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:

• Jul 19th
• Aquaman #26 - So... intrigue in Atlantis as opposition to Rath grows, while Aquaman joins with Dolphin and meets more of the bottom-dwellers in his kingdom. Meanwhile, Mera pounds on the shield around the nation-state of Atlantis with her powers... I assume this is happening before the Justice League stories involving her? Lots of fun in this, lots of potential.
• Justice League #25 - Speaking of Mera, it's really strange to see her as a full member of the Justice League - or at least presented that way. But there she is, using her powers and being part of the group. I like it. Too bad it probably won't last long.
• Green Lanterns #27 - And more becomes clear, as the pair of Lanterns travels and the various first Lanterns are gathered to the place they traveled to. Fun. Time travel... I suspect it will last awhile, because there are a number of plot threads that have to be gathered and the set-up for this was long enough to imply quite a tale. It's wait and see time for this book.
• DC Comics Bombshells #31 - This far in, and we're still getting origin stories. This time it's both Killer Frost AND Supergirl, sort of. Still, an interesting way to draw out the Leningrad fight a bit longer... I'm not sure what to think of Strange's octopi, except that Mera would not approve.
• Batman '66 Meets The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Nice little done-in-one issue. I'm amused by Egghead and his descendent. I'm also amused that Batman is so observant he noticed both odd shadows and lack of proper eye dilation. Batman as a detective: refreshing.
• Doctor Strange #23 - How much longer is this crossover going to go on? Three issues of it so far, and I'm still just not interested.
• Spider-Man 2099 #25 - That was an abrupt ending to the series. I knew it was ending soon, but I expected a couple more issues and a view of the future and all that... not a gut-punch and good-bye. Oh well. I enjoyed it while it lasted. Spider-Man 2099 has a special place in my heart as one of the first comics I bought from the first issue of his existence.
• Back To The Future #21 - More messing about, and more chances for things to turn out nasty and uncomfortable for everyone. I'm particularly amused by the cliffhanger, since Biff is never far enough away.
• Forever War #6 - I had completely forgotten the ending to the book, and as I read the final page, I felt a happy twinge of joy. Yeah, it seems a bit odd, but the eternal war ended once the two sides could actually talk to one another. And the final bit, where Mandella gets peace and a real life... that's almost enough to make me cry. This is a decent adaptation, although now I'm going to have to read the book again.
• Jul 26th
• Teen Titans #10 - All of the origin comes out and now we know who Jackson's mother is, and why he has his power. I like. I really enjoyed this issue, although I still want to smack Damian upside the head. That final panel was very nice. I suspect Manta will just run, though, and not try to help his son. If he does anything different, I'll be surprised.
• Batman Beyond #10 - Damian is annoying, and I intentionally don't buy most bat-books because I'm not that interested in the bat family. But I can't get away from Damian. Ug.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #28 - Well, if you are going to explore those characters in a team-up book, that's definitely one way to do it. I quite liked Carrie in this. Lots of fun, even if I don't much care for DC's Western heroes.
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #6 - The final issue, as Biff totally gets what he deserves and the people take their lives back after a traumatic time. Overall, it was an ok series. I didn't like reading about Biff "winning" so much, but his ending almost made up for it.
• TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo - I loved seeing the Turtles team up with Usagi again, even if they didn't recognize him. The story was extremely straightforward, almost to the point of being slightly dull, and Jei wasn't nearly as menacing as he usually is. It was good, but not the best Usagi I've read.
• Doctor Who 9th #14 - It's a trap! It was all a complicated trap, and the cliffhanger makes up for a lot of weirdness. It also has a callback to events from the past, so this issue definitely doesn't stand alone. I enjoyed it, but it's a wee bit confusing.
• Doctor Who 10th #3.7 - The Doctor goes swanning off to investigate a problem, leaving his companions in various places where they are bound to get in trouble. Every piece of this book, every storyline, was compelling to me. I loved the guest appearance and can hardly wait to read more. I feel like zipping through the comics to get to the next issue now.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.7 - A fairly satisfying ending to a fairly normal story. I liked the very short and cute back-up tale - especially the way the defense protocols were condensed. A good read.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #5 - Oh Edison, so brilliant and yet so obnoxious. I gather he was like that in real life, although probably not on this scale. Annie is pretty cool in this, especially how she persuades her teammates to tell her what's going on. But that last panel... um, what?
• Aug 2nd
• Green Lanterns #28 - Those first rings weren't all that safe, were they? I'm wondering how Jessica, who's barely a full Lantern herself, is going to train this group of misfits. She really doesn't have that much time, either.
• Justice League #26 - Yikes. A dark future and time travel. I'm not sure what to make of "Curry", but I like his daughter. I'm curious about Tempest, as she mentions him but not in a good way. And who is Sovereign? This is going to be a nice plotline for me, I can tell. Plenty of Aqua-Action.
• DC Comics Bombshells #32 - Raven is a bit like the Hulk in this - you wouldn't like her when she's angry. I did enjoy the bit about how children disappoint their parents and each generation is foreign to the previous and the next. It's a sad way of looking at the universe, except that each generation has the possibility of getting better and being more. I certainly hope the next generations here in our world will learn from the mistakes of the past.
• Aug 9th
• Titans #14 - Garth has a trio of magical Atlantean lunatics who are in love with him? I'm grinning so hard it hurts. This was a touching and powerful issue, with secrets being shown and people getting hurt - I'm particularly amused that Wally and Roy were fighting - and more possibilities set up. As for the person who betrays the Titans... I kind of had already guessed.
• Scooby Apocalypse #16 - Interesting sacrifice. I really wasn't expecting it. As much as I hate that character - like just about everyone else - I certainly didn't believe he was capable of such an act. Now, I wonder if he survived, and if he did, will he come back less annoying or more?
• Back To The Future #22 - The story doesn't really move very much in this issue... we get to see a suspicious Doc Brown, a Biff who is still angry at Calvin Klein and hippies. Ok, maybe that was enough movement after all.
• Doctor Who 9Th #15 - Memories, cyberwar, and somebody staying behind to help clean up. That's a satisfying ending, I think.
• Spongebob Comics #71 - An issue that uses silence as a tool. Probably wouldn't work very well on TV, since the kids watching want and love that frenetic sound, but it's fun for the comic book. No Mermaid Man.

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 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:

• May 3rd
• Aquaman #22 - Ha. Mera had the same thought, and same complaint, as I do. Why blow it up when you can talk? Ok, I admit, there wasn't a lot of time to act in this case, but destroying the portal seemed a bit extreme in the end. If Aquaman had convinced Tethys to stop the signal, I'm sure he could have found another way to dispose of the mini-nuke. Mera is completely in the right on this one.
• Justice League #20 - Groundhog Day with the Flash in the lead role. For a guy who moves as quick as he does, it sure seems like he's figuring this one out really slowly. And having the league barge in like they did really doesn't reflect well on them - especially since it appears they are at fault. Not horrible, but not very good, either.
• Green Lanterns #22 - And we get into the space stuff. I'm just not a big fan of the space stuff. Somehow the GL Corps just takes all the sensawonda out of it. This book is no exception - with the earthbound pair getting introduced properly to the corps while their pet not-a-guardian becomes a real threat. Are we going to get the inevitably boring training montage next?
• DC Comics Bombshells #26 - The first half of the book is a song of endings, then we get right back into the action with a tale of Kara's attempts to return home. I've never been a big fan of songs in comic books because there is no way to hear the melody. This issue hits my annoyance right in the kisser - I don't mind that there is music but I'm terribly upset that I cannot hear it. Still, it is a nice way to wrap up the main storyline, and if it were an animated series it would no doubt be perfect.
• Spider-Man 2099 #23 - I'm not really sure what was happening right at the end there, but it sure seems bad enough. Nasty toxin, multiple spideys *and* people from the future. I'm just wondering exactly what happened to Tempest.
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #4 - I know this is an alternate timeline, but wow it's depressing. And since I already know the outcome of some of these plotlines, it's even more depressing. Still, interesting to see how it all happened. Or didn't, as the case may be.
• Doctor Who Ghost Stories #2 - Back on familiar ground, sort of. I wasn't expecting that cliffhanger, but then, apparently the Doctor wasn't either. An ok issue with a big ol' infodump in the middle - nothing special but not bad.
• May 10th
• Titans #11 - Enter Deathstroke. I don't have a good grip on this part of the Titans' storyline, but I'll follow along as best I can. Garth gets to look silly in this one, which isn't my favorite moment. The fact that the universe has been altered is once again driven home in this issue, and I know we're going to see who and perhaps even why soon enough - which just makes me want to catch up to the current books faster. There's a lot in this issue to unpack, and I'm going to have to read it again.
• Star Trek/Green Lantern V2 #6 - A decent end to this series, which is itself the second series set in this particular universe. One nice touch - Kirk is a little disturbed by Hal's casual altering of the course of events on an alien planet. I guess this Kirk cares a little more about the Prime Directive than the original.
• Scooby Apocalypse #13 - I read this during a particularly bad insomnia bout, and was comforted immensely by what happens to Rufus. It's pretty clear to me who the real-life Rufus would be, and it's just as clear that both of them deserve that fate. I wonder how the team dynamic will change with a new person, or if she's doomed to die quickly? I'm really loving this book, despite it NOT being Scooby-Doo as I remember and love it. Ok, the back-up story wasn't to my liking, but Scrappy should just be scrapped.
• Future Quest #12 - And they all lived happily ever after! I didn't realize this was the final issue until I was pretty much at the end, then I realized I was a little sad it was ending. I've really enjoyed the massive crossover with some familiar and many new-to-me characters. Overall, a fun series and I liked how the problems were solved in the final issue. Great job on everybody's part with this series.
• Back To The Future #19 - So, we finally get to learn a little more about Marty's uncle. As I recall, he met him as a child in the first movie and referenced the fact he was in jail. This seems like a pretty good storyline to explore. I really wouldn't have thought this movie trilogy could spawn so many great stories - I just wasn't thinking widely enough.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #4 - Wow, by the time I got to this book, I was about Green Lanterned out. Good thing there was plenty of ape action to pull me back into the story. Still a long way to go in this series, but it's shaped up to be a bit of a crazy battle of the rings.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.5 - A done-in-one that's Oodles of fun. Except for the fact that it appears to be a symptom of a greater problem - one caused by The Doctor himself. I would say the full understanding of this story requires lots of knowledge of past stories, particularly all the television stories involving the Ood.
• Rough Riders: On The Storm #3 - One thing I love about historical fiction is looking to see how and where it departs from the history we know. So I had to go look up McKinley's assassination, of course. Fascinating stuff, which led me down another rabbit hole of knowledge. The comic itself is pretty darn good, setting up some nicely terrifying bad guys and a multiple cliffhanger. Lovely.
• Spongebob Comics #68 - For one shining moment, SpongeBob took the wheel and got them safely there. I was surprised how funny I found this one. I usually just laugh a little and enjoy this book, looking for Mermaid Man references, but this one I laughed pretty hard at. Of course, there was also a serious side to it, because as happens all too often, the food service worker ignored a warning by a customer which had serious repercussions for everyone. So, funny but also push-button-y!

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:

• Apr 5th
• Aquaman #20 - Wow, Mera is really upset at the Aquamarine for killing Dead Water's latest host that way. And that was only the first half of the book. The sickening realization by our intrepid agents of what's in the water and how Dead Water couldn't have been created the way Aquaman thought he was... well, much more fascinating. I am only reading these comics as fast as I am because I want to see what happens next in Aquaman.
• Justice League #18 - Some plot movement in this one, at least, as we get yet another villain. I wondered, but you never really know, do you? So what did the heroes just do, and what is going to happen to the world next thanks to their efforts?
• Green Lanterns #20 - Well, I'm fairly sure how this is going to finish up. What I'm more interested in is how the other Green Lanterns are reacting to a Guardian on Earth.
• DC Comics Bombshells #25 - Batvampire and the Suicide Squad versus Nygma and ancient evil. Lovely stuff, if not really my thing. Heck, the back-up story was much more intriguing for what it was setting up. This is a great universe with lots more to explore. As an aside, our copy of this issue was misbound - it was off center so the cover was skewed - anyone else have the same problem?
• Doctor Who Ghost Stories #1 - Well, I wasn't terribly fond of the Doctor Who special in which Grant/Ghost appeared, although it had its moments. Still, it's kind of nice to revisit the family and yeah, a quest involving them isn't a bad thing. I guess I'll just read and enjoy it.
• Apr 12th
• Titans #10 - Nice to see Bumblebee kicking butt and taking names. And it looks like this story leads into another crossover. I hope we ordered and got all the issues involved that we wanted... I guess I'll find out when I get there.
• Super Powers #6 - That is, by far, the cutest Darkseid I've ever seen. And he's somehow even cuter with a starro on his face being bopped through wormholes. This book is the definition of "cute".
• Scooby Apocalypse #12 - We already know that Velma's brother is a total nutjob, thanks to the back-up last issue. And now we also know that one of her other brothers is dead. And here she is, at the nutjob's door. In the meantime, downtown Seattle appears to be a monster shrine of some sort. The less said about the back-up story, the better.
• Spider-Man 2099 #22 - Wow, Lyla rarely gets involved in the story so deeply, but it was actually nice to see what at first appeared to be a subplot where she was basically the star of the show. Nice issue.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #3 - Well, this is heating up nicely. Sinestro is, indeed, not human. And everyone in a battle with Cornelius in an interesting way to get things ramped up.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.4 - The very confusing storyline featuring the past stealing from the future and multiple versions of multiple characters at different points in their timelines ends neatly with some silly jokes and a very dangerous weapon the Doctor has as a companion. I'm ok with it, but it could have been less confusing. I wonder if some of these storylines read better as trades?
• Doctor Who 12th #3.1 - Nice to see Hattie again, and I enjoyed the "pre-story" underwater. I like the idea of recycling a planet, but Quarks? Really? Going back in time to find the best fish and chips sounds like a lovely idea.
• Torchwood #2.3 - Still a wee bit confusing, but I'm getting a better sense of the story now. The flashback had a villain I really wasn't expecting to ever see in Doctor Who again in any form... Vervoids? Really? Still, pretty cool.
• Spongebob Comics #67 - I like the cover to this one, with a kind of old west/prospector feel. No Mermaid Man that I could see, so otherwise it's just a standard issue.

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:

• Mar 1st
• Aquaman #18 - I love this. I love how Arthur uses both force when needed, and reason for the most part, to get through to the man who was perverted into a killing machine. The back-story of the new character was great. There's enough emotion there for anyone. I also liked how it tied into the signal sent by NEMO. There's just a great deal of good pieces put together nicely in this one. An excellent story, and I hope there will be repercussions along the line at some point - I'd like to see this character again. And speaking of return characters, the final splash was a good one as well. Honestly, this book has just gotten better and better. This is the Aquaman I want to read.
• Justice League #16 - Aquaman in pre-sinking Atlantis is often interesting... I'm curious exactly how that little storyline will play out. He clearly has the support of the folks around him. I also wonder who those twins are... I have my suspicions, but DCU history has changed enough that I'm almost certainly wrong. Oooh, I want to read more! This has been a good Aquaman week!
• Green Lanterns #18 - I'm far more interested in Jessica and Simon than I am in Volthoom, so this being basically the entire Volthoom origin story... I'm not impressed. Like previous issues in this series, the twice-a-month format has allowed further exploration into the backstory of villains, but I'm not really all that interested in those backstories. Oh well. Next issue will be better, I suppose.
• DC Comics Bombshells #23 - Some flashbacks to previous events and the way certain characters had to deal with them. I'm still finding the reading more confusing than I like, and I'm not sure if it's me or the work itself. But at least I get it - Wonder Woman has joined the fight and the bad gal says mechanicals are more reliable than zombies. Well, maybe? I wonder about these mechanicals.
• Super Powers #5 - I love that Mera features so prominently in this book. Just seeing Aquaman and Mera together fighting as part of a team is awesome. And when the rest is so cute and fun - bonus! I have to admit, that's the cutest Darkseid I have ever laid eyes on. I recognized most of the heroes - but who is Golden Pharoah? In any case - fun fun fun!
• Doctor Strange #18 - Not knowing about Thor's civilian identity proved to make this one a little more interesting, as I wondered about the surgeries. The final frantic surgery scene while Strange fought Mr. Misery was pretty good, all told. And I'm curious about the next issue and whether or not Wong can be saved. So a good issue overall.
• Spider-Man 2099 #21 - I couldn't for the life of me remember who Sonny Frisco was. If I'd just read the freaking infodump on the first page, I would have known. Still, despite the lack of certainty, it was a good issue full of action. And Miggy seems to be digging himself a deeper hole, as well. How much of his past can he change before something truly nasty happens?
• Doctor Who 9th #10 - Transitions in this issue were a little rough, making it hard to follow in spots. In the end, the whole thing seemed to turn out alright, but with those shades of gray that have become more common in the show. Rose is disillusioned, the new companion is disillusioned, and the last couple of pages hint at a rockier road to come. Decent.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.3 - I'm not even going to pretend to understand what is happening with earth in this story, because if I do I think my brain might break. All just read along and smile and nod like I know what's going on and maybe the thing will come together as a story before it's all over. *smile* *nod*
• Mar 8th
• Titans #9 - Yeah, sure they reformed. I'm both amused and apalled at Garth's "punch 'em" attitude. It's true he was a hothead in the original version of the Titans, so it's not off-character, but I expect a little more from my Atlantean. This is a nicely plotted issue with the villains knowing exactly what the heroes are likely to do and planning for it. But there is a wildcard in there - so next issue we find out if she tips the balance.
• Earth 2 Society #22 - I guess this is the final issue, and there's not really any plot, just a wrap up showing most of the new world and what's in it. I didn't see any Atlanteans, which makes me sad, but otherwise a nice upbeat ending.
• Astro City #42 - What a delight for an Aquaman fan! An aquatic villain who never reformed, but did spend a very long time alone. I like the Mermaid, and thought it was incredibly funny when Manta almost commented on how old she looked. Her response to seeing him again was hilarious as well. I almost felt sorry for him when he returned to his island and isolation - I thought it would have been nice for him to at least have Mermaid visit and reconcile with him - but his "practice talking" thought at the end made it clear he's fine with who he is. Lovely issue.
• Scooby Apocalypse #11 - With everything out in the open, I think the team can finally start to figure out what and who they are. I liked Fred's calm discussion with Daphne about Velma and why Velma left. Contrasted with Velma's nightmare in the last issue, it worked really well to show how Daphne has worked through her anger. And then there was the back-up story, showing one of Velma's brothers. Apparently the plague affected him in an entirely different way - perhaps because he was already a monster.
• Back To The Future: Biff to the Future #2 - Biff goes to Hollywood and meets Hollywood accounting. Ok, so he's a bit of an idiot. We already knew that. And has a thuggish way of getting back at people. We knew that too. And had a fling with Marilyn Monroe?!?? Um. Ok. On to the next book.
• Spongebob Comics #66 - The best thing about this issue for me is the back cover. It's an ad for the Mermaid Man action figure that appears in one of the stories, and has a number of other action figures. In short, I giggled a lot. The story featuring the creepy little action figure was also very fun for me... even Mermaid Man was scared of it. This is why I continue to buy the book - for the snarky Mermaid Man jokes.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #2 - Guy is making too much sense in this issue. And Hal, trapped in a cage, still manages to outsmart folks. I love it.
• Torchwood #2.2 - Nope. Still can't quite tell what's going on. Oh, I get the gist of it, but it's all a bit confusing and strange. It's a very disjointed style of comic book. Perhaps I'll get used to it during one of these mini-series.

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:

• Feb 1st
• Aquaman #16 - I like seeing Aquaman getting his people involved in the clean-up after the terrorist attacks. If nothing else, it will get his own people used to thinking of the surfacers as people like themselves. This was a transition issue - there's a new villain being introduced while the impact of the previous storyline is explored. Not bad, for what it is.
• Justice League #14 - Wow, this was a talking issue. I means, there's a tiny bit of action, but the giant fight that is being built up is actually skipped entirely! Brave choice, there. A bit surprising. I liked that the elephant in the room was discussed as they waited to recharge - elephants. Enough of them to make a herd or two. The implication is that they've now had it all out and will adjust and be a team. I'm not sure, personally, as team conflict is one of the drivers of modern superhero comic books. Still, a very odd issue.
• Green Lanterns #16 - Ah, the gun. Yes, that would be an issue in that particular place. I found it a little strange all around, considering that it's something that is an essential aspect of the character and his flaws at the moment, that Commissioner Gordon was the one who made a fuss about it. Still, the whole storyline here has the potential to resolve the gun thing, and that's all good in my opinion.
• DC Comics Bombshells #22 - I'm not sure how interested I am in the Zambesi storyline here, but this is where we are, so I'll keep reading. I'm afraid I can't tell some of the characters apart, which annoys me - it's less because of the way they are drawn and more because I just haven't internalized which is which. And, is it just me or does everyone seem to have red hair?
• Super Powers #4 - It's a bit of an Aqua-issue, as Mera and Aquaman arrive to take on the Legion of Doom... with a little help. This story is making more sense as it goes along, but it's still pretty nonsensical. Not a bad thing with this type of book.
• Planet of the Apes/Green Lanterns #1 - I'm not a big Planet of the Apes fan, but hubby is a big enough Green Lantern fan that we got this. The ring in this issue appears to be exactly the same thing as the Phantom Ring from Green Lanterns, only it doesn't look like it. I wonder if that will be addressed at all in this series and if not, who in editorial let this happen? In any case, I'm really happy with who ended up wielding the ring. Heh.
• Spider-Man 2099 #20 - This is pretty much an entire episode about Tempest. I feel like anything I write would be a spoiler (I know, silly for a book that's been out for months). But not much happens here if you write it out: Mig learns that Tempest is awake and pregnant, and Tempest makes an informed choice to trust Tyler Stone. Oh, and a fight happens, but isn't there always a fight?
• Back To The Future #16 - A surprisingly substantial issue. A lot happens to get from point A to point B, but each piece fits with each other piece. I liked the Doc's plan, such as it was, to save them from the past - we already know things can change in this universe. As for the future, well, I'm not sure how the bad guy's plan is going to work. There must be a twist in here somewhere.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.14 - Oh, I just love when stories bend back upon themselves. In this case, two comic book creators whose work is based on legends of The Doctor get an unexpected trip in the TARDIS. All of which goes fine until it doesn't, which is sort of how Doctor Who works, I would think. The knock-off Doctor is amusing, the comic creators are strange, and all told it's an odd adventure. I'm curious to see how the story ends.
• Vampirella #0 - We bought this because of the price (25 cents) and the writer (Paul Cornell), because normally I wouldn't bother with this character. As expected, an interesting prologue to a greater story of some sort. Certainly worth the price for the fun bit of story.
• Feb 8th
• Titans #8 - Oh my, are we getting the introduction of HIVE here? I'm not sure, but there's some fun stuff about to happen as the team bursts in on ... well, whatever it is they are bursting in on. Even more interesting is Mal's choice, though. I wonder if it will be permanent, and what the ramifications will be going forward?
• Earth 2 Society #21 - This definitely seems to be winding up. Batman being as heroic as a Batman must be while everyone else fights the big fight. I just don't see how it's all going to tie up and finish. I think the next issue is the last, though.
• Scooby Apocalypse #10 - Ok, while I knew it had to be a dream, I didn't know who was dreaming until the end. Given the events of the previous issue, it should have been clear. In addition, once one of the characters was introduced as Velma's brother - well, only one person knows the connection between the Four and Velma. This doesn't move the story forward much, but it does provide some insight into Velma's state of mind.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.2 - A Silence so good at what he does that even other Silence cannot remember him (I guess that answers that question about them). An infection spread by a sapling child. And lots of memories being stolen/shared. This is the conclusion of one storyline, yes, and a farewell to Jones - but it's also a set up done well for a new set of adventures with one potentially very sticky (bad pun intended) problem.
• Torchwood #1 - I still don't know what's happening in this book, but I decided to just let it go and try to enjoy the ride. Clearly there's a mental process behind the plotting I don't get - so maybe if I read it long enough it'll pull together. I'm enjoying the individual set pieces, which is good, I just can't figure out how everything fits.
• Spongebob Comics #65 - As a person who has done the camping thing, learning all the lessons required to not die on a real hike, I feel for Sandy. She really should know better than to worry about Patrick and SpongeBob, though. The Plankton story was very strange, as was the switching roles tale. At least Mermaid Man made an appearance on the back cover. Fun as usual (so if you don't like the usual humor in the cartoon, avoid the book).

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:

• Jan 4th
• Aquaman #14 - Well, that went well. While I can almost accept the US government would mutate it's own soldiers into these killers, I'm not sure how they would be able to infiltrate Atlantis so easily unless they'd already been doing recon there for a long time. So from that angle, I'm a little disturbed by the group of assassins. I'm annoyed they managed to kill a couple of good characters, but I'm glad Mera finally got off up her butt and helped and I thought tying the attack in with the way Aquaman tracks the signal was also good. This book, so far, is holding together very nicely.
• Justice League #12 - So... we get Max Lord's new origin story in the Rebirth Universe. I'm not disappointed, but not really overwhelmed, either. It works, I guess. The face-off with Waller was a good way to show it off. I guess I'm glad I'm getting the miniseries this ties into, because I'd be pretty annoyed to be a regular Justice League subscriber and have the league pushed aside for this.
• Justice League vs Suicide Squad #3 - The artist on this book keeps leaving Aquaman out of the group shots, which I find extremely annoying. Beyond that, it's an ok issue.
• Green Lanterns #14 - Ok, I like the way this one ends. I'm a little surprised at what the Indigo power did to the Phantom Lantern, but the rest... well, very interesting. And that last little "That's not me!" was a nice touch to make this more of a story.
• DC Comics Bombshells #21 - I'm not entirely sure what happened here, but I kind of like the new cybernetic "gods" and wish they were on the good guys' side. Eh, we'll just have to see where this goes.
• Spider-Man 2099 #19 - I shouldn't laugh at a killer like Elektra, but I laughed. She's a bit over-the-top competent, but this was exactly the right moment for her to do what she does best. Now, the Tempest plotline, that's a bit more confusing. I'm guessing we have a little more time travel happening there? Well, guess I'll just have to read and find out.
• Jan 11th
• Titans #7 - Yay, two people from different realities get to chat and find out they aren't entirely alone in the universe. I enjoyed Garth's part in this, helping to build the Titans Tower. I love that they found themselves a lawyer to help figure out all the sticky legal messes. These books tend to ignore that side of things.
• Justice League vs Suicide Squad #4 - I supposed that's one way to take out Lobo. As for the rest, they seemed to have some luck. But Killer Frost going after Max alone was a bad idea. I'm wondering what happened to the storyline of Wonder Woman killing Max because he was controlling Superman and making him kill. It seems like Max's powers are slightly different this time around. I'm getting all the timelines confused now. It would be nice to have one stable reality in the comics for a few years.
• Earth 2 Society #20 - This is progressing nicely, with the Bat-family doing what they do best while the Wonders have a wonderful time in the limelight - well, not so wonderful. The entire city is terrified of them, and I only can speculate how that will work out in the end. I'm amused at the Ultra-Humanite's secret weapon. I was wondering where he'd gotten to.
• Scooby Apocalypse #9 - Wow, a relatively calm issue, with the crew foraging and exploring while Velma hides her deep dark secret and makes a really bad decision. I was disappointed to have another Scrappy-Doo backup story, as I'm barely interested in the character at all and hope he gets hit by a truck before he catches up with the gang.
• Doctor Who 3rd #4 - Of all the possible villains in a Doctor Who story, this is one of the more amusing ones to see again. The fact that he's also stealing Time Lord tech to make his own time machine is just the icing on the cake. I like that this came out after we were able to watch Enemy of the World, since it was found in 2013. I'm just overall enjoying this story.
• Doctor Who 10th #3.1 - The Doctor and his companions are in trouble - or in an alternate universe, which is just about the same thing. I found it strange that the Doctor ended up as a bum, and Gabby as an overworked waitress, but Cindy is a gal with love and a very strange dog that isn't a dog. Along with the multiple bodies, that final splash page made me think Autons.
• Doctor Who 11th #3.1 - This starts out as a tribute to David Bowie via the "Jones" character, and turns into the first part of some type of adventure that has to do with the Doctor's long life. The opening was nutso, and odd on so many levels that I'm not entirely sure what I was reading. Still, it's interesting, if a bit strange.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.13 - I like Julie, it would be fun to see her in a few more stories. I kind of hope she wins her duel with the Doctor. I also liked the Doctor using his own advanced technology to drive off the baddies. It's not always pure wits for the win, sometimes the Doctor can cheat a little.
• Spongebob Comics #64 - The Mermaid Girl story was absolutely ridiculous, but I enjoyed it anyway. The revelation of who she was living with was even funnier than the fact that two people who could have been her were living at the retirement home. The inadvertent Mermaid Man marathon was also a nice touch. Poor Sandy.

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 2nd
• Aquaman #10 - So Mera is the focus of a nasty prophecy, huh? Why am I not surprised. I love that she's questioning herself and her relationship with Arthur while at the same time determined to make it work. I also love the return of Joanna, who is sharing intel with Mera on multiple levels. This issue fit together nicely, with Mera's thoughts on each problem she's facing and the whole monitoring by N.E.M.O., which is a stupid name but Aquaman comics have a history of secret organizations with stupid names. Again, I want to read ahead to see what happens next.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #5 - I loved both Robin's bluff and Batman getting Mrs. Peel to use his utility belt. Fortunate that the stronger member of each team was able to hold on to both the trap door and their partner. I don't really have much more to say about this except that it was a fun read.
• DC Comics Bombshells #19 - A big ol' story about the Bat girls, along with the origin of Two-Face. It's not bad, but it's not the part of the DC Bombshells Universe I'm interested in, so for me it was just average. Let's see more Mera.
• Green Lanterns #10 - So the ring is taken and now what? Is this going to be a good villain, or someone annoying? Will the Phantom Ring get destroyed by the end of the storyarc, or will this be a new status quo of the DCU? There were a couple of good moments in this issue, including Jessica connecting with the girl she saved. But mostly it was just an average issue.
• Justice League #8 - I'm not finding this book terribly inspiring. First of all, there's the sadness over a single person being killed. It's unrealistic that only one person died in all that - during the event hundreds of people around the world would have had heart attacks or whatever and died of natural causes... we saw that with the Seattle earthquake. There was a single death during the earthquake, but it could never be determined if it was due to stress from the quake or would have happened anyway. This kind of thing would be the same. It would literally be a miracle if only one person died. Then there's the hack. I'm not sure what could hack a green lantern ring, but if it turns out to be the dad/husband taking revenge from his garage I'll just be rolling my eyes for the next few issues. This isn't a *bad* book, despite my nits, but I'm not finding it to be terribly great.
• Spider-Man 2099 #17 - This feels like it's getting back to a storyline I can understand and enjoy, instead of a storyline that makes my head really hurt. Miguel is definitely being stupid, as there are people he can call in, and he even knows it. If he hadn't acknowledged it... well, it would have weakened the story. So I'm happy with this book again, for the moment. Let's see how long that lasts.
• Rough Riders #7 - I love Roosevelt taking his revenge on the other gentlemen at the end of the story, but I'm not sure about the Annie and Edison twist. This has been a fun book, and I *think* we ordered all the upcoming issues, so I hope to be reading more about these characters in the future.
• Nov 9th
• Earth 2 Society #18 - While it wasn't hard to figure out that the world was reforming, I wasn't sure why the wonders were being attacked while in it. I'm still not sure why they were being attacked, except that maybe they didn't fit into the world that Fury imagined? I'll just have to keep reading to find out.
• Scooby Apocalypse #7 - Finally out of the Mall-Mart, but the crew has lost Scooby. At least there wasn't an annoying Scrappy back-up in this issue. Scooby again shows that he's made of sterner stuff than is apparent on the surface and Velma shows a little bit of humanity, then quickly loses it again. I really am enjoying this book despite the very strange take on old favorite characters.
• Back To The Future #14 - Of course someone would prey on Marty's confusion about multiple timelines. And of course he'd use the time machine. And ... wait, are those multiple Martys? How did they get convinced to do the bad guy's dirty work?
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #2 - That got really bizarre really fast. I'm not sure, but I think this issue is explaining why there are multiple versions of Dirk. I really don't know what to make of it, but hopefully it'll pull together more once we get further into it. I love Sally's talk with young Dirk.
• Spongebob Comics #62 - A Mermaid Man movie called "Clash of the Sandals"? Oh dear. Other than that, not much Mermaid Man action in this one. The first story, with Squidward, Patrick and SpongeBob trapped in a museum, was amusing, though I kept expecting it to turn into Night at the Museum. Other stories were fun, in the usual SpongeBob way. A good little book for fans.

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:

• Oct 5th
• Aquaman #8 - That opening splash page made me laugh out loud. Of course the trials Mera is going to be put through would involve snarky old widows. And when the Seneschal mentions that it takes months... I felt an unjust mirth. I wonder how Mera and Arthur are going to get out of this nonsense? Oh, and the rest of the issue... unstoppable foe, blah blah, fought the Justice League to a standstill, yeah... Interesting and obnoxious of Manta to pick that particular place as the target. Looking forward to the next issue.
• Justice League #6 - I like that Jessica is the one who recovers first from a fear wave - it makes a lot of sense considering what she has to deal with just to get out the door every morning. The rest of the issue was set-up for whatever's coming next. I'm a little sad to see Barry and Jessica's date going so horribly wrong, but combined with Superman's comment, it's clear that there's a lot more to this than their default personalities. I wonder how Aquaman is being affected? Hopefully it's not something ridiculously stupid.
• Green Lanterns #8 - Halloween events, just to remind me again how far behind I am in reviewing. Jessica and Simon really do make a good team. Two people learning about each other and dealing with a hostile world. I'm not sure what I think about this new Guardian or this Phantom Ring, but I guess we'll figure that out as more people and things come to try to get it. The Dominators were remarkably non-sinister for Dominators. The kids watching the fight were cute, but part of me was sure one of them was going to get a life-scarring injury.
• DC Comics Bombshells #18 - I was really not expecting that solution, although I absolutely love it. Why can't Hila and Mera reconcile? And the concept - that it was Nereus who drove her around the bend, was perfect. I didn't get at first that the ancient armor was going to explode, but it worked as a motive to move Atlantis and thus be ready for the refugees. I loved seeing Mera at her full power, reigning with her sister's approval. I would like to see more of Hila/Siren in the future as well (and have I mentioned how much I like that someone actually went to the Silver Age books and found the true name of Mera's sister and put it in a modern book? THANK YOU!). I adore this comic book, and I adore these version of the great DC characters.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #4 - Off to jolly ol' England after first failing to stop the bad guys in the air... I like Robin's ability to improvise and come up with an EMP literally on the fly. I also thought Emma's figuring out Batman's secret identity is very much a Mrs. Peel kind of thing to do. She's just brilliant in every other way, so of course she'd figure that out. As soon as someone mentioned security upgrades at the tower I figured out what had happened, so the ending wasn't much of a surprise - although the whole anti-oil twist was funny.
• Future Quest #5 - I'm not even sure where to start with this one. There are two stories in the book, and both of them are good. The first is a continuation of the regular book, with the introduction of Mi-Tor. The second... are these new characters or did they exist and I just missed them? (quick Google later - wow, I just really missed them). Ok, I'm learning more about old Hanna-Barbera cartoons than I even expected to know.
• Doctor Strange #12 - Ok, the first villain I know, since I was reading the book when it was introduced in its current form, but I admit I know very little about Mordo except that he's a big bad. This issue is a little hard to follow - I'm beginning to realize the artwork isn't all that great at storytelling and needs a little more support from the writer. It's not a bad book, it's just not as good as it ought to be.
• Spider-Man 2099 #16 - I like that Miguel sort of figures everything out... it didn't make a lot of sense until the Skrull revelation, and at that point - well, fun to get everything out in the open. I also liked the appearance of Deadpool 2099 at the end. Ha.
• Doctor Who 9th #6 - Captain Jack and Sergeant Benton. I love it. The continuing joke about the timeline (aka "when did the UNIT stories take place?") is hilarious to me, although it should already be getting old. I like that this story takes place after the previous one with the Doctor and crew chasing down a gargoyle. The introduction of a new monster that interacts for a moment with the "old" monster is also nicely done. I'm enjoying this one.
• Rough Riders #6 - Of all the things that I expected to happen in this book, that was not one of them. I suspect it's a mental fakeout of some kind, but beyond that I cannot tell what is going on. I'm curious to read more. Incidentally, just after reading this issue I read something else that referred to Roosevelt losing his wife and mother on the same day in the same house - synchronicity.
• Oct 12th
• Earth 2 Society #17 - So the world has been remade, perhaps? But the wonders are showing up in a phantom version of their old earth, and Lois the robot is hearing a strange countdown. I suspect they are in-between realities, but that's just my guess, because I'm not sure where the Sandmen are coming from if that's the case.
• Teen Titans Go #18 - I'm not a huge fan of this book, finding it mildly amusing most of the time - but then, I'm not the target audience most of the time. This time, I feel like the book aimed itself right at me. The original Teen Titans animated series shout out had me giggling, especially at the too true language. The other versions of television Titans were also really fun, but obviously the appearance of classic Aqualad was a delight for me. Definitely an issue any fan of any version of the Titans ought to pick up.
• Scooby Apocalypse #6 - And now we know. The life history of Velma is laid out for us, including why she's so anti-social. A ton of emotional abuse combined with a brilliant mind. It's a little cliche, but interesting that her brothers are the ones who end up taking advantage of her. And interesting that she realizes what she's done too late to fix it. I just feel sorry for Scooby, who clearly wanted to provide some support to her but doesn't know how to reach her. Meanwhile, in the backup tale, I just want that thing to go away. I think it shows in how much every single person in my generation hates Scrappy-Doo that he's become the main villain whenever he shows up anymore. At least in this version he makes a sort of annoying sense.
• Dirk Gently: Salmon of Doubt #1 - So Dirk's having memories of things that didn't happen, which is definitely a problem, especially when his girl is apparently crossing dimensions and his cat has been captured by a troll. The cover to my copy shows the tv version alongside the comic book adult version and the comic book child version. Fascinating. Is this series going to somehow meld them all together?
• Spongebob Comics #61 - Halloween in Bikini Bottom, and Patrick shows innate kindness that rewards him handsomely when our main characters cross a witch. A fun little issue with several fun stories, but needs some Mermaid Man.
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #6 - Although Van Sciver is not drawing every issue, I've decided to completely drop this book from my reading list due to his involvement in it. I apologize to the other creators on the book, but I cannot support a man who tells a fan to kill himself.

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:

• Sep 7th
• Aquaman #6 - Molwark? I suddenly have an urge to put together a list of Atlantean words we've seen in the comic books. That's potentially a really good one to use on people to confuse them. Ahem. This issue was basically Aquaman and Superman battling while chatting about Aquaman's role in the DC Universe. Oh, there were a few pages of Manta being Manta, but otherwise it was mostly a big ol' fight scene. I love when Mera punches Superman and the idiot chief of staff is surprised. "Girl's got game!" Heh. I like this Major Shurman. First she questions the idiot in the last issue, now she approves of Mera's punch. Nice. I like that Aquaman ended the war that was about to start with just a few words, proving his power. What I don't like is Superman threatening him - that really just proves Aquaman's point. Arthur is NOT trusted by the Justice League. And that, frankly, sucks. This was a nice solid issue, despite being one big fight scene.
• Justice League #4 - It's kind of hard to figure out what is happening, but there appears to be more than one threat, and the league is taking care of one of them so another one can do its thing. Aquaman's connection to ancient Atlantean crystals seems to be a good thing, as is Superman's ability to figure out how to deal with threats without simply punching them. But I'm most confused by Cyborg's role in this, and what on earth - or rather off earth - happened to cause the cliffhanger.
• Batman Beyond #16 - A sort of sad finale to this era of Batman Beyond, started in an annoying crossover and finished with an almost paradox. I was just waiting for someone to beat the crap out of Spellbinder, who has been consistently irritating since the beginning of this storyline. Terry's slow realization was nice - as was Tim's utter acceptance of what had happened to him. Not at all a bad way to finish up this version of Batman... now on to the Rebirth.
• Doctor Strange #11 - So, magic is slowly coming back after being nearly completely wiped out, but even Strange is having difficulty with things he would have beaten with barely a thought before. And it all ends with an old friend showing up. What has he been up to, and was he affected by the attack on magic? Lots to explore in this book.
• Doctor Who 9th #5 - I find it absolutely hilarious that the Doctor is meeting Martha - only will not know it for a long time, if ever, thanks to the situation. The last two pages, especially the "sometime in the 1970s. Or maybe '80s." made me giggle happily. Lots of promise for the future there, in the past.
• Sep 14th
• Green Lanterns #6 - I like seeing Jessica fight through her anxiety. It gives me a little hope, somehow. That said, there wasn't a lot more in this issue for me. Oh, I thought it was funny that the cat succeeded where everyone else failed (whether they know it or not) and I liked seeing Jessica and Simon getting along for once. The teddy bear's story was fun, as well. And Bleez's story. And the new type of ring... and - you know what? This was a better issue than I first thought. Never mind my negativism. Let's just see where it goes from here, now.
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #4 - So Guy got captured. That wasn't exactly clear in the last issue. Sinestro's reaction to naked Guy was pretty funny, I gotta admit. As for Hal - what the heck did Soranik do to him? Still confusing and annoying and not my favorite book by a long shot, but at least something happened in this issue.
• Earth 2 Society #16 - And, finally, the obvious solution is presented. I kind of figured that particular gun on the wall would be used by the end of the series - so here it is. I just wonder (no pun intended) what sort of world will emerge from the other side?
• DC Comics Bombshells #17 - Ok, there's a level of "eeeuww" in that masquerade I can't quite get over. At least Raven was able to overcome, with a little help. The whole thing was a tiny bit anti-climatic - but in a good way. Needed more Mera... obviously, since she wasn't in this one at all.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #3 - The Avengers in the Batcave, which is being attacked by a horde of Cybernauts! Plenty of plot movement in this one, and I love reading this and hearing the voices of the actors in my mind. I admit that Emma's solution to the African bee problem is a little... odd, but it was funny nonetheless. A delightful series.
• Astro City #38 - More of the history of early Astro City, with the appearance of Jazzbaby, who has a secret identity and more of a story we can follow. Her strength is music, and even a tiny bit of music in a horrible void was enough for her to break free from it, which is interesting. And she had Cakewalk's memories, which suggests some serious continuity throughout the years. This isn't a fantastic as the previous issue, but it's still pretty good. I'd like to see this aspect of the city explored again.
• Scooby Apocalypse #5 - Did we ever get the answer to what Velma pulled out of that dead body? This is an exciting bit of the story, as more monsters attack and the team figure out how to avoid getting crunched... on the fly. Daphne is getting irritating. Well, more irritating than usual. I still feel like I ought to hate this book while every issue makes me love it more. It's quite an incredible Elseworld version of Scooby-Doo.
• Spider-Man 2099 #15 - Wait, THAT'S the villain? What?!? Ok, backing up... Spidey is back in the future, but it's not really his future because he's made changes in the past that have altered it. He's chasing Captain America, who isn't the same as the one from our time, of course. She (Cap) is looking for her husband. All told, it's not really a complicated plot, but it definitely comes across as complicated as it moves along. And the final page... ug. Really?
• Doctor Who 3rd #1 - All the best bits of the Third Doctor's time - jam-packed into a single issue! But then, it is written by Paul Cornell, so how could it not be full of Doctor Who goodness? I can't really say too much about the plot - robots, crazy inventions to hold off said robots, Osgood (not that one) and a surprise visit at the end. All good stuff. I'm looking forward to the next issue.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.14 - Those things on ancient Gallifrey - weren't they in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip? Or is my fragile memory failing me? Lots to think about in this issue, and more than a little to worry about. I wonder where this plotline will lead? In the meantime, the problems with Anubis seem to be getting a touch worse. Nice cliffhanger.
• Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen #3 - This is so scattered and confusing I'm not sure where to start. Or end. I just wonder which plotline is going to be the most important in solving the crisis. And I guess I'm going to have to reread the whole story once it's all out, because otherwise it's going to be just too hard to follow.
• Spongebob Comics #60 - Yay, Mermaid Man sighting! Ok, one panel in the throwaway joke, but still, enough to make me happy. The Paul Bunyan parallels were amusing and wonderfully silly in one story. We finally get to see Sandy again, which was cool. Overall, a fun little issue.

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 24th
• Titans #2 - Oh, that final splash page! Kadabra was never really all that threatening in the past - were any Titans' villains? - but he's got some good moments in this one. I love that Garth figured out where the strings were being pulled from. I thought Nightwing's nervousness throughout was a little strange, as though he were stepping back into a role he'd forgotten how to play. Which actually makes sense in the context of this book. I'm curious to see where this book goes next with this concept. And I really want to know the resolution of that cliffhanger!
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #3 - Ok. So. Sinestro is doing something bad, Hal gets beaten up, and Guy is... left hanging? Plot movement is glacial. Some books manage to be interesting despite not much happening - this one isn't.
• Harley's Little Black Book #4 - The sheer wackiness of all the Harley books puts me off a little. She's random and violent, and while I can handle random... the violence often turns me off. That said, I couldn't resist a trip into the Bombshells Universe and this was a mostly fun romp - although violent... at least it was violent towards a group that deserves it. The ending was fairly confusing, as Harley attempts to relate her experiences to people (?) that she knows, which I don't know since I don't follow the regular Harley book. Not the greatest I've ever read, but it was funny in parts and I think the Bombshells came off well in comparison.
• Back To The Future: Citizen Brown #4 - Lots of twists and turns in this story that I'm not expecting. I begin to understand why they wanted to turn it into a comic book. I wonder if the original video game version would hold up by today's standards (not graphics, just storytelling and gameplay)? I'm very curious to see what happens with Doc's efforts to help the woman who should not be his wife.
• Usagi Yojimbo #157 - Wow. Intense ending to an intense story. I want to reread the whole thing again, but I think all the clues were there except the actual backstory, which would have given too much away. As it was, the discovery of the true nature of the screen was a lovely, tragic moment. Another great story from the one always consistently good comic book out there. Seriously, if you want to read a good comic, even the worst issue of this title is better than 99% of all other comic book titles published.
• Aug 31st
• Justice League of America #9 - This series continues the tale of Rao, using time travel to come toward a climax, but not quite reach it. I admit, the final cliffhanger with an army of ancient Kryptonians newly empowered by a yellow sun was impressive. The thing that bothers me about this book is that I don't remember another issue coming out. I could be wrong, I HOPE I'm wrong, but does this story have an ending?
• Earth 2 Society Annual #1 - We take a quick aside from the ongoing plot to rehash the origins of the Earth 2 Batman with his newly rediscovered son. There's also a flashback fight scene. It's not bad, it just isn't particularly substantial. Not a lot happens, although a lot of ground is covered. It's actually well done, but after finishing it I just felt a little let down, like there ought to have been a bit more there.
• DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1 - I kept wondering what was happening, but that final splash made the entire comic worth it. I'm not sure I really buy the vampire thing, but whatever. I guess she's a vampire batgirl? Killer Croc was splendid in this, as was his banter with Francine (a character I am completely unfamiliar with). I really enjoyed this one, although music - folk songs - just aren't the same in comic book form.
• Future Quest #4 - So much is happening... I can just barely keep up with the plot. If I were more familiar with the characters, I might have an easier time of it. Parker is introducing characters slowly enough to help the reader assimilate, but it's still a very large cast he's assembling. I'm really curious to see where this book goes.
• Spider-Man 2099 #14 - I guess Power Pack is some sort of superhero group that I'm only vaguely familiar with that maybe should have had a bigger impact on me than it did? Up until the final reveal the book was scooting along nicely, but the ending just had me puzzled. Maybe the next issue will be better.
• Doctor Who 11th #2.12 - I'm trying to figure out what's happening in this issue, but it's kind of twisting my brain. I'm just not sure what the Doctor or Alice are actually trying to do, except that it's not good. Nor have I quite figured out the Master and Squire's roles in this. It's just very odd.
• Rough Riders #5 - Aliens! Only, it's not really aliens, is it? Or rather, they aren't the bad guys, per se? Hard to tell. I am really enjoying the characterizations of these historical figures in relation to each other in this book, and the plot itself is okay - not showing any particular signs of greatness yet, but certainly as good as most comics. The cliffhanger is suitably squicky. It's going to be interesting to see how this plot ends.

A Sunday 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 10th
• Earth 2 Society #15 - What's with the artwork in the first few pages? It looks like it was done in 20 minutes on a faulty wacom tablet. Beyond that, though, not a horrible issue. Not great, either. I can't imagine this particularly universe lasting much longer.
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #2 - So the Green Lanterns are decimated, but back in their own universe and, presumably, time. Meanwhile, Hal is making friends? This all felt very typical of the current DC Green Lantern books. Just an incremental step toward something else, without much actual action.
• Spider-Man 2099 #13 - I'm really confused about exactly where we are in this story - but there are lots of helpful hints and a huge summary to remind me. Even with that, the whole thing seems a bit complex. At least we have some action: Captain America of the future headed out to find her family, a dire warning, and then a rash response. I think I need to read Peter David's stuff all in one sitting, but overall this works ok.
• Doctor Who 9th #4 - Ah, messing with the future. I think the Doctor made a serious mistake answering that call. And poor Mickey. I liked the double-cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.13 - Another nice cliffhanger in this one. I do like that the Doctor Who comics have a summary at the beginning to help people catch up on the action, although Dorothy Bell would be hard to summarize in any case. A fun issue with lots of tie-in to previous issues.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.8 - The Twelfth Doctor getting a punk rocker from an almost lost colony to join him on his travels? Who would've thought it. I did enjoy his little side comments, and the Foxkin are a nice addition to the DW Universe. It's mostly a satisfactory ending, although I would have liked to see what the other Foxkin thought of coming out of the shadows. I can't imagine it was a popular decision all around.
• Spongebob Comics #59 - No Mermaid Man, but a couple of mild funny stories. I enjoyed the seahorse one with Sandy. Overall, about average. If you like Spongebob, you will like this, but if not don't bother.

A Sunday Review

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

• Free Comic Book Day
• Doctor Who - Four short stories, featuring the ninth through twelfth Doctors. Each one is a solid little stand-alone, although for the tenth and eleventh stories some knowledge of the comic would help to understand, since they use companions introduced in the comic. Otherwise, a good little package.
• Dark Horse FCBD 2016 - The Serenity story is a bit on the sad side, with River telling a bedtime story. The Hellboy story was typically dark with a hint of silly. The Aliens tale was ok. Overall, a decent book for Free Comic Book Day.
• SpongeBob Freestyle Funnies 2016 - The usual - if you enjoy SpongeBob, you'll enjoy this. The Mermaid Man story was at the usual level of humor, but the Ramona Fradon artwork was spectacular and made it very readable.
• Bongo Comics Free-For-All 2016 - The usual Simpsons humor. I thought the dentist story was slightly better than the superhero one, but they weren't anything spectacular.
• DC Superhero Girls - A cute intro to a cute version of the DC Universe. And that's about all I really have to say about it.
• Jun 1st
• Green Lanterns Rebirth #1 - Two complete rookie Lanterns who immediately don't like each other being forced to work together by Hal Jordan. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, and here come the Red Lanterns. Lovely. This is a promising start, but I'm not really sure about it yet.
• DC Comics Bombshells #14 - Yeah, now THIS is more like it. The entire first half of the book is devoted to what happened to Mera after the battle. Fished out of the ocean by an Irish cutie... I almost envy her. The rest of the book is devoted to some of the magic users in this universe, and it's a bit grim and disturbing on several levels. I, obviously, love the Mera bits of this book more than any other, so this issue gets high marks from me.
• Batman Beyond #13 - Well now, Rewire isn't who I expected him to be and this isn't going to play out in a pleasant way, I'm sure. Of course, this has to have something to do with time travel, but what exactly happened to make this a reality is a big question I hope gets answered.
• Teen Titans Go #16 - A mixed-up body story followed by a jaunt in the Batmobile. Funny. I tend to think of this book as what the Titans are like with no inhibitions - basically if they were drunk all the time. It *almost* makes sense that way.
• Spider-Man 2099 #11 - So, the future's not what it used to be. And this book just gets more complicated at every turn. I'm not entirely sure I'm enjoying the twists. I want to like it, but I'm finding it hard to track all the differences, even with the helpful recaps at the beginning of each issue.
• Doctor Who 4th #3 - Oh, poor Sarah Jane. This is a story that probably couldn't have been done justice on the TV screen, but it is fantastic here in the comic. I'm really liking it, and the new characters.
• Legends of Oz Tik-Tok And Kalidah #2 - An exiled Kalidah? That explains a few things about this pair. But the trouble they are carrying is pretty intense. The cliffhanger leaves them in a very bad spot (between a door and a raging mob?).
• Rough Riders #3 - The team goes into action and... well, spoilers, but I think one of them is in pretty bad shape. The rest? Who knows. I like the idea of using historical figures this way, giving them tall tales to share. It reminds me of Young Indiana Jones. It's hard to see what might be coming up next, but I'm sure it's going to be trouble.
• Jun 8th
• Aquaman: Rebirth #1 - Well, here we go. New Aquaman? Hardly. It's Aquaman fighting terrorists off the coast of Boston. Pretty tame and normal stuff. Beautiful artwork, nice set up for a Manta story, but not much else. Good, not great.
• Green Lantern Corps: The Edge of Oblivion #6 - The corps goes through a crack in the universe and vanishes. Again. I'm just not sure what is happening here or why I should care.
• Earth 2 Society #13 - The Amazons reveal themselves and add a new layer of terror to the world, while a hidden threat prepares to attack. The new layer of terror is yet another ancient artifact that can change everything. I don't know where this book is going, but it raises some interesting philosophical questions about superpowers and how such things ought to be used in extreme cases.
• Adventures of Supergirl #3 - I never saw the first two issues of this book solicited, so we join the action in progress as Supergirl gets trapped in a series of dreams. It's ok, but I would have liked the first couple of issues so I didn't jump in late.
• Doctor Who 11th #2.10 - Pretty intense, with Alice taking the Doctor's bait and going back to the Time War (it's a little like the Seventh Doctor destroying Ace's faith in order to save the world in The Curse of Fenric). I wasn't expecting him to be upset at Daak not going with her, but there it was. And the Squire, one of the best new characters in ages - um, I'll gloss over that final splash page for a moment and just say this was one intense issue.
• Spongebob Comics #57 - A "Noir" issue, all in Black and White and Yellow. Some fun stuff, including a tale of Mermaid Man's lost cape. Amusing, as usual.
• Xena Warrior Princess #3 - And Ares shows up. I'm just not liking this book much anymore. The continuity is a little too convoluted for me, and I still can't quite figure out what's going on.
• Baker Street Peculiars #4 - The game is won! The children use cunning, intelligence and a little logic to finish the battle in the best way possible, saving the day and then, just for kicks, learning the truth behind Sherlock Holmes. A fun little series. I wonder if we'll get more?

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Past Sunday Reviews -- My Kindle Wishlist

A Sunday Review

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

• May 4th
• Green Lantern #52 - So this is basically Hal winning a single fight. Really? That's all for the final issue before rebirth? Ok. I think I'll go read something else now.
• Batman Beyond #12 - Something is being set up here with Terry being brought back, sort of. I would like to know what it is. But again, it's just one fight until the end of the book and not much else going on.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #16 - Zoinks! Jinkies! This has to be one of the funniest of the team-ups so far thanks to the Wizard deciding to give a couple of the meddling kids powers based on their own catchphrases. This was one worth checking out if you love Scooby and the Marvel family.
• Spider-Man 2099 #10 - So, is the entire issue a flashback to how Miguel got to the first two pages? Yes, yes it is. While the situation with Tempest's mom appears to be settled, more threats are always on the way and in this case, Miguel may be jumping in too deep. Time travel is confusing, even when it's only two distinct times and places.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.9 - I'm not sure what the witch was, except that it was linked to the Doctor and Gallifrey, and that's bad news. This issue was more than a little disjointed, even after rereading the previous issue. Not my favorite story, but I'm still interested in finding out what the link to ancient Gallifrey is.
• Rough Riders #2 - More team gathering, and testing. All pretty fun. Good artwork, interesting premise. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
• Beasts of Burden: What Cat Dragged In - This is one fine book, and very creepy and sad in this case. This issue focuses on the cats, particularly one cat that was a former enemy of our hero animals. We learn what she left behind and yet desperately attempted to reach again. Fantastic artwork, wonderfully touching and sad story. A must-get if you've read the other issues in the series, but not the best jumping on point if you haven't.

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I tried out two online multiplayer games this past week. Both of them are free to play with extra content available for a price. I am figuring that I won't get particularly addicted to either game, although it's always a possibility with a person like me.

Anyway, let's talk about my experience, since that's what this review is about. First of all, I downloaded and installed Steam, the gaming system that allows people to use these games and many others. I'm not sure I had to do that, but I was trying to play catch up with some other folks I know online. So it was partly due to that and partly curiosity.

Steam is slightly annoying but overall funny. It acts like a game itself, urging people to earn accomplishments such as making friends, joining groups, adding games to a wishlist and playing games. All very silly, but probably extremely effective in the overall scheme of appealing to a bunch of gamers.

Now, as for my gaming cred, I don't have much any more. I gamed quite a bit as a teenager on the C64, and even did a bit of gaming, including multiplayer stuff, at college. I've told my college gaming story more than once, and probably even on this blog before: My friends Dan and Carl set me up on a computer with a text-only MUD (multi-user domain) that was based on a fantasy setting. We started playing Friday afternoon. A few minutes after I started, Dan tapped me on the shoulder and said it was time to go to dinner. So we went, then game back to the math hall and played some more. A few minutes later, Dan tapped me on the shoulder and said, "It's time for breakfast." so we went. And then came back and played some more. A few minutes later, it was lunchtime and we went, then came back. Then dinner again... and breakfast... and lunch... and as we went to Sunday dinner Dan told me he was cutting me off since I had classes the next morning.

So, yeah. I've done the gaming thing.

I haven't gamed much since college, and the years have definitely passed me by. I played some old stuff recently, using the VICE emulator for C64 to play Wasteland and Standing Stones (I will finish Standing Stones this time, I swear it!). I enjoy the old stuff, but I'm also craving newer games. I want to see what's come along since I last gamed regularly. I played a bit of Castle Wolfenstein and Doom in my time, but it's been a very long time since I played a current-ish game.

Back to this week, after installing Steam I looked for a couple of games I could play. There were two that caught my eye: Star Trek Online and DC Online. I know fans and critics of both of them. So I downloaded both of them. DCO took about four hours to download and another hour to install. STO took about 8 hours to "Patch" after it had downloaded.

I tried STO first. I started out at Star Fleet Academy, just about to get my assignment after graduation. The game leads you through some basic combat training, then sends you to a ship where you go on your opening cruise. Of course, it doesn't go right, and you run into some trouble that puts you in charge, crazily enough. The controls were complicated and I couldn't find a quick way to open up a "help" window or anything that would tell me what buttons to push. There were hints and clues, but I found myself befuddled by commands and irritated by the controls.

Then, after a bit of combat, I was told to meet with another ship. The map showed me where, and I went there and... nothing. So I flew around and entered the rendezvous point again. Nothing. By this time I'm really getting irritated and just mashing keys, but I flew around once more, figuring I'd ragequit in a second, and on the third try the scenario started. I seriously needed a hint as to what was wrong, and how to fix it. In any case, I found it frustrating enough that I didn't bother to continue. I may go back to the game, but at the moment, I'm just bored with it. So, 8 hours of downloading and less than an hour of play.

The next one I tried was DC Online. I'd heard that I wouldn't enjoy it due to a lack of aquatic action, and sure enough, there was no Aquaman anywhere. The main plot involves the need to create a bunch of superheroes to fight off an invasion by Brainiac. I rolled up a hero character with mental powers, and she started up in Brainiac's ship, trying to escape while disabling the ship. My first problem was that I couldn't figure out how to hit anything. I had to restart and find a help page. The official help pages were totally useless. Everyone just assumes you are familiar with gaming protocol or something. It also makes you wait for a few minutes to get back into the game, unless you pay for the privilege of getting in faster. That's annoying.

So, apparently, when playing with the keyboard, you use your mouse buttons for hitting. Once I figured that out, it wasn't nearly so hard to play. However, I did have another problem. I somehow deactivated my powers. To give you an idea of how weak the first things I faced were: I managed to defeat them with my bare hands. But once I'd figured out how to turn my powers back on, I had a much easier time of it.

At the end of the battle, Superman popped in to help out, which was fun. Then I was back on earth, and interacting with other players. Which wasn't so much fun. I don't enjoy team playing, and I got invited to multiple teams before I'd even figured out the movement controls (I was literally still bumping into walls). I declined the invites and went on a couple of quests/missions, which were actually very engaging. I got to save Zatanna and Raven and fight alongside Cyborg (after first, as is traditional, fighting with him). Along the way I picked up gear and got new skills. Along with each new power is a little chart on how to trigger the attack with the mouse. I need to take notes.

The lack of Aqua-characters is mildly saddening, and the frequent interruptions by other players was also annoying (the chat was filled with garbage). But the game was fun. If I can figure out how to make sure other players don't keep inviting me to things, maybe I'll play it a little longer. Especially since one guy invited me to a team while I was getting my butt kicked by a tough demon-thing, and because I couldn't figure out how to dismiss the invite quick, I nearly "died". Thanks dude. I did figure out on another play through how to turn those off, but it was really irritating for me. I'm a solo type of gamer, I'm afraid.

Looking out over Metropolis.

Anyway, for free games neither was too bad. I would much prefer a single player game, but that's just me. I'll probably play both a little more. At this point I can imagine getting addicted to DCO, although it doesn't seem too likely with all the people being annoying. I don't see me playing much more STO, although that also could change, depending on whether or not I figure out the controls.

My eventual goal is to play the Fallout series of games, as well as the sequel to Wasteland. I've been watching vids of Adipose playing Fallout 3, and I think they are my kind of thing. But since that requires actual money, I'll have to wait.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- My Kindle Wishlist

A Sunday Review

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

• Mar 9th
• Green Lantern Corps: The Edge of Oblivion #3 - Well, that ending sucks. I am vaguely interested in what happens in this book, but not nearly enough to get excited about it.
• Earth 2 Society #10 - Hey, I finally get to see Aquawoman again! And she's nasty! Yay? Ok, so if I have this straight, the world they've ended up on has no natural resources and people are still fighting over what little they have? Ok. Sounds like humans.
• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 - It's not a Batman book unless his origin comes up, and here it is. Still, a nice way of slipping it into the plot. It actually works.
• Spider-Man 2099 #8 - Wow. That's an impressive turn of events. And it all happened in a sort of organic way, as well. Nicely plotted. I'm really curious as to what will happen next.
• Doctor Strange #6 - And the good guys lose. The end. ... right? I'm not a fan of the Marvel Universe or Doctor Strange, this is hubby's book. But it's a neat little premise. What happens if the world is "cleansed" of magic?
• Dirk Gently: A Spoon Too Short #2 - I'm enjoying this more than the last mini-series, but that's really not saying all that much. I think this mini is giving a better sense of how Dirk's concept works, the interconnectedness of things and how one piece of information can potentially have meaning in a context that it doesn't seem even remotely related to. There's less pure silly, and more targeted silly in this one. And while Dirk is still really annoying, he's not unlikable. I do wonder what, exactly, he got from the elephant, though. That's a cliffhanger that is almost too amusing to stand.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.3 - It was interesting to see who makes a cameo in this one, apparently unrelated to the story itself. UNIT is on the job? Well, if you have Sea Devils, I guess it's time for UNIT to show up. In any case, fun explanation for how there are still "humans" and yet they are clearly not human. Fun issue, in all.
• Spongebob Comics #54 - I'm not sure why I bother mentioning this comic in my capsules. It's always funny and fresh, but it's also not got an ongoing plot, so a capsule will never do it justice. Perhaps I need to really do reviews. Hrm.
• Baker Street Peculiars #1 - Three kids meet up while chasing a stone lion running through London in 1933. Eventually they meet a stranger who appears to be none other than the famous Sherlock Holmes, who employs them to find out more about missing statues. I thought the method of introducing the characters by having Holmes analyze them was a neat trick, but that only works for one issue. A fun start, with some interesting twists and high strangeness. Could be really good, we'll have to see how the next issue goes.

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Fortean Times #337 (February 2016). Oh man. That cover is excellent. Apparently I really like Gothic Romance imagery? Or maybe it's just the composition and the colors that make me happy. I don't know, but I consider it gorgeous. The cover story, about Gothic Romance, covers the basic tropes of the genre and picks out a few examples that exemplify it. I love the page of the book covers, all so similar while being slightly different. A sidebar story talked about Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak, and how it fits and expands the genre. I have a slight desire to see the movie, but I'm not entirely sure I really want to... his stuff tends to spark nightmares for me.

A second feature is about supposed Neanderthals in Wales, and discusses the way people were categorized into different ethnic groups before DNA tests were available. It's all somewhat disturbing, but it's important to understand how we used to think about race and ethnicity, even among people who are essentially the same.

The story of Sulawesi is really hard to read for me. It's a feature on a somewhat unique tradition of how to treat the dead, but it's also macabre to my eyes. The thought of loving family members exhuming my body every few years to celebrate my mummified remains bothers me more than it should. The article is written in a way to undercut any negativity, but it still gets to me.

Strangedays starts with a mystery object found at a cemetery and continues with some great photos, including one of a horse with a horse-shaped marking on its shoulder. There's a bit on people with unusual love interests, complete with at least one photo that's almost not-safe-for-work. Medical bag looks at people who claim to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity... not to diminish their claims, but it really ought to be fairly simple to determine if the condition is real using Faraday cages and double-blind studies. And since all such attempts have failed to prove it, I wonder what's really causing the problem? There's also more on the fictional Red Mercury and terrorist attempts to obtain it.

The Conspirasphere gets to Malheur and the Bird Sanctuary Bozos... there's plenty of fortean concepts to go around in there. I still wish they'd all been eaten by Bigfoot (I made the mistake of saying that in a news meeting at work). Mythconceptions looks at the ridiculous idea that sharks don't get cancer.

Science looks at Earthquake lights, and what might actually be causing them. There is some advancement on figuring that out, but apparently it's not really any good for predicting earthquakes. Archaeology looks at people buried with mixed-up animal bones. There's also more on ancient grains. Classical Corner is about ancient insults and cussing, and is... um... not-safe-for-work.

Ghostwatch finds newly recorded stories about a place that previously was overlooked by ghost hunters. Apparently you can't go anywhere on the map without finding some ghosts. Alien zoo has a handful of news, including the fact that Austalian and New Zealand fairy penguins are genetically different, despite looking the same. The UFO Casebook continues the detailed story of how the Rendlesham Forest incident started.

Strange Statesmen finally gets to America, and there is oh-so-much to examine there. The first politician discussed, Augustus Sol Invictus, isn't one I'd heard of before, but he definitely fits the Fortean Times. Then it goes into the Tea Party and the absolute nuttiness found there, including two of the most memorable political ads in recent history: "I am not a witch" and the demon-sheep ad.

Building a Fortean Library goes into the history of unicorns with two books on unicorn lore. Reviews has some good pieces, including a book on reality and philosophy. There are a few good ones, a handful of books to add to my wishlist. The film reviews has only one of real interest to me, Downtime, the unofficial Doctor Who spin-off. It's panned by the reviewer.

The letters were good - one in particular made me angry. It is about the chain letter craze of the 1970s and 1980s... I got accused as a child of passing one along. I didn't. In fact, every time I got a chain letter from someone, I would rip it up in front of them. Logic said the letters made no sense - they talked about the effect of the letter within the letter, even though the effects couldn't have happened when the letter was written. *ahem* The "It Happened to Me" section was surprisingly happy, with stories that weren't as creepy as usual, but still interesting. The personal stories, true or not, are what makes this magazine fantastic.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- My Kindle Wishlist