - Wow, this is a mess of a plot. Oh, it makes sense in context, but there's so much happening and so many strange bits... and that cliffhanger. Not a character I was expecting to see in this particular version, although I admit I'm kind of pleased to see him. There's a lot here to digest, and I'm guessing the next issue isn't going to be any easier.
• Doctor Who 12th #13 - Hyperions invading Earth, and doing an all-too-good job of it. We get a nice origin story for the creatures, including the fact that they were originally a force for good. The next question is what the Doctor is going to do about it... his initial attempt seems a little misguided.
• Oct 28th
• Aquaman #45 - I still haven't quite figured out what is going on, but now it apparently involves other worlds. I liked this one better than the last couple of issues, but the art still looks wrong to me.
• Batman '66 #28 - Scarecrow and Killer Croc. A fun issue with classic villains reimagined for the 1966 universe. Very nice.
• Sinestro #16 - Oooh, Sinestro goes on a quest and visits Evil Shazam. I find Soranik's "crush" on Black Adam to be quite cute. I guess she does like bad boys.
• Spider-Man 2099 #2 - Back in the saddle again after a terrorist attack. I'm not sure I like that he decided to quit in the first place, but I know I don't like how he's been brought back.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- My Kindle Wishlist -- Hugo 2016 Posts page

A Sunday Review

This week's movie was The LEGO Movie (2014). I fully expected to hate this movie. Yeah, I heard good reviews, but I have seen enough other LEGO creative endeavors that I was not really expecting much at all. In fact, I was pretty sure I would be disappointed. Not only was I not disappointed, I want to see it again to catch some more of the in-jokes that were spread around. It actually had a plot! I wasn't expecting that. And the characters were, if a little stereotyped, still "fleshed" out enough to work. The jokes were sometimes edgily hilarious and other time flat-out stupid funny. Emmett was a good protagonist and I loved seeing Green Lantern as an annoying prat bothering Superman. Pity there was no Aquaman, but maybe that was for the best.

As for the main plotline: (SPOILER ALERT!)LEGO artists do not use glue, but LEGO Master Builders hired by LEGO for permanent exhibits do. Most Adult Fans of LEGO don't want to glue because then they cannot tinker with their creations.(END SPOILER) Overall, a lot of fun.

So much fun that I went to Amazon and purchased the awful pop song almost as soon as we finished watching the movie. It's almost as good for exercising as Chicken Fat. LEGO jumping jacks!

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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 11th
• Justice League United #2 - I'm really not sure I like this version of Rann. I mean, I've never been a big fan of Adam Strange, but this just seems like stomping all over the whole Rann legacy to me. I'm just not impressed.
• Green Lantern Corps #32 - So the Durlans are still one step ahead? What a surprise. I'm really tired of this plot.
• World's Finest #24 - This feels a bit like a final episode. Nice touch on how the employee pitches in to help. I do like the team-up of Power Girl and Huntress despite the recent annoying crossover that derailed the book almost entirely.
• Smallville Lantern #3 - There's a whole lot going on in this book that makes very little sense unless you can remember what came before, and that's just not as clear as it could be. Though, hey, Ma Hunkle. That's something.
• Astro City #13 - While it all pulled together in the end, the temporal jumps made this one a difficult read. I really want to rearrange it and read it in the actual hourly order, but I'm not tearing my book apart.
• Tales of Honor #3 - This continues to be more of an illustrated novel than a proper comic book. Yes, the source material is dense with information, but a good adaptation would find the key bits and promote them. In this, an absolutely key moment, McKean's support of Harrington against Hauptman, is kind of underplayed. I'm moderately disappointed with the adaptation, though the artwork is quite fascinating.
• Spongebob Comics #33 - Jerry Ordway art for the Mermaid Man story, and Ramona Fradon work on the back cover... I'm happy.
• Grimm Fairy Tales: Warlord of Oz #2 - If those are "practical fighting togs" then I'm the queen of England. Ug. Story is vaugely interesting, character clothing and design is a little insulting.

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The Martian: A Novel by Andy Weir. Hubby-Eric checked this out from the library, so I went ahead and read it as well. This is a VERY good book for nerds like me. It's a survival story that just piece-by-piece takes the reader through all the things this poor guy has to do when he's left behind, presumed dead, on Mars. Mark Watney, the main character, is a very smart engineer (hey, he was picked for a journey to Mar, after all) and goes about dealing with his situation the way a good ol' engineer would. It's a book very much in the traditional of Robinson Crusoe, but it's so modern and nerdy that it's just fantastic. Crusoe never had a crew worried about him or a bunch of people at home able to see his camp, and it's the other side of the story that really makes this book a thrilling read. Any nerd who is even slightly interested in space flight, colonization of other planets or just plain science really ought to read this one.

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My mystery book this week was The Alpine Vengeance by Mary Daheim. Milo starts getting disturbing letters that indicate a decade-old murder is still unsolved, prompting Emma to start looking into the past. Once again the town's people get a major role and, better, this book also goes back to a previous murder, apparently already solved, and reopens it. Do mystery writers generally go back and revisit a previous story? The events from earlier were covered in The Alpine Fury, and that story had multiple mysteries that had to be solved. Many of them are discussed in this story, but the key piece is one that Milo and Emma got wrong ten years ago. I enjoyed this one, not just for the references to the past (which were very easy to follow) but also the way it ties in with the city and the population. If you want to start the Alpine series, I strongly recommend starting at the first book, The Alpine Advocate.

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Fortean Times #316 (July 2014). Disturbing Voodoo cover. Not really my thing, and it goes back to the old format of having a face as the focal point, which isn't my favorite type of cover, either. The gentleman in question, Rollo Ahmed, seems to have gotten along by playing "the Other" in England, which is a depressing way to deal with racism... but apparently somewhat effective at the time. The article ends with a promise for more about Ahmed in next month's issue.

Another main article is about mass hysteria, covering why it happens and what the results can be. The whole article is in support of the release of a book on mass hysteria and examines a few cases while referring readers to the book to get more information. That's not to say that there isn't a lot of information in the article... enough in fact for the casual reader. But the book promises more and more detail if one so desires.

The third main article is about the Human Fly, a real-life "superhero" of the late 1970s who did lots of stunts, including standing on a DC-8 airplane as it took off and jumping school buses at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. I vaguely remember the guy, but I was a little too young to remember much. Still, fun to read about.

Strangedays starts with Slender Man, the freaky and yet totally fictitious internet meme that apparently has taken on a life of its own thanks to idiots who are unable to distinguish reality from fiction. The whole Slenderman phenomenon is something I mean to write more about some time, but I'm still thinking through the implications of people who seriously believe in it. There's something profound about human nature in that story.

Ahem. Moving on, Strangedays also has objects that stopped bullets, a narcoleptic epidemic, attack of the tumbleweeds, scary emus and moronic criminals. Science covers the history of Lichtenberg patterns and how they were perceived by people throughout the ages along with bits on the Turin Shroud. Archaeology finds evidence of vampire burials in Poland and meteorite shrines in Arizona. Classical Corner is a tough read but appears to be about pre-Roman Britian and how those people reacted to Romans.

Ghostwatch is about ghost photographs and what photography and technology has done for ghost hunting. Alien Zoo finds a new jellyfish, the return of a sasquatch mask sort of stolen by a teacher in 1939 to the First Nations it belongs to and the existence of a possible feather of a thunderbird. Fairies, Folklore and Forteana is about One-Eyed Joan, who identified a witch in 1555 by, as she told an ecclesiastical court, talking to fairies. The UFO Files looks at abductee support groups, the Hessdalen sightings and the problems with alien communication. UFO Casebook takes a closer look at crop circles.

Random Dictionary dares to take on alien abductions, and starts with the earliest reports, then moves on to the general timeline of an abduction. I, personally, think there is a completely different explanation for abductions. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I were a victim, but unless such a thing happens to me, I tend to think these are something the mind manufactures rather than actual physical experiences. Perhaps we'll someday know the truth... if it's actually out there.

The Forum starts with a piece about objects that fall from the sky, and how some of them come from nearby activities on the ground. One example used is the head of a sledgehammer that was tossed through a roof by a wood chipper. The second Forum article is sort of an attack on cryptozoology and the assumptions often made by people in the field, but also a promo for a book, Cryptozoologicon, about it. Some good, some bad... if the book is written like the article I'm not interested.

The final Forum article tackles the disturbing legend of foundation sacrifices, particularly for bridges. The article actually quotes Terry Pratchett and mentions Discworld and "speculative folklorists". Fun stuff about a gruesome topic.

Reviews are great, starting with a lovely takedown of a Rendlesham book and continuing to a review of Paul Cornell's latest. Letters are good, with some interesting additions to previous articles. One letter notes that if an airliner can simply vanish, how likely is it that we would know if there are UFOs watching us? Interesting thought.

It Happened To Me has a long excerpt about an Alaskan earthquake that was fascinating. Fortean Traveller visits Norway to seek out the Northern Lights (and finds them). Phenomenomix is... amusing. Another good issue.

In a rare feat of something, I'm completely caught up with this magazine at the moment. It'll actually be almost a full month before I get my next issue. And this is apparently the issue currently on the stands in the UK (I tend to get my issue nearly a month after the UK). So this is a rare moment. Enjoy.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Iron Chef America: "Batali vs Bartolotta" - Yay! Batali! And a very interesting ingredient as well. Not to mention a challenger who is nearly as fun to watch as Batali himself. This was a good one.
• Classic Doctor Who: "Invasion of Time" Parts 5 & 6 - Enter the potato-heads! Didn't like these two episodes as much as the previous two. Yeah, fun inside the TARDIS, but it was mostly running around and not much else. Par for the course for classic Doctor Who, I guess. No Classic Who on PBS for awhile, it's pledge month.
• The Next Food Network Star: "Star Quality" - Here we go again! I don't expect that my favorite will ever make it to the final, but I sure had hopes that the one I like least is knocked out in the first round. Unfortunately, fashion lady stays in while unfunny comic leaves. Not an auspicious start for the show.
• Ghost Hunters: "Widow's Watch" - Sometimes I think I learn more about human psychology from this show than anything else. I'm fascinated by the way people fool themselves, but more delighted when they figure something out. The experiment with the broken fan was a great way to show how external noises/malfunctioning electronics can seem like the supernatural. The less said about the second place, the better. Total losers.
• Have I Got News For You: "Alexander Armstrong, Michael McIntyre, and Clare Balding" - Ah, I enjoyed this one. I guess I've recovered from the Brian Blessed episode. Lots of laughing during this one, and I liked Clare a lot.
• Doctor Who: "Forest of the Dead" Originally listed as "River's Run" - Thanks to the original title, and a bit of foreshadowing in the first episode, I actually managed to figure this one out. Well, most of it. Well, part of it. Well, enough to make me happy. There were still a lot of surprises, and I was literally on the edge of my seat for most of the episode. As for what she whispered to him.... WHOA. I hope we see more of River in the future...or the past.

Comics this week:

• Trinity #1 - Hrm. It's a start. Not horrible, but not really engaging to me, either.
• Detective Comics #845 - Another done-in-one, and a good one at that. Gotham is not a place I'd want to live.
• Justice Society of America #16 - Not enough Ma Hunkel. But this is promising. Who wants to bet it all ends with a nasty fight, though? A power like that just won't fit into the DC Universe.
• Justice League Unlimited #46 - Hrm. A Green Lantern story. I've never been a fan of the cosmic tales, so this wasn't a good send-off for the book in my opinion.
• Jonah Hex #32 - I knew who was going to end up dead at the end of the story. Still, it worked. Not my favorite book, but it's Hex.
• Invincible Iron Man #2 - Nice cliffhanger.
• Noble Causes #34 - Want to go back to the days of Liz and Race. I feel like that plot never finished, and I'm just not confident that this will lead back to that.
• Witchblade #118 - Yikes. Conclusion to one tale, but lots of plot threads for future ones. This book isn't half bad.
• Red Sonja #34 - Oooh, that's a twist I wasn't really expecting. That actually would explain a lot about Sonja.
• Doctor Who Classics #7 - Better than I remembered it. And it's never looked so good.

This week's library movie was Superman - Doomsday. I hate the voices. Hate them. Worst voice casting ever. Ok, maybe not... the problem is that I liked the voices from the old series. Even after all these years, I would have preferred them to reprise their roles. It took a full half hour into the movie before I started to accept the new voices. As for the movie itself, I prefer the comic book version of the story. This was weak on plot and substance, and felt like it could have been done in half the time without losing anything of value. The fights were long, dramatic, and boring (which is a neat trick). I don't really recommend this one.

My library book this week was Fugitives of Chaos by John C Wright. Five children, five different ways of looking at the world, and all of them are right. The true genius of this series is the way it takes those opposing viewpoints and makes them work together. The whole sex and Grendel thing is more than a little disturbing, but it doesn't overpower the rest of the story. This book ends on a more dramatic cliffhanger than the first book, but I knew it was a trilogy going into reading it. So far, a pretty good read.

This week's Agatha Christie book was Murder on the Links (aka The Girl with the Anxious Eyes) from 1923. This is her third book, and the second Poirot novel. I'm really liking Poirot more and more. I can see why these books took off so well. They are written in an easygoing style, fun to read, and you always find yourself guessing along with the characters. Once again I didn't figure it out, so I'm 0-3 on Agatha Christie mysteries (although I was really close with the last book). I'm still trying to pull together a list of complete Christie works, and it's not nearly as easy as I hoped thanks to the odd publishing history of her stories (lots of alternate titles!). But I'm getting closer. Now the only problem is getting the books from the library in good time. Luckily, I have a library system that is likely to have most, if not all, her books.

Fortean Times #237 arrived on the 5th, and I already devoured it *burp*. This is the only magazine that I read cover to cover every time I get one, skipping only the ads (though I tend to giggle at them). This month the cover article was on Crystal Skulls (gee, I wonder why?). I really enjoyed the article on haunted lighthouses. I want to move into one someday. A lighthouse. The "haunted" bit isn't required. Moving on, I really enjoyed Rupert Sheldrake's letter about skepticism, and I think it successfully sums up my own opinion on the subject. The full page comic was missing, and the issue seemed to end abruptly, but it was a good issue that yielded three more books from the reviews that I put on hold at the library. And I've still got two books from the last Fortean Times on hold to read!

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Have I Got News For You: "Brian Blessed, Marcus Brigstocke and Alan Duncan" - After watching Brian Blessed yell his way through this episode, I realized I'd have to watch it again as I'd laughed so hard during parts of it that I missed bits.
• Ghost Hunters: "Haunted Asylum" - I don't recall seeing a parental warning on this show before. But then, wandering around in an asbestos-tainted asylum in the middle of the night isn't exactly safe.
• Numb3rs: "Atomic No. 33" - Larry's anger at the cultist woman's Ben Stein moment was probably the most interesting part of the show. But the general mystery was also pretty well done.
• Supernanny: "Martinez Family" - A standard episode with a fairly normal family.
• Smallville: "Quest" - A search set off by symbols carved into Lex's chest. Yuk.
• Doctor Who: "The Doctor's Daughter" - I was sure I wouldn't like this one. But the ending pleased me much more than I expected.

Comics this week:

• Justice League Unlimited #45 - As always, a nice done-in-one tale that I enjoyed.
• Detective Comics #844 - Hmm. Is that the end then? Or is the power of the puppet too great?
• House of Mystery #1 - A slow start, but promising.
• Hulk #3 - Ah, being dropped into the middle of a story, the Marvel way. I think I got it, though. The mystery is about who Red Hulk is. Basic stuff, but fun.
• Invincible Iron Man #1 - Nice set-up. That about covers it.
• Man With No Name #1 - Fairly standard Western.
• Star Wars: Legacy #23 - Set over 100 years after the familiar Star Wars, and not too bad. Not great, but vaguely interesting enough to keep reading.
• Conan #50 - Final issue of a pretty good Conan run. I enjoyed this finish, and kind of regret dropping the book when Kurt left it.
• Doctor Who #4 - Poor artwork, jumpy storyline, weak characterization (sorry Gary). Not recommended.
• Rogue Angel #3 - I'm really enjoying this book. It was telegraphing the plot a little, but it was still very good.
• PS238 #31 - I love this book. I really, really love this book. I need to buy all the collections, as well. This is such a great book. If you aren't reading it... well, you're loss I guess. But it's probably my favorite comic book right now. And for the past few years, really.

No library book or movie this week, the comicon is taking up my time.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Neighborhood Joints" (some of these folks have really long weeks), Robin Hood: "A Good Day to Die" (wow, intense talking scenes, and the most that Little John has ever said), Robin Hood: "We Are Robin Hood!" (I really really didn't expect the ending, and I'm glad I managed to avoid spoilers about it), Ghost Hunters: "Ghostly Bounty Hunter" (nothing in this one but good tales that turned out to be false, and a bat), Destination Truth: "Flying Dinosaur; Sloth Monster" (way more bats than Ghost Hunters had), I also saw ads for Sarah Jane Adventures during both Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth, Supernanny: "Addis Family" (dinnertime problems brought back really bad memories for me), Ace of Cakes: "Duff's Birthday" (meatball cake for the goofball), Torchwood: "Exit Wounds" (whoa. intense. too bad I had one of the major plot points spoiled), and Doctor Who: "Partners in Crime" (I prefer my weight loss program).

Comics this week: Countdown 4 shows me that I clearly missed out on a lot of Mary Marvel storyline, since I haven't got a clue what the deal is with Darkseid. Detective #843 is as good as all the rest of Dini's issues, but there's a bit of continuity I'm not familiar with in this issue that made it a strange read. I also read Action #863, which was a suitable finish to the Legion tale. I found the two-page house ad for Final Crisis at the end of the book to be strange and slightly disappointing.

Justice League Unlimited #44 was a little depressing in the way it humanized another villain, something this series has done before. It's a shame this series is ending. It's probably the best Justice League series ever. I'm not sure what to make of Jonah Hex #30. It was a story told from the wrong angle. I think I liked it. And lastly for this week, PS238 #30 was excellent as usual! The Las Vegas saga gets nicely wrapped up and Tyler starts a new adventure. I love this book.

I also got Holmes from AiT/Planet Lar as a review copy. I think the description on the website says all that really needs to be said, "Omaha Perez' vicious skewering of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic..." I will confess that I've never been a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. In fact, I consider him an unsufferable twit. I adored a Doctor Who novel (All-Consuming Fire) that took Holmes into a fantastical setting in which Watson could cope but Holmes could not. This graphic novel goes quite a bit further, making both Watson and Holmes out to be insane drug-addicts. It's very strange, very raunchy, and a bit over the top in places. I can't really recommend it to most folks, but if you dislike Holmes already or like re-imaginings of classic characters, this is one you should check out.

While on the trip to Portland last week, we listened to Doctor Who: Spare Parts from Big Finish productions. This was an intense audio story about the origin of the Cybermen. The story is about the need to survive and the lengths to which people will go simply to continue existing. The story is chilling from start to finish in more than one way. I've listened to a few of the Big Finish audios, and I think this is one of the best.

This week's library movie was Surf's Up. As I somehow collect penguins (or do they collect me?) I tend to like the idea of another penguin movie. The style is very clever, as a documentary about Cody, a penguin surfer wannabe. The story is a bit like Karate Kid with surfing. I would not have enjoyed this movie if it were just a standard surfer movie: the penguins pretty much made it watchable. I really liked the Pen Gu-ins that Chicken Joe befriends. It's a fun little romp.

My library book this week was Dragon Harper by Todd and Anne McCaffrey. I have been a fan of Pern since I was a pre-teen. I've read all the Pern books I could lay hands on, and loved them dearly. Well, most of them. The collaborations between Todd and his mother on Pern have been... not quite a strong. The writing is less finished, like it needs about three more drafts. The action sometimes just jumps, leaving out key moments or transitions. I actually found typos in this one, which doesn't generally happen to me. While I'm certainly interested in this history of Pern, I don't find it nearly as satisfying as the original Pern novels. I'll keep reading these, but Pern is no longer on my "must buy in hardcover!" list.

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

A Sunday Review

The week started out with a memorial service for Eric's Grandfather, and thus lots of family. I could tell you some of the great family stories I learned from various relatives, but I think I'll keep those to myself. I will say that Grandpa Paul will be dearly missed. I need to read his autobiography, "The Life of An Ordinary Man in the 20th Century". It's on the shelf behind me. Someday, I hope we can digitize the book and put it up for others to read.

TV this week: Iron Chef America: "Cora vs Hillson" (I like Cat Cora, and the ingredient just made me hungry), Robin Hood: "Show Me the Money" (yes, finally! I wondered when that would happen), Robin Hood: "Children in Need" (nice use of Pudsey, there), Torchwood: "Something Borrowed" (what an absolute nightmare wedding!), Supernanny: "Prescott Family" (seven children... sounds familiar), Destination Truth: "Yeti" (Josh is a good narrator, so the trip is more fun than the destination), Ghost Hunters: "Fort Mifflin" (hrm, not much there but fun to see the guys jumping in fright so often), Robin Hood: "Get Carter!" (touching), and Ace of Cakes: "Skaters and Speedsters" (wow that car cake was cool!).

Comics this week: Teen Titans: Year One #3 brings to mind the old saying, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Not surprisingly, so does Green Lantern #28. Justice League Unlimited #43 was a fun Booster and Blue Beetle story, although they seem to have their personalities switched in this version. I was mildly disappointed in the Justice League New Frontier Special, as I was hoping for a little more Aquaman. Ah well, I knew his part would be small. I just didn't expect it to be non-existent.

In the non-DC books, Doctor Who Classics #4 has the last installment of one story, a neat little two-parter, and the start of the next story. This artwork has never looked better. The new coloring is doing wonders for the story. Powers #28 continues the eternal saga. The ending was frightening, but since I have no idea when I'll see the next issue, I'm losing interest already. The cream of the crop this week was Northlanders #4, in which Sven continues his reign of terror, and unfortunately finds a very worthy opponent. As a person who has been interested in Vikings for many years, this book has been of great interest to me, and continues to impress me with the use of real culture and real political situations to establish one heckuva story. Keep it up, Brian!

This week's library movie was Meet the Robinsons. While it was a fun little romp, I can see why it didn't take off and win awards. The reveals of the story were painfully obvious. Little kids would enjoy this far more than adults, who might find themselves saying, "we know, already, just get to the point!" Of course, the point is the journey and NOT the reveal. So if you go into this hoping for a fun little ride and not much else, you'll probably like it. If you want a movie with heavy meaning... go somewhere else.

My library book this week was Here, There Be Dragons by James A Owen. I first learned about this book from the thread that never ends. James himself posts on the thread, but it was this post that got me to look at the book. If you have a solid grounding in literature, you will probably enjoy this book for all the bits and pieces that are familiar. I enjoyed it enough that I wish I could buy a copy to sneak into hubby-Eric's reading pile, and I put the sequel on hold at the library.

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

A Sunday Review

This week started out with hubby-Eric, two other friends (including Pontoon MiniCity owner), and I all watching the Superbowl together. We were cheering the Giants and hoping for good ads. The best one was the Coke ad with the balloons, but the Bridgestone ad with Richard Simmons was also pretty good. We also enjoyed the game a lot. It was a good excuse for a little party.

On the TV, I saw the remainder of the American Gladiators that got cut off last week (fun), and the new American Gladiators (also fun), House: "Frozen" (eek!), the Conan/Colbert/Stewart brawl (see here and here), Ghost Hunters International: "Fortress of Fear" (cool location, Barry is hilarious as usual), Torchwood: "Meat" (ew gross), Supernanny (if she's a supernanny, what's her super power?), and Ace of Cakes (I love cake).

I checked out Far Out: 101 Strange Tales from Science's Outer Edge by Mark Pilkington from the library. There are 101 short articles, all with a feel somewhere between Fortean Times and Damn Interesting, about science on the fringe. Most of the science is junk/discarded theories, but some is still viable and it's all fascinating. It's a very cool little book, worth a look.

Another library book was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. As I read the other ones, I figured I ought to read this one too. But I didn't want it enough to buy it, so I waited for a library copy. It's a mishmash of a book, with lots of the usual Moore stuff (i.e. "Not for Kids"). The wonderful mining of literature is fun for anyone who is well-read, but might be boring/incomprehensible for non-English Majors. There was a bit too much of the text pieces for this to really be called a graphic novel, in my opinion. The only text piece I couldn't get through was the beat novel, which was pretty much unreadable for me. The Jeeves and Wooster bit was hilarious. The 3-D ending was slightly annoying, and maybe even a little disappointing. All-in-all, though, it was a fun package.

Hubby-Eric and I watched more of Sapphire and Steel: "The Railway Station". Scary bits in this one, as they learn more about the soldier and what's really controlling his actions.

I read my comic books this week in record time. Justice League Unlimited #42 was a bittersweet story that makes me dislike Green Lantern. I was a tad confused by JSA #12, but then the cast of team books always has that potential. I really like Cyclone (Maxine Hunkel), and her inability to shut up still amuses me. I found myself nearly breathless when I saw Joseph Curry's image on the table, and started to ache for what some time with the JSA could do for him. Oh yes, put Artie Joe in the JSA! Ahem...

Going back to another Aqua-character, Teen Titans: Year One #2 is so incredibly disappointing to me that it's not even funny. The mistreatment of Aqualad is intense in this issue. Not only is he drawn completely incorrectly and incredibly ugly, but the various bits of "can't breathe" go just a little overboard. I understand... some of it was needed for the tale. But this book treats the character like an utter joke. I want very badly to like this book, but I can't. It's just awful. Once again, THIS is what Aqualad looked like:

Moving on... I also read Detective Comics #841, which was a nice one-shot featuring the Mad Hatter. I was very disturbed by Jonah Hex #28. A boy wants revenge for a lynching, and Hex ... no, no spoilers. But it was disturbing. Phantom #21 had a surprising event. If it stands, if it isn't a trick, it's a serious shock to any Phantom fan. Star Wars: Rebellion #11 is the start of a new story, and it's somewhat promising. The ending makes me wonder how the heroes can possibly get out of it, which is what you want from a book like this, I think. Northlanders #3 continues the excellence, as Sven begins a reign of terror. I'm enjoying this book a lot. And lastly, True Story, Swear to God #10 is one of those books where you might need a tissue handy while you are reading it. The book was a good reminder that all relationships require work, but the best relationships are worth the effort.

A comic I was given was The Last Musketeer by Jason, published by Fantagraphics. It's a very simple book, with a standard evil villain, a noble hero, and the sassy female helper. The art is basic but draws you in, the writing is plain but also manages to do the job. It's a very odd, very interesting little book.

Another library book was Redwall: The Graphic Novel. I read the original book a long time ago. This was a pretty straightforward retelling. Not much else I can say, really.

Anyone who knows I have an interest in the paranormal won't be surprised I checked out Ghosts, Critters & Sacred Places of Washington and Oregon by Jefferson Davis. I was mildly disappointed by it. It's a good collection of ghost stories, but there isn't much beyond just stories. The critters and sacred places get seriously short shrifted here. The writing level is a bit jarring, I expected something other than a book written at a grade-school level. On the other hand, it wouldn't be a horrible book to give to a kid interested in the topic. I think it could've used a good editor and another draft: I found lots of typos while reading it. On the plus side, the book has an index and every section has bibliographic information, so finding original sources of any story shouldn't be tough. Overall, not a bad read. Just not what I was hoping for or expecting.

We got another copy of Ratatouille from the library to watch. This one played, although there was a headache-inducing moment in a later scene where it stopped... but when hubby-Eric restarted the scene, it played all the way through. Yes, that was a very good movie. I now understand why people like it so much. If you get your hands on the DVD, be sure to watch "Your Friend The Rat". It's worth it just for the Canadian video game spoof.

A Sunday Review

Let's see, over the last couple of weeks I read a few comic books, have been watching an old series called Timeslip, and saw the 2007 movie version of Bridge to Terebithia.

So hubby-Eric and I are 11 episodes into Timeslip, having watched the first six-episode story last Fall. We started the second one after we finished the first Sapphire and Steel story. Although this series was originally shot in color, only B&W versions of most of the episodes exist. In the first story, two children (Liz and Simon) travel into the past and unravel a mystery about Liz's father. In the story we're watching now, Liz and Simon visit the future and learn of Liz's family's misfortunes. I'm enjoyed the series a lot. It's from 1970, and it shows (I love the cassette tapes of the future!) but the story manages to convey some dramatic tension and is overall pretty fun to watch.

Our weekend movie this time was Bridge to Terebithia from last year. I'd feared from the advertisements that this movie would be horrible and not follow the book at all... until I saw an interview with the author's son (the original inspiration for Jesse) in which he stated it was a very faithful adaptation. And so it was. Almost too faithful for me, who cries every single time I read the book. Sure enough, I burst into tears at the dreadful moment in the movie. If you liked the book, definitely check this movie out.

As for comic books, I'm still a bit behind on my reading. I read and mostly enjoyed Teen Titans Year One #1, although the look of Aqualad in that book is hideous, especially compared to the other characters. I suspect the artist despises the character to make him look so bad. I also read Northlanders #2, which was as good as I remember from the preview. Again, this book looks better in color and is off to a solid start. Justice League Unlimited #41 was fine, but the bit in the back got my hopes up until I remembered the Super Friends comic that's coming out soon. Lastly, Doctor Who Classics #2 continues to impress with great coloring of the classic stories that I already had in at least three formats already. Still... when you're a fanatic...

Hopefully I'll read more comic next week so I can report on them.

Off in TV land, I've been watching the classic Doctor Who story "Robots of Death", which was great fun and similar to the most recent story "Voyage of the Damned" in some small ways. I also watched American Gladiators, and enjoyed the mindless fun of competition. The Daily Show and Colbert Report are back, but lack a lot without their staff of writers. Both are just watchable. And lastly, there have been new Ghost Hunters, but I haven't had a chance to watch them yet.

And that's the year in review so far, actually. I've been working almost non-stop on a database so I haven't really had that much time for extras. It's been remarkably difficult to just do my Ripples Through Time, even. Still, looking at it in sum like this, I seem to get a lot watched anyway!

Reviews

I'm never, ever, going to catch up on my reviews if I continue the way I've been going. So this is a new attempt to bring myself to write about the books I read. I may skip some books, and I may focus in on others. But I hope to eventually get "caught up" enough to alter my reviewing format some more.

52 Week Forty-Five to Fifty-Two: This was a solid book through to the end. It never reached what I'd consider greatness, and had very few "oh wow" moments, but it was solid. Mildly recommended.

World War III mini: Ug. This was a mess from beginning to end. It was like somebody said, "ok, let's pull together all the remaining dangling plot threads and tie 'em up... even if it doesn't make sense or contradicts what came before!" And it did contradict what came before. In short, this one sucked. Not recommended.

Green Lantern Corps #10-12: Natu is the only reason I'm still reading this book. She's the only Green Lantern I'm even remotely interested in. But she's a good one! Very mildly recommended.

Green Lantern #18-19: Why do I read this book? Not recommended.

Birds of Prey #104-105: I miss Black Canary. But the additions of other female heroes in the DCU make this an oddly compelling book. Mildly recommended.

Justice League Unlimited #32-33: This is the best superhero book that DC puts out. Bar none. It's not the best superhero book I read, but it's consistent and wonderful and every issue is done-in-one. Buy this book. Highly recommended.

Iron Man #16-17: Tony Stark as a fascist. And a bad one at that. Yuck. Not recommended.

Wisdom #4-5: I didn't like the first couple of issues of this series, because although the ideas were there, they simply didn't seem to gel into a strong story. But now the story is rocking on, and I'm inclined to even go back and give those first three issues a second chance. Recommended.

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Two #3: A tad scattered for my tastes. I think each of the minis will read much better together. Still, I'm interested. Mildly recommended.

PS238 #21-22: Still my favorite superhero book, still highly recommended. If you like superheroes and you aren't checking this book out, you're missing out. HIGHLY recommended.

DMZ #17-19: I waver on this book constantly. I love it on one reading, and will be disgusted by it the next. Part of it's appeal is what makes it hard to read. The events, although ludicrous, are terrifyingly believable. Recommended.

Really Rapid Reviews

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

7 March 2007

52 Week Forty-Four: "Deaths in the Family": This book goes up, this book goes down. I liked the bits with Renee Montoya, but not the rest. Mildly recommended.

The Flash #9: "Full Throttle Prologue: Split Decision": Another good issue. I particularly like the name of the bad guy at the beginning. Recommended.

Justice League of America #6: "The Tornado's Path: Iron Man": Um. Ok. Is it over, then? Neutral.

Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil #2: "NZIB GZPVH GSV XZPV": I've never been a huge Captain Marvel fan, but this is a good book. Recommended.

Justice League Unlimited #31: "The One-Man Justice League": I admit that I never really thought of Rex as being that egotistical, but it worked for this tale. This is a great book. Highly recommended.

Age of Bronze #25: "Betrayal 6": I read through this intently, then read the text pages, then flipped back through the story and suddenly realized that the issue was entirely talking. I hadn't realized that while reading it. It was THAT good. Highly recommended.

The Phantom #15: "Walker's Line Part Two of Two": A flashback tale to the current Phantom's youth, this wasn't a bad tale, but doesn't stand out. Mildly recommended.

Castle Waiting #5: Ok, now in addition to wondering exactly what's up with Tylo (he's NOT the one she ran from, is he?) I'm also wondering what the heck is wrong with the doctor. Highly recommended.

My buddy David has me pick up a few books for him, and asked for some Marvels this week... including Captain America. Here's what I thought of the Marvels I grabbed for David, and thanks again David for letting me read them.

Daredevil #94: "Our Love Story": Wow. This is an interesting introduction to Daredevil. A very good jumping on point, as it turns out. I have no interest in the character, but this was an intriguing story. Recommended.

Captain America #25: "The Death of the Dream: Part One": Plenty of context is given throughout the issue, so the story wasn't hard to follow. It was ok. Mildly recommended.

Fantastic Four #543: A jumping on issue, with a 45th anniversary story. Fairly solid. The Stan Lee cameo story was nicely silly. Mildly recommended.

Civil War: The Initiative: Chaotic and messy, and not pleasant in what's happened in the Marvel Universe. I never thought I'd actively hate Iron Man. Very mildly recommended.

Really Rapid Reviews

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

3 February 2007

JLA Classified #33: "The 4th Parallel" part 2a: Eh. I could take it or leave it. This one just does nothing for me. Mildly recommended.

Phantom Annual #1: "Five Days of the Dragon": I really liked this one. The ending was a bit weak, but the other stories were wonderful. Recommended.

Nodwick #36: "The Evil Wed(ding)": I like how everything ties up at the end. It's a good one! It's also the final issue of this version of Nodwick. Recommended.

Usagi Yojimbo #100: It's the freakin' 100th issue. Of course it's good. It's just not the normal stuff, since it's a jam issue with all kinds of guest art and writing. Recommended, but only for people who are already fans of Usagi.

7 February 2007

52 Week Forty: "Man Ain't Nothing But A Man": Lorena has a good role in this, and it confirms that she's part of the Titans during the missing year. Now I want to see more of the Titans during the missing year. Recommended.

Detective Comics #828: "Sharkbite": Another great standalone story, yet set in the wider context of modern Batman comics. WHY CAN'T MOST COMICS BE LIKE THIS? The Aquaman reference didn't hurt my opinion of the book, either. Highly recommended.

Action Comics Annual #10: Not bad. Kind of Silver Age-y in a good sort of way. If I was more interested in Superman, I would have enjoyed it much more. Recommended.

Justice League Unlimited #30: "Heavy Mettle": Booster Gold and Speedy? Booster Gold and Speedy!?? Oh my. Recommended.

Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil #1: "YROOB SZH Z HVXIVG!*": Very cute. Kinda cuddly, even. And sweet. Odd, in some ways. Recommended.

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Two #2: "Eyes of a Killer": If you are going to set up a story like this, the cliffhanger at the end of this issue is definitely a fantastic pay-off! Highly recommended.

X-Men Annual #1: "Covenant": My friend asked me to pick this book up for him because he'd been told it would be a good jumping on point. So I thought, what the heck, I'll read it too! Not bad, but the cliffhanger means nothing to me. Mildly recommended.

Lone Ranger #4: This book jumps around a little too much for me, but it's starting to come together in my mind. Mildly recommended.

Star Trek: The Next Generation #1: "The Space Between": Artwork on a licensed comic is so difficult to do "right", and I think this book just barely manages it. The story was intriguing, at least. Mildly recommended.

Really Rapid Reviews

These are mini-capsules: about one sentence per book with whether or not I recommend the book. The dates of the reviewed books are the dates I received them, which may be different from the official shipped dates due to West Coast delays.

28 December 2006

52 Week Thirty-Four: "Suicial Tendencies": Mostly set-up in this issue, for events that are about to happen. Mildly recommended.

Detective Comics #827: "Double Talk": A new scarface, huh? How soon before the Orca comes back? Mildly recommended.

Age of Bronze #24: "Betrayal 5": If you are reading this, good for you. If you aren't, START READING THIS BOOK. Highly recommended.

Usagi Yojimbo #99: "Bridge of Tears": It's rare to see Usagi being a cad, but it's going to get him into more trouble in the future, isn't it? Recommended.

4 January 2007

52 Week Thirty-Five: "Rain of the Supermen": Worst pun title ever. Hey, Lorena shows up in this one! Mildly recommended.

Batman #661: "Grotesk" part 3: While I don't much like this story so far, having the groups of bad guys go after each other was nice. Very mildly recommended.

Superman #658: "The Last Tomorrow": Arion's flash-forward finishes, and I'm not sure he's saying what he's saying. Mildly recommended.

Guy Gardner Collateral Damage #2: Meh. Not recommended.

JSA Classified #20: "Skin Trade Part Two: Surgical Strike": This whole tale is just ick. Very mildly recommended.

JLA Classified #31: "Secret History, Sacred Trust" part six: I like Aquaman's different outfits in this one. Otherwise, I'm just glad the story is over. Mildly recommended.

Justice League of America #5: "Born Again": I just can't work up any sympathy for this story. Needs some Aquaman. Mildly recommended.

Justice League Unlimited #29: "Untamed": This is what a good all-around DC Universe book should be like. B'wana Beast! Heh. Recommended.

Justice #9: Um. Ok. We'll just have to see where this goes, I guess. Recommended.

Powers #22: The opening of this one had to hit home to all the fanboys reading it. Recommended.

10 January 2007

52 Week Thirty-Six: "How to Win a War in Space": Is the answer to the title "get Lobo so peeved he joins in"? Nice subtle cliffhanger. Recommended.

Green Lantern Corps #8: "The Dark Side of Green" part two: I don't like Guy, I don't like space sruff all that much. So this isn't my kind of story. Neutral.

Batman #662: "Grotesk" conclusion: Didn't we just get an issue of this last week? Yes? Stupid shipping delays. At least this is the last issue of this storyline. Very mildly recommended.

Justice Society of America #2: "The Next Age": Love the cover. Yet another book (besides Ion) which indicates that (spoilers)the Multiverse is still alive and well(end spoilers). Mildly recommended.

JSA Classified #21: "Best Served Cold...": This is all Hawkman. Nothing here for me. Neutral.

Only last week's books to go... and this week's books by the time I get to last week's books. *sigh*

Really Rapid Reviews

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

6 December 2006

Tony Loco #1: Hey, I've already reviewed this one! It's good, so try it. Recommended.

52 Week Thirty-One: "Human Resources": Ok, now we know what Lobo is up against. Nifty. Mildly Recommended.

Detective Comics #826: "Slayride": Oh dear. "Sanity Claus" makes this one for me. Probably the best Joker story I've read. Recommended.

Justice Society of America #1: "The Next Age Chapter 1": Maxine Hunkel... referring to Wicked repeatedly. I like her already. But she'll never live up to Ma's legacy. Never. Mildly Recommended.

Justice League Unlimited #28: "Season's Beatings Justice League": This book is so consistently good, I kind of wish everyone was reading it. Recommended.

Ha, caught up again!

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.

25 October 2006

52 Week Twenty-Five: "Liminal Times": Best. Cover. Ever. Insides weren't as good. Mildly recommended.

JSA Classified #18: "The Venom Connection Part 2": Not too shabby. Recommended.

Action Comics #844: "Last Son Part One": Promising enough start, though I'm not sure just what happened at the end there, or how this is an opportunity for Luthor. Mildly recommended.

Secret Six #5: "Life As We Know It": I'm liking this book less and less with each issue. It's just too depraved. Not recommended.

Trials of Shazam #3: "Cover Me!": The art bothers me in some mild way that I can't describe. Otherwise, it's an ok book. Mildly recommended.

Ion #7: "Home Again": Eh. Neutral.

Justice #8: Ah, Mera and Aquaman. Who the heck is "Yuko" though? Recommended.

Thieves & Kings Presents: "The Walking Mage": Quinton has a very interesting way of looking at the world, and of teaching lessons. I would NOT want to be on his bad side. Recommended.

Cindy and Her Obasan: "Elvis and the Lost Halo": Sounded promising, so we got it. It was fun. Recommended.

Castle Waiting Vol II #2: A lovely trip into Jain's past, with a cliffhanger and wonderful sketches. Highly Recommended.

1 November 2006

52 Week Twenty-Six: "Halfway House": I'm liking Osiris, he seems to work well as a foil to both Isis and Black Adam. Mildly recommended.

Justice League of America #3: "The Brave & The Bold": Still hasn't hooked me, but at least the story seems to be starting to pull together. Mildly recommended.

Detective Comics #825: "The Return of Dr. Phosphorus!": I liked this book better with Dini writing it. Mildly recommended.

Justice League Unlimited #27: "Climb the Mountain": Fantastic Black Lightning story. Highly recommended.

Fallen Angel #10: "A Sad Song for Terry May": A nice short tale, more or less standalone, though it refers to previous events. Recommended.

Local #7: "Hazardous Youth": Megan had hit the point where she was not likable... now we meet her cousin Nicky and his Arizona life. Recommended.

Mouse Guard #5: "Midnight's Dawn": Intriguing. This is going to be a good title to read all at once. Recommended.

Aquaman review will go up later this evening. At the moment I'm off to see the Dead Sea Scrolls!