A Sunday Comic Books Review

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

• Nov 1st
• Justice League #32 - More of the Bat-crossover, Metal. Aquaman is up against AquaBatWoman, and apparently a massively mutated and massive Mera. Other than that? A lot of set up for an impossible situation to be continued in another book that I no longer read. Bleh. I hate these kind of crossovers that all too often infect superhero comics.
• Green Lanterns #34 - On the one hand, people who believe strongly in religions don't often switch so quickly... on the other hand, they were witnessing their world falling apart. So I guess even though Jessica's speech was cheesy, it was something to cling to. Lots of setup for future issues in this one, as well.
• Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands #1 - Hubby and I are watching the television show, but this is the first version of the comic I've read. I've known about Black Lightning for many years. I was disgusted to learn why the Super Friends version was renamed, and I'm happy Tony Isabella is finally getting his due for this character. It's kind of hard for me to simply judge this comic out of the context of how I learned about the history of the character... which is why I've included all that information. With all that said, I really enjoyed this. It isn't completely perfect, but it's a strong set up and it makes me want to read more, so that's all good. I believe this is a mini-series, but I would like to see this character with an ongoing some time.
• Bombshells United #5 - So, in the end, in the Bombshells universe the internment of the Japanese did not happen because a handful of people stood against it, then convinced more to stand, and using magic convinced even more. It's a nice dream, but as Dawnstar notes, it's not the history of every universe.
• Usagi Yojimbo #163 - Foul murder and the frame up of a Robin Hood ninja. The usual mess of gang intrigue and no honor among thugs is combined with some possibly bigger problems. As usual, this is a great story with fun new characters and two solid favorites. I quite like Nezumi. He seems to be a sensible thief, all things considered. Another solid issue of the most dependable comic book on the market.
• Nov 8th
• Titans #17 - Wowsa. A lot of history packed in there. Donna, I'm sure, has no problem with "wasting" that amount of time. But I have to wonder what else happened to Troia beyond simply outliving her friends that turned her into that sort of monster. Fate is cruel, but Donna isn't that person. Wowsa. Lots to think about here. Could simply watching everyone you've ever known and loved die off while you persist turn you into a killer? Ok, so there's her nature already, not human, but still!
• Scooby Apocalypse #19 - Oh, now this is one that really hurts. Adults being what they are, they didn't listen when Cliffy told them the truth. And Daphne is a little too trigger-happy for my tastes. Cliffy is going to be a really interesting character should he survive much longer. No, this isn't my childhood Scooby-Doo, but I'm really loving this book.
• Spongebob Comics #74 - No Mermaid Man, and the Pirates really seem to have vacated the place. This issue was all about friendship - and took the usual SpongeBob approach to the subject. I'm not entirely sure how Squidward survived, to be honest. All-in-all, a fun little issue.
• Nov 15th
• Aquaman #30 - A nicely balanced issue, with just enough movement on all the storylines. The consequences of Mera's damaged necklace, the guilt of Tempest, the continued mish-mash of Atlantis' underworld, and of course the main story of the battle between Aquaman and Rath. My one quibble is that King Shark really seems to prefer surface life to living underwater, and I wasn't aware before that he got caught in the city. But if he happened to be in town when it all went down, it's reasonable that he would become an underworld leader. Up next appears to be the annual. Good stuff, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.
• Justice League #33 - More of the Metal crossover, which means I don't understand everything that's going on because I didn't purchase the crossover or the many tie-ins. From this sample, I don't regret my decision. There's an evil Joker/Batman thing, and the league were captured but Cyborg busts them loose. Sort of. Aquaman is there but doesn't do a lot. So I'm fairly meh about the whole thing.
• Green Lanterns #35 - Blustering idiot doesn't know how to contact Green Lanterns except by annoying them with threats and damage. Lovely. An ok issue, but I'm not sure Jessica is likely to still have a job after that incident.
• Bombshells United #6 - I'm not really sure what this one was all about. It seems to be mostly a lot of set-up for future stories, and the introduction of new characters to this universe. At least there was a one-panel appearance of Mera and Arthur.
• Wonder Woman/Conan #3 - Not good at following orders? Who would've thunk it. The crows are getting more excitement than they bargained for, which really ought to please them in the end. I mean, they're bored and just want something exciting, right?
• Doctor Strange #381 - Loki? Really? I mean, I'm not exactly a hater on Loki, but I was hoping for some stories about, you know, Doctor Strange. Hopefully this will be a short storyline.
• Nov 22nd
• Teen Titans #14 - Titans to the rescue! There to save Damian's worthless butt. I like Emiko, but man, somebody needs to smack Damian around a bit, mentally. I'm kind of hoping that final revelation is going to be the act of smacking.
• Batman Beyond #14 - Well, the Royal Flush Gang is back in action and as annoying as ever (in that good, goofy way). It's also nice to see Terry getting his life back in gear now that Dana is aware of why he's a lying liar. As an aside, I wonder if one of the reasons I like Aquaman is because he never really had a secret identity and thus never had to lie to everyone?
• Astro City #49 - Oh man, that's one of those intense little stories about family and superpowers that I wasn't expecting to hit quite as hard as it did. Once she realized there was no possibility of him being alive, I wanted to cry along with her. And still, he was there at every protest. Another sort of eternal life. Intense. I love this book.
• Scooby Doo Team Up #32 - Holy carp-on-a-stick! It wasn't until I was reading this that I remembered watching the show a lot as a child. I hadn't really recognized him on the cover. But the comic captured the character perfectly and I was sent back into childhood. Fun stuff.
• Saucer State #5 - Guh? There was some serious Fortean Philosophy in this one, and as much as I liked it, it was difficult to wrap my noggin around. At least we seem to be getting closer to a conclusion in this case.
• Nov 29th
• Aquaman Annual: Crownspire #1 - Black Mercy. That's an oddly appealing way to die. Tula said there were many bodies down there... the probability is that they died peacefully, thinking they were in their ideal world. Unless the plant/creature/alien/magic works differently than I think it does. I always tend to enjoy Black Mercy stories, since they are basically Elseworlds tales with a framing sequence. This one introduces us to yet another child of Mera and Arthur - so just in the last month of comics we've got a daughter and a son. At some point I need to gather up all the various children of Aquaman and figure out just how many different versions there have been. I kind of would like to see them have all of them - just a huge Aqua-family with lots of kids and grandkids running around. *ahem* I thought, wrongly, that this annual would actually be part of the ongoing storyline. Now that I know it isn't, I'm even more eager to get to December's books and start reading.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

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

• Aug 16th
• Aquaman #27 - So, even in Atlantis it's the year of the woman? I'm a little surprised that the Widowhood would be pushing for this, but then... no, I guess I'm not. They are powerful, secretive and a very nice addition to the mythos of Atlantis. I like having them as a counterpoint to Vulko's scholarly lore. As for Mera and Garth - well, he just used his powers in front of the Titans, so I expect he'll eventually give in on this as well. In the old continuity, Garth was pulled out of time and studied magic with Atlan himself. This version is a little less keen on it, I see. Oh, there's so much good in this.
• Justice League #27 - Uh oh. The children are hiding something from their parents. Probably the identity of Sovereign, who is being painted as Wonder Woman at the moment. Simon's future looks somewhat bleak, even if he seems pleased with the idea of killing Sinestro. He's a healer, not a fear-monger. And Arthur successfully sneaking up on Batman? That's something.
• Astro City #46 - And the whole thing comes together, but still is slightly lost. I think if he ever figures it out (with the help of the audience, right?) then he'll be much happier. What is the musical hero that lives in Astro City, and when will his time come to shine? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to it.
• Green Lanterns #29 - Training is great and all, but clearly this was a case of seeing-is-believing. Once the brand new Green Lanterns saw what they were up against, they had no more quibbles that the mission was important. Now I wonder exactly how this is going to play out. We have hints and bits from future events, but there are a lot of unanswered questions. It's good to be excited about a Green Lantern book again.
• DC Comics Bombshells #33 - And that was that. I think this is the final issue of the series. The newly launched Bombshells United will be up next, and I hope to see Mera and maybe Arthur in that as well. For the moment, though, we have a nice conclusion with Kara making the right choice. Interesting that the Wall claims this is just the first act, though.
• Teen Titans Go #23 - Yeah, I wouldn't much want to babysit Superman after he's been affected by Kryptonite, either. What's really funny to me, though, is Aqualad's resigned look when the baby shows up on their door at the end of the story. The other story, of the Teen Titans being broke and needing to sell their skills to pay the bills, was just annoying.
• Aug 23rd
• Teen Titans #11 - Well, Damian had a good moment of encouragement in this issue. Nice of him to help Jackson trigger his powers. Even funnier that Damian appears to have suffered a broken arm. Maybe Starfire will take over for a bit longer and straighten out the team.
• Batman Beyond #11 - And more Damian... love of a pet is a powerful thing. Unfortunately, I just don't buy that Damian would turn around so completely so quickly just because his father was being killed. The ending to this one seemed a bit abrupt.
• Scooby Doo Team Up #29 - Nice. I wasn't expecting the formula to get turned upside-down like this. I'm a little surprised at how quickly the real estate developers folded, though. They are usually made of sterner stuff. I guess getting sprayed with water and knocked into the air by Shaggy and Scooby was enough to make the appearance of the ghost a final straw.
• Doctor Strange #24 - This appears to be the final issue of the annoying crossover. One can only hope.
• Saucer State #3 - Fairy cakes and presidential aides. I was hoping to see some reaction on her part - some opening of her understanding, or at least an indication that she'd taken something unusual. Heh. And the quest... ha. I wasn't at all surprised, but I was amused. I really hope I understand this whole thing once it finishes. Paul Cornell's writing can be fiendish, but always rewarding at the end if you can put the pieces together.
• Sep 6th
• Justice League #28 - Ayup. It certainly looks more likely now that Wonder Woman is the threat of the future. I can't quite imagine how she's going to react to that, but we know what the children think they have to do. I like seeing Mera as a mother, and I wonder if she's going to be important in handling future Aquaman? Definitely a strange storyline.
• Green Lanterns #30 - Those rings still need some work before they are ready for prime-time if four of them pick Simon all at once. Speaking of, why didn't Jan-Al's ring find Simon earlier? Was it the moment when he overcame great fear that attracted them all? In any case, Volthoom isn't going to enjoy what comes next, I'm guessing.
• Bombshells United #1 - Ah. WWII wasn't all good vs evil, despite what our history books say. Executive Order 9066 is definitely one of those evils that the "good" guys did. And it's very bold of this series to tackle that problematic period of history.
• Astro City #47 - Who's a good dog? Well, Hank is clearly a very good dog and a very good influence on Andy. Whether or not G-Dog is itself a good dog... well, the actions are good, but as Andy himself reflects, his origins are problematic. And, as the cliffhanger points out so heart-breakingly, his future is also a bit problematic. Oh, I love this book.
• Usagi Yojimbo #161 - Yay, another Inspector Ishida book! And a murder mystery! And Kitsune as a prime witness! And... wait, who called the police? Oooh, this book is so great. I consistently enjoy it.
• Sep 13th
• Titans #15 - Huh. Nightwing's explanation actually makes sense, especially followed up with a plea for help. But here's the thing - I know a lot about Raven and her danger to the world, but I don't know a flipping thing about Omen. I just haven't delved deep enough into Titans lore to understand how she is a threat to anything. And my main source of Titans history is no longer with us. So I don't know what the feathers indicate, and I'm not sure what is happening. I did very much enjoy Garth's "admission" and everyone saying "We know." But this book has some mysteries yet for me.
• Teen Titans #12 - A crossover. As I haven't got much of the Metal books, since it's a Bat-thing, I don't really care for the story. Especially since it's also Damian-based. Pass.
• Scooby Apocalypse #17 - You have no idea how disappointed I am that Scrappy not only survived, but came back in the next issue. Ug. Minus that bad news, however, this is a decent issue. I was particularly tickled by Shaggy falling asleep the way he did and the result of that unfortunate nap.
• Spongebob Comics #72 - Who knew blowing bubbles could be so dangerous? Pretty standard issue of this comic, although it's missing the usual fourth-wall cast of pirate characters.
• Sep 20th
• Aquaman #28 - Three solid story threads, with a couple more just for spice, each one focusing on main characters: Arthur with Dolphin, Mera and Tempest and Vulko (squee!) who is almost back to his normal scholarly self as he waltzes through ghosts with nary a worry. Oh man, I am beginning to really love this book. If this quality is maintained, I'll be a happy fish for quite some time.
• Justice League #29 - Just a note, I'm both amused an annoyed at how Mera is portrayed on the covers of Justice League - mostly in Arthur's colors to indicate that an Aqua-character is part of the cast. Ahem. I was waiting for the reunion between Mera and the future Arthur, and it was as distressing as I expected it to be - as well as the cliffhanger! I definitely accept that Aquaman could take out the rest of the league given those enhancements and all of Batman's knowledge (and his toolbox). That said, I still need to see what made him turn into Curry and become a horror to the future children.
• Green Lanterns #31 - Sacrifice and death and multiple rings... but it was Jessica who stopped the madness just long enough for the end to happen. I think she's turning out to be a different and much better Lantern than anyone, especially herself, could expect. But then, she also experienced the Volthoom of Power Ring, so she has a completely unique perspective on what it means to wield a light power. Baz, now... I expected the fact that parts of his ring were imbedded in his arm to have a major significance. I'm still kind of hoping they will. I wasn't expecting to see him get one of the first rings at the end of the story.
• Wonder Woman/Conan #1 - Yanna, huh? Not Di-Yanna? Ahem. This starts out very much like a typical Conan story, but the appearance of Wonder Woman throws a spanner in the works. I'm not sure how she got there or why she bears a resemblance to a childhood sweetheart of Conan, but it'll be an interesting trip to find out.
• Wonder Woman '77 and Bionic Woman #6 - I watched both shows religiously as a child, but I don't know enough about the villains to understand the conclusion to their story beyond the surface aspects. That said, I enjoyed this series for the most part, although it got very slow and wordy in the middle.
• Doctor Strange #25 - I really do enjoy these mixed styles stories - where one story is not only set in the past but also is done in an older art style. In this one, Strange remembers a past adventure which somehow triggers powers in somebody else. The story is nicely creepy as Strange remembers more and more and finally admits that he made a mistake. Interesting storytelling, and a nice return to the book after an annoying crossover.
• Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror #23 - Three fun little stories that break all the rules, starting with a retelling of IT featuring young Homer and Marge as the children in the first part. Amusing, but I'm sure I would enjoy it even more if I was more familiar with IT. The second story was about an alien invasion that took a strangely familiar form, and had some oddly resonant pathos at the end. The final story featured the Comic Book Guy getting an (almost) perfect curse. Pity he didn't become a polydactyl. It was an amusing tale (tail?).
• Sep 27th
• Batman Beyond #12 - Another "year of the woman" issue. Max teams up with a new Bat in the slums to save Barbara Gordon. I quite liked the tricks of this one, how Max uses her strengths to fight and how a new team seems to be getting it together while the boys are off fighting each other to death.
• Bombshells United #2 - Clayface is a tough one to fight when there are a number of people running around in a dark and rainy forest. I wonder which forest they're in? This issue is a little bit preachy. Admittedly, the subject lends itself to preachiness, but it's not as strong as it could be.
• Scooby Doo Team Up #30 - Basically there are dozens of adventuring teams in the DC Universe running around saving the world. That's what I get from this issue of this book. It's hilarious, and the inclusion of Rip Hunter along with all the others is amazing. The Sea Devils, Cave Carson, the Challengers... it's a bit much. Amusing, but a bit much.
• Saucer State #4 - I'm really wondering how this is all going to play out. It seems like the president is in an impossible spot, trying to hide what happened while dealing with what amounts to a full-scale paradigm change for the entire world. And her ex! For some reason seeing the driver turn into an animal made me crack up in ways I probably shouldn't have... especially since that scene is on the cover! I'm just along for the ride and hoping it will make sense when I read the final issue.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #6 - And Edison takes care of the threat? But that final revelation makes me cringe. And why did Annie walk away from Edison without getting the answers she needed? Another series is promised, and I'm sure we'll be getting it. This has been a lot of fun in very strange ways.

NOTE: I'm removing the Doctor Who comics from the weekly lists because of irregular shipping issues. I'll be trying to review them as I reach them in the weekly piles, but I'll put those reviews at the end of my updates as I'm able.

And with this, I'm up to October's books... just as February is underway. Well, I hope I can keep up the pace and get a few more comics read and capsuled. Maybe I'll even catch up.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

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

• Jun 21st
• Aquaman #25 - I've been lukewarm on this series so far, but this issue... it seemed to click. I like the idea of Arthur following Bruce's lead and becoming a vigilante in his own city. I love the idea of him working to become a legend. And I have always wanted Vulko to be the hero he really ought to be, instead of a traitor. So this one hit all the right notes for me. Particularly Tula and Mera at the lighthouse. Mera trying to work through her grief while Tula fights to keep her in the world - yeah, I can feel that. The introduction of Dolphin was nicely sudden, and different from previous versions (I'm assuming that's Dolphin). Good stuff, I think. More motive for me to work on catching up with my reading and reviews... I'm only seven months behind...
• Justice League #23 - The alternate cover of this issue has nothing to do with the story - and features Aquaman prominently. The story itself? Not a sign of Aquaman. This is a Jessica Cruz story featuring Batman and Wonder Woman with an appearance by Cyborg. It's not a bad story, but I'm not sure it really ought to be a Justice League story.
• Green Lanterns #25 - I admit I'm a little confused by the middle section there, and how Rami and Volthoom got to where they were. Otherwise it was an ok issue. I do like linking Jessica and Volthoom again - that works.
• DC Comics Bombshells #29 - And suddenly there's a Superman in the Bombshells' universe - and better yet, he's a clone. I love it. This one is mostly interesting because it examines how Supergirl is still dealing with the loss of her sister, but turning that grief into action. Good stuff, even if there's no Mera.
• Teen Titans Go #22 - More of the usual, starting with an ode to the various singing competition shows and followed up by an artificial prom put on by Starfire. It was ok, but then, I'm not in the target audience.
• Doctor Strange #22 - More crossover. More boring.
• Spider-Man 2099 #24 - Time travel is so dangerous, and Miguel is trying so hard to fix the future that he's kind of ignoring the future he ought to have. This is going to end soon, I know, but I'm really enjoying this book.
• Doctor Who 10th #3.6 - Tying up old storylines and getting set up for new ones. That's ok for an issue of a comic, but then you throw in a completely unexpected cameo of someone who ought not to be there, and suddenly it becomes a lot more interesting. Mild sort of cliffhanger, but that's fine. Gonna have to think about this one.
• Doctor Who 12th #3.4 - A happy story with a happy ending, as Hattie's music helps an alien ship get free and Hattie's bravery rescues the Doctor when he's knocked senseless. I almost wish Hattie would stay on as a regular, since she's one of the more level-headed companions of all time.
• Forever War #5 - This issue does an interesting job emphasizing the changes in society that have happened during Mandella's time in the war. Alone, a relic from the past, doing a job he doesn't feel qualified for and doesn't want. Yeah, this is not a happy story by any means, though it has moments of amusement.
• Spongebob Comics Annual #5 - This one is jam-packed with oddness, including a D&D type adventure, a riff on Alice in Wonderland, a Mermaid Man story that will make anyone cringe, and a choose-your-own-adventure story. Amusing, and at the level of the cartoon. As always, if you enjoy the cartoon, you'll probably enjoy the comic. I buy the comic for the Mermaid Man appearances, personally.
• Jun 28th
• Teen Titans #9 - If someone had set out to write an issue of this comic for me, the result wouldn't have been half as good as this actually was. I criticized Justice League last week for being too focused on one character, and this issue is definitely Jackson's story - but it's also a solid book about the entire group and how he fits in. This just works, from top to bottom. And there was an actual revelation I didn't have spoiled for me about Jackson's mother, so that was even better. A nicely strong issue that moves the plot along and has a lovely cliffhanger, too. More like this, DC!
• Batman Beyond #9 - Damian. I don't like him in Teen Titans, and I don't like him here. But then, he's not meant to be a sympathetic character for most people. This issue feels more traditional than recent issues of this book, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I'll just have to wait and see how it plays out in the end.
• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #6 - That ending is quite the tease. I liked how this series moved through Batman's life, with Wonder Woman being herself the entire time while first Bruce and then Dick grew up. A fun book, and a fun story. And maybe someday that tease will result in something else? One can always hope.
• Wonder Woman '77 and Bionic Woman #5 - The inclusion of too many villains made this book tedious for awhile, but this issue gets us back to form with plenty of action and a clear plotline to follow. I never thought that endless scenes of battle would be better than character development, but this book seems to be intent on turning everything on its head.
• Astro City #45 - Wow. This storyline has been a long time in developing and moving, but it certainly feels like it's finally coming to a climax soon. I love the concept of a superhero who is the personification of counter-culture, and I'm a little sad at the apparent memory loss associated with it. This is going to be one incredible read once the whole thing is out and done. I'm going to have to gather my issues for a reread.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #27 - Plastic Man joins the gang for a bit of fun. Woozy is a nice character for comic relief, which meant he fit right in with Scooby and Shaggy. Plas himself is often amusing, but with all the comic relief, he mostly played it straight - and that worked for the story. Fun as always!
• Saucer State #2 - Lots of choices for the president now, and lots of ways this could possibly go. I still feel like we're going to have the rug pulled out from under us at some point, since that's what the last series did. I'm just not sure where I'm standing or where the rug is.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #4 - Well, I didn't see two of those plot threads coming at all. I mean, Annie is tough, but nobody is that tough. And as for the leader of the Anarchists (isn't that a contradiction in terms?), that was a shocker too. This book is still gobs of fun with its historical veneer.
• Jul 5th
• Justice League #24 - Ok, yeah, I'm delighted to see an issue devoted to Mera, of all people... but should this really have been a Justice League issue? I felt like Teen Titans managed to balance the concept of a team book with a focus on one character, but the last two issues of Justice League haven't. Am I just being overly picky? As for the story itself, I really liked it. Mera geniunely doesn't know how powerful she is, and taking down the entire league after trying for days to get into Atlantis and being exhausted? Yeah, that's Mera. Rath is gonna regret making her angry.
• Green Lanterns #26 - The first ring, the first ringbearer, and the results of having a ring that powerful - a good story to tell, and probably the appropriate spot in the ongoing story to put it. Most of the general flow of the story was already hinted at in earlier issues, it was just the details the the dumb story about the guitar that were missing. Now we know. So, what happens next?
• DC Comics Bombshells #30 - It seems that several storylines converged in Leningrad, and now that Supergirl's is mostly done, it's time for Raven to step up and find her father. In the meantime, her friends are also on their way and we get another hero - Swamp Thing! As much as I want to see Mera and Arthur again, this is pretty fun.
• Doctor Who 12th #3.5 - OooOOoh, are we finally going to get an explanation for the Waters of Mars in relation to the Ice Warriors? I'm intrigued. And I like Vikings, too, so this is a good start for me.
• Doctor Who Ghost Stories #4 - Ah, a nice conclusion to a story that was based on a television story that was only just ok. I'm glad it's done, and I think Grant works much better in this context than on TV. Good stuff.
• Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day 2017 - A nicely done story that concerns a single race of beings on a single planet - through four incarnations of the Doctor. In each incarnation, the Doctor helps a little and perhaps harms a little - but only at the request of the people. A fun story in which we get to see lots of different characters.
• Jul 12th
• Titans #13 - Wait, Omen? Ok, I'm still trying to get used to the idea that she and Garth are an item, but for this to happen... my head is spinning a little. I enjoyed this issue, although it was mostly a fight. I wonder about Wally and whatever is happening to him. Clearly the book has got me to care about the characters, so that's a good thing.
• Scooby Apocalypse #15 - I'm still surprised at how much I'm enjoying this comic, considering how completely off the rocker it is for Scooby-Doo. But I'm even liking how Scrappy is portrayed in this issue, which probably means I'm feverish again.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #6 - Oh, that ending wasn't ominous at all... and the rest was a bit scary. The DC Universe that this book takes place in definitely has been changed by these events. This was a fun series, but will there be a follow-up?
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #9 - The Kitten-Shark was my favorite bit of that first tv series (we haven't watched the second one yet), so I was amused at the implications of one Dirk's cat being the inspiration for the other Dirk's kitten. And that final shot of Bernice swimming away from Dirk and Sally was cute as well. I also liked the bear and the kitten-shark face-off.
• Spongebob Comics #70 - It's the last issue of an epic that features the writer/artist of the SpongeBob Comic being hunted down by two pirates, and it's got a bit of a Silver Age feel to it with the goofy monster. I do like that the garbage patch is explained both in the comic and in another page. Maybe it will teach someone somewhere to use less plastic and recycle? We can hope. No Mermaid Man, but an ok issue.

A Sunday Review

Hugo 2016 novel review: The Just City by Jo Walton.

Another recommended book I jumped into reading without checking too much about it first. I was able to figure out that this was the first of a series before I started, so I wasn't going to end up shocked by the end. Well, at least not shocked because it's the first of a series...

First up: the completely non-spoiler review. Take a group of philosophers from all throughout time who have read Plato's Republic and want to make it a reality. How are they going to do it? How closely must they stick to Plato's original concept? And how can that concept survive the harsh realities of life that Plato didn't have a clue about? To say the ideas in this book are amazing is to praise it too faintly. The execution of those ideas? Well, I found the descriptions of sex to be unsettling, although understandable in the context of the story. Beyond that, almost everything odd in the tale is attributable to the situation.

Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Nal fgbel gung pyvznkrf jvgu n qrongr orgjrra Nguran naq Fbpengrf unf gb unir fbzrguvat tbvat sbe vg, evtug? Bx, V ernyyl jnfa'g rkcrpgvat gur qrongr gb raq gung jnl, ohg V fhccbfr V sbetbg fbzr bs zl qrgnvyf nobhg ubj Nguran naq gur Terrx tbqf graqrq gb npg jura gurl ner hcfrg.

Univat abg ernq Cyngb erpragyl, V jnf hapregnva ubj pybfr gur znfgref jrer fgvpxvat gb gur grkg rkprcg jura gur obbx vgfrys zragvbaf vg. V pbafgnagyl sryg yvxr V fubhyq or erernqvat zl napvrag grkgf gb xrrc hc jvgu gur fgbel, ohg gurer jrer rabhtu pyhrf vg jnfa'g erdhverq... vg whfg frrzrq yvxr vg zvtug unir znqr zber frafr vs V qvq.

Fvzzrn vf n vqrny yvggyr punenpgre, nyzbfg n Znel Fhr va znal jnlf. Fur unf ure unat-hcf, ohg V fhfcrpg gung zbfg bs gur tveyf jbhyq gnxr gb gur pvgl orggre guna gur oblf, naljnl. Sebz gur svefg cntrf Fvzzrn znxrf vg pyrne gung vg'f gur npgvbaf bs gur znfgref bs gur pvgl gung pnhfrq ure snzvyl gb or xvyyrq naq ure gb orpbzr n fynir, juvpu vf bar bs gur ovttrfg synjf bs gur pvgl vgfrys. Gur znfgref qvqa'g ernyvmr gung gurl'q frg gurzfryirf hc sbe snvyher jvgu gurve pubvpr gb erghea rnpu lrne sbe zber fynirf, frggvat hc n qrznaq. Ohg va Fvzzrn'f pnfr, fur sbetvirf gurz sbe vg, juvpu znxrf ure n yvggyr vqrnyvfgvp. Jura nyy vf fnvq naq qbar, fur qbrf frrz gbb tbbq gb or gehr.

V jvyy abgr gung Fvzzrn'f qrfpevcgvba bs ure cbfgcneghz qrcerffvba fgehpx ubzr sbe zr. Ab, V'ir arire unq n onol, ohg V xabj qrcerffvba, naq V erpbtavmr gung srryvat bs abguvat orvat erny. Juvyr V jnf qryvtugrq gung fur jnf pherq, V fbeg bs jvfurq rirelbar jub fhssref sebz qrcerffvba pbhyq or fb rnfvyl pherq.

Ncbyyb'f cynpr va gur fgbel vf zhpu orggre ernyvmrq. Uvf jvyyvatarff gb orpbzr uhzna naq rkcrevrapr rirelguvat sbe uvzfrys vf terng. Nf gur fgbel cebterffrf, ur tebjf nf jryy, va jnlf gung ner ernyvfgvp rabhtu gb znxr uvf cneg bs gur gnyr haqrefgnaqnoyr naq pbzcryyvat.

Birenyy, V jnf zvyqyl qvfnccbvagrq va fbzr nfcrpgf bs gur fgbel ohg zbfgyl vagevthrq ol gur vqrnf, juvpu vf jung gur fgbel vf nyy nobhg naljnl: vqrnf naq ubj gurl genafyngr vagb ernyvgl. Vg'f nyy nobhg gur vqrnf. Guvf vf abg gur orfg obbx V'ir ernq guvf lrne, ohg vg'f sne sebz gur jbefg.

In conclusion, this is on my maybe list. I might read the sequel, already out, "The Philosopher Kings" to find out what happens next. If it's better than this one, I might nominate it instead.

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Hugo 2016 short story reviews:

• "Sea Change" by Kimberly Unger is about adaptation in the face of drastic change. In this case, it's a bit of technology meant for a particular purpose that has to decide what sort of adaptations it is allowed. I found the setting mildly confusing at first, then the clues filtered in and I began to understand the world and its people. A very nice little story, worth checking out. Note: the direct link may be active for a limited time.


• "Robot Boss" by Erick Melton is about the limitations and screw-ups of modern technology. It's a fun little story about a guy troubleshooting through a nasty little problem to get both a decent answer and more. I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm afraid I wouldn't put it on the top of my list of short stories of the year.


• "Mightier Than The Sword" by Arlene F. Marks is a powerful little superhero tale, told quickly and completely in the form of an interview with a hero called Ultraman. The story is about how all superpowers aren't obvious, and how that could be very dangerous if a child seems normal among other children who have outward signs of power. An interesting tale, but there's a plot hole or two, and a tiny bit of cliche as well. This one is good, but not likely to be on my ballot.


• "Endgame" by Barry Charman is about artificial intelligence, and how it might be measured. Or not. It's a little sneaky, this story. There's an undertow in it ready to pull you along if you think about it. Quite enjoyable for an extremely short story.

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Hugo 2016 novelette reviews:

• "Brigas Nunca Mais" by Martin L. Shoemaker is about duty and its conflict with young romance. The story is set at a wedding, with the happy groom telling a tale about his superior officer to his bride. The ending was almost predictable, but the final words were the bit that break the heart and make you want to cry a little. A powerful little tale. Definitely worth reading.


• "Sacred Cows: Death and Squalor on the Rio Grande" by A.S. Diev. I really feel for Maria, and part of me wished she'd walked away a bit faster. As for the rest... whew. Yeah, a horrible future, showing what genetic manipulation in the hands of people who have too much money and too little concern for human life can lead to. Overall, a nicely plotted story, if depressing in its implications and slightly stereotyped. I can't even say the ending is sad... tragic, of course, but I'm not sure about sad.

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Hugo 2016 novella review:

• Entrepreneurs by Robert Grossbach. Is the story of a man whose had a few failures in life and a few problems, but accidentally runs across an opportunity of a lifetime. Which, of course, doesn't work out exactly as planned. It works out, eventually, and that's the fun of the story. It's not a story about failure, but there's a lot in there about how much it takes to succeed. Plus, aliens. Awesome little aliens. And even a sort of homage to Douglas Adams. Overall, a very fun little tale.

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My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.

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

• Aug 5th
• Green Lantern #43 - Wow, Hal is really annoying. As is his ship and his guests.
• Batman Beyond #3 - So Batman gets out of a jam, only to land himself in a bigger jam? That sounds like the BB I know. Too bad it's not actually Terry.
• Flash: Season Zero #11 - Basically a history of Captain Cold and Heatwave, not a lot to recommend it, really. Not heavy on story, not heavy on plot. It's kind of meh, all in all.
• Big Game Hunters #2 - I wish the art was a little less... um... decorative. It is too busy for me. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the story. I just feel like there are too many bits where the art detracts instead of sustains it.
• Big Game Hunters #3 - And in the same week, the final issue also arrives. Again, the art is a problem. It just needs some minor tweaking here and there to make things more clear, and it wouldn't be a problem. As it is, this isn't a great series, but I enjoyed the characters.
• Mage Inc. #2 - Good artwork mixed with an amusing if slightly incomprehensible story, told from the point of view of a character who is nearly as clueless as the reader, and it comes out to be a pretty good book overall! I'm definitely enjoying this one.
• UFOlogy #4 - And we're getting close to finding out just what's going on here. The whole situation is difficult, but the kids are handling it very nicely compared to the adults. This is one I'm going to have to reread once it's done to figure it out, but I'm actually looking forward to that.
• This Damned Band #1 - So, a 1970's band that has the evil persona of having sold their souls to the devil... doesn't realize they've actually sold their souls. The idea is sound enough, but I'm curious to see how far this goes. Not my favorite book of the year, and definitely not for children.

NOTE: For Hugo purposes, the books to keep an eye on from this week's review are Mage Inc., UFOlogy and This Damned Band. Mage Inc has interesting characters but the art is a little unfinished, so I'm not sure it's quite there. UFOlogy is a complex tale that really needs to be read at once, but might have the chops, it depends on the ending. This Damned Band promises to be complex and odd: but I've never been disappointed by the ideas in a Paul Cornell comic, just sometimes stunned by the execution of said ideas.

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

A Sunday Review

My book this week was Seveneves by Neal Stephenson.

This is another recommended book that I'd heard about a long time ago and considered reading. Until I decided to try nominating for the Hugos, I really wasn't sure if I would read it, but the instant I got my membership for Sasquan I put it on hold at the library. I finally got it, and it took me a solid week to read.

First up: the completely non-spoiler review. This is one of those books that makes you think hard about what is important in life and in the world. It's a very bleak story at the start, with plenty of descriptions of technology and ingenuity. There are heroes and villains, unexpected moments of this and that, and multiple scenarios played out along the way. It's a big book, and it's very interesting, but it has flaws.

Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Guvf vf n obbx bs gjb znva cnegf. Gur svefg gjb guveqf bs gur obbx vf n qvfnfgre fgbel bs gur tevzzrfg glcr. Bs pbhefr, gur svefg cneg vf qvivqrq vagb gjb cnegf: gur qvfnfgre vgfrys naq gur cbyvgvpny znarhiref nsgre nzbat jung'f yrsg bs gur uhzna enpr. Gur svany cneg bs gur obbx gnxrf cynpr 5000 lrnef yngre naq srryf yvxr n pbzcyrgryl qvssrerag fgbel... naq lrg gur svefg cneg jbhyqa'g or pbzcyrgr jvgubhg gur frpbaq naq gur frpbaq jbhyq oneryl fgnaq nybar jvgubhg gur svefg.

V'z ernyyl tynq Qbbo tbg gb frg sbbg ba Pyrsg. Orlbaq gung, gubhtu... jbj, jung n qrcerffvat "raq" gb gur uhzna enpr. V shyyl rkcrpgrq zber crbcyr gb znxr vg gb gurve arj ubzr. Jura gur fgbel mvccrq guebhtu gubfr guerr lrnef naq gurer jrer bayl 20-fbzr crbcyr yrsg, V jnf fubpxrq. Ohg ng yrnfg V svanyyl tbg gur zrnavat bs gur gvgyr bs gur obbx jura gurl tbg qbja gb frira. V ungrq gung Whyvn jnf bar bs gurz. Juvyr V unq n ivfpreny ernpgvba gb gur arj ivyynva, V qvqa'g svaq ure nf zranpvat nf Whyvn.

Jvgubhg Whyvn, n ybg zber crbcyr jbhyq unir fheivirq. Gur obyvqr fgevxr gung xvyyrq fb znal jbhyq unir orra hayvxryl gb uvg, orpnhfr gur flfgrz jbhyq abg unir orra pbashfrq ol gur snxr obyvqr, naq gur fjnez jbhyq abg unir tbar bss ol vgfrys gb qvr fybjyl. Sbe gung znggre, gur Znegvnaf? Gurl jbhyq unir yvirq nf jryy, nffhzvat gurl qvqa'g znxr vg gb Znef, n snpg gung vf arire ernyyl nqqerffrq, nygubhtu vg vf rkgerzryl hayvxryl.

V sbhaq zlfrys trggvat n yvggyr oberq ol nyy gur grpuavpny vasb-qhzcf. Lrf, gurl ner snfpvangvat naq vg'f avpr gur nhgube fcrag gvzr guvaxvat nobhg ubj guvatf jbhyq npghnyyl jbex, ohg nsgre gur svsgu be fvkgu gvzr gur fgbel vf vagreehcgrq ol na vasb-qhzc ba gur grpu, V whfg jnagrq gb fnl, "Trg ba jvgu gur sernxva' fgbel, nyernql!" Fbzr bs gubfr grpuavpny ovgf jbhyq unir orra terng nf na nccraqvk sbe crbcyr jub ernyyl jnag gb ernq gurz. Fbzr jbexrq va cynpr. Ohg birenyy, gurl qenttrq gur fgbel gb n unyg, ercrngrqyl. Ol guvf gbxra, guvf obbx naablrq zr nf zhpu nf gur Guerr-Obql Ceboyrz, juvpu nyfb xrcg orvat qenttrq gb n unyg ol bire-rkcynangvba. Ybbx, V ybirq Gur Znegvna, naq vg'f nyy grpuab fghss, ohg gurer unf gb or n onynapr, naq V guvax Frirarirf sryy ba gur "gbb zhpu vasbezngvba" fvqr bs gur fpnyr n srj gbb znal gvzrf.

Gur bgure fheivibef jrer n ovg bs n fhecevfr gb zr. V sryg, fgbel-jvfr, gung Qvanu'f snzvyl unq gb fheivir gur qvfnfgre, ohg znlor abg gur ragver 5000 lrnef. V jnf yrff fher bs gur fhoznevar perj. Ohg vg jnf cerggl pyrne gb zr gung jura Xngu Gjb fnj gur fgenatre, gung jnf Qvanu'f eryngvirf, ubcrshyyl abg vaoerq. Gur sbyx bs gur frn jrer n uhtr fhecevfr, ohg gur rkcynangvba sebz gur cubgbf jbexrq sbe zr.

Gur obbx qrcerffrq zr. V ernyyl sryg gur cbjre bs gur qvfnfgre fgbel, naq V'z abg fher ubj ybat vg'yy gnxr zr gb trg bire vg. Jung jbhyq V qb vs V unq gjb lrnef gb yvir? Uneq gb fnl. Uneq gb pbzceruraq. Vg qvqa'g dhvgr tvir zr avtugznerf, ohg V qvq guvax nobhg vg n yvggyr gbb zhpu.

In conclusion, this is a thought-provoking and powerful work, dragged down a bit by too much technical information. Like the Three-Body Problem, I'm sure many people loved it much more than me, but, like TBP, I probably won't nominate it for a Hugo or vote for it if it makes the ballot: because reading it sometimes felt like a chore of plowing through too much techno-speak to find the story underneath.

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I also read a novelette:

• "Tasha's Fail-Safe" by Adam Troy-Castro is a solid little stand-alone story about a terrifying method of protecting a person's secrets. I wasn't aware until after reading the story that one of the characters has appeared before, although that little factoid cleared up a couple of lines in the novelette that hadn't made much sense. I enjoyed the story enough I might just look up more of the character in the future. As for the Hugo nominations, I don't know. It's good and it sticks with me, so it has a chance.

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I've also read short stories:

• "Find a Way Home" by Paul Cornell is a story I couldn't resist reading for personal reasons. Many years ago I was in an online discussion group with Paul, and he ended up Tuckerizing me in a Doctor Who novel. That said, I've followed his career with much interest ever since, especially enjoying his connections to Fortean society. This is a very Fortean story. A young man sees a UFO... then events continue from there, including na ENS enqne bcrengbe qbvat jung znal crbcyr wbxr nobhg gur zvyvgnel qbvat ertneqvat HSBf. This is a fun and somewhat happy story, and manages some character growth in just a few pages, which is impressive. Not bad at all. Hugo-worthy? I'll see if it sticks with me before I decide.


• "Hic Sunt Monstra" by Brian Trent is a story about echoes, and echoes of echoes. Reading it, you may take awhile to figure out exactly what is going on, but eventually you find the sense of it. Only, have you taken that sense to its logical conclusion? I found it surprisingly chilling once I got to the final line and was hit on the head by the obvious. This is a strong contender for my Hugo nomination ballot. note: the link directly to the story may be for a limited time.

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Here are some items for consideration for Related Work:

• Where's the Beef? by George R.R. Martin is a piece that demolishes the idea that a cabal of "social justice warriors" has been controlling the Hugo Awards and blocking conservative writers from having a chance at honors. While I still think the related works award should go to works directly about science fiction or fantasy, this is definitely worthy of a look for its mentions of great and deserving works along with its analysis of Hugo voting over "recent" years. I don't know if I'll nominate it, but I think people ought to read it. And it's blessedly short.


• The Future’s Been Here Since 1939: Female Fans, Cosplay, and Conventions by Erica McGillivray makes me want to get my costume ready even more. This piece covers the history of Cosplay, which started at the first Worldcon in 1939 and finally got dubbed as "cosplay" in 1983, and the more recent backlash against it. There's also a strong argument made for how the female side of fandom has embraced masquerades even more than men, which has also resulted in a backlash. There are some great links in here that give more background, but the piece itself is enough to get a person started on looking at cosplay and its history. Definitely worth a read.

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My Hugo Suggestions were most likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. I've also been getting various magazines and/or visiting their websites to look for good short fiction. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.

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

• Jul 29th
• Hoax Hunters 2015 #5 - I really hope when I gather these all together and read them all at once that they'll make more sense. As it is, this issue is nearly incomprehensible. The colorist is still making everything too dark and murky, as well. I love the concept and enjoyed the first few issues, so I'm continuing to read... but if this doesn't improve I'm not sure I want to keep up with it.
• Doctor Who 9th #3 - Lucky Rose will have to continue to be lucky to get out of that cliff-hanger... I have confidence in Captain Jack and the Doctor, though. I'm still waiting to find out exactly what's going on in this, but at least we got one reveal in here.
• Doctor Who 10th #13 - I'm still curious about Cleo, but I really like some of the other characters. Dorothy's change is interesting, and I hope it's not nearly as tragic as it feels like it's going to be. This will read much better all at once in a collection, but that's been the case with most of the Doctor Who comics.
• Doctor Who 12th #10 - More of the thinly disguised Rat Pack and Clara, just hanging around together. I like the Doctor's not-at-all subtle discussion with Sonny about his life. The whole thing wrapped up ok, if a little cheesily. Not a bad issue.

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

Thursday Linkdump of Doom!

Well, no real doom here, but I like to pretend...

No offense meant to Colbert, but I prefer the name Serenity.

The New York Times now has "Graphic Books" Best Seller Lists.

Five Reasons to Check Out Captain Britain and MI13. It's a good book, and I agree with everything in this article. Ok, except for the vampires on the moon. Sheesh.

I'm getting pretty sick of The Watchman promos and talk and everything, but this is just wrong. It's wrong in every single way possible. If you haven't read the original material (or, I suppose, seen the movie) then you probably won't get how wrong it is. At least it intended to be wrong, and isn't that way accidentally.

Wil Wheaton put his new book for sale in non-DRMed PDF format. It quickly made him a lot of money. "Sometime overnight, the total PDF sales exceeded the total print sales. I've still earned more via print sales, though PDF is rapidly catching up. Here's something cool about the gap between them: whenever it looks like PDF is going to overtake it, a bunch of people (presumably because they read the PDF) buy the print copy, and it leaps ahead. I wish I could do an animated visualization of the sales, like a little horse race, because it sure would look awesome."

I can read a lot on-line, but even free, Red Mars is too much. I'd want a paper copy if I were to reread that book.

A mermaid.

Let's wipe out toilet paper. One man's quest to reduce waste.

Speaking of waste, more proof that Diebold shouldn't be making voting machines. And any voting precinct that has bought voting machines from them should get a full refund plus damages. This is just fraud on the taxpayers and fraud on the voters. Diebold/Premier should be sued out of existence.

More reasons to be nervous about drug testing: false positives are really common. Experiments with the D-L test described at the end of the report found that "patchouli, spearmint, and eucalyptus tested positive for marijuana, while lavender, cypress, and oregano (which previous studies showed produced false positives with the D-L test) gave inconclusive results." In tests using just the NarcoPouch KN Reagent kit, 33 of 42 substances—including vanilla, anise, chicory, and peppermint—tested positive for cannabis.

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Heroes: "Trust and Blood" - Well, not quite "Lost" I guess. The new status quo is nothing to cheer about, though. While Nathan has a point, the clumsy, even stupid, way he's gone about dealing with it is a stark contrast to the two previous organizations that were trying to do the exact same thing. I want to like this show. But right now I'm only mildly interested in it.
• Numb3rs: "Guilt Trip" - Hey, it's Spike! And then Facebook. I find Charlie's desire to prevent crimes with mathematics to be slightly disturbing. You can't change human nature, but can you alter circumstances enough to prevent crime?
• Heroes: "Building 26" - Claire finds Aquaman. yay. I don't like Nathan's second-in-command. I hope he bites it in an appropriately ironic way.
• Ghost Hunters International: "Spanish Scares" - Oooh, a 14th Century Spanish Castle! Yay! And good debunking in this one. And in the second castle as well. I think I liked the look of the first castle more. The caretakers for both castles were disappointed by the results.
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" - Interesting revamping here. I wasn't sure what to make of Bronze Tiger, but the three animal dudes made sense. Another fun episode... but I'm really looking forward to the next two episodes.

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Comics this week:

• Hikaru No Go Vol 13 - GLEE! Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, and I figured I knew what would happen next, the whole thing is turned... well, not upside-down but DEFINITELY a direction I wasn't expecting. Man, I really want to see the end of this game. This is the game we've been waiting for since the series began. Let's hope the players' internet connection remains up!
• Showcase Presents: Aquaman Vol 3 - Reprinting in glorious black and white, Aquaman #24-39, Brave and the Bold #73 (Atom team-up), and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #115. I'll admit that Aquababy's sudden growth spurt isn't as dramatic when you can't see the colors of his uniform echoing Aquaman's. But it's another good package of classic DC tales, and inexpensive enough for everyone to go buy it.
• Green Lantern Corps #33 - Ah man, my respect for Natu just dropped. She's refrigerator-bound now. The short story at the end is almost funny in a sick kind of "let's foreshadow until the fans throw up" way.
• Supergirl #3 - Great, even Supergirl is slammin' on Aquaman. I'm not impressed with this series. Just not my type of humor.
• Super Friends #12 - Aquaman against the Super Friends! Yay! And Starro never looked better than as a goofy pirate. But, my, this is one talkative Starro. I don't recall him ever having so many words.
• DMZ #39 - Oh my. What's Matty got himself into this time? That's a bit much of a piece of merchandise for our boy to be handling.
• Captain Britain and MI 13 #10 - I feel like I'm reading chunks of four or five different tales, and I want a little more from each of them. I did NOT like the cliffhanger at all.
• Sir Apropos of Nothing #4 - Showing a little competence? Nah, just seeming to show some. And I kind of figured out what was going to have to happen almost as soon as Apropos set foot in the castle.
• Wonderful Wizard of Oz #3 - They aren't leaving anything out. Even the bit where the Lion goes off in the forest alone to get food is in there. And the Queen of the Field Mice and everything! Way better than that ol' MGM movie.
• Doctor Who Classics Series 2 #3 - Ah yes. I did remember how that story ended. Urg. Not my favorite of the series. The Asimov space trip one is a little better.
• Castle Waiting #14 - For a book that seems like nothing is happening, there sure is an awful lot packed into this. There's a LOT going on in this castle. Want more issues!
• PS238 #37 - Ah, the old student essay trick. Gives us an idea of what's going through each child's mind AND reintroduces the main characters. Poor Tyler. Nobody believes him and yet everyone seems to look up to him. And Toby's story... the implied adventure was just great. Want more issues!

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My library book this week was The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. The Newbery announcement got me to put this on the library hold list, and the line was very short. I was able to get it very quickly, and the book itself is a quick read. This is a great book. There's a powerful coming-of-age tale in there, and great fantasy moments. The moments really make this tale. The dance, the attempt to make a gravestone, the true identity of Silas. It's amazing how well Gaiman can flesh out a lot of ghosts. I don't have much more to say about this that hasn't been said better by other people. All I can add is that this is one worth checking out.

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No movie nor Agatha Christie this week.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? - It came down to the two that Eric called at the very beginning. And either of them would be great in the role. However, Eric's favorite was NOT the winner. I was surprised.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Bar Foods" - Didn't really see much in this one that made me hungry. I guess I'm not much of a bar girl.
• Food Detectives: "5-Second Rule" - Not much I didn't know in the first two segments: milk is best for combatting spicy food burn, and the 5-second rule is bunk. The final segment, on activated charcoal versus baking soda, was new to me. But it's a fun show, and I'll enjoy it if we can continue to watch it.
• History Detectives - Another good episode with the Hindenburg disaster and the Bonus Army. I thought we'd seen the last segment before, but the first two seemed new to us.
• The Next Food Network Star: "Finale" - The mini-pilots made me a believer. All three could put on a good show, and I wouldn't be surprised if the two who didn't win get picked up by Food Network or some other channel. We actually put the new show into the TiVo, that's how impressed we were by the finale.
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: "Burgers and Dogs" - I would eat at any of those places, to be completely honest with you, and probably not complain. Well, except about being too full to try everything.

Comics this week:

• Girl Genius Vol 7 - I originally intended to just flip through it to check the quality, having already read the whole thing online. An hour later I lifted my head to realize I'd been reading steadily. Yeah, get this. Get all the volumes.
• Supernatural Law #45 - The Toxic Avenger gets sued, so guess who is on the case? Not bad at all.
• Green Lantern #33 - Despite it all, I'm actually beginning to get drawn into this story.
• Justice Society of America Annual #1 - Mmmm, Earth-2 yummy goodness.
• Northlanders #8 - Huh, not the ending I was expecting from this one. I wonder what will happen next?
• Fantastic Four: True Story #1 - This is a meta-tale of fictional characters taking a dive into fiction. Seems very Doctor Who to me... which is just as well, as Doctor Who writer Paul Cornell is responsible for it.

This week's library movie was A Mighty Wind. We walked down to the library and browsed the sparse DVD shelf. This was the only movie that stood out enough to pick up. And it's very good! It was funny and nicely musical. A good light comedy for a stressful time for us.

I got another issue of Fortean Times this week, and have already read it through. There's a fantastic article debunking The White Witch of Rose Hall. The Illuminati article was illuminating, if sparse. I love the report on the latest UK UFO sightings, especially how tongue-in-cheek it is. The idea of a wildcat with a spike on its tail is very strange, but the article was solid. As usual, the reviews were good, and I put a couple more books on my "to read" list. Let's hope I can get them through interlibrary loan. My only complaint is that the back cover, featuring a bunch of strategically posed naked people, was a little too risque for my tastes. Now, I hope my subscription will transfer to the new address without difficulties.

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

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

• Have I Got News For You: "Jeremy Clarkson, Kate Silverton, and Ian McMillan" - Final episode of this batch. Paul Cornell almost gets a mention, as the Captain Britain comic is one of the subjects they cover. It was funny to see the US Presidential race from the British point of view, as well. Though I suspect Clarkson isn't a liberal. Too bad there wasn't another episode, I would have loved to see them react to the guy who was pepper sprayed for laughing too hard at Paul (possibly in this very episode).
• Iron Chef America: "Flay vs Samuelsson" - Very common ingredient, and as usual I'm rooting for the challenger, who is simply cool. Also as usual, I'd much rather taste the challenger's dishes than Flay's.
• The Next Food Network Star: "Star on the Go" - What, they still let Robert play with the big boys? The challenges were out of a nightmare. Lisa really redeemed herself this week in the challenge itself, but was a witch during the judging. In the end, they picked the right person to not move on.
• American Gladiators - Hulk-themed episode. Very lackluster. None of the contestants really stand out, and the clipping of events was at the same time annoying and a relief.
• Ghost Hunters: "Garden State Ghosts" - It seems really strange that some of the ghost hunters are terrified of bugs and spiders. Also, they debunk while running around in the dark: couldn't they do some debunking before lights out? I still think a proper investigation of a place would involve weeks of work to establish baselines, intense debunking, and cameras running 25/7. No group could afford to do that, though. So the show always leaves my skeptic side unsatisfied, even if I generally feel entertained.
• Monster Quest: "Ghosts" - I watched this as a sort of counter-point to Ghost Hunters, hoping for a little more science. Oh well. It's a nice enough show, and I'm sure I could get into it as a cryptozoology fan, but it is overproduced (like GH) and repetitious. Really repetitious. I really want that infrared camera, though. I don't know what I'd do with it, but my gadget-loving heart wants to play with one.
• Doctor Who: "Midnight" - Wow wow wow. That's some of the best acting I've seen in a long time. The script was pretty basic, but WOW the acting. I wouldn't call this episode my favorite by a long shot, but it was really really good. Wow.

Comics this week:

• Trinity #2 - Um. Ok. I'm not really feeling the impressed-ness yet.
• Wonder Woman #21 - Three different stories in one issue! Sort of! And all three work well, and even work together. Who woulda thunk it?
• Action Comics #866 - Hmm. Not a lot to say about this one except it's a nice set-up.
• Titans #3 - I still want to know what happened to Garth. But he's in limbo with Aquaman, I guess.
• Green Lantern Corps #25 - Yay, more Natu. Boo, more cosmic stuff.
• Tiny Titans #5 - No Aqualad or Fluffy in this one. Bummer.
• Wildguard Insider #2 - Looking forward to the final issue of this one, and I really liked this issue. I wish I'd kept up with the on-line comic when it was going, but I'm glad I can catch up now.
• Captain Britain and MI13 #2 - Skrulls and fairies. It's not bad, if you like Skrulls and constant battles.
• Star Wars Rebellion #14 - You know, if I'm going to read Star Wars comics, I could do much worse than these. Pretty good finish to the tale.
• Local #12 - I want to reread all the previous issues now. I think this is a satisfactory ending to the series, but I won't know until I reread the entire thing.

Just a final note here, I'd like to thank my friend D who is buying many of the comics I read each week, allowing me to read a lot more than I could afford. Thanks, D!

This week's library movie was Happy Feet. Well, that had a lot of songs in it. I wouldn't recommend this one unless you've got a person who really likes music and dance with you. It wasn't bad, it just was a little overwhelmingly musical. I liked the guy near the end who said, "I don't want to live in a world without penguins!" Otherwise... well, this one was just ok. Maybe I'm suffering from penguin overload or something.

Agatha Christie this week was her first collection, Poirot Investigates from 1924. Although the original US edition had 3 extra stories, I ended up with a reprint of the original UK version, which only has the original 11 stories. But they are really good little stories! Each one a bite-sized Poirot tale. Quick reads, and intriguing enough to make me slap my forehead at each reveal, because I always think I should have figured it out. Somehow Christie makes me feel not quite stupid, yet still a little slow. I'm enjoying her works and I'm glad Doctor Who inspired me to start reading her books.

My library book this week was A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca by Andrés Reséndez. This book was recommended in Fortean Times #236, and because it speaks to my interests in pre-Colonial America, I couldn't wait to dive into it. The story concerns four men who survived an ill-fated colonialization effort that landed in Florida. The four men, including Cabeza de Vaca, walked across North America from Florida to the Pacific Coast before any Europeans had reached that far. Along the way, they endured slavery and starvation and eventually became holy men in their quest to return home, which they managed in 1536. There are two ways to read this book. You can read it right through then check the end notes, or you can read the end notes as you go along. Because I'm a fussy reader, I tend to read the notes while reading the text. This book had lots of notes. Practically every paragraph had an endnote, and the majority of the notes were as long as the paragraphs themselves. Everything was documented, and parts of the story where there is contention among scholars had the disputes laid out along with the reasons the author chose one interpretation over another. If you were to read the book straight through without reading the notes, it would be a quick read of an interesting bit of history that most of us know nothing about. With the notes it became a fascinating look into the past and a study of the limitations of understanding what happened only 500 years ago. If you have any interest at all in what America was like back then, or want to read an incredible tale of survival against the odds, this is the book for you.

I also read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow this week, and was hit pretty hard by the ideas in the book. I recommend it to just about everyone. You can download it for free or buy a copy.

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

Evening Lunkdump

Paul Cornell was in a car accident. Paul is a writer of Doctor Who and Marvel comics, and a friend of mine who wrote me into a Doctor Who book. He's ok, but the description of the car crash is intense and worth reading.

Seattle treasure in need of saving.

Earthquake Lights. If you see a funny multi-colored cloud, get out of the flimsy building you're standing in.

Swarming ants eat electronics. Yikes.

Marv Wolfman directs apple users to a place they can get tips on how to get the most out of their machines.

I really want a Wii Fit. I've collected some article links about it: CNN, Seattle Times Business, Seattle Times Entertainment, and Wired. Though, I suppose before I can get the Wii Fit, I need to get my hands on a Wii? *sigh* I guess I'll put them on my wishlist.

The Cthulu ride. I really like Kaja's kids' imagination.

Uh. One of the oddest hoaxes I've seen in some time.

Possibly not safe for work: Garry Kasparov was buzzed by a modified remote-control helicopter. Be sure to check the comments for a translation of how Kasparov responded.

Boing Boing rounds up stories of photographers being harrassed or questioned: LA's Red Line, Port of Los Angeles, and a Weigh Station in Spokane County.

A wedding photographer in China captured the church falling down as the earthquake hit. Be sure to look at the church before and after picture. Via MeFi.

A note on the story... while the report says that 33 guests were buried in the rubble, a later report says that all the people at the wedding survived.

Dreams from Obama's mother, my eighth cousin and a girl who lived in the town next to the one I grew up in.

I just want to say: Scientology is a Cult, and attacking a teenager for saying that is truly cult-like behavior.

Basement Cat Arises.

For my in-laws (and my hubby this time): Pug Life.

End of the Year Links

Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #135: Global Guardians, Sam & Twitch, and Secret Wars II.

Pink vs Blue: "There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for a boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl."

Web designer gets his site back after news of the Gmail exploit and its aftermath spreads across the web.

YouTube: What Song is This? A guy sings a song backwards. Halfway through, the video reverses so you can tell what the song is.

Dead is the doorknob.

Copyright gone mad.

Unfortunately Named Athletes.

An interesting comparison of bookcovers for the same book over time.

Vote on a Saturn Image.

Hmmm. Pay attention to what your children write on notes in restaurants.

Yes: Christmas Eating, In A Nutshell. I hurt so bad right now from overindulgence.

New Persepolis Trailer.

Most Traded in 2007.

Wil Wheaton discovers Doctor Who.

Doctor Who: The Hopes And Fears of All The Years. Hey Paul, write my name into the New Who someday, willya? And not some crossover tale, either.

Gingerbread K9. Yum.

Elayne takes on Oz.

Stolen Pug Image. It's the hypocrisy, people.

Links

I've got a lot of blogs to try to read and catch up on, and a whole lot of links I want to check out. So here's some ones I've found for the moment. More later.

LOL Doctor Who: The Lost Frisbee. The Many Moods of Oods. Invisibles.

Paul Cornell on his Doctor Who story.

Congrats to Anna for her new store. I hope hubby-Eric and I can stop by on our trip this summer.

If you like Girl Genius, check out Othar Tryggvassen's Twitter Adventures.

I like Elayne's Corny Solution.

If you have a cat that likes to jump on your keyboard, this is for you.

Great reviews of movie trailers by pal Dorian.

You Tube Links:

• Goonies of the Caribbean.
• Steam Trek: The Moving Picture. I know I've seen it before, but it's worth checking out again.
• Women in Art.

Oh. My.

Recordings of Concert Intermissions. Interesting. As a musician, I would be fascinated to hear this.

This is me.

An unusual vacation. I think I wouldn't mind trying it, but not working there.

The Bad Astronomer is a Firefly Fan.

Canadian souvenir is really expensive.

I can understand the cheering ban, but denying diplomas to people who get cheered? Couldn't some jerk arrange to make sure someone doesn't get a diploma just by getting people to cheer for them? It's a stupid punishment aimed at the wrong people.

That's one of the ugliest logos I've ever seen. I like the alternate further down in the article MUCH better.

Um. Duh? Put wheels on kids shoes, some kids will be stupid and end up in hospital. Some kids won't be stupid and will still end up with broken bones. Why is this "news"?

It Feels Like...

...Summer. I've got all the doors and windows open to warm up the house. It's nearly 80F out there, and is supposed to be hotter tomorrow. I generally wear a blanket around the house even in the most extreme of summer, but I've been able to go without most of today. There's a relatively small band of temperature at which I'm comfortable. This house rarely gets up high enough to hit that band.

I've been trying to piece together a linkblog, but having trouble focusing my mind enough to do it. I'm in a fog today, and when I get like this it's rare for me to be able to string together sentences. I won't tell you how long it's taken to write this much. I'm personally appalled.

Awhile back, Larry Young sent me a great book that I mean to do a proper review for someday, but I want to mention it now. It's called The Last Sane Cowboy & Other Stories and it's by Daniel Merlin Goodbrey. The problem with it is that it blew my mind. The book connected to me on a fundamental level with the very first story, "I Bleed Scorpions". And while none of the other stories hit me as hard, they all hit me. So if you've got a chance to check it out, please do. Maybe it'll blow your mind too.

I really haven't got anything to say on all the latest comic book news. Whatever I had to say has been said better by someone else. If I ever get that linkblog done, I'll link to some of those better statements.

This Saturday's Doctor Who, "Human Nature", was excellent. I screencapped a page of John Smith's book. I wish we could see the whole book in detail.

There's a good breeze outside. I can see the cottonwood seeds drifting like snow around the neighborhood. There's a distant siren, ambulance or fire, and the rev of someone's car engine down the block. I can hear children playing somewhere nearby. And the birds in our trees are making their usual lovely racket. I wish I could focus. I can't help but feel disabled when I'm like this. How can a person spend two hours writing and still say nothing?

May The Force Be With You

This YouTube video really needs no explanation.

Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #104

Another view of female superheroes.

Colleen Doran on Web Publishing and why it takes so long for each issue of A Distant Soil to make it to print.

Making Light on fanfic, but also copyright and why it's important.

Sushi Bar Video.

Closing credits for Ernie Kovacs show.

Ad from 1934 about helping women to get fatter. Um. DO NOT WANT!

Once in a blue moon, where the expression really comes from.

Yay for Paul!

Puppy!

Blurgh!

Garrett is joining the fight against leukemia. Consider a donation if you have any cash to spare.

Dorothy #7 is about to hit the stands. *WHAM*

Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #91. Hubby-Eric wants to know when the book is coming out.

Brian Wood gets letters.

Jeff Parker continues to speak of the forbidden. What a brave, brave man.

This reviewer clearly has read the book.

The Seattle Times is excited about Pogo collections.

Hey, where's Oz? The DC Universe map is interesting... it contradicts the recent map in Aquaman (and probably pre-dates it by awhile, too).

Masi Oka and Stan Lee behind-the-scenes.

Paul says to go listen to song. I did, I laugh. Ha ha ha ha!

Twenty-Six Toes!

This guy is right out of Usagi Yojimbo.

How to Avoid Colloquial Writing. Just reverse all the instructions, and you have lessons on how to write blogs. Via Unqualified Offerings.

Comments about the food service on campus. I recall our dining hall up at Western had a very responsive staff, even when we made up foods to complain about.

A Total Lunar Eclipse is coming March 3rd! Sadly, I'm too far West to see it.

I want.

Can we trust an accounting firm to count the Academy Awards?

Great Headline of the Day: Naughty potty to blame for accident on I-5.

SETI@Home finds a stolen laptop.

On-ice beating may have saved hockey ref's life.

The History of Electronic Arts. Oh man, I loved those games. I'd love to play Standing Stones again.

All of my hunting through old comic books to find old Aquaman stories has given me an appreciation of Mutt and Jeff, so it's good to see that those tales are being reprinted. Couldn't happen to two nicer guys.

The Leaky Cauldron reports on hubby-Eric's friend Gili Bar-Hillel, the Hebrew translator of the Harry Potter books (and a big Oz fan).

Wanna go Skyfishing.

Ooooh pretty picture of a Russian rocket blowing up over Australia.

One way to prepare for a possible flu pandemic: store food and water.

Beware Young People. Be sure to follow the links, the Penny Arcade note from the stepmother of one of the murderers is absolutely heart-breaking.

Infodump

Countdown. Hey, the pic includes Aquaman. And yes, I like the new guy quite a bit, thank you.

Jeff Parker speaks of the forbidden. Seriously, as one commenter said, if you want to know what sort of advantage a publisher can get by having free digital copies of their books available, TALK TO PHIL FOGLIO. I would love it if all my comics followed the Girl Genius model - months of daily/weekly pages followed by a collection. I'd buy nothing but collections and love it. But I digress from the topic... Jeff is wondering about pirated comics.

Lots of folks linking to Kevin's rant about buying comics that suck. It's a slow progression for me, but yeah, I've been moving my money from superheroes to more diverse books for years, and never regretting the books I leave behind. But you'll have to pry Aquaman from my cold dead fingers.

I love (postmodern barney)'s Blogging post. Go read it if you have any intention of blogging, or even if you already blog.

Brian Wood is exhausted but fine.

Yay. I've bought my tickets to Emerald City Comicon and only paid $7.12 extra for the privilege of making the purchase through #&%@$! Ticketmaster (and yes, the obnoxious fees are worth the lack of hassle... just barely... my main issue with them is Ticketmaster doesn't tell you about them up front, only after you've gone through multiple steps do you find out the full amount of fees).

I was once told by a computer science student that it was possible to predict with 100% certainty what a computer program would do. Having had several years of tech support under my belt by that time, I contradicted him, saying it was theorectically possible, but in reality not possible at all. He called me ignorant. I've been vindicated.

Oz and Ends reports on a clueless review of the Bridge to Terabithia movie.

Encourage the fans, grow the fanbase. Duh.

Paul Cornell has pictures from Gallifrey. MAN I wish we could go back to that convention. Someday, Paul.

Here's a link to a lovely review of the new AirPort Extreme Base Station. I used Netgear routers for a couple of years, then realized they were crapping out on me too quickly. We've had almost no problems since we switched to an AirPort. When our current AirPort craps out (if ever) I'll plan on buying the new one. Nice to know it's even better.

Look, Up In The Sky!

Check out Garrett Fitzgerald's Report on hearing Paul Rusesabagina speak.

You can help Julie, the tech-ignorant substitute teacher who has been threatened with 40 years in prison at the worst, and the loss of her ability to teach at the least, for other people's mistakes.

Evoting researchers buy used machines on the cheap. Yeah, REAL secure.

More on the robber from the Seattle Times.

Really cheap solar power.

Uh-Oh. They're Back!

Another Pug for the in-laws.

Tech Corner:

Ok, I've found one BIG problem with Google Reader. It does not appear to alert me when an entry has been updated. This could be a problem, as I've often been interested in the update more than the original entry (usually with Boing Boing). This, along with the lack of blogrolls, could be the killer for this app. Well, that and the fact that it's very very slow.

What Google Reader needs, in my opinion (only one full day using it): Blogroll capability, original AND last updated dates on entries, a way to indicate when an entry has been updated, more speed, a way to see how many users are subscribed to a feed, and a way to mark entries as read from the list view. Not a lot, but possibly more than they will deliver.