The Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog

It came down to two titles, but one of them had a "fatal flaw" for a 2004 award. It was published in 2003. At first I figured I would just have to live with it and choose the 2004 title. But I couldn't do it. I knew which book, out of all the comic books I've read this entire year, I enjoyed the most. Maybe it was only by a sliver, but it was THE BEST.

So I'm going to give out two awards. One award for Best Comic Book Series to the 2004 title, and a Best Comic Book award to the one that really was the best comic book I read in 2004.

The first award, for the Best Comic Book Series of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog is:

PS238

Consistently fun, this is the only book that makes me laugh aloud every time I read an issue. It's an ongoing, so I always have more issues to look foward to. And there hasn't been a dud issue YET. The characters are growing on me, particularly Tyler, the long-suffering "normal" boy. Though I admit that Captain Clarinet (Ron), Suzi, and Zodon are very cool, too.

But, as great as PS238 is, and it's really, really great, one book I read managed to top it this year.

And so (drumroll please), the Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog is:

True Story Swear To God: Chances Are...

A touching love story with humor, romance, joy, pain, and simple human flaws along with amazing triumph. Even a basic spelling problem becomes a plot point as the book references itself. This is a book I wouldn't hesitate to give to anybody. It's a great story, and it's done in such a way that it enriches the whole comic book medium. Kudos to AiT/Planet Lar for putting this out as a collection, and kudos to Tom Beland for creating this wonderful book in the first place.

So... that's my best read of the year. What about you?

The Year of Comic Books In Review - Final Nominee List

I don't choose to add any of this week's books to the nominee list, although Daisy Kutter and WildGuard were both quite good. So, moving on...

Let's review the titles that are in contention for "Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog": Abadazad #1, Age of Bronze: Sacrifice, Aquaman #14, Aquaman #17, Aquaman #18, Aquaman #22, Astonish Comics #1, Astronauts in Trouble: Master Flight Plan, Best of Dork Storm Press #2, Bone Volume Three: Eyes of the Storm, Even More Fund Comics, Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank, Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City, The Golem's Mighty Swing, Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden: Borrowed Magic, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, PS238 #5, PS238 #6, PS238 #7, PS238 #8, PS238 #9, PS238: With Liberty and Recess For All, Safe Area Gorazde, The Tale of One Bad Rat, True Story Swear to God: 100 Stories, True Story Swear To God: Chances Are..., and Ursula.

That's too much to pick from. So the next step is to eliminate some books from the running by giving them "Other Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog Awards".

• "Best Publisher" goes to AiT/Planet Lar, which, in addition to publishing a huge stack of really good books also took the time and effort to introduce comic book bloggers to those books. The AiT/Planet Lar listings have now become a must-read in Previews every month, and a huge number of their books made the nominee list.
  
• "Best Anthology" goes to Even More Fund Comics. Lots of good stories at a good price.
  
• "Best Collection To Reread Many Times In Bed With The Covers Over Your Head And A Flashlight On The Book" goes to Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City. The hardcover is gorgeous, and every time you reread this book you find something new and cool.
  
• "Eleven Is Good" award goes to Steve Lieber for creating the Lieber's Eleven list and getting quite a meme going among the comic book bloggers. Books from his list that made my nominee list were The Golem's Mighty Swing, Safe Area Gorazde, The Tale of One Bad Rat, Persepolis, Bone, and Age of Bronze. Those are just ones I read this year.
  
• "Deeply Missed" goes to Abadazad. It will be coming back, but not the way it was. I only hope it's just as good when it returns.
  
• The "I Wish It Deserved The Highest Honor" award goes to the various issues of Aquaman. Although they were good, none of them were the best.
  
• "Best Collection For Scholars As Well As Fans" goes to Age of Bronze: Sacrifice which is another gorgeous hardcover that collects excellent material.
  
• "Coolest Book I Nearly Didn't Buy" goes to Ursula, whose personalized promotion on this blog convinced me to give it a try, and made me an instant fan of Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá. It's a beautiful book that's at once more simple and far more complicated than it seems to be.

And tomorrow I'll reveal the comic book, out of all that I read in 2004, that I thought was the best of the year.

The Year of Comic Books in Review - Part Six (November and December)

The final nominees for the Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog.

But first! I left out Even More Fund Comics from yesterday's review... A large anthology, this one has its share of ups and downs, but there are enough ups to put it in the running. Particularly amusing to me was the final PvP strip.

And so I end with November and December, at least so far. I reserve the right to add more after reading the books I got today. The automatic nominees are PS238 #9, Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank hardcover, Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City hardcover, and The Tale of One Bad Rat.

PS238 #9 shows us Tyler in training, and frankly it was hilarious. Tyler's obvious fear at what his parents expect from him, coupled with his resignation, make for a good combination. Then what he actually accomplishes! Heh. Another laugh aloud issue from this great series.

Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Beetleburg Clank hardcover and Girl Genius: Agatha Heterodyne and the Airship City hardcover are two that really deserve mentions. These are beautiful books, quality story combined with high production values. Now, Beetleburg Clank actually came out two years ago, but I didn't review it until this year, so it won't get any 2004 awards. But Airship City came out very recently, and the third volume is due out next week (the trade is already out). So, good stuff.

The Tale of One Bad Rat is a sad little tale with plenty of homages to Beatrix Potter. It's about abuse and empowerment, and it's a book I could recommend to a lot of people without hesitation. I read it because it's another one of Lieber's Eleven (of which I've now read nine).

I just picked up today's comic books, and I'll hopefully read them tonight. If any get four and a half starfish, I'll do an extra nominee entry for them tomorrow morning (if I have the time). Tomorrow evening I will post the full list of nominees.

Random Thoughts

Check out my hubby's latest article on his website, Words From The Wizard.

Ok, inflatable pub I understand. I can even buy it having a fireplace. But a dartboard?!??

If you are brave, you can mix your own version of the Doctor Who theme.

Interesting list of toys from the 70's. A bit British-leaning.

Legomancer comes up with some Elseworlds ideas, some of them pretty cool. I've never been able to come up with a good Elseworlds idea for Aquaman, but he's got three of them.

Just how stupid can people get?

Oslo police have made an arrest in the theft of Munch's The Scream and The Madonna.

Mars Rover Opportunity found it's own heat shield. They just keep going and going and going...

The Year of Comic Books in Review - Part Five (September and October)

More nominees for the Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog.

September and October gave me five automatic nominees. Aquaman #22, PS238 #7, PS238 #8, and True Story Swear To God: Chances Are.... In addition, I'm adding Even More Fund Comics to the mix. Other books of note, that don't make the nominee list, are the Dark Horse 2004 Halloween Special and Persepolis 2 (I liked it, but not as much as the first book).

Aquaman #22 might be the high point of Pfeifer's short-lived run on the book. It was excellent in all dimensions, except maybe for a slightly predictable main plot. The artwork by Gleason continued to grow on me. The handling of ongoing plot threads worked very well. In short, an excellent effort.

PS238 #7 and PS238 #8 continued the tradition of excellence from Aaron Williams work. These issues go back and explore the origins of superheroes in the PS238 universe and the beginnings of the rainmaker project. This series continues to amaze me.

True Story Swear To God: Chances Are... rocked my world. Another book that nearly reached my impossible five starfish. It immediately made me want to buy copies for everyone I know, and it also pushed me to start buying the regular series, which I'd been considering but just hadn't done. This is one of the sweetest romance stories I've ever been fortunate enough to read... go get a copy.

Almost done with the nominees... Next I'll have to choose a best from them.

Happy Birthday Bea!

I know you can't read this, but your mom and grandma can, so I'm posting it. Happy day, little one!

Tsunami

Probably the best place for updated current information would be Wikipedia. That was found in this Boing Boing entry. There's more here.

Garrett also links to firsthand accounts.

The Year of Comic Books in Review - Part Four (July and August)

The Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog gathers more nominees.

Here are the nominees for July and August. A whopping six books get in automatically: Bone Volume Three: Eyes of the Storm, The Golem's Mighty Swing, Safe Area Gorazde, Ursula, PS238: With Liberty and Recess For All, and Age of Bronze: Sacrifice. Other books of note were the Bone saga, which I got my first taste of in those months; Daisy Kutter, a nice change of pace from the standard fare; Bloodhound, a powerful and different side of the DCU; and a couple of mini comics Family Reunion and Me and Edith Head. I think I'll stick with the first six, but there were a lot of good books in those months.

Bone Volume Three: Eyes of the Storm was another book I checked out from the library to read, and I didn't regret it at all. The excitement in this issue was pumped up, and the story continued to be fascinating. This is probably my favorite installment of the entire Bone saga.

The Golem's Mighty Swing was a book I read due to Lieber's Eleven, so I was relatively sure I would enjoy it even before I opened the first page. And I did. My own love of baseball no doubt helped me to understand the characters, and the environment they lived in was foreign to me, yet all too familiar. A very good book.

Safe Area Gorazde ("Go-RAJH-duh") was another Lieber's Eleven. This book was much more painful than just about any I've enjoyed, and had a slight fault, but it is a story that we really don't hear about, and it needs to be told. Definitely one that should be read.

Ursula is an instant classic... a fairytale, a love story, and a philosophical text all wrapped up in one. This was a great one. I need to dig it out and read it again.

PS238: With Liberty and Recess For All is just a collection of the first five books and the intro issue. Nothing really new in it, but definitely something to get for anyone who is curious about the book. And it helps that these stories are very rereadable, so there is no problem sitting down and enjoying the whole series again and again.

Age of Bronze: Sacrifice is a great version of a very readable retelling of the Trojan War. This hardcover was a must-get for us, if only to match the hardcover of the first book. And it's every bit as gorgeous.

The Year of Comic Books in Review - Part Three (May and June)

More nominees for the Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog.

Time for May and June. There are four books that got my high rating in these months: Best of Dork Storm Press #2, Astonish Comics #1, True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories by Tom Beland, and Aquaman #18. This doesn't leave me with a lot of room for extra nominees if I want to keep the list managable, but I want to mention the return of Colonia, the debut of Dorothy of Oz, and the wide variety of strong Free Comic Book Day books including The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #1. You'll not that two of my nominees for high ratings are from Free Comic Book Day, too. Another nominee, one that months of reflection makes inevitable, is Astronauts in Trouble: Master Flight Plan.

Best of Dork Storm Press #2 featured a new PS238 story, along with Nodwick, Dork Tower, and Dr Blink Superhero Shrink. A new PS238 short alone would have been enough to put it over the edge, but add in the rest and this one became a must-have.

Astonish Comics #1 gave me a reason to seek out more Astonish books, but I haven't really followed up on it. I would love to read more Herobear and the Kid as well as Dreamland Chronicles.

True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories by Tom Beland was a surprise to me, as I got it from good ol' Larry Young and it instantly became a story that I just wanted more of... One of the best books I've read in a long, long time.

Aquaman #18 shows more of Pfeifer and Gleason hitting their stride, and includes the page I wish I could get the original artwork from. It's very nice to see good Aquaman.

Astronauts in Trouble: Master Flight Plan rounds out the list of nominees for these months. I had heard of this book, even seen the artwork at a con once, but thanks to Larry's generosity I got to finally read it. I was a little disappointed by the smaller size of the artwork in this collection, but having a nice hardcover version is very good. It's one I knew I would reread, especially the second story Space: 1959.

Crappy Christmas

So, Christmas of 2004 stayed true to the general low quality of 2004. This year actually managed to be worse than 2003. I didn't think that would be possible, considering how bad 2003 was for us. But no, it was worse. I'll be glad to see the end of this year... I don't know if I can maintain any optimism that 2005 will be an improvement, and I'm certainly NOT looking forward to my birthday.

Anyway, thank you for the kind wishes, but Christmas turned out crappy anyway. Maybe next year.

This Is Christmas

Santa Heads.

The Town that Hung Santa Claus.

Jim Lee's present to the Riggs. Congrats, Robin!

Mike Sterling's Greetings.

The Comic Treadmill presents the twelve days of Christmas.

Polite Dissent's Entire Advent Calendar.

A William Gibson Christmas.

The 1914 Christmas Truce.

And lastly, I can't resist this headline: Penguins escape huge earthquake.

The Year of Comic Books in Review - Part Two (March and April)

Time for more nominees for the Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog.

Just an extra note. These aren't always books published in 2004... the only guarantee I make is that I first read them in 2004. So there might be a few books in here that make you scratch your head and say, "huh? I thought that was published a long time ago!" Yeah, possibly. For instance, I read Persepolis in the first few days of the new year, then read the second book as soon as it arrived at the local library. Both of them have the potential to be nominees.

Moving on to March and April, another three books get four and a half starfish: Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden: Borrowed Magic, PS238 #6, and Aquaman #17. I continued to enjoy Abadazad for the remaining issues that came out, but I won't put those on the nomination list. I was also introduced to a number of excellent books like Demo, Noble Causes, Electric Girl, and Whiteout, and continued to enjoy Amazing Spider-Man. However, despite all the excellent books from these months, I think I'll just stick with the initial three.

Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden: Borrowed Magic is an amazing start to an epic featuring a strong, if a bit flawed, woman. The story moves around into different dimensions and isn't entirely linear, but it's an excellent book that made me want to immediately read more. This one became an instant treasure.

PS238 #6 was the first issue that wasn't better than the previous one. That's really an amazing run. This issue featured two competing heroes, and was hilarious. Hey, I said it wasn't better than the previous one... but it was still amazingly good. Reading PS238 is kind of like eating comfort food. It's just perfect. And it reads well on rereads, too.

Aquaman #17 shows Will Pfeifer hitting his full stride on the book, with Gleason's artwork in perfect unison with the story. I wrote a ton about the book when I rapid reviewed it, and it holds up under rereads later. I tend to really like books that allow readers to go back and reread and get more out of it.

Ok, enough for today. I'm going to be around family the rest of the day. Happy Christmas.

The Year of Comic Books in Review - Part One (January and February)

So, it's time to start gathering nominees for the Best Comic Book of 2004 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog.

I decided that this year, I'm not going to limit myself to books that I rated at four and a half starfish. My reviews are rapid first impressions, and my opinions of books sometimes change in the weeks/months since I first read them. So I'm going to flit through all the shipping lists and look for books that stood out in my mind even after some time had passed, along with the ones I loved when I first read them.

Let's start with January and February. The three books that got my highest rating in those months were Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, Aquaman #14, and PS238 #5. They make the nomination list automatically. Looking through the shipping lists, the next one that jumps out at me is Abadazad #1, which was a wonderful start to a series cut short. I'd also like to send a shout out to Common Grounds, which won't make the nomination list (sorry Troy), but definitely deserves some extra attention.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood covers the life of Marjane Satapi from about 1979 until 1984 as she grew up in Iran. The artwork is only detailed enough to tell the story, and yet conveys volumes. This is a book that I think ought to be required reading for anyone who wants to talk about politics of the Middle East. It's a wonderful book, and highly recommended.

Aquaman #14 was a fill-in issue from John Ostrander, and echoes my all-time favorite Aquaman story (Aquaman #13, Dec 1992 by Shaun McLaughlin) in which a young boy with AIDS goes on a journey of discovery while trying to find Aquaman. In this issue, a reporter hunts for the public's opinion of Aquaman, and finds a little more than he bargains for. While I'd hate every issue of Aquaman to be about people in the DCU's opinion of him, this was a very good issue.

PS238 #5 continued the impossible record of my giving every issue of this book my highest rating. In fact, this issue came very close to earning the impossible five full starfish. In this one, Tyler and a few friends go wandering the school at night and discover a mystery right in the heart of their home, as well as a ghost of some sort... they think. This is a thread that will continue, most recently in the latest issue. If you like superheroes and are not getting this book, you are missing out. And this issue? Yeah, I just had to go reread it. It's still one of the best stories I've read all year.

Abadazad #1 is mostly here as a tribute to what this series ought to have become. The best, the coolest, the most awesome all-ages book to come along in ages, with artwork by the incomparable Mike Ploog, writing by J.M. DeMatteis... it was the book with the best potential to come along in ages, and I found myself rooting for the recovery of CrossGen only to see more issues of Abadazad.

More nominees coming tomorrow. In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy Christmas.

Feeling Morbid

While watching the History Channel special on the Seven Wonders of the World, I thought of what I want to leave behind when I leave this world. Not a lot, really. I'd like a very nice, very durable, plaque on a large stone with my name and dates and some fitting epitaph. I'm sure I'll think of something fitting if I live long enough. Behind the plaque, in a small and extremely secure chamber, I'd like to leave behind a small DNA sample of some sort. Yeah, I don't know how to make it last, but that's what I'd like. My body I'd like cremated, and maybe scattered in the ocean. Frankly, I've seen far too many horror movies to want to leave behind a rotting corpse. Preferably, I would share my plaque with hubby-Eric, and my ashes would be scattered with his.

My Feets Are Killin' Me

Retail at Christmastime is not fun. My feet hurt, my head aches, and I can never tell if that person who wants a refund (we only do exchanges, no refunds) is scamming us or genuinely needs to get her money back. I do my best to make everyone's holiday great: I've been on the phone with stores all over Seattle trying to find presents for customers who came too late to get the ones we had in stock up until yesterday. While we get a much better class of customer in our store than regular retail (I shudder to think of the poor saps working at Toys R Us this time of year), we still get a rude person once in awhile. And it takes just about everything I have to hold it all together and be polite after dealing with just one person who is miserable and wants to share the misery.

Only five more hours, though. Noon to five tomorrow.

At least I enjoy this job far more than my previous one.

Rapid Reviews - 22 December 2004

Conan #11: "The God in The Bowl": It's fascinating to see Conan getting steadily more impatient with his captors. It was also interesting to see where Conan finally snapped. He was much more patient than I expected him to be. I was slightly disappointed that the mystery wasn't really solved by the main players, but it was a good story anyway.

Green Arrow #45: "New Blood Part Six: Coming Out": It doesn't quite feel like I'm being preached to. At least, not after the first few pages. But it certainly risks going too far that way. It seemed like this one should have resolved the story, but I'm just left wondering if there is any more to it.

Green Lantern: Rebirth #3: "Yellow": Huh. Too many spoilers in this one for me to give a true reaction. Let me just say that this isn't what I was expecting... but is a neat little solution, even if it is a little... unlikely. Or maybe I'm thinking it's just convenient. Almost too convenient. Still, it might work. I look forward to seeing what all the Green Lantern fans think of this one. Mildly recommended.

JLA: Classified #2: "Master of Light": Confusing and Morrison-y, but fairly cool anyway. I like the Squire, and wouldn't mind seeing more of her adventures. I like the artwork, especially the use of iconic imagery to represent the league. Very nice, if hard to swallow in some ways.

Solo #2: Richard Corben: I didn't know anything about Corben, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this issue. Well, creepiness and gore. Only one story is set in the DCU proper, but these are pretty good overall. Nicely creepy and strange. Not really my cup of tea, but certainly pretty good overall.

Hero Squared X-Tra Sized Special #1: "Over The Looking Glass": Another review book from Atomeka Press, and the first one from them that I really enjoyed. I had a suspicion that I would like it when I saw the writers, Keith Giffen and J.M.DeMatteis. That alone was enough to make me want to read it, but add in some solid artwork and you've got a keeper. Recommended.

Still to review: Samurai Executioner Volume 2. I probably won't read it until after Christmas.

Random Thoughts

Fred compares his Spongebob fandom to my Aquaman fandom... which isn't quite fair. Spongebob is much younger than Aquaman, and even Spongebob himself is an Aquaman fan (sort of). And they are in different realms of media. Anyway, go read Fred's defense of Spongebob.

And one other thing about Spongebob. I really wish they would release a "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" DVD. Not the daring duo's adventures, no, just the episodes of Spongebob that the pair show up in. Those are the episodes I most want to see, and to have in my collection.

It may be possible to take stem cells without killing the embryo. Can you imagine... if the embryo later grows into a person, to know that your cells saved lives, before you were even born? Wow. I hope this procedure gets enough funding to determine if it will work.

Movies in Lego. A little hard to read, as it's in German, but pretty cool nonetheless.

If they cancel your project, write it anyway, and become a phenom with Mac. This is the story I told you to check out, Eric. Via Various and Sundry.

Solar Power array goes live in Germany. Enough energy to power 9000 homes, with no pollution.

Beaucoup Kevin is giving away a comic book, too. There's one I might consider entering. Hmmm. Nah. Via Dorian.

And lastly, while you are in the giving spirit, I urge you to give a little to Breast Cancer research, and help me with my fund-raising efforts for the Three Day Walk while you are at it. Thanks.

Rapid Reviews - 15 December 2004 with extras

Marvel Age Fantastic Four #9: "The End of the Fantastic Four": Ah, Namor! This was a nice little quest book, with a fun beginning, middle, and... well, ending. This book is cute and interesting.

Plastic Man #13: "The Most Evil Book of All Time": Um. Right.

Birds of Prey #77: "Hero Hunters Part Two: Harvest": Spooky new villain, nicely flowing story, good cliff-hanger. This new style Birds might be fun. Still too soon to tell for sure, but I'm looking forward to reading more.

Identity Crisis #7: "The Hero's Life": Seems like people either liked this finish a little, or hated it passionately. I'm in the "liked a little" camp, I guess. It wasn't the earth-shaking adventure DC promised, and I had more than a few difficulties buying the motive of the villain. In short, I don't. It was a dumb reason, and didn't really add much. The second half of the book, with everyone dealing with aftermaths, just bored me. So, um, maybe I'm in the hated it group. I can't really tell. I feel like I didn't read a book that was really worth reading, but at least the art was generally good.

Girl Genius #13: I want the next issue NOW. And the issue after that... and the issue after that... and the issue after that... The only problem with this book is that it doesn't come out more often. This is definitely an issue I'm going to want to go back through page by page and revisit each step of the way for fun stuff in the backgrounds. Recommended.

Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events: A fortunate event, a friend's kind offer, let me see this movie before it hit the second-run theaters. It appeared at first that the movie was going to be an unfortunate event, as when the lights went down, the screen remained black for awhile, then showed test patterns (upside-down) for awhile, then went black again... then the house lights came back up. But that was the only glitch in the theater, and we weren't quite certain it wasn't intentional. The movie itself? Fantastic. Truly wonderful. It does NOT follow the books religiously, but instead does something far more important... it gets the spirit of the books exactly right. The sets and costumes reflect the uncertain location/era of the story, and the music is just perfectly enhancing. There were a few false notes, mostly in the characterizations of minor characters (the judge came off much worse than in the first book), but since the spirit was so close to the books, I found that easy to forgive. This is not for young children, and as usual, the books are better than the movie based on them, but honestly, I have to recommend this one. Very fun.

Farscape [2-08]: Dream a Little Dream: Zhaan has recurring nightmares of what happened when Moya had to leave half the crew behind. This was apparently slated to be the season opener, but it was decided that it was too weak to start the season off. I understand that thinking. There's also the fact that the original story, without the framing sequence, would have been as frustrating as it gets for the viewers who wanted a resolution to the cliffhanger from last season. It's a bit of a pity they didn't run with it anyway, as this show tends to break boundaries. As a mid-season episode, it doesn't have nearly the impact it would have had if it had started the season.

Random Thoughts

Eh, it's a good time to revisit mycathatesyou.com. The Girl Genius list pointed me to this cat, which I enjoyed, so go enjoy the whole site, if you dare. (naughty language warning).

Don't miss the PVP Christmas.

Links to Penny Postcards, including a bunch from Seattle. I particularly liked part of Seattle from an aeroplane, though the waterfront at night looks good, too.

Kaja Foglio writes of many things, including, but not limited to: the crud that will not die, being married to a famous artist, the Girl Genius movie, Cheyenne and Savannah doing Rocky and Bullwinkle, and L Frank Baum.

Rachel Hartman moves into another phase of motherhood.

Harry Potter release date to be announced extremely soon. Maybe even before I post this, who knows?

Mike Sterling is giving away Swamp Thing, so be sure to let him know why you want it. I have a book to give away, too, but I think I'll wait until after Christmas.

Fascinating article on applying sabermetrics to football.

You can order M&M's printed with messages.

Rapid Reviews - 8 December 2004 - Part IV

Star Trek Key Collection Vol 2: This collection reads MUCH more like Star Trek than the first one. And there are some nice bits in here too, but it's still very goofy and charmingly unTreklike. And why was Scotty so hard from the artist to get a likeness of? He looks completely wrong in the early stories, then halfway through the book finally turns into the Scotty we know and love. Your tolerance for goofiness needs to be high, but this is a fun book if you can stand it.

Comic Book Digest #3: Again, this is a great book for the price, but the featured previews just don't interest me at all. Of the many previews in this issue, the only one I had any interest in was Lions, Tigers and Bears. And this issue supposedly focuses on "All-Ages" books, although I would dispute some of those choices. Not that they aren't kid-friendly, just that they aren't reader-friendly in general. And I have to admit, there is a constant feeling that this is a Mike S Miller vanity book, and he only puts in other stories to get people like me to buy it.

Rapid Reviews - TV and a Movie

Smallville [4-10]: Scare: I kept thinking that they were really going to do it, really introduce the Scarecrow into the Smallville universe. Well, they may not have introduced the villain himself, but there's his method of attack. Overall, not too bad. It's very good of Clark to offer himself up as the cure.

Justice League Unlimited [3-11]: Wake the Dead: Hmmm... if Aquaman was as nasty in front of Mera as he was to Hawkgirl, he'd need another hook for another missing body part. I'm relatively sure that it wasn't pure sexism, but rather an attempt to goad Hawkgirl out of her funk and into action. That's my reading, at least. Of course, this wasn't Aquaman's story. I hardly believe the end, either... no body, no death... but I suppose it was touching enough. Too many loose ends, though. I want to know what happened to the kids from the beginning of the story.

The Incredibles: I almost wish I could say I didn't like this movie, because then I could make jokes about a Fantastic Four ripoff fighting Heat Miser from "The Year Without A Santa Claus". Unhappily for bad jokes, this was a great movie, so I can't make any jokes about the FF adopting Impulse from the DCU. So I'll go with the normal route instead. This was a great movie, lots of fun. The elements of the movie were taken from all over, from the JSA refusing to remove their masks to the recent Powers issues in which superheroes are illegal. It was a really strong movie from a superhero fan's point of view. Especially chilling was the scene showing the heroes who had already fought against Syndrome's robots. This will be a great one to rewatch on DVD.

Sketchbook - Jeff Moy

Another sketch from San Diego 2000. I actually got a commission of a Marvel character for my shop owner from Jeff, yet still had the nerve to ask for a quick Aquaman sketch.

AQUAMAN
by Jeff Moy
22 July 2000
(permission to post given 31 October 2004 via e-mail)
jeffreymoy.com

As a reminder: Almost every sketch in my sketchbook was non-commissioned and done on the floor of a con. These are not the best works of the artists. These are only representative of what the artist can do under pressure in a loud, crowded, and often stressed-out environment. Most of them were done as quickly as possible, to prevent huge lines from forming. Don't judge any of these artists negatively by the artwork you see, instead be as impressed as I am by what they accomplished in far-from-ideal conditions.

To see all the sketches I have permission to post so far, check out my Sketchbook Page. If you have any contact information for any of the other artists I'm trying to contact, please e-mail me. Click for a random Aquaman sketch.

The Saturday Sketch ™ is brought to you by the letters "A", "Q" and the number "27", and also courtesy the fine artists who pour their lives into producing wonderful comic books, then come to conventions only to get asked by geeky fangirls for a sketch of Aquaman. Support an artist, buy a comic book.

Late Blogging

Blog will be really late tonight.

Rapid Reviews - 8 December 2004 - Part III

Noble Causes #5: So one of the plotlines gets resolved, and one gets stranger with a cameo from Invincible, and the final one just goes along. I'm enjoying this book a lot. The art is good, I'm liking the characters more and more, and the stories are nicely set up and strong. Recommended.

PS238 #9: "Night School": This is my favorite comic book. I laughed aloud repeatedly while reading this one, and I don't usually laugh while reading, ever. Tyler is definitely my favorite character, but it was nice to see the others in the back-up story. I love this book. Go get it, or the trade, and enjoy.

Spider-Man: India #2: This isn't a bad adaptation. This issue reiterates the point that Pavitr's refusal to stop and help in a robbery led to his Uncle's death. This issue also introduces Flash... and has Pavitr join the cricket team! It's similar to the original, but changes enough for the culture that it works well. I'm enjoying it.

And Yet More Random Thoughts

Ursula K Le Guin breaks her silence in an interview. There was one major thing I was confused about when I heard about the TV production, which was the ethnicity of the actor playing Ged. When I told my husband "Ged's not white" that pretty much summed up the whole thing for me. If they couldn't get that right, why should I watch the rest? Via Garrett. And Neil.

Mark points us to a Slate article which appears to be taken from the interview.

Ask Yahoo compares the salaries of WNBA to NBA players.

Get ready for the new ISBN numbers. The new numbers will be 13 digits instead of 10. A lot of libraries and stores will have to upgrade their software in the next three years.

Very cool crossword puzzle that "predicted" the outcome of the 1996 election. Via Political Wire.

A Chinese doctor is performing what could be considered unethical operations using cells from aborted foetuses... he's having success. Enough so that anti-abortion Americans are going to him for treatment.

A study has been done on web ads users hate. None of it surprises me. Nor does the list of things a "good ad" has.

The army is spamming by phone potential recruits. I hate automated calls. It's a disgusting technique, and I hope someone in the Army gets fired for it.

The Firefox ad has hit the New York Times. Are you using Firefox yet? If not, why not?

There's Something Really Cool...

...about coming home to find a note that says, "Laura, read my blog!"

Now I get to keep an eye on the substitute website and see if I can score hubby-Eric a job.

Quick Thoughts

Via Elayne, you can catch a snowflake. The you can add your own.

Another cartoonist takes a swipe at Scott Kurtz of PVP.

Speaking of comics, I want to point out Comic Alert, my favorite RSS site for comic strips. Instead of putting the comic into an RSS feed, which is on shaky ground legally, the feed simply alerts you when your comic strips are updated so you can go visit the site yourself. Very cool. I don't mind visiting sites to read comics, generally. Especially web comics, who depend on hits for revenue.

Random Thoughts

Poor Mark Evanier, he's getting hate mail for a comic strip he doesn't write.

Mike Allred wants YOU to write to Dan Didio and request that the Teen Titans Swingin' Elseworld Special be released. In other Allred news, the second edition of The Golden Plates will be out in March.

Someone figured out the codes for wholesale cost at Long's Drug. I'm not sure why they'd want the wholesale cost out on the sales floor, but I do understand why they coded it. Via Boing Boing. And, for the record, there are two codes on the price tags at the shop I work at, one is the date the item was priced and the other is the location of the item in the store.

How to make a miniature orange (out of fimo). This is just way cool. Via Boing Boing.

Absolutely hilarious wikipedia discussion for Sollog (who is ... well, go read it and see. I don't think I can describe him). Via /.

William Raspberry sums up the whole gay marriage thing very nicely in his latest column (registration may be required).

Speaking of politics, if you live in Washington State, voted absentee, and are afraid your vote didn't count, you can contact your county elections office and ask. I was curious, so I called King County Elections to check. My absentee ballot was confirmed and accepted. Whew.

It is December 14th. There are, by my count, at least 17 days left in the year. It is NOT time for 2004 round-ups yet. Last year, I started my review on the 18th and listed, month-by-month, nominees for best book of the year. I think I'll try to do the same this year, despite not having quite the same problems with life this year as last. Here's last year's progression: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, Final Nominee List which includes other awards, and the Best Comic Book of 2003 according to Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog.

And lastly, build yourself a hero. I couldn't quite make Mera, but here's a Mera-ish gal:

Random Thoughts and DC Solicits

Near Mint Heroes recently posted a list of good bloggers. Following NMH's lead, Chris "Lefty" Brown made his own list. I'm honored to have made both lists.

Lemony Snicket's "The Lump of Coal". Um. Ok. Via Franklin.

Video game scares off robbers.

Eric Harshbarger likes LEGO. He built a working Grandfather Clock out of LEGO, and the Mona Lisa, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Via various places.

Better folks than I are covering the March 2005 solicits from DC. So I'll just stick to Aquaman.

I'm not really all that interested. Why? Because I'm beginning to feel like I can see where this story is going already. I feel like there aren't going to be any surprises or anything fun. With Pfeifer I knew I would be surprised. Arcudi seems to be playing it by the numbers. The last thing comic book fans want right now is a by-the-numbers story.

The first Arcudi issue featured drug dealers in Sub-Diego. Boring. And worse, already done only a few years back. The next issue or two focuses on Aquaman being too much a king. Fine, that's somewhat original. Not really original, but at least it's not set in Atlantis. Then we get Ocean Master. Ug. And now? Apparently a brutal cop (which showed up in the most recent issue, if I'm not mistaken) becomes a water monster and challenges Aquaman's authority. Yawn.

I thought Sub Diego would breathe some new life into Aquaman... but it's turning into Atlantis West, and that's just blah.

Comics Going To School...

...but the reporter needs to go back to school, too. The article is from The Washington Post (registration might be required), and consistently wrongly refers to comic books as a genre. Comic books are a medium, not a genre. Superheroes are a genre. Romance is a genre. Comic books, like television, radio, and the internet is a medium. It is a form of media. And anyone who refers to comic books as a genre is exposing a level of ignorance that I'm extremely surprised any editor let through.

There once was a time when comic books were at the bottom of the literary food chain. Children read them under the bedcovers with a flashlight, and parents and teachers decried their reliance on one-syllable exclamations: BAM! POW! WHAM!

"BAM!" "POW!" and "WHAM!" are more artefacts of the Batman TV series than comic books proper. People who read comic books know that their reliance on sound effects are limited. Reading Golden and Silver Age comics, I'm usually pleasantly surprised at the number of vocabulary words in them. Even back when comics were being unfairly criticized, they were teaching kids how to read.

But that was before a comic book was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1992, before the term "graphic novel" came into vogue as a synonym and before video games became parents' new archenemy.

OOOOH! We've got a synonym! It's ok to like comics now!

"In America, people have loved comic books, but nobody has looked at the value of it as a reading material," said Darla Strouse, executive director of partnerships for the Maryland Department of Education.

Maybe she hasn't, but lots of people have recognized the value of comics in helping people learn to read for many years. Yes, a statewide program is a nice jump from individual efforts, but don't underestimate everyone else while singing your own praises. Later in the article:

That's quite a rehabilitation for a literary genre that 50 years ago was blamed for causing illiteracy, as well as juvenile crime and sexual misconduct.

It's not a freakin' "genre"! It's a medium! It's part of media! Sheesh! This kind of mistake is inexcusable in a newspaper.

I could continue to pick at it, but I'm sure people have got my point. The article, though poorly researched and written, does contain the good news that schools recognize the value of comic books as an intermediate step to reading for reluctant readers.

In one fifth-grade class at George D. Lisby Elementary School at Hillsdale, in Harford, nearly all the students said they had read comic books in their free time. Superman, the Simpsons and Dragon Ball Z -- the children all said that they would rather read those features than a text-only book.

To pick at it once more, the three mentioned comics represent three different genres.

It is "something with action and excitement . . . and superheroes," Lisby student Rashard Drake, 10, said.

To Lisby reading specialist Alberta Porter, comic books are something more -- a way to tempt struggling readers and introduce them to new words and concepts.

On a recent morning, Porter opened a "Donald Duck and Friends" comic book to a page on which a student had labeled parts of the strip: "narrtive box," "thouht ballon," "speech ballon." A worksheet that accompanies the comic "Dignifying Science: Stories About Women Scientists" asks students to define the words "posthumously" and "rehabilitating" and to explain how the women overcame obstacles and how it relates to the students' experiences.

"We're trying to change some previously held concepts and thoughts that there was no place" for comics, Porter said.

Rapid Reviews - TV Shows and a Movie

Justice League Unlimited [3-10]: Dark Heart: Atom is the star in this one, but it's also a great "spot the Leaguer" episode, as you can't help but spend half your time trying to identify different heroes. The story is a bit gruesome if you think about the fate of the hikers at the beginning... but it was written by Warren Ellis, so what can you expect? No Aquaman, but still a great little story.

Smallville [4-09]: Bound: So Clark finally figures out that Lex isn't a virgin. Nice detective work to solve the crime, but how many times has Lex admitted he is/was a playboy in the past? Why is Clark surprised? I don't know, Clark is naive, but surely not that naive. Especially after his summer in Metropolis.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Finally saw this at a second-run theatre. As fun as I was expecting it to be. Light on plot, but visually lovely and wonderfully evocative of the pulp era. The city was a bit dark and muddy-looking at the start of the movie, but it seemed to improve. I don't know if that was an effect of the print we were watching, or some sort of intentional mood setting. If it was the latter, it didn't work. But I liked the movie overall. It was a great fun, especially the extremely cute ending. I found it very difficult at times to believe that it was almost all computer generated.

Sketchbook - Rick Geary

This was another sketch I got at the amazing San Diego 2000. Geary has done a whole lotta work, just go check out the samples on his website. I like this one a lot as it illustrates what I like most about getting Aquaman sketches from different artists: the way an artist's style can make even Aquaman look unique.

AQUAMAN
by Rick Geary
23 July 2000
(permission to post given 31 October 2004 via e-mail)
www.rickgeary.com

As a reminder: Almost every sketch in my sketchbook was non-commissioned and done on the floor of a con. These are not the best works of the artists. These are only representative of what the artist can do under pressure in a loud, crowded, and often stressed-out environment. Most of them were done as quickly as possible, to prevent huge lines from forming. Don't judge any of these artists negatively by the artwork you see, instead be as impressed as I am by what they accomplished in far-from-ideal conditions.

To see all the sketches I have permission to post so far, check out my Sketchbook Page. If you have any contact information for any of the other artists I'm trying to contact, please e-mail me. Click for a random Aquaman sketch.

The Saturday Sketch ™ is brought to you by the letters "R", "G" and the number "78", and also courtesy the fine artists who pour their lives into producing wonderful comic books, then come to conventions only to get asked by geeky fangirls for a sketch of Aquaman. Support an artist, buy a comic book.

Rapid Reviews - 8 December 2004 - Part II

Bloodhound #6: "Run The Gears": This issue seems to be entirely about Cleve's problems with returning to prison. Not just prison, but the general population of the same prison that he busted heads in when he left for his first mission. Of course, a little mystery pops up. This book continues to fascinate me.

JLA #109: "Aftershocks": The story is quickly becoming complicated and slightly incomprehensible. However, I was able to understand Obsidian Age so this will be a piece of cake. I suspect I will need to reread to catch everything though. At least Aquaman is in this version of the Justice League, and seems to be a contributing member again. And it really is fun to see the Crime Syndicate running around loose, even if I'm not entirely sure about the Quardians.

Samurai: Heaven & Earth #1: "Chapter 1: Love and Death": A promising start to what looks to be a very interesting book. I like supporting books that are slightly different. The first paragraph of the author's comments at the end pretty much sum up this book: "What the world really needs, more than anything else, is a comic about a Japanese warrior traveling across Europe, written by an American and drawn by a Brazilian. And printed in Canada." Heh. In any case, it's beautiful. Recommended.

Demo #12: "Mon Dernier Jour Avec Toi" and "Marie & Mike": Wow. I never expected to read an illustrated poem in comic book form like this. I was chillingly sure of the ending fairly quickly into the book, and was disturbed to be right. Haunting. Marie & Mike jumps back to the first issues and reminds me why I picked up this series in the first place. While each issue certainly stood on its own, it would be interesting to go back and read them all in order.

Powers v2 #7: The powers are slowly returning, despite it being illegal. And it seems that most people like it. This one features Christian giving some advice, and Deena getting lied to. Pretty strong issue.

Aquaman #25: "Escape": Gleason and Alamy's art continues to grow on me, and whoever did the title of this issue really outdid himself. That's the good.

The story? Well, I never once in my life expected to say this, but Eric Larsen did the drug angle better in his short-lived and much detested run on the book. And as much as I like Sub-Diego, this is not Aquaman's first time running a city. Some of his comments struck me as very odd. Overall, a mild disappointment in the writing department. I hope it improves.

Still to review: Noble Causes, PS238, and a few more. Also coming are some TV reviews.

Flipping Through Previews...

Yes, it's that time again... time for "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". I'm going to start with the bulk of the book, and then come back and cover the "big four" at the end. Please remember, I'm listing what looks interesting. My actual purchase list is going to be much smaller. The numbers after each title are usually the page number in Previews Magazine, so you can follow along at home.

Let's start with the covers. The main cover is for Seven Soldiers of Victory, Grant Morrison's new "mega adventure". I admit I'm very interested in the books and the concept, but I'm not overly keen on the cover itself. It doesn't impress me much. The back cover is for G.I.Joe, and is far less exciting.

On page 3 are some very amusing MiniMates, featuring Witchblade, Kabuki, Magdalena, and Dawn. I don't know which one I find the funniest, but they are terribly cute. And no, I don't intend to get them.

Moving on, let's hit the Splash Page (8-9). A bit about Black Panther, and more on the WizKids game that I didn't get (the pirate one). New Overstreet Price Guide will be coming out in a few months. I've found that I'm not nearly so interested in the price of comics anymore, now that I've got most of the Silver Age stuff I was hunting for. None of the other articles do anything for me.

This month's checklist is "Valentine's Day/Girl Friendly Merchandise". Guys, I absolutely guarantee that, while some women will appreciate a comic book, it had better be along with chocolate and not in place of chocolate. I notice that no DC books made their list. Going through the list, the books I'm familiar with look like decent choices.

Skipping over the big four, I land in the middle of Wizard (186-192) (euwwww!). Something about an Identity Crisis Directors Cut... but that's about all the jumps out at me.

So let's flip to the Featured Items pages for the main comic book section (194-197). The Steve Niles, Rob Zombie, & Richard Corben Bigfoot comic looks like something I might possibly be intrigued by, but I doubt we'll have enough extra this month to add it. I'd also love to get the first Scholastic reprint of Bone, in full color, but that too looks like it will be out of reach. Luckily, some of the money from hubby-Eric's Oz bookshop went to getting me the one volume edition of Bone, so at least I can enjoy the story.

About Comics (198) has a book called Comics Prose Volume 1 that I would love to get. It includes a number of writers whose work I enjoy. It's on the short list, but again, money is really tight this month so I don't think it will happen.

Adhouse Books (200) has something called Project: Superior which includes a number of reinterpretations of superheroes by "Indy" artists. The ad on page 200 lists the contributors. Although the cover doesn't do much for me, I would love to read this one. Again... money is tight, probably won't make the list.

Adv Films (201-212) continues to annoy me with their solicit layout, and despite attempting to read closely, I found nothing that I would consider buying.

Next up is AIT/Planet Lar (213) who are putting out a collection of Scurvy Dogs. As you may remember, I wasn't too impressed with it, but other folks loved it.

Alternative Comics presents Strange Day, which looks more to my taste. (Sorry about the mistake, Larry).

I'm not sure what to think of Amaze Ink/Slave Labor's book Bag of Anteaters #1 (216). Won't make the list, but it does intrigue me.

Antarctic Press (220-221) is collecting Heaven Sent, and I'm curious... has anyone in the blogosphere tried this book? Is it any good? I was sort of tempted by the first issue.

A Different Pace (222) by Ape Entertainment looks like it could be a good book. I'd have to see some samples before I'd jump after it... and nothing extra is getting bought this month anyway. *sigh*

I just want to point out that Stargate SG-1: Daniel's Song #1 (299) by Avatar Press has four different covers, including a glow in the dark cover. It's also only 16 pages long. Um. Ok.

The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #7 (236) from Beckett Comics will make the list again. It helps that it's full color and only $2. How is Beckett managing to keep the prices low?

We are absolutely getting True Story Swear To God #13 (240) by Tom Beland and both Eric and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone else. Guys, you want a valentine gift? Get Chances Are... for your gal. Just don't forget to add some chocolate. If that doesn't set the mood, nothing will.

(It's true, I highly recommend it. -- Hubby-Eric)

Hey, get off my keyboard! Moving on...

??!!?? I just found ANOTHER cover to Stargate SG-1: Daniel's Song #1 on page 242, from Comic Cavalcade. That makes five.

Committed Comics (244) has Platypus Rex #2. I'll buy it. I want to support the company (which is local), and the writer and artist both know my name thanks to all the local cons I've gone to and seen them at. Hey, I can bring both issues to get autographed the next time I go to the con...

Dementian Comics (246) is offering Stylish Vittles: I Met A Girl and it's sequel. There are art and story samples available at the website, so check it out. Another book I wouldn't mind getting if only, if only.

Penguin Bros (251). It just had to be penguins. I like penguins, you see. I sort of collect them (they congregate on top of the TV). I'd love to get this book, just to see what it's about. From Devil's Due Publishing, and no, it probably won't make the list.

Dork Storm Press is soliciting Nodwick #27 (260). Considering how much I love PS238, I really should just add this book to my pull list today. I mean, it's Aaron Williams, it must be excellent.

Graphix (287), an imprint of Scholastic, is reprinting Bone in color, starting with Volume 1: Out of Boneville. As I think I mentioned before, I'd love to get these. Maybe I'll save up and buy the hardcovers someday.

Heroic Publishing (288) is offering a collection of the classic Alter Ego (the comic) by Roy Thomas and Ron Harris. These would certainly be fun to own.

More penguins?!?? Penguins On Ice is being offered from ibooks (290). This one looks even more true to penguin-kind, as not one of the penguins on the cover is carrying a gun.

IDW Publishing presents Bigfoot #1 (291) by the frightening team of Rob Zombie, Steve Niles, and Richard Corben. Looking at the solicit, it seems less likely that I'll get it. I'm not really into horror comics, and that seems to be the angle they are taking with it. Still, what should I expect from that team?

Chickasaw Adventures #1 from Layne Morgan Media (300) appears to be just the kind of book I really like. Educational and yet fun. Can I resist a time-travel book featuring the Chickasaw Nation? From the website: "The Chickasaws have chosen this exciting tool to educate both the Chickasaw youth and the greater American youth on its invaluable history, tradition, and culture." This'll make the list.

NBM Publishing (304) is offering both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew trades this month. I can't decide if I really want them. Well, I know I want them, I just don't know for sure if they will make the list.

Panini is reoffering Doctor Who: Iron Legion (307). I'll be reviewing it soon. Let's just say, this is worth it. Dave Gibbons. Need I say more? Yes? Um... it's good. Fourth Doctor fun stuff. Worth a look.

Amelia Rules (308) returns to Previews with the fifth issue in the Superheroes arc. Yes, we'll be getting this one, too.

Rosen Publishing Group (310) is breaking my heart with some great-looking bios of a whole bunch of really cool comics creators, including Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, Joe Sacco, and Will Eisner. If I could afford them, I'd get them all.

SAF Comics (312) is showing off their Western with art from Joe Kubert called Tex: The Lonesome Rider.

Here's another series of books I'd get if I could afford them, the Modesty Blaise tales from Titan Publishing (317). I've read bits and pieces, and would love to read the whole lot.

Top Shelf (340) has the second volume of Owly which looks cute, but I haven't seen close-up yet. Maybe someday.

TwoMorrows Publishing has art books on George Tuska and Dick Giordano. Both would be good reads.

Viz Comics is up to Vagabond Vol 20 (346). I may never catch up. But I liked the ones I got from the library, and would love to get the entire series.

Yeeesss! I'm through the big comic book section. And I only found thirty-five more books that I want to buy. Ouch.

In the magazine section, I've dropped Comic Book Digest (355) because there just isn't enough in it for me. I do recommend that other readers give it a try, as it's a good effort. The cover of Comics Buyer's Guide (355) (and Scrye (359)) has a Mr Freeze HeroClix that makes me want to start playing the game again. I love HeroClix. Little statues. I wonder if this means there will be another DC set soon?

In books, the New Smithsonian Book of Comic Book Stories (369) looks like something I would like. I've enjoyed the Smithsonian books so far.

Graphitti Designs (396-399) has some cool stuff. I'm still thinking of making a "New Venice Diving Squad" T-shirt for my Aquaman fans. Part of me doesn't care that nobody would get it. I like the new Green Lantern shirts. And I would love to get the Scary Godmother tumbler set.

Aquaman is on page 420.

Pages 428 and 429 have plush Aliens and Predators. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

There is a "Revenge of the Jedi" movie poster on page 464... just look at the price. I mean LOOK at the price. Wow.

Do you want to play Star Wars Risk? If you do, you can order it (page 476) for only $40.

Nothing to comment on in the videos, so it's back to the big four. People who don't like mainstream books can stop reading now. The Gems of the Month aren't really that interesting to me, so let's move on to the first publisher.

This month, let's start with Dark Horse. I'm slightly interested in Dragon Prince #1 (20-21) by Ron Marz and Jeff Johnson. I like Johnson's artwork, and the story sounds intriguing enough. I'm definitely getting Conan #13 (22), and I'd like to get the trade collection of the first few issues, too. I will be getting Samurai: Heaven & Earth #3 (28) and Usagi Yojimbo #82 (29).

Next up is Image Comics. I'll be getting Battle Hymn #3 (133), Lions, Tigers and Bears (148), and Noble Causes #8, (151). I was stopped by Lullaby: Wisdom Seeker #1 (149), but I'm not sure it will make the list.

As usual, I didn't get Marvel Previews, but I'm still getting a handful of Marvel Comics (178). Young Avengers doesn't interest me at all. I will get Amazing Spider-Man #517 and Spider-Man: India #4. I'll note that Shanna, The She-Devil by Frank Cho is finally coming. I'm somewhat interested, but it doesn't look likely. Supreme Power #15 will also make the list. And, of course, Powers #9.

And finally, the last publisher on the list... DC Comics. As usual, section by section.

Batman (57-63): Just like last month, nothing. Not a book.

Superman (64-68): Nothing here, either.

DC Universe (69-82): Aquaman #27, I'm a little disappointed that we're getting Ocean Master... but then it's been a little while. Also on the list: Birds of Prey #79, Bloodhound #8, Green Arrow #47, Green Lantern: Rebirth #5, JLA #111, JLA Classified #4 (which is set prior to Identity Crisis), JSA #70, Outsiders #21, and Solo #3. I'll have to make some sort of decision on Seven Soldiers #0, but I'm leaning ever so slightly towards getting it despite the money problems.

Johnny DC (83-84): I have to get The Batman Strikes! #6 just because. And I'll get Justice League Unlimited #6 because of the possibility Aquaman will show up sometime.

Beyond the Universe (85-95): Still nothing.

Wildstorm (96-109): The Twilight Experiment #1 looks like I could enjoy it, but I'm not adding anything this month unless I'm pretty sure of it, so I probably won't get it.

Vertigo (110-121): I wanted to get It's A Bird..., but couldn't afford it. I'm still thinking about it as something to get later on, since I still can't afford it. Vimanarama #1 looks different. I'll have to skip it, but it certainly is odd-looking.

DC Direct (122-127): Neat Crisis on Infinite Earths figures. Don't want 'em, but they look cool.

Whew. So that's it for this month's "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". Comments? Questions? Did I miss any really cool books that you know about and would like to point out? Do you disagree with something I wrote, and want to correct me? There's the comments, right below. Post something. And, yes, I accept review copies. I'm willing to give almost anything a try.

Rapid Reviews - 8 December 2004 - Part I

Ah heck. As long as I'm in a groove, here's yet more reviews...

Captain America & The Falcon #10: "The Killers Club": I still can't quite figure out what's going on. So there are two "Captain America"s, and one falcon, and some Modok thing running around. Only Captain America isn't wearing his uniform, is he? Ah well. Maybe I'll catch up with it next issue.

New Avengers #1: "Breakout!" Part 1: Apparently this is the start of a new organization of the Avengers. I'm not overwhelmed. I'm not even particularly impressed. I'll have to see if it's good enough to keep getting.

Noble Causes #4: Oh! Nice triple-cliffhanger, Jay! I'm glad I ended up getting this the same day as the next issue, so I can read what happens next. The cliffhanger was in the right order, too, with the least intense one first. The entire book is three different plotlines progressing... and all progressing nicely. Recommended.

Batman Strikes! #4: "Without A Chance": Batman versus Bane in a story that attempts to present the idea that Batman doesn't need all his fancy gadgets to defeat the bad guys. I'm not sure it really succeeds, but it's not horrible. Just ok.

JSA #68: "Making History": Out of pure coincidence, I recently read a flashback story from 1979 that recounted the events that are central to the beginning of this tale. And the tale itself... well, I couldn't tell you how long threads from this story have been popping up in previous issues, but I have to admit I was thinking "It's about time!" (no pun intented) when this finally pulled together. Now I find myself actually interested in JSA for the first time in a long time.

Rising Stars #23: "Phoenix in Ascension" 2 of 3: I expected this to happen in the next issue! Now what will happen? Nothing left now but the explanations. This book is so much better with a great artist.

Still to review: Bloodhound, JLA, Aquaman, Samurai: Heaven & Earth, Demo, Powers, Noble Causes, PS238, and a few more. Also coming are my TV reviews and Flipping Through Previews.

Rapid Reviews - 1 December 2004

Street Angel #4: "Down in the Dumpster Blues": A really calm, tame story about an unexceptional homeless girl. Really. No ninjas, no killer octopi, just a girl and her skateboard looking for food. Like some other critics, I find it hard to believe that someone as resourceful as Jesse could remain homeless as long as she apparently has. Still, it's a good little story.

Outsiders #18: "Most Wanted" Part 2: Of all the possible cliffhangers ever written in a DC book, this is NOT one I would expect. I really don't have anything else to say.

Kindergoth #4: "Tiny Green Men": As one of the letters says, "This book is wrong on so many levels..." and yet it's still pretty funny. I'm thinking this one might merit a reread soon.

Fallen Angel #18: "Hurlyburly" Conclusion: Another nasty nasty. There really are a lot of nasty books in the last couple of weeks. Anyway, this one continues the development of Shadow Boxer, who becomes a sympathetic character quite nicely. The results of his choices are difficult... and the twists involved are equally nasty.

Justice League Unlimited #4: "Local Hero": I'm very familiar with the basic story of Adam Strange, but the little recap wasn't too bad. And it was important that the reader understand it to get the story. And it was a nice little story. Nothing special. It was nice to see a letter column again, though!

Coming Soon: This week's books. There are a LOT.