A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Battlestar Galactica: "Razor/Razor Flashbacks" - We watched the extended version on the DVD first. Most of the Razor Flashbacks are integrated into the extended movie, so we saw those in context. Then we watched the flashbacks alone. Only three of them weren't in the movie in their entirety, the first two and the last half of the last one. But the movie made perfect sense without them in there. The whole thing was pretty impressive. I hate Cain with a passion, but at least this story made it easier to understand her. Overall, a good movie, but I'll be glad to get back to the regular episodes.
• Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: "The Grasp of the Gnome" - RenFair! A RenFair infested with pirates. Velma: "Is it me, or are pirates basically just hoboes with earrings?" More dramatics between Velma and Scooby over Shaggy, but it's all the same. Still some movement in the overall Mister E plotline as well. I can't believe I'm enjoying this show.
• History Detectives: "WB Cartoons; Galvez Papers; Mussolini's Dagger" - The cartoon cells story was rather incredible. Finding the list of names of the women who worked in the color department was just awesome. I've often wondered about the people who colored original DC comics back in the 40s. The manumission documents and the story of why the governor signed them was a great story, and fits Who Do You Think You Are? as much as History Detectives. The last story is a repeat.

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This week's movie was The Cat Returns from Studio Ghibli. I came into this with no expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. The story concerns a girl who saves the prince of the cats from an untimely death, and gets rewards that she doesn't expect or want. The voice casting is incredible, and the story is just tight enough to carry the movie along. The animation is as fantastic as every Studio Ghibli film, and even the DVD extras were amusing. So, overall, definitely a good movie for an evening watch.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic book shipment that arrived this week, of books originally released August 18th and 25th:

• Brightest Day #8 - No Aquaman. Not much interest. Really, I am a one-note fan. I would say I'm pathetic, but that would be redundant, now, wouldn't it?
• Green Lantern Corps #51 - Eh. I want to enjoy this, and I think the plot is getting nicely intricate, but it's still just the same old superheroes in space thing.
• Justice Society of America #42 - Wow. Kyle's mixed up relationships in an endless fight scene. Just what I don't want to read.
• Power Girl #15 - Well, I'm kind of enjoying this. I wish the old team were on it because it was actually fun then, but if you have to make it dramatic, they are working on some good plots here.
• DC Universe Legacies #4 - An interesting look at the superhero glory years from the perspective of a police officer, and I love the Aquaman and Aqualad content, of course. Good cliffhanger, even. But the backup story... that was just fantastic.
• Batman Beyond #3 - Bruce is getting senile in his old age if he thinks Terry can keep up that pace. As for the rest, I'm enjoying seeing how the remainder of the Bat-verse fits into the future.
• Tiny Titans #31 - Needs more Aqualad.
• Doctor Who Ongoing #14 - This whole story could've been compressed by at least three issues and would have been better and more interesting. I usually hate decompressed storytelling in comics, and this is an example of the kind I hate.
• True Story, Swear to God #13 - There's at least one page I would consider TMI, but I do love how he "describes" the headaches, because I've had those, frequently, from a completely different source. I also love how the first page plays on the readers' expectations, especially those of us who have followed Tom and Lily in real life and have an idea of some events that may be on the way.
• Usagi Yojimbo 1 for $1 - Nice! I know I have this in a trade somewhere, but reading a reprint of the original appearance just is cool. I think I ought to find someone to give it to who might appreciate it.


• Action Comics #892 - Nice show of Lex's utter disregard for life.
• Justice League of America #48 - Yay! A resolution! And the back-up story sets up even more fun for the future! Yay!
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold #20 - Big Barda, Scott Free, and the Female Furies always make for an entertaining story, if cringeworthy from a property damage perspective. I'm a little surprised that the second story is the first half of the story from issue #18. What's up with that?
• Usagi Yojimbo #131 - After last issue's cliffhanger, I was pleased to see how well Usagi and Kato handle themselves. The big with the cut off hand, and Usagi grabbing the sword from it, was nicely handled. I love the ending. Romance is so sweet.

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My library book this week was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. We, as a society, owe Henrietta Lacks a huge debt. Her cells were the first human cells successfully cultured, and for a long time the only cells that could be cultured. Because of her cells, many diseases were cured that ravaged people for generations. But for many years no one had a clue about the woman who the original cells were taken from, or her family. Skloot was determined to tell the missing part of the story, and the result is this book. This is not a textbook, although you will learn a bit about the history of science. This is a biography, but it's more about the entire Lacks family and the fact that the children of arguably the most important person in modern medical history cannot afford health insurance. The descriptions in the book are repeated punches in the gut, both the history and the story of how the book was written. I found it well worth reading, and once I'd passed the halfway point I couldn't put it down until I got to the "where are they now" section. If you want spoilers, you can see what has happened because of this book, though without reading the book you may not understand the significance. So my conclusion: definitely worth reading, probably worth buying.

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

A Sunday Review

Well, with the con two weekends ago, the blogger updates I felt I needed to make last weekend, and being actually on this road right now, this is a stress-filled Sunday Review. I'll mention that, since the Olympics, we've gotten Netflix back again after a LONG hiatus due to financial woes, so my Battlestar Galactica reviews will start up where I left off watching them almost a year ago.

TV this week:

• Battlestar Galactica: "Resurrection Ship: Part 1" - I only vaguely remember the original Battlestar storyline involving the Pegasus, so except for the apparance of the ship in the last episode, I didn't know what was going to happen in this storyline. I don't think it's even close to the same, anyway. Cain is nasty, and I'm not sure what to make of Starbuck's promotion and apparent willingness to devote herself to Cain. Ah, it's good to have Netflix back again!


• Dinner Impossible: "Boxed In: Terminal Trouble" - Robert has to put together a dinner at a shipyard, but all the ingredients are in boxcars strewn across the place, and he has no real kitchen. He managed the job nicely, despite some setbacks and annoyances. As usual. Good fun.
• Dinner Impossible: "Dorm Food Doom" - Robert must make a fancy dinner for college students using only food found in their dorms. Without the frats, this mission would have been a complete bust. The "food" he found in the regular dorms was barely even edible for the most part, and certainly not something to make a meal out of. The food found in the fraternity houses saved him. The faulty fryer was an adventure, and I like how the repairman was put to work once it was clear he couldn't leave for the duration.
• Dinner Impossible: "Ironman Obstacles" - Three different kitchens, each with the theme of one of the parts of the Ironman. I didn't think he'd have much trouble with this one, except for the on-site ovens. He always has trouble with the on-site ovens, and this event was no exception. When will they learn that they have to provide Robert with back-up on-site kitchen equipment?
• Dinner Impossible: "Destroyer Disaster" - The Captain ordered 5 dishes, so Robert tried to overdo it like usual. I knew that would bite him on this particular mission, just because of the way the Captain presented it. This one was a disaster from start to finish. I was very surprised when they finished the first mission successfully. He didn't succeed on the second mission thanks to the "blue" requirement. But I would still love to have tried some of those dishes.


• Numb3rs: "Growin' Up" - A really depressing story about a really sick man and four of his victims, who were children when he hurt them, but grew up into something else entirely. Very, very depressing. The subplots helped pull the whole thing up, and they didn't dwell too intensely on the bad, but it worked.
• Numb3rs: "Cause + Effect" - If this is the final episode, I can accept it. I won't love it, but I can definitely accept this as the end of the series with the successful way they tied up everything and yet set up the future. Wow. To have the final episode follow Don's stolen gun also worked as a plot point, highlighting the failures of the justice system.


• Who Do You Think You Are?: "Emmitt Smith" - I really wish he could have tracked more of his family. It was a little disturbing to see the history of his family laid out like that, all the brutality. While he may have found what he was looking for, I just kept thinking "I wish..." during the episode.
• Who Do You Think You Are?: "Lisa Kudrow" - Wow, Lisa found a big story back there. It was wonderful that the guy was still alive and she was able to talk with both him and a woman who had known her great-grandmother and was witness to the atrocity. With the Salem Witch trials in the first episode, slavery and rape in the second, and Nazi atrocities in this one, I wonder what the next will bring?


• MonsterQuest - This series is apparently over, with the last episode airing on the 24th. It was a series plagued by poor science and over-opinionated experts, but it attempted to keep an open mind and give people the benefit of the doubt. I enjoyed it for what it was, but wasn't overly impressed by it. I'm not sure if I care that it's been cancelled. It would be nice if there was a show on the air that covered cryptozoology well, but MonsterQuest wasn't it. But it was a good start.


• Ghost Hunters: "Alcatraz Live Event" - Hate the format. I don't mind Josh at all, in his snarky glory, but the live events are not my cuppa, and the folks always look so uncomfortable sitting around a set. Fortunately, the investigation itself was recorded. I've found the live Hallowe'en events to be mostly unwatchable. Ghost hunting is a really boring thing in real time (which is one reason I would never make it as a ghost hunter, I'd fall asleep). I do like Josh's comments on how Steve and Tango should take their act on the road and just do comedy. That's why they do the Academy show, I'm sure. To get more of Steve and Tango on TV. Their Willy Wonka dicussion during the investigation was simply marvelous, and the follow-up during the live discussion was amusing (and slightly mean). I wasn't convinced by the evidence, but it was pretty cool. I liked their cake.
• Ghost Hunters: "Fort Ticonderoga" - No Grant? This location is in upstate New York, an old fort that has multiple hauntings from the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Neat historical place. The bright flash was definitely cool, particularly that it was seen by others. I really want to come up with other explanations for everything seen.
• Ghost Hunters: "Shamrock Spirits" - First location is Paddy Reilly's Pub in New York City. I was amused that they were greeted by a song. Haunted by Gene Hackman... who isn't dead... and a spirit who rides an exercise bike. They did some good debunking in this one. The second location was Harriet Beecher Stowe's house in Hartford, Connecticut. No Jay on this one. The stories are strong, involving multiple deaths in the house and even seances held at the place. They did a little debunking, particularly the beard thing. The empty house sound wasn't at all impressive, although her idea that it was checkers was a neat one. Houses make really bizarre sounds. Every house I've been in is noisy, particularly at night.
• Ghost Hunters: "Phantoms of Jersey" - The first location is the Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, New Jersey. YAY! Another lighthouse! More height for Steve to be scared of. And they got a good storm to add to the atmosphere. Not much discovered there, but it was a neat place for an investigation. The second location is the Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I'm not sure what to think about that place. Not as much history, the stories aren't that good. Nothing really impressive there.


• Destination Truth: "Ghosts of Masada; The Leprechaun" - Man I love that image in the opening of the waterfall that goes upward due to the wind. Ahem. Happy to see this show and Josh's snarky sense of humor again. The snark in the tourist area of Jerusalem was great (Last Supper dinner placemats?). The stop for a dip in the Dead Sea to the Monkees Theme Song was absolutely wonderful. Their first location, Masada, was just incredible to me. The location is fantastic visually. As usual, I really really wish they gave us more daytime imagery of the location. They never go around the locations enough in the daylight. But the stuff they caught, particularly the strange figure on the wall, were interesting. Now, the figure was seen with the FLIR camera, so I'm not convinced it wasn't some sort of artefacting, but it was cool. I want to see more of it and in frame-by-frame detail. The drums, and the fact that it could have been anyone in the desert, was neat to hear. Can you imagine being completely alone in the desert and hearing drums? The second location was in Ireland to hunt for Leprechauns. The idea is that it's an unknown or misidentified animal, since sightings continue to happen. Definitely a job for cryptozoology. And they did some very strange investigating. The journey underground, in which Rider nearly was killed by a flood when her light gave out, was a bit scary. They found bones of chickens and sheep, and cows triggered their motion sensors. And apparently spent a lot of research time in a pub. Right.
• Destination Truth: "Ghosts of the Great Wall; Israeli Mermaid" - Visiting the Great Wall, the "Wild Wall" part, is a bit of a coup for the team. I liked the cameraman's happiness at filming in the Forbidden City. The strange foods in the Beijing market were a neat bit of Joshsnark. When they actually reach the section of the wall they have to do a bunch of climbing (which made for a literal cliff-hanger when Rider slips). I can see why people are hurt and killed up there. It looks like just a genuinely dangerous place. Josh mentions that the wall looks improbable in that place, and the short of the wall clinging to the ridges was great. I appreciated the look into the old guardhouses, since I've seen many pictures and video of the Wall, but never a guardhouse before. Rex following a ghost over a wall and nearly down a sheer drop was exciting... and another literal cliff-hanger. The second location is a lovely cryptozoological story, chasing a mermaid with a $1 million bounty on her head. They get to use their diving abilities on this one. They didn't find a mermaid, but they apparently found something big and unusual. Pity they couldn't get better footage, but a two-day investigation is never enough.

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Here are reviews of the DCBS comic book shipment that arrived this week, of books originally released March 3rd, 10th and 17th:

• JSA All-Stars #4 - Poor Stargirl. And why would anyone trust Johnny Sorrow?
• Justice League: Cry For Justice #7 - Ug. Why did I bother? I really didn't like this mini, and this ending in particular (the unnecessary death of a minor character irritated rather than upset me, due to the poor way it was presented). Just not good.
• Incredibles #6 - I hate mind control stories. So freakin' confusing.
• Astro City: The Dark Age Book Four #2 - And... everything starts to pull together into one coherant plot again. Wow. Really interested in seeing how this one ends!
• Demo Vol 2 #2 - I was right to be scared of this issue. In its stark simplicity, it was in fact worse than I imagined.
• True Story, Swear to God #12 - Wow. WOWoWOW. I love this book. And this is a great issue. It tells how Lily and Tom get married at the Magical Kingdom, and yes, it made me cry. I've been reading about Tom's problems with his drawing online, and trying to give him virtual hugs, so seeing this book in my hands was a great moment, even without all the fantastic work inside.


• Justice League: Rise and Fall Special #1 - Right. Green Arrow over the edge. Ok. Grim and Gritty, just the thing Brightest Day was going to end? I don't know, but I'm not caring.
• Super Friends #25 - An Olympics issue! Yay! And Aquaman is so cute I just wanna hug him! The plot broadcast itself, but I'm sure kids'll love it nonetheless.
• DMZ #51 - Matty's done the worst, and now he's living the worst. The whole thing with the nuke, and how the media is being manipulated, is a strong side-story to Matty's self-pity.
• Powers #3 - Um, yikes? Nicely done, Bendis, nicely done. For that matter, Oeming is pretty dang incredible on the artwork on this one, as well.


• Brave and the Bold #32 - Wow. Great story! This is Aquaman, quietly saving the world while everyone else has no idea. The framing sequence wasn't bad, either, with the sailor trying to prove his story. Art and colors are particularly wonderful.
• Green Lantern Corps #46 - Tholian Web was a good idea! I'm not buying that Xanshi could become a Black Lantern, as there has never been any indication that it was a living planet like Mogo before it was destroyed. Overall, still not impressed.

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My library book this week was The Mennyms by Sylvia Waugh. This story concerns a family that lives in a big old British house in a classic village who have a strange secret. I can't remember who recommended this one, but I enjoyed it a lot. The secret is revealed early on, but I'll hide it anyway as it's fun to discover for yourself. The family has issues, and many of them revolve around being a traditional English family. I can't really say a lot more about it if I want to keep the secret, but I'll say there was lots of fun, a couple of decent twists, and a satisfying ending that left it open to sequels (apparently this is a five book series). Worth checking out. I put the next book in the series on hold at the library, so maybe I'll be reading that soon.

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Agatha Christie this week was Destination Unknown from 1954, also published as So Many Steps to Death. This isn't a mystery, it's a thriller with some mysteries in it. So figuring it out wasn't much of a victory for me. The plot is about scientists who are vanishing, presumably across the Iron Curtain, and a woman who is suicidal. This one just left me wanting. Definitely not her best story.

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Fortean Times #258, March 2010. Voodoo doll Michael Jackson along with a reference to Illuminati makes for a silly cover. The story it was a cover for was just as silly. If you want to believe that a secret worldwide conspiracy controls media, you are welcome to it. And the thought that Lady Gaga is the conspiracy's number one tool... well, whatever.

Strangedays covers the Norway light show that later turned out to be a failed rocket test. The headlines were ok this month. I liked the coverage of the zombie-walkers: a two-page spread with mostly photos. An update on the "fat killers" story from the previous issue says the story was proven false, which is very nice. Homer's "sardonic grin" is explained as a Joker gas-like effect of hemlock water dropwort. There was a good bit on the extremely poor track record of mediums in actually being useful to police. Phil Plait is mentioned and quoted from his blog in a short piece on Saturn's monster ring. Science has an article on the effects of extreme cold on the human body. Ghostwatch has a bit about the effect a haunting can have on real estate. There is a two-pager article on Phineas Gage and how the photo of him was discovered thanks to online sleuthing. The Archaeology section had an early map and a couple of other pieces. Classical Corner is about Feminism and Lesbianism in the ancient world.

Another article covers a series of pranks and myths circulating around China, including a myth about a Swedish town populated only by women. There's also a piece on the parakeets of London. Konspiracy Korner is all about the fear of Communism on the far-Right, and how it's been going on for a very long time. The UFO files is about the British Ministry of Defense closing their UFO files, along with a cold case that was convincingly proven as a mirage after 50 years, based on primary sources. The A-Z of UFO theories continues and includes sleep paralysis, lucid dreams, and pollution. Some good stuff there. Blasts From the Past is about Spring-Heeled Jack in Australia. A three-pager talks about Philip K Dick's theories, which he apparently shared freely with the FBI. Random Dictionary is about bleeding and sweating statues, icons, and paintings. A researcher revisits the phenomenom of alien abduction, and finds some problems with previous studies. And more time is devoted to the Large Hadron Collider.

The reviews are as great as usual. I'm particularly amused to see both a 0 score and a 1 score for particularly awful-sounding books. The movie Avatar got a 6, while The Road got a 7. I still have no intention of seeing The Road (the book was bad enough) while I very much enjoyed Avatar. And the letters were good, too, as usual. Lots of good stuff. I do love this magazine. The next issue has already arrived, but I'm not sure when I'll have time to read it, much less review it.

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

Linkdump

There's an eclipse tomorrow.

I need this book.

A whole blog of Cake Wrecks.

DJ Coffman will draw for you, if you've got $2 to spare.

Brave and the Bold preview.

Tom Beland explains where he's been, then shares some reader feedback.

Mail Order Comics Review.

The World's First Computer displayed the Olympic Calendar.

I wonder if I can grow this in Eastern Washington?

Diane Duane on getting rid of the plastic bag. Seattle is also trying to introduce legislation to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. Also, Diane Duane's book, The Big Meow is up to chapter seven, free on-line.

I'm not a fan of Critical Mass, in general. I think too many of the riders go out looking for trouble, and it gives all bicyclists (myself included) a bad name. That said, I'm not sure what happened in this Seattle incident, because both sides give different stories. Either the driver got angry and ran over cyclists, THEN was attacked... or he was being attacked without provocation and ran over cyclists trying to escape. Either way, both the cyclists and the driver should've been booked, not just the cyclists. There is no doubt that the driver ran over bikes, and that's assault with a deadly weapon.

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

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

Rather than risk the drive in the snow to my weekly swim, I stayed home last night and read comic books. For the first time in ages, I have the reviews written the same week the books came out.

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

28 February 2007

52 Week Forty-Three: "Family Matters": Figures. I actually like Osiris, and was getting used to Sobek. Very mildly recommended.

Action Comics #846: "Last Son Part Three": Um. Ok. Haven't I seen a plot like this already? Neutral.

Green Lantern #17: "Wanted: Hal Jordan" Chapter Four: Batman being chosen first was interesting. The rest was not much to me. Mildly recommended.

JLA Classified #35: "Torrential Reign": Another reality, another mistake. I want to like this story, but it just seems ok. Mildly recommended.

JSA Classified #23: "Nightfall" part 1 of 2: I'm not a big Doctor Mid-Nite fan, but this story was ok. Mildly recommended.

Justice #10: My head is spinning. WHAT IS BRAINIAC DOING TO POOR ARTIE JR?!?? Ahem. Recommended.

Noble Causes #27: I like how I can pick this book up and figure out what's been happening, thanks to both the summary in the front and just how well written it is. Recommended.

Wisdom #3: "Enter With Drag On": Ok, I didn't much like the first two issues of this book, mostly because I had a hard time following the action, I think. This issue was so much better for me it's not even funny. I actually enjoyed this issue. Not like I enjoy lots of books, but the whole Welsh Dragon thing hit some happy spot for me. Mildly recommended.

Fallen Angel #13: Just what are the players in this book? Archetypes, clearly, but of what? This book annoys me because I can't stop being interested in it. Recommended.

Dorothy #7: HA! The entire famous foursome are finally together, kicking butt and taking names! And we get to see more behind the scenes action from the other side of the story. Highly recommended.

True Story, Swear to God #4: This one hurts. No, I mean literally. A few years back I was similarly stupid and got a very bad sunburn. I know EXACTLY what it feels like. I could not have done what he did. Strongly recommended.

Action Philosophers #8: "Senseless Violence Spectacular": The earliest issues of this series were the most effective, but it's still a really good book. 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

I didn't get these books until late, then didn't finish reading them all until Wednesday morning anyway. So it doesn't feel like I'm posting reviews late... And this week I only got five books, so those reviews should be up soon, too.

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

29 November 2006

52 Week Thirty: "Dark Knight Down": Eh, not interested in Batman. Boring. Neutral.

Green Lantern #15: "Wanted: Hal Jordan Chapter Two": Wow, this book is annoying. Not Recommended.

Batman #659: "Grotesk Part 1": I sort of liked it despite myself. Mildly Recommended.

Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage #1: Bor-ing. Not Recommended.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #46: "Crown of Thorns": I liked this one from beginning to end... I liked the framing, I liked the flashback... I just liked it. Recommended.

Ion #8: "Princess of Alytt": Still unimpressed... except for that final page. That's got my interest. Neutral.

True Story, Swear to God (Image) #2: This is the not the best ever issue of this title, but in my opinion it's very close. HIGHLY recommended.

Powers #21: Ok, that's intense. Recommended.

Castle Waiting Vol II #3: Another delightful issue, this one focusing on the family of Henry. Since we know almost nothing about Henry, this is a lot of fun. Recommended.