A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Numb3rs: "Blowback" - This one jumped around a bit too much for me, and didn't involve enough math to keep it interesting. There was no overwhelming menace, and no urgency. A mediocre episode.
• Sarah Jane Adventures: "The Day of the Clown" - Um. Ok, Rani is a great new character. Her dad is a fun addition. And the bad guy was truly menacing. But... how did they defeat him? I mean, really? I know it's a kid show, but it should still make sense.
• Iron Chef America: "Cora vs Smith" - One of my all-time favorite foods is the day's ingredient. It was a good one. I'd love to try most of those dishes.
• Heroes: "Dying of the Light" - Another weak episode of this series.
• Dinner: Impossible: "Hospital Hijinks" - That was a fun one. I've had good hospital food, but nothing like that stuff.
• Smallville: "Prey" - You'd think Chloe would be smart enough to meet with "special" folks individually and escort them safely home afterward. I didn't buy Davis as a bad guy until seeing him looking strung-out in this episode. I still don't buy him as the character he's rumored to be.
• Ghost Hunters: "Home Town Haunts" - That pool hall is cool, but it seems like a shame that two floors of the building aren't even being used. They didn't see anything there that wasn't easy to explain. The other place was very interesting, but again, didn't appear to have any spooks either.

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Comics this week:

• Green Lantern #35 - A retcon with some setup for Blackest Night. At least it appears to be over. For now.
• Green Lantern Corps #29 - Almost nothing for me in this one.
• Fallen Angel #30 - I think I would be more impressed with the cliffhanger if it wasn't on the cover. Just saying.
• Phantom #25 - Everything gets tied up, and the status goes back to quo. I don't know whether I'm relieved, or disappointed.
• Justice Society of America #19 - This really does look like a lead-up into Kingdom Come. I'm not sure where Johns and Ross are going with this, but I hope it's a new path because I really don't want to reread KC in JSA.
• Doctor Who: The Forgotten #2 - Another great issue! I love this one. The art is fantastic, and the story is nicely strong. More like this, please!
• Grant Morrison's Doctor Who #1 - Reprints of some of Grant Morrison's work on the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip. I had read the 7th Doctor story, but not the 6th Doctor one. As usual, great quality.
• Captain Britain and MI13 #6 - This book is hitting its stride. And I'm even able to follow the action without knowing who all the players are! Worth checking out.
• Super Friends #8 - Oooh, oooh, I just love this book! Aquaman is so cute in this one! And the Scarecrow is a perfect villain for Halloween.

It looks like I'll be doing my reviews based on when I get my comics from DCBS, and it appears that I'll be getting them up to a week after they ship. The perils of living in the middle of nowhere. Finally, Wednesday is no longer an important day in my life. How strange, after over 16 years of it being such a big part of my life.

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This week's movie was Persepolis, via Netflix (because our library system is very weak on movies). I really enjoyed the book, but it's been quite awhile since I read it, so this was almost like a new story to me. This story reinforces the truth that people are simply people, all the world around. And most people would simply like to live in peace. The whole tale could be told by many women out in the world. Love, life, and in Marji's case, revolution, war, and homelessness as well. There is a great deal of history in this, enough to make you crazy at human stupidity. And the treatment for depression that she gets... wow, familiar and frightening. The comments on forgetting that they weren't free was also terrifying, as it's something we're facing here. The end, of self-imposed exile tinged with regretful acceptance, is painful. But it's still one of those movies that everyone ought to see.

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My library book this week was Wondrous Beginnings edited by Steven H Silver and Martin H Greenberg. This is an anthology of stories by some of the best sci-fi writers around... but the catch is that it's their first story. Not their strongest work, but the work that was first published (or written). As a result, the quality is even more erratic than most anthologies. I won't go into detail about every story, I'll just mention some of my favorites and notables. "The Runaway Skyscraper" by Murray Leinster starts off the collection, and was such a strong story I had to wait several days before I wanted to read any other story because I was afraid they wouldn't live up to the fun. "Proof" by Hal Clement takes on the whole concept of the other in such a wonderful way... he always manages to twist your perceptions. The intro to "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card convinced me that I don't want to read any more books or stories by Card (it was the longest of the intros and made him sound like a bombastic self-absorbed moron). A pity, as the story itself is still good (better, I think, than the novel he made from it). I loved "Much Ado About Nothing" by Jerry Oltion, playing on what might result from an unfamiliar look at an alien world. "Dance in Blue" by Caterine Asaro was a lovely mystery, very nicely done. "Barter" by Lois McMaster Bujold was funny, and was the original reason I picked up this anthology. And lastly, "TeleAbsence" by Michael A Burstein was a heart-rending tale of what technology should be and could be, with dead-on truths of why it can't be. Overall, a solid anthology. Certainly not the best. Only one truly sour note in the whole thing, and that was an intro that you might as well skip. Worth checking out for the first story alone.

Just for the record, here are the stories included in Wondrous Beginnings: "The Runaway Skyscraper" by Murray Leinster, "The Isolinguals" by L Sprague de Camp, "Freedom of the Race" by Anne McCaffrey, "Proof" by Hal Clement, "Loophole" by Arthur C Clarke, "The Dead Man" by Gene Wolfe, "We're Coming Through the Window" by Barry N Malzberg, "The Hero" by George R R Martin, "Lunchbox" by Howard Waldrop, "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, "The Emerson Effect" by Jack McDevitt, "Much Ado About Nothing" by Jerry Oltion, "Barter" by Lois McMaster Bujold, "The Xeelee Flower" by Stephen Baxter, "Dance in Blue" by Caterine Asaro, "TeleAbsence" by Michael A Burstein, and "First Contact Inc." by Julie E Czerneda.

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I received an uncorrected proof of a recently published book from a friend (thanks Joe!), and decided to go ahead and review it. The book is Superpowers: A Novel by David J Schwartz. The book was published in June. The story concerns five college kids who unexpectedly wake up one morning with superpowers, and what they do with those abilities. The story goes about how you might expect, with the usual "let's be superheroes!" start that goes terribly wrong. The story is set in 2001, ranging from May until October. Yes, 2001. Think about it. But it doesn't happen quite like you expect, and the conclusions of the story are completely different than "with great power" and all that comes with that. I did enjoy the read, because it surprised me a little despite being overall predictable. It's worth checking out from the library.

Since I don't expect most people to read this far in my Sunday Reviews, here's a little "contest". If you want to read Superpowers, and don't mind an uncorrected proof, post a comment on this note saying you'd like my copy. First person to respond I'll e-mail for your address, and send on the book to you just as it was passed on to me.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria - Bleah. Just another talent/popularity contest. Nothing there for me. I don't think I've heard a worse rendition of "Over the Rainbow" recently.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Where the Locals Go" - Definitely want biscuits and gravy (my favorite breakfast food ever). I've had rabbit before, I wouldn't eat it again except to survive. So the first place I would go to happily, the second place I'd try out, but the third place I don't feel like visiting.
• American Gladiators - I'm a week behind thanks to Problem Like Maria, but I enjoyed this episode, which featured twin sisters competing against each other.
• The Next Food Network Star: "Being an Expert" - White chocolate tilapia? Well, my least favorite is still in it, but she's softened my opinion of her a bit with that fall. Nothing makes a person seem human quite like falling down and spilling a quart of sauce over herself. We're nearly to the point where I like all the contestants, and I was sad to see the loser leave this week.
• Supernanny: "Moy Family" - Nice to see the work with older children. Especially children who are suffering from massive sibling rivalry!
• Doctor Who: "The Stolen Earth" - Best cliffhanger in Doctor Who history, especially since I've got a nice amount of doubt as to what's going to happen in the next part. All I can say is that the cosmic reset button BETTER NOT be hit.

Comics from last week:

• Justice League of America #22 - I was just getting interested in the Vixen story, then the Red Tornado story got in the way.
• Teen Titans Year One #5 - I think I hate this book. The ugliest Aqualad ever.
• Super Friends #4 - Ah, this wiped out the stink of TTY1. Very fun issue.
• PS238 #32 - This issue made me sad, but it was really very powerful. As usual, I can hardly wait for the next issue.

Comics this week:

• Phantom #24 - Ah... I don't know if I disappointed or pleased. Pleased, I think, overall.
• Conan the Cimmerian #0 - Promising start.
• Trinity #4 - I'm far more interested in the back-up story than the main one. Is that a good or bad sign.
• Final Crisis #2 - This is another one of those books that's going to read better all at once instead of issue by issue.
• Green Lantern #32 - I'm just not interested in Hal Jordan's origin again.
• JSA Classified #39 - I like Wildcat, but I was hoping for something different.
• Oz/Wonderland Chronicles #3 - I really want to read this whole series from the beginning, once it's done. It's interesting, but I can't remember what happened last!
• Darkness #4 - I don't know that I will buy this for myself once I stop getting it for D once we move, but I do know that I enjoy it most of the time.
• Hulk #4 - I think I know who this red Hulk is, now, but there's something wrong when I like the little comic strip in the back more than the main issue.
• Superman #677 - The day after I read it, I can barely remember what happened. I think there was a game of frisbee, and maybe a new superpower. Not sure what else.

This week's library movie was Hairspray (2007). I really enjoyed the 1988 version. This one had different quirks, but I liked it a lot as well. Christopher Walken was a surprise, but then he's in a music video that I also find surprising as well. I keep forgetting that Travolta is a guy, which is scary if you think about it too hard. Really good, worth a look if you like musicals.

No library books this week, not even any Christie. Time suddenly got really limited on Monday after we got the happy joy phone call from Eastern Washington.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Classic Doctor Who: "Underworld" Parts 1 & 2 - Another story I'd never seen! I may be a Doctor Who fan, but there's so much history that I still haven't caught up. Best cliffhanger line ever: "Whatever blows can be sucked".
• Numb3rs: "Pay to Play" - Slightly complicated story, but the subplot just made this episode for me.
• American Gladiators: Wonderful mindless fun. I really got into this one, I'm afraid. The guy who'd lost a leg was inspiring.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "American Classics" - The most depressing thing about this show is all the places are too far away to visit.
• Supernanny: "Browning Family" - I wasn't sure she was going to be able to bring that group together. The daughter was incredibly cute. But I still wish they would do a big follow-up special on these families. A year or two later.
• Have I Got News For You: "Bill Bailey, Nick Robinson, and Reginald D. Hunter" - The horrid Brian Blessed wife joke was a good running joke for Paul. And... not all barn owls are called Mr Peters.
• Classic Doctor Who: "Underworld" Parts 3 & 4 - The visuals were annoyingly dark, making this hard to watch. But it was a good ending.
• Smallville: "Arctic" - Um. ok. That was it? Right.
• Numb3rs: "When Worlds Collide" - Way to shake up the status quo again. It also underlines the difficulties of protecting a free people.
• Doctor Who: "The Unicorn and the Wasp" - This was the fun one for the season, the one that you can't stop giggling during.

Comics this week:

• Superman #676 - What, have we rebooted the mythos again? Boring.
• Wonder Woman #20 - Team-up with Beowulf? I'm there.
• Titans #2 - Hrm, so Garth hasn't been found. Is he going to die?
• Batman #676 - I must've missed an issue. When did Bats die?
• Green Lantern Corps #24 - yawn.
• Tiny Titans #4 - The first page made me squee, but Brad Guigar did it better. Or at least did it first.
• Captain Britain and MI 13 #1 - As usual with the British superhero stuff, interesting but strange.
• Red Sonja #33 - Is she finally dead yet?
• Serenity: Better Days #3 - Not a bad finish, but I'd rather just have another season of the show.
• Phantom #23 - Still no retcon... but at least we know who is behind this latest nastiness.
• DMZ #31 - Matty's mom for Mother's Day? Well, this has a lot more detail on what drives him.
• Doctor Who Classics #6 - Nice cliffhanger.
• True Story, Swear To God #11 - Oh, I love this book. The whole cost of marriage thing is interesting, especially when I think about my own wedding.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week: Star Trek New Voyages/Phase II: "World Enough and Time" (the new actors playing familiar parts take some getting used to, but this is good), Iron Chef America: "Morimoto vs Cole" (surprising ingredient, but not a surprising result), Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Regional Favorites" (pancakes WAY too big), Robin Hood: "Treasure of the Nation" (Lynda Bellingham! She made this episode), Ghost Hunters: "The Fear Cage" (they were red, not pink), Destination Truth: "Sea Monster; Bat Demon" (Josh is so snarky about the places he goes to I'm surprised he doesn't get beat up), Dinner: Impossible: "Groundhog Daze" (I think Robert deserved this one), Supernanny: "Weinstein Family" (big scary father learns what he looks like to his kids), Ace of Cakes: "Avenue Q Cakes" (I really want to see Avenue Q sometime), and Smallville: "Veritas" (is this series over yet?).

Comics this week:

• Countdown 5 - Another depressing issue, although it pretty much sorts itself out at the end. So, I'm guessing that wasn't the main Earth?
• Green Lantern #29 - Oh no, not Hal Jordan's origin yet again! Well... this is a little different. Promising start.
• JSA Classified #36 - Cats and more cats. I'm not that interested in Wildcat, but this has caught my imagination.
• Spirit #15 - What on Earth does he see in her, anyway?
• Fallen Angel #25 - I keep thinking it will explode into something great, and it keeps not exploding.
• Phantom #22 - The change hasn't been retconned away, so maybe it'll stick around a bit. Maybe. Or perhaps he'll wake up and it was a dream.
• Star Trek: The New Frontier #1 - I read the cover twice, this is issue number one. So why do I feel like I came in at the middle of the story?
• Rogue Angel: Teller of Tales #2 - Ah, the origin story! I think I'd rather have read more about the find in the basement, but this wasn't bad.
• Usagi Yojimbo #110 - A great done-in-one tale! I've missed those. This is one any Usagi fan will probably enjoy.
• Amelia Rules #20 - Amelia was ok, but Apathy Kat was surreal. I'm not sure what I thought of it.

My library book this week was The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen. I read the first book reported on here, and enjoyed it, so I checked out the second. This is more of the same in some ways... lots of literary references and a rippin' plot that pulls you through history and reality. I haven't yet been able to identify all of the characters, but I feel like I'm getting close. This is definitely a series that will reveal more on rereading, so I plan on buying copies of these books once we've got money again. Unfortunately, this book came out this year, so I'm going to have to wait for any more sequels (and I'm thinking there will be at least one more).

A second library book I picked up was The Daily Show and Philosophy edited by Jason Holt. This book is a collection of essays deconstructing the Daily Show from a philosophical viewpoint. Among other topics, the essayists tackle the concept of using fiction to tell the truth, Jon Stewart as a philosopher, critical thinking within the show, how religion is treated in the show, and Truthiness. There's a solid index, footnotes on each essay and biographies of the essayists. It's actually a very good package, although the individual essays vary in quality. Even if you do not watch the show, the essays generally give enough context to understand the concepts. If you are interested in how the media works from a broader view of history, this is a book you may want to check out.

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.

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.

17 January 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 January 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Really Rapid Reviews

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

15 November 2006

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Really Rapid Reviews

I'm going to continue with my mini-capsules: one sentence per book (unless I feel like writing a bit more) with whether or not I recommend the book. I'm afraid my starfish ratings are probably gone for good.

11 October 2006

52 Week Twenty-Three: "The Island of Professor Morrow": I like the "seeing if it's contagious" bit. Mildly Recommended.

Green Lantern Corps #5: "The Hunt": Not interested in Guy. Natu's story is much more compelling, and it's back to the part of it that is so compelling. Mildly Recommended.

JLA Classified #28: "Secret History, Sacred Trust, Part Three": Huh. I didn't expect Aquaman to do that. The chat with the president was fine, but the rest. Huh. Mildly Recommended.

Powers #20: Wow, that ending was a bit more intense than I was expecting. Mildly Recommended.

Phantom #12: "Tiger's Blood, Part One": The art is a wee bit too sketchy for me, but the story is fine. Mildly Recommended.

DMZ #12: "Guide to the DMZ": The ads really detract from this issue, as it's sometimes really difficult to tell the ads apart from the content. Mildly Recommended.