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.

Hugo Review Status Update

Hugo Review Status Update

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the sheer amount of great stuff in this year's packet. Whew.

Ok, we're into June, and I have until July 15th to make my final decisions. There are 108 total finalists, but I removed the obvious puppy poop and will only be dealing with 100 of them. I've posted 24 individual reviews and one category review so far, which means I'm nearly 1/3 of the way through by simple numbers. Of course, I've still got four of the novels and all of the series to go, so I'm hardly anywhere. Panicpanicpanic.

After the fold, my current rankings with links to my reviews. A dash means I'm leaving it off my ballot. I also just removed the puppy poop entirely and will be putting "No Award" at the bottom of each category that has poop in it. Rankings are all subject to change right up until July 15th.

A Hugo Review: Best Novella - Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire

Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire is about children who have experienced other worlds, and a school meant to help them.

One minor complaint about the story as presented in the packet. At the end of the story there was an excerpt from a related book, but there was no indication that it was an excerpt in the text itself (usually there's a bit that says "Here's a sneak preview of this upcoming novel" or something like that). I read it, and wondered why the novella ended with a couple of strange chapters like that. It wasn't until I finished and hit the table of contents (which was at the end) that I learned those chapters weren't part of the story. It definitely changed my reading experience - I didn't think the story ended where it actually ended, which made for a weird feeling of incompleteness. This is entirely the fault of the publisher, and has nothing to do with the story itself. But I found it really annoying once I realized what had happened.

The good: While there are lots of stories of children whisked away to fairylands, there aren't as many stories about what happens when they return, and still fewer about those children who have no desire to return. The concept of the school and why Eleanor is running it is great. I also found it heart-breaking to learn the reason Eleanor couldn't return to her own fairyland. Ouch. The various characters we meet are wonderful. Nancy is fascinating and Kade is simply wonderful. Jack and Jill have their moments. Even the mean girls have a certain pathos to them. Christopher was also a character who had a moment of shining glory with his flute. It seemed to me that some of the children, Nancy for sure, had been sent back to the real world to have one final adventure there. I do wonder if Christopher made it back to his home as well. The mystery was fairly neat and powerful. I enjoyed the way it was solved (and how obvious it was to the reader ahead of time).

The bad: I was a little disoriented by the changes in point-of-view. It seemed like it was Nancy's story, but the viewpoint switched a couple of times, and not always as smoothly as it could have.

Conclusion: A very good story despite a couple of minor flaws. I think it's moved into the second spot on my ballot.

Best Novella: I've read Penric and the Shaman, Every Heart a Doorway and The Ballad of Black Tom. I need to read The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, A Taste of Honey, and This Census-Taker.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Game of Thrones: "The Door"

Game of Thrones: "The Door", answers a question about a long-time character while advancing the general plot of the series.

Again, I'm struck by the difficulty I have with judging the Hugo finalists. This is an episode of an ongoing show that is extremely dependent on knowing the show. If you aren't familiar with the plot, how on earth could you follow this? As it is, I've read the books and had a good idea of the main characters and about where they were in the story, so I was able to follow most of it once I figured out who the characters were. But do I take into account the difficulty of new viewers, or do I judge it solely on how much I enjoyed it?

The good: The production values on this show are amazing. The plotlines I recognized were very well realized from the book to the screen, although this appears to have gone past the last book I've read in most of the stories. I suspect the reason this episode was nominated was because of the final scenes involving Hodor. The scenes explain why he can only say that one word, and what that word is a corruption of. Basically, the secret was mental time travel by Bran. It's a very powerful scene, nicely filmed in a way that makes it clear what has happened. The attack of the wights is suitably terrifying, as well. It was actually freaky in a horror movie sort of way, but better done than most horror movies.

The bad: The set up for the Hodor revelation is not in this episode, so it would be considerably more powerful for someone who has seen the previous episodes. Again, the problem with a finalist that isn't a stand-alone. Also, only one other plotline really advanced all that much in this episode, as Yara attempts to be crowned ruler only to be usurped by her uncle. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I don't see it as a great episode.

Conclusion: It was fine. I wouldn't rate it higher than the Doctor Who episode, so at the moment it's in third place.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who, Black Mirror and Game of Thrones: "The Door". I need to watch The Expanse, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", and Splendor & Misery [album].

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Graphic Story - Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet

Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet is about Black Panther attempting to get control of his nation.

What did I just read? Even though this is a volume 1, there is so much backstory hinted at that it was next to impossible for me to figure out exactly what was going on. While much could be gleaned from context, I didn't really enjoy reading it because I felt like I was coming in on a third act and missed all the important bits.

The good: Lovely artwork, and the story attempts to give enough context to work out what's happening.

The bad: I have no interest at all in these characters. No investment, nothing tugged at my heartstrings, nothing pulled me toward them. And with so much happening, the only reason I would continue to read it is if I felt an investment. But I'm not even introduced to the main character properly. I just bounced off this completely because there was nothing at all for me to look at and say, "I wonder what will happen next?"

Conclusion: Perhaps if I'd read more of this book in the past, or knew more about the Marvel Universe, this might have interested me. But I couldn't get into this one.

Best Graphic Story: I've read Ms. Marvel, The Vision, Black Panther, and Saga. I need to read Monstress and Paper Girls.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Novella - The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle

The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle is about helplessness corrupting a good man.

This past summer I finally finished reading the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft. I found most of his works to be overblown and a bit silly, with lots of good bits and an unhealthy dose of early twentieth century racism. The racism was annoying, as it marred what were otherwise pretty fun horror stories. This tale takes "The Horror at Red Hook" and turns it around, making the main character a young black man just trying to get by in a difficult world through his unique form of busking. Through a series of connected events, the hero is pushed beyond the limits of human endurance and into blind hate.

The good: Turning the racism around is an excellent way to deconstruct Lovecraft. The protagonist is compelling, he talks a good talk and seems like a good man that folks wouldn't mind hanging out with - until the murder. His change is understandable but terrifying. I also liked the time jump, which wasn't pushed too hard, but tied the beginning and the ending together nicely. The whole story is a powerful parable about racism, without being preachy, in my opinion.

The bad: I found the eyelid thing to be a bit too much for me. I don't know why that was where I draw the line, but that was the only bit that really made me cringe.

Conclusion: I liked this story, just not quite as much as I enjoy the Penric tale. I can't say this was mind-twisting, and it didn't give me joy (in fact, I found myself wanting to beat up the corrupt murdering cops myself), but I did like it. It's currently second on my ballot.

Best Novella: I've read Penric and the Shaman and The Ballad of Black Tom. I need to read The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, Every Heart a Doorway, A Taste of Honey, and This Census-Taker.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Black Mirror: "San Junipero"

Black Mirror: "San Junipero", is about love.

It's actually about a lot more than love, but frankly, this is the kind of story that really helps if you see it cold. I literally had never heard of (or at least paid any attention to) Black Mirror until I learned of this finalist, and I only checked Wikipedia to find out if I was going to be completely confused due to not knowing some previous plotline. When I saw "stand-alone anthology series" I was reassured and read no more.

I just want to say, right now, that if you have not seen this, go find it - seek it out - and watch it NOW before you read any further. Please. It's worth it.

This was a total mind twist and I love pretty much every minute of it. The concept was great, the execution was lovely and the acting added just the right amount of pathos without drowning us in fake emotion. I can honestly say I loved this.

The good: Everything. I enjoyed the slow revelations of what was really happening, the careful set up and deliberate movement towards each new fact. From the start I wondered why the date was made so evident, but that became clear soon enough. And the date... oh, the music! The music was so perfect at every turn. The songs combined with the fashions worked so well. Every time the characters mentioned something strange, like the midnight limitation and the car crashes, I only had to watch a bit longer before that was revealed. Our two main characters are fantastic as well. Yorkie is so perfectly uncertain yet determined, while Kelly was sassy and wonderful, but also exposed her vulnerability. The older characters were also wonderful, with older Kelly being perfect both in her conversation with Greg and her decision to do something great for Yorkie. The final shot of the banks of computers gave me chills, especially with "Heaven is a Place on Earth" playing. Wow.

The bad: If I have any nit, it would be the slow pace - but the pace seemed necessary, so I feel like I'm cheating by nit-picking that. The only other problem I have is something unrelated to the plot itself, regarding what else is available in San Junipero besides nightclubs... are there libraries? Do people make and display art? Is there more to eternity than just dancing the night away? Again, not something that particularly touches on the plot, but something of interest to me.

Conclusion: This is definitely at the top of my ballot, and the remainder of the finalists would have to be incredibly good to push it off. While I can't imagine any being good enough, it would be a delight if one was, because this was SO GOOD.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who and Black Mirror. I need to watch The Expanse, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", Game of Thrones: "The Door", and Splendor & Misery [album].

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Graphic Story - Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man

Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man is about androids trying to become human.

Whew, that was really bad. I mean, I knew going in that I'm not a big fan of Vision, but it only took a few pages for me to dislike this book intensely, and only a handful more to decide I really didn't want to read it. I kept on, hoping for a solid conclusion that would turn my head around. Maybe a twist I wasn't expecting that would drag the story up from the standard "oh, humans are so strange and it's hard to be like them" tropes. I didn't get it. In fact, I failed to get anything more than the standard cliches out of this, and no proper ending.

The good: I honestly can't think of anything I enjoyed. It was endless, mindless moralizing that has been done far better in other media. Even Red Dwarf handled the "what does it mean to be human" storyline better than this. I suppose the art wasn't terrible - but it was pretty standard.

The bad: The stories were dreadful rehashes of every argument you've ever heard about synthetic beings and humanity. The murder was not only predictable, it was dumb. The fact that someone saw the burying was so cliche I think I felt my cliche-meter break. The problems the kids had in school were all bog standard. I don't know how many stories I've read or seen about robots trying to become human, but this book managed to hit every single common theme and added nothing to any of it.

Conclusion: This isn't worthy of a Hugo. It's not going to be on my ballot.

Best Graphic Story: I've read Ms. Marvel, The Vision, and Saga. I need to read Black Panther, Monstress, and Paper Girls.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Fan Writer - Chuck Tingle

Chuck Tingle is a most unlikely finalist for fan writing, but his severe trolling of the puppies via Twitter earned him acclaim. He took a horrible situation where people were trying to use him as a tool to hurt others, and turned it around. The result was one of the best things to come out of the puppy movement, if not the best thing.

For the Hugo packet, Tingle provided a link to a Secret Page that explains the whole thing from his unique perspective and includes the full text of Slammed in the Butt By My Hugo Award Nomination and Pounded in the Butt By My Hugo Award Loss. I read ... um ... parts of both stories. I'm not into gay erotica, so I skipped those bits. Interestingly, the story leading up to the bits I wasn't interested in were... interesting. In the first, Tingle uses an alternate universe version of himself to contextualize being nominated for the Hugo, learning about the puppies, and then dealing with it the way all his books deal with hard problems. Ahem. The second story starts with nightmares about winning the Hugo and having his life changed by the experience. We can safely say that his life was changed even with the loss, but it is an interesting look into the psyche of a person dealing with an unexpected situation.

Now, I'm not sure either of those works are part of this year's nomination, since I believe he sold them as ebooks. I'm not really sure what the rules are on that. I do know that I followed his tweets during the events in question, and they were pretty funny in their own right. That they ripped the puppies up one side and down the other was a nice touch. Were they enough to earn him a legitimate spot as a Hugo finalist? Yes, I think so. Are they enough to earn him the Hugo award? Honestly, I don't know. I will reread his tweets as I read works from the other fan writers and make my decision. They are pretty fun to reread.

I also seriously love how he continually talks about drinking too much chocolate milk.

Conclusion: Chuck, you may not make it to the top of my ballot, but Love Is Real anyway.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Novella - Penric and the Shaman, by Lois McMaster Bujold

Penric and the Shaman, by Lois McMaster Bujold is a mystery, a theological text and a rip-roaring story.

I think this is the first Bujold I've reviewed for this year's Hugo. She's also been nominated for best series. I can't really describe how much I like Bujold's work, nor how much it's helped me over the past few years to get past tough times. I have a tendency to reread works that give me great comfort, and Bujold's work has been at the top of my reread list for many years now. This story is the second one featuring Penric the Sorcerer in the World of the Five Gods. Both the Five Gods series and the Vorkosigan series are my comfort reads, and I can't tell you how nice it is to have new stories in both universes out this past year.

So, keep in mind that I am biased toward Bujold and will be fighting my natural instinct to put her at the top of every ballot.

The good: This story revisits the concept of shamans, which was explored in The Hallowed Hunt. As it is set some 150 years after that story, shamans are becoming common again. It's a murder mystery, sort of, as an inspector is sent to find a man suspected of murder. I really enjoyed the framing of the story this way, giving us an outside look at just how odd Penric is to any observer. He wouldn't exactly be a restful guy to have around. I loved his "printing press" design - how do you make things when your power is purely destructive? It would also be nice to have Penric around while camping. No fleas, lice or mosquitoes are going to be a problem with him. The story is tightly plotted, with each incident leading to the next. And the ending, where Penric's written testimony is immediately seized as a theological document made me laugh.

The bad: Give me a few months more and I probably could come up with something I don't like about this story. But for the moment, it feels to me to be perfect. If there is any problem with Bujold's writing, it would be that it isn't excellent in a mind-bending way. There are wonderful concepts (the ideas of saints in the Five Gods stories truly made me sit and think) but her work doesn't twist a person like some writers can. I don't consider this a fault at all, but let me use last year's Hugo as an example. I LOVED Penric's Demon, but Binti truly twisted my mind and forced me to think differently. Again, not a fault, but something to keep in mind. Is the best of the year something that forces a reader to think, or something that makes them truly happy? Ideally, it's both... but what if you have to pick between the two?

Conclusion: At the moment this is at the top of my ballot. Once I've read the other five finalists we'll see if Bujold's ability to inspire joy in me is enough to keep this story there.

Best Novella: I've read Penric and the Shaman. I need to read The Ballad of Black Tom, The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, Every Heart a Doorway, A Taste of Honey, and This Census-Taker.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - Doctor Who: "The Return of Doctor Mysterio"

Doctor Who: "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", is about a boy's run-in with a mysterious man, and how that impacted the rest of his life.

So you mix two of my favorite fandoms - Doctor Who and Superheroes - and you're bound to get something I like, right? Uh, not really. While I certainly didn't hate this episode, I found it to be far from my favorite Doctor Who and not my favorite television in 2016. You see, there is an unease in fandom when something we love is placed into a different context. It's the problem I have with The Big Bang Theory - I can't watch that show at all because I'm supposed to be laughing at myself in an unpleasant way. Whenever I catch an episode I feel like I'm being picked apart by someone who doesn't understand me, and it doesn't work for me. This episode of Doctor Who brought on the same type of unease. It's a pastiche of superhero tropes, mostly focusing on Superman (thus the Harmony Shoal PR people being named Miss Shuster and Miss Siegel). While they didn't get it wrong, it didn't feel quite right, either.

The good: There are two scenes in this episode that really stand out for me. The first is when Lucy and the Doctor sit down with Mister Huffle and she works to get facts out of the Doctor instead of lies. It was surreal and hilarious and worked extremely well in context. The second was right at the very end of the episode, after the Doctor leaves. Nardole explains the Doctor's pain to Lucy and Grant, telling them about River Song. At that moment, I decided I liked Nardole even though he can be terribly annoying.

The bad: The aliens were more than a bit cheesy. I'm also always a little annoyed when a single artifact can give people powers - which happens a lot in both comics and Doctor Who. And, while it might have been sensible for Grant to swallow the device after the Doctor tells him he's a doctor, produces a glass of water and gives him what looks like a funny pill, it seems a little strange to me that Grant wouldn't ask again before swallowing. I found the similarities to Superman to be slightly forced as well, although the Doctor explains that Grant got his powers based on wish-fulfillment, so I suppose it makes sense. It just seems strange.

Conclusion: I'm ambivalent about this episode of Doctor Who. I suppose it goes on top of my ballot by default at the moment, but I won't be surprised if it gets knocked off the top spot by something else.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): I've watched Doctor Who. I need to watch Black Mirror, The Expanse, Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", Game of Thrones: "The Door", and Splendor & Misery [album].

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Graphic Story - Saga, Volume 6

Saga, Volume 6 is about a girl growing up and a family getting back together.

There are a number of competing plot lines in this book, only a couple of which make sense to me. I have read only a few issues of this series - whatever was nominated for the Hugos before, in fact. This whole book seems like a weave of long ongoing stories that take an investment to really enjoy.

The good: There are so many quirky and odd characters in this series, and every character seems to have their own motivations and goals - enough so that it feels like a universe. The artwork is excellent, and I was able to get the gist of the main plots, I think, from just reading this collection. It helps a lot that I've read a previous collection, but I was still completely lost in some respects.

The bad: There's just too much. This is a soap opera with a huge cast and several storylines, and lots of references to things that happened in previous issues. While there is clearly a lot of great stuff in this, it's also not a very standalone thing. This book can't easily be broken into a single plot arc, although I would guess the main arc is about Hazel being reunited with her parents. It feels very incomplete as a work, though, because of the dependence on previous issues. There are also a lot of plotlines left dangling. Again, I'm left with my question of whether or not a work needs to stand alone in order to be worthy of a Hugo. I'm still undecided in general... but in specific, this one won't be on top of my ballot.

Conclusion: I want to like this, but I don't like it as much as I feel like I ought to. It's currently second on my ballot out of the two I've read.

Best Graphic Story: I've read Ms. Marvel and Saga. I need to read Black Panther, Monstress, Paper Girls, and The Vision.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Novel - Death's End, by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu

Death's End, by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu is about humanity dealing, and failing to deal with, a hazardous universe.

I was very surprised and even disappointed that The Three Body Problem earned the 2015 Hugo, since it was the weakest of the three non-puppy finalists that year. It is a ponderous work that bogs down in technical details. Despite some great ideas, the execution leaves much to be desired, and reading it was a slog. This book, the third in the trilogy, is worse. It's got some fantastic ideas strung together with an overly complicated plotline told in the most boring way possible. The first book had some compelling characters - this one has cardboard cutouts moving through predestined roles.

The good: The first chapter, set in the past, was actually fairly well written and interesting. The rest? Not so much. Some great science fiction concepts are presented - but not creatively enough to engage me in the story.

The bad: I wanted to throw the book across the room before I was more than a few pages into the second chapter. If it wasn't on my Kindle, I might have. Those great concepts are bogged down with an unconvincing plot and cardboard characters that I hated so much by the middle of the book that I just wanted them all to die horrible deaths as quickly as possible. I had to start skimming fairly quickly, because every second I spent reading this book felt like it was wasted. The repetition also annoyed me. Yes, we know he bought her a stupid star already. Please DON'T tell me another fifteen times that he bought her the star. I know. I don't care anymore. I don't care that it's a plot point, because you've told me about it so many times I want to smack the narrator. *ahem* I guess you can say I found this book less than satisfactory. It was a relief to delete it from my Kindle.

Conclusion: I don't believe this book is worthy of the Hugo and I will be leaving it off my ballot.

Best Novel: I've read The Obelisk Gate and Death's End. I need to read All the Birds in the Sky, A Closed and Common Orbit, Ninefox Gambit, and Too Like the Lightning.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Sunday Doctor Who Review

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT
I will be discussing my thoughts and feelings of the Doctor Who episode "Extremis" after the cut. I will not worry about spoiling the plot, so read at your own risk.

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT

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 19th
• Aquaman #9 - Well, that's one way to get rid of the Shaggy Man without calling in the Justice League. The implication that it also got rid of his Justice League membership card/communicator is also interesting. I like that his supporting cast is actually working as a supporting cast - Murk and Tula doing the kind of questioning that he needs to hear while still obeying his commands. And then there is Mera with the widows. I'm not sure either the widows or Mera have any idea what they've gotten themselves into. Yes, I'm enjoying this book at the moment. But then, I'm seven months behind, so who knows what Aquaman has gotten up to while I've been off in depression-land. This only makes me want to read faster.
• Justice League #7 - Um. ok. What... what was that? Did it get defeated? Was it just me, or did this plotline seem like an excuse to get Jessica off the team?
• Green Lanterns #9 - Oooh, and origin story! And it's pretty stupid, to boot. Some third-rate pilot sees Green Lantern and decides he wants to be one. Then he's used as a weapon by an ancient evil. I'm not sure about this Phantom Ring storyline, and this issue really doesn't do much to reassure me.
• Astro City #40 - I fully expected more about the Hanging Man, but instead, we get another story with other characters and, frankly, it's awesome. I really like the Silver Adept and seeing her and her overworked secretary back in action made me happy. Then seeing how she was willing to tell Tom who really saved the day... squee! I love this book, and I really enjoyed revisiting Marta.
• Doctor Strange #13 - This is clearly going to be a difficult week for Dr. Strange. His "nightmare" is hysterical, if more than a little annoying. I like how the pretty women just keep multiplying until he finally notices - but it also bothers me more than a little.
• Usagi Yojimbo #158 - This story is heart-breaking. I mean, really heart-breaking. I sometimes think it is very hard for modern people to understand what used to have to happen for people to survive hard times. We joke about leaving grandma on an ice floe or something, but people genuinely sacrificed themselves to make sure the future generations would survive. We are wealthy enough now that it shouldn't be necessary anywhere for this to happen anymore. But somehow, I doubt this "tradition" is entirely gone.
• Back To The Future #13 - Ah, this story tackles something I thought about entirely too much after the first time I watched the original movie. Was there a Marty in a timeline where everything was great, who got sent into that other timeline and the original Marty's life? Or was everything altered? What happens when someone changes the past that much? Are there branching timelines? A dozen different Martys, running around a dozen different Hill Valleys? I never thought of the spiritual side of things, though, which is a nice twist. So, how does Marty solve this existential crisis?
• Doctor Who 3rd #2 - I'm not sure I'd want to go into Jo Grant's mind. And I have to admit, the setting she created is pretty funny, even for Jo. Now, the Brig on the other hand, managed quite a wonderful trick there, figuring out the Master was in disguise. Too bad he couldn't do much about it. I'm still feeling a bit suspicious about this Second Doctor - is it really him? I guess I'll just have to keep reading to find out.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.10 - Wow, the death of a TARDIS. At least the family appears to have escaped intact. I liked how the mom of the family fought through everything, and then fought some more, to save her kids. I mean, yeah, dad fought as well, but it was the mom who really kicked butt. And Hattie helped. Even the kids got in on the action, which was nice. I loved that the Doctor picks up a toy in the room at the end, and it's the Robot from the first Tom Baker story. A strange little story, but a nice one.
• Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen #4 - This really doesn't look good for The Doctors, as each one is facing a horrible choice and even more horrible circumstances. How does anything pull back from that? Clearly the giant reset button is going to have to be pushed, but how and where?
• Torchwood #2 - This made even less sense than the first issue, which is really saying something. I have no clue whatsoever what is happening in this book. I hope it starts to make sense as it continues.
• Oct 26th
• Titans #4 - Ok, so Kadabra actually has an end-game plan in this, but in order to make it work he has to put a lot of people in peril. I get it, and I like the way this is being set up. I don't like the puppet Titans much, but you aren't supposed to like the bad guys. I'm looking forward to the next issue.
• Batman Beyond #1 - If you can't beat 'em... Terry isn't stupid, despite rushing in where angels fear to tread. As for the Joker - how long has he been dead? I thought he'd been gone quite awhile before Terry took the mantle, but perhaps I was wrong. Things like the Joker never really die, I guess. They just become archetypes, and are revived both figuratively and literally as the world continues to revolve.
• Future Quest #6 - Still enjoying this book despite having very little knowledge of the characters involved in it. The back-up feature is explicitly linked to the main story in this issue. I'm amused that some of the heroes would ask the writers for plot information on how to beat the bad guy. Not a bad idea, in theory, as creative solutions are a writer's job. In reality, I'd be impressed if they could come up with an answer that fast.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #19 - That was a major tour of almost all of the DC Universe's magical heroes and villains, and it was terribly amusing to say the least. As for the villain - well, collector's syndrome is a dangerous thing. I'm surprised we didn't get a panel or two of magical justice at the end, although with Scooby it makes MUCH more sense to leave on that happy note.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.15 - Wow. Not much to say about this except that I'm kind of on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this ends. All the monsters are coming out of the Phantom Zone. Wrong universe, but correct assessment, I think.
• Doctor Who 11th #2.14 - Oh, wow. I didn't expect this to start making sense as all the pieces fell into place, but suddenly I grasp the plotline! That was a shocker, to understand what seemed like nonsense before. Very clever - and disgusting - plan. I do wonder how the Doctor will prevent this, and if it will be the Doctor at all. My only complaint is that I really did like the Squire.

Yay, I'm up to the end of October! Only a few more months at this pace and I'll be caught up...

A Hugo Review: Best Graphic Story - Ms. Marvel, Volume 5: Super Famous

Ms. Marvel, Volume 5: Super Famous is about a young superhero coming to terms with all her responsibilities in life.

This, technically, has nothing to do with the quality of the work - Dear Marvel, big ugly watermarks are fine. Big ugly watermarks that are also dark enough to obscure the text I'm reading are much less fine, and in fact incredibly annoying. I get that you have to protect your property, but making it very difficult for people to read your award-nominated work makes it less likely that the work will win that award. The selections from Image also have a big ugly watermark, but it's light enough to read the text underneath. Follow Image's lead next time and make the watermark less dark. Big and ugly is fine, but at least let the Hugo readers READ the book. Gah.

Ok, I'll try to let that be the only complaint about the problem. I'll attempt to not judge the Marvel books more harshly due to this bit of stupidity. Seriously, just a little lighter and it wouldn't have been a problem but would still have served its purpose. Stupid watermarks.

The good: While this is the fifth volume devoted to this version of the character, it's also a collection of the first six issues of a new series, which makes it easier to read than if you were thrown into the middle of the story. And it's a pretty decent story, too, with an overall arc of Kamala trying to balance family, school and superheroing along with a couple of smaller arcs involving an evil development corporation and a 3-D printed clone gone very bad. All against the background of teenage love and angst. I really like the new character, Mike, although it wasn't clear to me if she figured out Kamala's secret while they worked together. I also enjoyed the various guest appearances by the Avengers, Loki and Captain Marvel.

The bad: I honestly am completely turned off by the art. It's got moments where I don't mind it so much, but overall I find it difficult to read because the art annoys me. I seriously couldn't figure out at first if the growing fists were a superpower or just a lousy drawing (superpower). I guess that's my biggest complaint, because otherwise it's a normal superhero book. And that's also a problem, because for it to deserve a Hugo Award, I'd want it to be an exceptional superhero book. This? Not bad at all, despite the art, but not something I'd place high on an award ballot. Sorry.

Conclusion: Fun story, but not something that will earn the top spot on the ballot.

Best Graphic Story: I've read Ms. Marvel. I need to read Black Panther, Monstress, Paper Girls, Saga, and The Vision.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Novelette - "Touring with the Alien", by Carolyn Ives Gilman

"Touring with the Alien", by Carolyn Ives Gilman is about an alien invasion and a woman who drives for a living.

As soon as I finished this story, I felt the same as I did after reading Meteor Men - a sort of melancholy and wistfulness. The stories are not the same, but I definitely got the same vibe - an alien we truly do not and cannot understand, but must meet halfway (or more). And an ending in which nothing can ever be the same, but perhaps it won't be as bad as we're afraid it will be.

The good: Avery is likable, and it's interesting how she meets with three different type of men during the story - her brother, the agent, and the alien translator. While most of the interaction is with the translator, the other two tell us a lot about her character.

The bad: There are a few plot holes. We never learn how the aliens arrived, how they abducted and taught the translators, nor what their long-term goal actually is. While Avery is temporarily shocked at the notion that she's helped an alien invasion, if she'd thought about it at all she would know it didn't matter - they were already there. What exactly she's expecting from the end, I can't tell. Does she really think the government is going to let her just do that? For that matter, what happens to the translator? Is he stuck, or can he go back, or what? The amount of insanity the two are in for is glossed over. Then there is the alien invasion itself... why only a dozen spots over North America? Why not India, or China, or anywhere else in the world? I'm left with a lot more questions than answers, and not in a good thought-inspiring way.

Conclusion: While it's not a bad story, I really can't get over the bits that just don't make sense to me.

So, my ballot will most likely have "The Tomato Thief" at the top, followed by "The Art of Space Travel". I'm not sure about the final three, but at the moment I've got them listed as "The Jewel and Her Lapidary", "You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay" and "Touring with the Alien" last... but I think that may change. As with the short stories, none of these are bad and I won't be disappointed if any of them win.

Best Novelette: I've read all the entries in this category I intend to read. Check them out in my Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Novelette - "The Jewel and Her Lapidary", by Fran Wilde

"The Jewel and Her Lapidary", by Fran Wilde is about the end of a reign of rulers.

When I finished this story, I thought it should have been shorter, which is always a bad sign. There were a lot of good ideas, including a powerful ending that might have hit me hard - but I was a little tired by the time I reached the ending. It felt like there could have been a lot trimmed, and the story would have been stronger. Or, if not trimmed, condensed. It felt like a much shorter story taking up a lot of space.

The good: There are some clever twists and turns leading up to the finale, including the finale itself. The two main characters both are portrayed as brave and strong despite being raised and trained to be passive. There is some decent world-building as well, with both the "guidebook" chapter headings along with the reality the characters live through painting a full image of the location.

The bad: A lot of information seemed to be repeated over and over, like the fact that the gems talk to people and the oaths that the lapidaries make to the Jewels. Over and over again, until I wanted to say, "Yes I know, get on with it!"

Conclusion: An interesting story, with neat ideas and good twists, but the writing apparently didn't agree with me. This will take the third spot on my ballot for the moment.

Best Novelette: I've read "The Art of Space Travel", "You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay", "The Tomato Thief", and "The Jewel and Her Lapidary". I need to read "Touring with the Alien". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Novelette - "The Tomato Thief", by Ursula Vernon

"The Tomato Thief", by Ursula Vernon is about a woman determined to help others in the desert.

Ah, Ursula Vernon. One of my favorite writers now. This story revisits a character from Jackalope Wives, a great story if you haven't read it. However, it stands completely on its own with references to the events of the former story lending a little flavor. Quite a few of Vernon's stories are like folk tales you might tell around a fire late at night - you aren't expected to take it too seriously or believe every word, but on the other hand, you know the events happened because the story is being told. It feels very real and American to me. The Grandma Harken stories are set in a desert which hasn't quite left the Old West behind, and a world in which the environment plays a much bigger part of life than in ours.

The good: This story is tightly plotted, with Grandma just wanting a ripe tomato fresh from the vine, only to fall into an adventure when the ripe ones disappear. The train-gods were just... wow. Amazing history and oddly fun. Or course a universe that has jackalopes would have trains that are more than trains. I love the way they are capricious gods, but very good about delivering letters, which they consider to be prayers. As usual, Grandma herself is a fantastic character who knows a lot about a lot of different things, and the introduction of Anna was more perfect than I expected. I also liked the big bad and was amused how Grandma finally dealt with the problem - it always pays to follow the rules of the desert.

The bad: I suppose, if I'm really reaching for a nit to pick, then I'd ask why the big bad wanted the tomatoes. However, that's a seriously silly nit.

Conclusion: An excellent story, as is usual from Vernon, and definitely at the top of my ballot now. We'll have to see if either of the other two I'm going to read can knock it out of first place.

Best Novelette: I've read "The Art of Space Travel", "You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay", and "The Tomato Thief". I need to read "The Jewel and Her Lapidary" and "Touring with the Alien". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists

A Hugo Review: Best Fan Artist

Judging artwork is really subjective, as every single person has different tastes. In addition, while five of the finalists work in two-dimensions, Spring Schoenhuth makes jewelry. It's difficult to judge jewelry without being able to hold it or at least look at it from multiple views. There may not be a lot of words in this post, but there was a lot of time taken for me to make my final decisions and lock them down...

• Ninni Aalto - Not my cuppa. I don't have any problem with the art, it just isn't something I enjoy looking at. Nothing in the packet was what I would consider great - although the first item "Fictional Motivation" was nicely written. In short, not my favorite artist of the bunch.


• Elizabeth Leggett - This is more the style of artwork I enjoy - the realism combined with fantastical elements. But the items in the packet didn't make me want to put her first on my ballot. In particular, the woman in "Hotspur" looks like she's leaning on nothing, and the rocketship in "Learner's Permit" is just a little too jarring and simplistic compared to the whales. The other pieces were nicely done and told stories, so I'm not sure if I'm just being too harsh.


• Vesa Lehtimäki - Photography of unreal subjects is quite an awesome accomplishment, and this artist combines a number of my joys - Star Wars and LEGO. The pieces are fun, simple and tell stories. Putting Star Wars vehicles into real landscapes is, alone, a clever and interesting way of looking at the world. Add in the fun LEGO theme pieces, and this is sitting at the top of my ballot as I get halfway through the finalists.


• Likhain (M. Sereno) - Beautiful, classical... artwork that reminds me of Japanese screens. It's very lovely. It's also not my cuppa. Like Aalto's work, I appreciate the skill and talent that go into these pieces, but they don't connect with me.


• Spring Schoenhuth - A jewelry artist with a style I enjoy, but it's so very difficult to judge without seeing it in person. I wish a couple of the photos of the art were of them being worn, since it would lend scale as well as a sense of how the art looks in its natural habitat. Schoenhuth's work does speak to my fannish side - and I like it a lot even though I don't wear jewelry. At the moment she gets the second spot on my ballot.


• Steve Stiles - Stiles is extremely cartoony and humourous compared to the others, although Aalto also has some of that. It again makes it difficult to put his work into a line with the others, because there is really no comparison. I like Stiles work a little, but he's nowhere near knocking Lehtimäki off the top spot or taking Schoenhuth's second place away. I guess he gets the third spot.

Ok, so I think this is how my ballot will run: Lehtimäki, Schoenhuth, Stiles, Likhain or Leggett, and Aalto. I'm not sure - I've got until July to make that final decision. I know that the top two will probably not change, but the rest - well, I'll keep glancing at their files as a break from reading and see if my opinion changes.

Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists