The Breathing Corpse

Etc.

2008-07-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I'm taking an extended hiatus as real life curve balls have left me scant time to read, review and post. Hopefully I'll be back when the time is right. Cheers, David.

Short Book Reviews

2008-05-28T18:15:00.001-07:00

The Essential Batman Encyclopedia by Robert Greenberger - A handy and good looking reference for Batman fanatics that delves pretty deep into the characters populating the Bat-books through the decades. While I've read DC comics off and on since the 60s, I'm just a casual Batman reader, but much of the content here was just over my head.

This volume is written from the contemporary DC continuity perspective, i.e. everything printed in DC comics in the Golden Age of the 40's actually happened on Earth-2; not on our Earth. I found that to be rather jarring as Earth-2 was a 1960s invention. So much of the content here is twisty revisionist. I'd prefer reading historical entries in historical context.

For example, the entry under "Supergirl" starts off talking about Kara Zor-el (Power Girl) of Earth-2 and states (mistakenly) she was introduced in All-Star Comics #57 (1951). That would be before Supergirl was introduced. As far as I know, Power Girl was introduced in All Star Comics #58 in 1976, a couple of decades after Supergirl debuted. I looked at a few other example entries and found other similar contextual (and perhaps typographical) errors, and other entries are fine if you can get past the revisionist writing.

Maybe it's just me, but it's weird to read that the Earth-2 Catwoman debuted in 1940. There was no Earth-2 in 1940! If I can get beyond that weirdness I guess It's OK.

Short Book Reviews

2008-05-28T18:09:00.001-07:00

Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 1 by Various - I haven't gotten much reading done with the cross country move happening, but I did take this first volume of black and white reprints from the old Conan magazine with me on the flight to Portland, OR. It was a good travel companion, though I enjoyed it more to start with than toward the end. I wouldn't exactly say if you've read one of these stories, you've read them all... but maybe if you've read a dozen or so. There's some great art here from Smith, Buscema and Acala. Good enuf for Good Fun!

Update

2008-05-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Whew! Moving 2,300 miles is costly and exhausting work! But I'm done with it. I didn't miss the last couple of weeks of comics and am ready to write my reviews... but I've misplaced that stack somewhere in 14 long boxes. As I like to have the books I'm reviewing in hand when I'm writing, and searching through 14 long boxes sounds quite dreadful... I'll be back to reviewing comics next time I hit the comic shop.

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Metal Men 8 of 8 - This beautiful and complex Science Fiction tale comes to an end in a satisfying conclusion. The Metal Men have never been better. Much thanks to artist/writer Duncan Rouleau. This week's lot of books had quite a few endearing moments, but this successful mini-series just makes me want to read it again. (And I very rarely re-read comics) Cheers, Best of the Week!

Tor 1 of 6 - Joe Kuberts got a new comic out! Wee-dogie! Blissed out cave man goodness. Joe Kuberts got a new comic out! I'm dizzy with happiness. Excellent!

The War that Time Forgot 1 of 12 - Woot! Yet another kick off to a new mini-series that seems to be a lot of fun so far. Neal Adams cover to boot. Tanks vs. Dinosaurs? What more do you want in a comic? Excellent!

Madman 8 - Seems to be something of a transitional issues between story lines. There's 2 stories in this issue. The first is less successful; something of a college-aged existential plot. The back up story is much more fun and very silly. Good Fun!

The All New Atom 23 - I wasn't quiet sure what to make of the first couple of issues of Remenders story, but it hits its stride in this issue where the plot lines come together in a very action packed issue. Excellent!

Supergirl 29 - I'm enjoying this storyline. It keeps getting better. The art in this issue mostly looks pretty rushed and sloppy. This book could use a new artist. It's OK.

Secret Invasion 2 of 8 - Lots of fighting in this issue. Apparently the current Hawkeye is wearing a horrible god-awful costume and calling himself Ronin. The big moment of this issue is Hawkeye's wife is back from the dead. Umm. Don't know who she is. Didn't know he was married. So that emotional impact didn't resonate for me. I'm just hoping the jolly Avengers era Beast is the real deal. They should get rid of the brooding cat-man Beast that is running around.
I still don't get how all these Skrulls have super-powers on top of shape-shifting. But maybe that will be explained at some point. It's OK.

Countdown to Mystery 7 of 8 - It seems like it's been a long time since the last issue. This one's pretty fun and I enjoyed the new artist on the Spectre segment. Good Fun!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-05-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

Action Comics 864 - A nice epilogue to the Legion/Superman crossover and as a prologue for the upcoming Legion of Three Worlds mini series. It also ties up a couple of loose ends from the apparently awful Countdown series. There's a fill in artist here that just awful. (Any artist that gives Batman the pointy under the cape shoulder pads rates as awful in my book.) Much more successful than the DC Universe 0 from this week at tidying up the DC storylines and teasing for what's to come. Cheers, Best of Week!

DC Universe 0 - Ummm. Totally not what I expected from this book. There's no story and no jumping on place for new readers, so in that sense this book's a great disaster. It's basically a series of ads for several mini-series from DC. Marvel did a much better job with something like this with the freebie intro to the Secret Invasion. I must admit however that most of the mini's advertised here look pretty good. The last few pages seem to imply that Barry Allen is making a return, which pleases me. It's taken way to long for that to happen, and I for one will be glad to have him back. But paying for ads? Really? That pretty much Stinks!

Legion of Super Heroes 41 - Another solid issue in the continuing storyline. Tho, already I'm getting pretty sick of the silly made up future language slang. It's overdone. C'mon Jim Shooter, you're old enough to use your grown up words. That minor complaint aside, it's still Good Fun!

JSA Classified 37 - OK maybe this should be my pick of the week. It's certainly got the best art/story/color/inking combo of this weeks lot. And is certainly one of my favorite little storylines of this year so far. I'm a fan of the Golden Age homage style story and this here's been a beautiful example featuring Wildcat. This 3 parter is a lovely example of super hero storytelling at it's very best. Beyond Highly Recommended.

Green Lantern 30 - So I was pretty unimpressed with the previous issue of the Secret Origin, but this issue more than makes up for it. More great story from Johns and artist Reis seems to be getting better and better. Looks like this is going to be a great arc. Excellent!

Teen Titans Year One 4 - The fun continues in this nifty mini. I sure think it would be cool if these Teen Titans had their own regular series. Perhaps I'm stuck in the past but I'd sure like to see the whole Titans franchise get reset. Why is it this is the only DC property that's never been reset? Good Fun!

Thor Ages of Thunder One Shot - Looks pretty but is filled with stuffy staid narration. Eh, It's OK.

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-29T07:10:00.001-07:00

Marvel Masterworks - The Incredible Hulk Vol. 4 - I picked this up on sale and I'm REALLY glad I did. I'd forgotten how much I loved the Marie and John Severin and Herb Trimpe's art work on the Hulk. When I think of the Hulk it's those artists that own him for me. (Much like John Buscema on the Avengers.) The stories here are a bit rudimentary but that still works the HULK SMASH gusto. I totally loved this volume. Sublime and Highly Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

The All New Atom Vol 1 by Byrne, Simone and various - OK I freely admit I'm a Johnny Come Lately to this title. I've only started picking it up because I'm a fan of Rick Remender, the current writer of the monthly. So I decided to go back and read this to see how the series got started. I found this to be a fairly enjoyable read, but was not blown away by it. I'm happy to stick with the Remender issues. It's just OK.

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-29T06:57:00.001-07:00

Legion of Super-Heroes - Tomorrow's Heroes - Vol One by Various - I've much enjoyed the few episodes of the TV cartoon this collection is based upon. A nice introduction to a new and younger audience, this collection of the monthly comic is a solid companion piece for the TV show. As a Legion fan I'm sad that the cartoon has been canceled but perhaps this series will continue. Great for kids. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-29T06:51:00.001-07:00

Excavation by James Rollins - This here was the 2nd book published under the Rollins moniker. It's a fun pager-turning science fiction adventure thriller. While not one of my favorite Rollins, I still enjoyed it from start to finish. I'm looking forward to getting back to the Sigma Force series, which I like a lot more. Mostly Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-29T06:32:00.001-07:00

The Plutonium Blonde by John Zakour and Lawrence Ganem - Continuing on with my reading of cross-genre hybrids, this hard-boiled SciFi mystery is most notable for it's humor. While some of the jokes are a bit juvenile, they come and go so swiftly there's enough jokes of a wide variety to please just about anyone. I laughed out loud at this book more than anything I've read since that last David Sedaris book I picked up. Packaged with a neat plot and great characters, this books a winner. Really great cover art by Michael Koelsch too. Highly Recommended!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-04-24T16:30:00.001-07:00

X-men First Class 11 - It's been a while since I've read this title, but I thumbed through at the store and couldn't put it down again. I was totally grabbed by the very charming art by Nick (sign me up for the Fan Club) Dragotta, whose style is quite his own but lies in the same neighborhood of Mike Allred and Cliff Chiang. Coupled with Jeff Walker's tight witty alternative universe story, this single issue just might be the best comic I've read this year. Highly Recommended and Cheers, Best of the Week!

Batman 675 - Continuing the long prelude to the Batman R.I.P., Grant Morrison's run here just seems to be getting better, deeper and more complex, even tho this issue seemed a bit sparse and brief; it's still an interesting story. The fill in artist's very angular and hard lines didn't really appeal to me, but I'm sure to be back next month. Good Fun!

Wolverine First Class 2 - Another slight but enjoyable caper from Van Lente for Kitty Pride and Wolverine which has a nice pay off chuckle at the end. I like this book, but I'm betting it's going to be collected in one of those little digest sized (Marvel Adventures style) paperback at a better price, so I'm not going to pick it up again. I'll just wait for a cheaper edition. Good Fun!

Hulk Vs Hercules - w00t! A double shot of Van Lente this week as the scribe teams up with Pak for this awesome slug fest that's a necessity for Herc and Hulk readers. Nothing huge happens but this is a lot of fun for the fans. Excellent!

Justice League of America 20 - Bugger me! I'd thought I'd left this back at the store but it wormed it's way into my pile. Sneaky bastard! It's an awful issue. I totally hate Van Scivers art and do my best to avoid it. (Just look at Queen Bee's head on the cover... it's like 3 sizes too large for her body.) Stupid story to boot. Guess I should drop this title, I just keep complaining about it. Pee-U! Stinks like Limberger!

Thor 8 - A pretty solid issue here with a title that sure seems to be growing me for the most part. Good art again and improving storyline. Wraps up a 2 parter Odin dialog, and reintroduces Lady Sif and Jane Foster. I'd just love to see an issue of this where a lot happens swiftly. Pacing is still a bit of a chore, as can the sometime stilted dialog. There's a few good ideas floated in this title with a lot of fluff surrounding them.This book needs to cut the fluff and kick up the pace, but for now it's Good Fun!

Here's a small sample of Nick Dragotta's X-men art I liked so much.

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-04-19T12:52:00.001-07:00

The Flash 239 - For a title I started buying on a whim a few months ago I keep finding more and more to enjoy here. I'm loving the story arc with the creepy villain. This weeks releases have a couple of my favorite titles with Fear Agent and The Brave and the Bold, but somehow The Flash comes out on top here and again gets my Cheers! Best of the Week!

The Brave and the Bold 12 - A solid conclusion to this really enjoyable 12 parter. Definitely will have to keep it in mind for the year end best of list. The story seems to want a epiloge but maybe that's coming somewhere down the pipeline. Recommended!

Fear Agent 20 - I love me some Fear Agent and this Hatchet Job storyline is outstandingly dramatic and angsty, with more surprising twists and turns. This storyline's getting pretty dark and heavy, I hope Heath Hudson gets a bit more adventure and a few laughs at some point. Recommended!

Superman 675 - Really great Ross cover on this one, and it's a pretty good story inside to boot. I really enjoyed the villain Paragon who's a great character with some really funny lines. I'd sure like to see more of him. Still don't get who the child is that is living with Lois and Clark but he's apparently another Kryptonian. Good Fun!

The Incredible Hercules 116 - Bah! Crossovers! Since Hercules took over this title it's been one of my favorites. So far it's been speeding along with great art and slambang storytelling. We've got a new artist here (who's actually quite good) but the story seems to be taking a detour for the Skrull crossover event and momentum is seems a bit off track from the previous issues. Still it's Good Fun!

Hey... good stack of comics this week. I actually liked all of them!

Comic Book Reviews from Last Week

2008-04-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Green Arrow and Black Canary 7 - Holy Smoke! I'm a full week late getting these posted. I've been busy house hunting and otherwise occupied. This issue provided me with several laugh out loud moment, more great art from Chiang, a swell guest appearance from Hal Jordan and nice developments in the continuing storyline. Easily wins my Cheers! Best of the Week!

The Amazing Spider-Man 556 - Coming in a close 2nd, I quiet enjoyed this second chapter of a Bachalo illustrated Spidey story. I'm not sure I'll follow this title when the artist changes, but for now I'm on board and digging it. Excellent!

Wonder Woman 19 - I thought I'd drop this when the Dodson's left the art chores, but it seems I'm enjoying the new artist and the Gail Simone story so far. Nice ending to a 2 part story and I'll be back next month for more. Good Fun!

Fantastic Four 556 - Horrible colors doom the art here. It's so muddy, it's impossible to tell what's going on action-wise. Miller and Hitch have done some great work in the past. But whatever it is they're aiming for here just isn't working. This one's a mess best to be avoided. Didn't an editor proof this? Stinks!

Justice Society of America 14 - Guess the most striking thing about this issue is the weird thigh garters Hawkman is wearing on the cover. Guess he's got droopy hose. Then there's the unflatteringly strange pointy cape on shoulders that Sandman and Dr. Mid-nite sport. Johns is writing some great stories these days, but this one's not one of them. There's too much and not enough going on. This storyline is going on way too long with too little momentum. The previous title JSA was much better than this one.
Again Disappointing!

Titans 1 - What a horrible issue for a first one. The majority of the pages are one panel and for $3.50 it feels like a gyp. I really hate Churchill's art and am glad there's a different artist starting next issue. Tho, I must confess Beast Boy looks pretty cute with the long sideburns. Not much of a story here, but I am enjoying Winicks Green Arrow and Black Canary so I'll give this one a chance to improve. I've never been much of a fan of the whole Nightwing concept (it might be the sucky costume) and hope Dick Grayson gets an evolution here of some kind. Like why can't he be Red Robin? Also, some nobody Titans have survived the aftermath of the Titans East Special that was part one of this story. That's too bad; I'd have liked them to stay dead. Very Disappointing.

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-08T06:42:00.001-07:00

Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak - It's easy to see why this novel from 1942 has it's cult status and is still a fairly entertaining read. Siodmak was a screenwriter (as well as a novelist) most notably for The Wolfman and I Walked with a Zombie. Equal parts SciFi and Horror, Donovan's Brain certainly has nice plotting, tho I didn't quite buy the ending which seemed a wee bit out of tune with the rest of the story. If you're a fan of classic monster movies, you'll enjoy this novel. Stephen King is on record as a fan of this one. I thought it was fairly Good Fun!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-04-06T16:09:00.001-07:00

Action Comics 863 - This landmark story arc comes to a great conclusion! And we get a nice teaser for Final Crisis Legion of Three Worlds, which I assume is a mini-series and is coming in August. It will be from Geoff Johns and George Perez. That's pretty neat. I don't recall Perez ever doing a Legion series, but he seem perfect for this project. Guess I'm not so mad that he left Brave and the Bold now. Cheers! Best of the Week!

Metal Men 7 - I still think this is like reading a Charles Stross SciFi novel. It's complex, heartfelt, intensely creative and beautiful to look at. Plus it's got a couple of chuckles. Perfection and Recommended!

Secret Invasion 1 - While the dialog was mostly off-character, the plotting here was suprisingly enjoyable. I really liked seeing the standard issue Marvel heroes getting off the crashed Skrull ship, but I have a feeling that this series will ultimately disappoint me. The Marvel Universe direly needs to be reset and seeing these classic heroes again, including the Avengers-era Beast (woo-hoo!) just reinforces that opinion. I sure am rooting for Skrull ship castaways. Death to the New Avengers! It's OK.

Supergirl 28 - Ah, finally. I'm glad I stuck to this title as this issues is the best yet from this recent creative team. Looks like we're going to get a decent story arc out of them. Improving and pretty Good!

Amazing Spider-man 555 - I have not read this title for a really long time, but picked it up cuz I like Bachalo's artwork. Pretty good story so far and I, for one, am glad at least Spider-man's part of the Marvel Universe has been reset to the roots. Just wish they'd do the same for the Avengers and the X-men. Good!

Young Avengers Presents Wiccan and Speed - I have not been reading this mini, but picked it up cuz I like these young gay heroes a bunch and quite enjoyed the searching for the Scarlet Witch plotline. Excellent!

Wolverine First Class 1 - This came out last week but went back to pick it up cuz the writer is part of the Hercules team, and that's been very good. This is a nice throw back to the classic new X-men era and a pretty decent story. Not sure if I'll follow this title, but... I just might. Wolverine and Kitty Pride are a pretty good duo. Very Good!

The All New Atom 22 - More SciFi adventure from Remender! I'm liking this so far and look forward to the next issue. Very Good!

Green Lantern 29 - Ummm. This one's kind of a retread of stuff old Green Lantern fans already know. I'm not happy artist McKone is gone and that Reis is back. I'm not a Reis fan and would much rather see just about ANY other artist on here. The storyline will prolly improve... but this ones Disappointing.

Project Superpowers 2 - This one's OK. It's kind of weird that The Flame is featured on the cover and is barely in the issue which has more Samson either him or the Devil. Plotting is a bit slow, but it's OK... I think. Might drop this next issue if it doesn't improve.

Short Book Reviews

2008-04-02T05:37:00.001-07:00

Thraxas by Martin Scott - I really enjoyed Alex Bledsoe's The Sword-Edged Blonde and I've been searching for other novels in that Hard-boiled fantasy sub-genre. This World Fantasy award winner from 2000 certainly fits the bill and is a real entertaining gem. Look past the ugly covers on the various editions of this book; it sure is sweet inside. While I didn't find it as funny as the blubs suggested, it's a good adventure with great characters. This one is out of print and used copy are a bit pricey at the usual online outlets. The Baen edition is a twofer and includes the second novel, Thraxas and the Warrior Monks. Highly Recommended.

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-30T05:55:00.001-07:00

Second Contact by Mike Resnick - I'm apparently on a SciFi/Fantasy mystery kick. I found this potboiler SciFi mystery-thriller hanging out on my bookcase and dived right in. It's got a good set-up (starship Captain kills two crewmen), likable protagonists and an unexpected conclusion but the journey between the set up and the ending gets a bit long winded about 3/4 of the way. It's not really an outer space adventure as the cover implies; it's quite Earthbound and set in the near future. This one, maybe more than any of the other Resnicks I've read, would make a pretty nifty movie. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-28T07:17:00.001-07:00

Illegal Alien by Robert J. Sawyer - I love a good SciFi mystery. Sawyer does another bang up job here with a neat surprise ending in this courtroom novel from 1997. Looks like Sawyer's next novel Wake won't be published until spring 09, but it will be serialized in Analog magazine this fall. Luckily there's still a few of his books I have yet to read. Reading one good SciFi mystery just makes me want to read another. (Which reminds me that I'm anxiously awaiting Warren Hammond's Ex-COP.) This one is certainly Good Fun!

Comic Book Review This Week

2008-03-27T08:25:00.001-07:00

All Star Superman 10 - More sublime perfection from Grant Morrison, Frank Quietly and team. The only bad thing about this title is that it's ending in a couple of issues. In a class by itself, this will be read for many years to come. With the end in sight I'm wondering what is next for Morrison and Quietly? Cheers! Best of the Week!

Legion of Super Heroes 40 - Honestly I nearly enjoyed this one as much as Superman, but I'm a Legion nut. Still think it's nearly the best Legion since the early 70s. Excellent!

World of Warcraft 5 - OK, I've come to the realization that althought I sometimes enjoy the art here, more often than not I find it confuses the action of the story. The art should enhance the story. It just doesn't here. This one's plots OK. I just wish I could tell what I'm looking at. Disappointing.

JSA Classified 36 - This here's part 2 0f 3 of a Wildcat story that surprised me last month. This one's got Wildcat teamed up with Catwoman and I enjoyed this one a lot too. Really neat artwork, and I hope to see more from Ramon Perez. Excellent!

Next Issue Project #1 (Fantastic Comics #24) - This one wasn't release this week, but I picked it up because my comic book store was sold out of the new Green Lantern. It's an odd size book, which I assume to be golden age and it's a big 64 pages. I really enjoyed most of it, but it's most notable for the Mike and Laura Allred Stardust story. Nine stories altogether and a couple were dogs (the last story makes no sense and is mostly in German). Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-26T05:58:00.001-07:00

Stalking the Unicorn by Mike Resnick - Since I enjoyed The Dragon Done It so much I decided to plunge full into Resnick's classic John Justin Mallory novel from 1987. It's a very enjoyable fantasy detective adventure brimming with Renick's trademark snappy dialog and genial attitude. This novel's been out of print for a while, but Pyr is bringing it back with this great new cover pictured here (not sure who the artist is) in August. I am looking forward to reading it's sequel Stalking the Vampire which is also due in August from Pyr. Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Dragon Done It - Edited by Mike Resnick and Eric Flint - While I've come to be a big Mike Resnick fan over the last few years, I've never picked up any of the anthologies that he's edited before this one. I'm not huge fan of multi-author collections, as I tend to pick a few selections to read and pass on the majority. However, I read and enjoyed all but 2 of these stories collected here, and will eagerly pick up more of his editorial collections. My favorite stories in this collection were from Resnick himself, William Hope Hodgson, Laura Resnick, Ron Goulart, Randall Garrett, Esther M. Friesner, Graham Edwards, Neil Gaiman, David Kirtley and Dave Freer with Eric Flint. I had a couple quibbles with the collection. There's no introductions to each of the stories, and I would have liked to read something about the authors, as many were unknown to me. Also, given the fantasy detective theme it would have been nice to see stories by Glen Cook, Martin Scott and Alex Bledsoe. Quite enjoyable and Recommended!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-03-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Flash 238 - I've had a fever for most of the week and it took me a while to get thru this weeks releases. It was another solidly entertaining week, but for my fevered and drug addled mind this one was the pick of the litter. The best yet for Payer and Williams II. Nifty little superhero story, solid art and great eye popping colors. This ones everything a superhero book ought to be. Cheers! Best of the Week!

Warbound 4 0f 5 - Continues with characters from World War Hulk. I was scratching my head at the end of this one. Hiroim is killed then revives for no explained reason. Maybe this will be explained next issue? Still enjoying Kirks art as always tho. Mostly good fun, and a wee bit Disappointing.

Justice League of America 19 - An moderately entertaining wrap up of the previous issue's storyline. This book is pretty decent. But it certainly could be better. I'm ready for a new artist here. Like that one who did a couple of back up stories, or the artist that's doing Wildcat in JSA Classified. Nearly Good Fun!

Brave and the Bold 11 - Hunh. No George Perez, but new artist Ordway is a pretty good fit to finish off the story arc. Seems kind of dumb that DC wouldn't let Perez do 2 more issues here. Not my favorite issue of the series but it's still one of the best out there. Excellent!

Thor 7 - Seems to be the opening of a new arc now that Thor has wished Asgard back into existence. Nice looking fill-in (?) art by Djurdjevic and a plot that's moving forward towards, ummm, something. Maybe I'm finally warming up to this title, but I liked it this month. Good Fun!

The Incredible Hercules 115 - Marvel's best title just keeps perking along. You're a Marvel fan and you're not reading this? Shame on you. Excellent!

Fear Agent 19 - My hard-on for Heath Hudson continues, ahem, unabated. I'm dizzy, pass me the oxygen tank. Thanks for printing my letter, Rick! Sublime!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-03-17T13:52:00.001-07:00

Green Arrow and Black Canary 6 - Another good solid week for comics, but no real stand outs for me. I think I liked this one best but I'm partial to the artist and liked the twist at the end. Maybe the best issue so far. So, gets my Cheers! Best of the Week!

JLA Classified 54 - This is the final issue of this title and it's nice it's gone out on a high note, perhaps the best story arc since the one that kicked off the series. Good Fun!

Justice League The New Frontier - A swell companion piece to the sublime cartoon movie also released this week. Sweet content as well as nifty and timely marketing. Had to search pretty hard for this one. Excellent!

Teen Titans Year One 3 - Bah this series is halfway over! I'd love to see this creative team make it an on-going title instead of a mini. Love this book! Excellent!

Countdown to Mystery 6 - A really good issue. My heart goes out to Steve Gerbers family and friends. I miss him already. I hope DC does this title justice with a smash bang ending. Excellent!

Wonder Woman 18 - I was going to drop this title since the Dodsons have left for Marvel, but I'm glad I picked it up. I think I'll like this storyline better than the previous one. A nice surprise. Excellent!

Fantastic Four 555 - A fairly enjoyable chapter 2, tho I find the drab colors to be distracting. This could go either way, but for now it's Good fun!

Madman 7 - Ummm. It's a no dialog issue that comes off more like an experiment than a success. I found it to be a bit hard to follow. Why not use a few thought balloons? Disappointing.

Avengers Fairy Tales 1 - Somewhat charming with some lovely visuals this nearly sated my craving for the real Avengers in a take off on Peter Pan. Good fun!

Supergirl 27 - I read a few awful reviews on this issue before I read it, but I rather liked it. It's much better than the last handful of issues, but I wouldn't protest if they put a new writer on here. Good Fun!

The Last Defenders 1 - I like parts and hated other parts, so I doubt if I'll pick this up again. But maybe I'll change my mind in 4 weeks. It's almost OK.

Superman 674 - I have not read this title in a long time, so I'm not sure what's going on here. Clark and Lois have a child now? Where'd he come from? Hate that the Fortress looks like the cheap styrafoam sets from those awful 70s movies. And it looks like Mon-el is back in the Phantom Zone with his lead problem. Didn't they cure that like, umm... 45 years ago? What's up with that? Confused.

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

Scavenger by David Morrell - This is the sequel to the Bram Stoker Award-winning thriller Creepers. Like its predecessor Scavenger is a straight up page-turning non-supernatural thriller in which our heroes are manipulated by a insane game playing evil genius. It's quite outlandish in concept but the execution is a highly readable adventure. Not quite as good as Creepers, it's still nearly Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny - Wow. It's been 30 years since I read the first 5 Amber books, and I remember enjoying them a lot. That's all I remember about them which is to say, Nothing. Picking up this 6th book after so long proved to be something of a mistake. I just wasn't really drawn into it. Maybe some day I'll go back and reread the series from the beginning. Until then, this one's Disappointing.

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Fiends by John Farris - I've read several John Farris books and enjoyed them quite a bit. This thick book had me swiftly turning the pages with an inventive, original and creepy supernatural threat (Eve's "unwashed" children want your skin!) battling down homespun heroes but it never quite elevates above it's monster movie trappings. I easily recommend some of Farris' other books but I wouldn't start here. It's good for what it is, and better than other horror novels, but for me It's just OK.

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-03-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

Green Lantern 28 - OK, I'm running a bit late on getting this weeks comics posted. I got to Comic Quest a couple of days late and 3 of my titles were sold out, so some disappointment there. As for this weeks Green Lantern, I'm enjoying the fallout from the Sinestro Corps War more than I did that storyline. Geoff Johns is building nicely from the ashes of the War. I love this title once again. Cheers, Best of the Week!

The All New Atom 21 - Rick Remender's first issue here is a good jumping on place for readers of the new Atom. I've been looking forward to Remender's take on a DC hero and he doesn't disappoint. I'm on board for as long as Remenders runs lasts. Good Fun!

Cable 1 - I'm a huge fan of writer Swierczynski's novel The Blonde and have been looking forward to reading this on-going title. Perhaps I was expecting too much but I was much disappointed. There's just not enough going on here for $3. If you read the first panel and the last panel you pretty much have the whole story. I usually like Olivetti's art but it looks cartoons pasted on Photoshoped photo backgrounds here. Maybe I'll read this as a collection... if I find it used. Disappointing.

Secret Invasion Saga - This here's a good idea. A free the-story-so-far in advance of Marvel's next event series. Much of it for me was a repeat but it's certainly good marketing. I'm not sure I'm very much into reading the Secret Invasion series as it's drawn by L. Yu. But maybe I'll be swayed into picking up the series. It's OK.

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-04T06:01:00.001-08:00

Subterranean by James Rollins - I enjoyed Rollins most recent novel The Judas Strain so much I've decided to go back and read his older novels. This one is his first as Rollins from 1999 (not including the books written under his James Clemens alias). It's pretty much a update of Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth concept, but it works well as a page-turning pulpy SciFi action adventure thriller. I'm quiet tempted to pick up another Rollins straight away, so I guess it's a salty pretzel of a novel. It's hard to read just one. Good Fun!

Etc.

2008-03-03T13:29:00.001-08:00

Seems like just last week I was lamenting KILLER ROBOTS, and the lack of ray guns and a jet pack. Guess now I can check off RAY GUNS off that list. I wonder if I can order an Active Denial System on Amazon? But then maybe I'll just wait for the pocket sized version.

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-01T05:55:00.001-08:00

The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff - Blue-blooded, old-moneyed, movie-star handsome, crusading district attorney running-for-governor Will Sullivan is faced with a dying daughter, a creepy hospital, a wife with secrets and hallucinatory supernatural mystery man. I greatly enjoyed the Sokoloff's first novel The Harrowing and was looking forward to this one quite a bit and I liked this one too. It's perhaps a old-fashioned style of horror thriller which I rather prefer. I'd think Graham Masterton fans would enjoy this one. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-03-01T05:40:00.001-08:00

B.P.R.D. Vol 7 Garden of Souls by Mignola, Arcudi and Davis - I greatly enjoyed the previous volume of B.P.R.D., The Universal Machine, which was a solid read collected in one volume. This on the other hand is a bit of a disappointment. I have not been a faithful reader of this title and my lack of knowledge or my poor memory hindered this story. Quite a bit is referenced from previous plot lines and this story is not as tight as the Universal Machine. Still it has its highlights as Abe Sapien gets the spotlight and contains some cool steampunky villains and creatures. Hellboy does not make an appearance. It's just OK.

Comic Book Review This Week

2008-02-28T06:06:00.001-08:00

Action Comics 862 - Brilliantly continuing the Superman/Legion of Super-Heroes team-up Frank and Johns provide more great entertainment. This version of the Legion seems more like the real deal than the one that's in the current reboot of their own titled monthly (which I'm also enjoying greatly). I'm wondering what's next for this Legion. I certainly hope it's not the last we'll see of them. For me it was a big week in comics and there was a lot to admire, so the competition was very strong. Nonetheless this one grabs, Cheers! Best of the Week.

JSA Classified 35 - This first of a three part story featuring Wildcat was an unexpected and lovely gem. A solid start to the story by B. Clay Moore; sublime art by Ramon Perez exceptionally colored by Dave McCaig. I totally loved this one and it reminded me of the sublime Batgirl: Year One mini-series. Excellent!

Legion of Super-Heroes 39 - Another great issue from the new creative team. It's certainly a good time for Legion fans like myself. Excellent!

The Engineer 2 of 3 - Another title I'm really loving. It reminds me of the "Leave it to Chance" series from a few years ago that I still miss. I certainly hope Archaia Studios gives the Engineer another series. Excellent!

RASL 1 - Yay! Jeff Smith's got a new on-going title that's not Bone. Pretty exciting news for Jeff Smith's fans. Is it good? You bet. Just wish it was in color. And the next issue isn't due for another 3 months. You'd think with all that time between issues they could spare a bit of time for a colorist. Excellent!

Project Superpowers 1 - While I was disappointed with the issue 0 of this title, I like this one pretty well. I think I'll stick around and will be picking up the next issue. Good Fun!

Batman 674 - As a guy that's not much of a Batman fan for the last couple of decades, I'm really liking this Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel storyline. Bat-mite rocks! And so does this title. Excellent!

Thor 6 - It's still really pretty to look at and 6 months into this title Thor is still rebuilding Asgard. When's he going to fight some villian? Glacial beauty and pacing. It's OK.

Justice Society of America 13 - Really great Alex Ross cover. Inside there's finally some acknowledgment of how crazily large the Society has grown. Plot moves a bit, but is still seeming rather unwieldy. Still on the fence with the storyline. It's OK.

X-men Legacy 208 - Ummm. Not sure what to think about this one. Guess my first impression was it's better than the Messiah Complex event. I'm just not sure what it's all about. Like why tack on Legacy to the title? Is this going to be an monthly recap of past X-men plotlines? What's the point of that? I'm guessing it's going to ultimately lead up to another big X-men event or just fizzle into silly dream-logic nonsense. So, I guess It's OK.

Kick-Ass 1 - I'm pretty indifferent to this issue. It didn't really grab me and I doubt if I'll pick it up again. Maybe I'll change my mind. It's almost OK.

JLA Classified 53 - I'm stilling enjoying the Stern and Byrne run more than the regular Justice League title. I'd love to see these fellas produce some more League storylines. Excellent!

Warbound 3 of 5 - I guess I missed picking this one up last week, and I'm glad I grabbed it yesterday. Pak and Kirk are an awesome team and I'm enjoying this mini quite a bit. I like Pak's Hercules a whole lot more, but he's doing a great job here as well. Excellent!

Nexus 100 -

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson - (unrevised edition) Much has been written about this fantasy classic from 1954. Notably from Michael Moorcock at the Guardian and the SFSite has posted an interesting review as well. I found this novel to be a brutally operatic folktale of faerie set in the Dane invaded England, which made it a great companion piece for reading along side Bernard Cornwell's on-going Saxon Chronicles. At times the archaic prose was a wee bit awkward but it usually enhances an authentic vibe to the bloody tale. If you are a fan of Norse myth, Vikings or Steven Erickson's Malazan novels, you will want to read this timeless classic. Highly Recommended!

Etc.

2008-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

In case you are running short of things to worry about, you may now add KILLER ROBOTS to your list. And here I am still waiting for my ray gun and jet pack.

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-26T05:23:00.001-08:00

Fantastic Four Visionaries - John Byrne, Vol. 1 - By 1981 when John Bryne started this five year run on FF, I was in high school and had mostly stopped reading comic books, so this collection was all new to me. I had a real good time reading it. It's not nearly as monumental as the original run of Lee and Kirby of course, but it is solidly entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading more of these collections. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-25T05:49:00.001-08:00

A Fate Worse Than Dragons by John Moore - This novel was billed as a fairy tale parody. It's not a parody, it's a uninspired situation comedy. It's mostly good natured, yet I found it to be subtlety offensive when it relied on tired gay stereotypes from 100 years ago. If this novel had made jokes out of another minority stereotype (for example African-Americans, Jews or Asians) it would have never seen print. I think it would be fun to read a parody of Erikson's Malazan Books of the Fallen or Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice or even Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind. There's plenty of current fantasy that could be a ripe field for humorous material. Unfortunately this writer totally misses the boat. Pretty lame and it Stinks!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-24T05:22:00.001-08:00

Children of the Night by John Blackburn - This science fiction/horror novel was published in 1966 and later broadly adapted in film with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as The Devil's Undead (aka Nothing But the Night) in 1972. Charmingly British and somewhat dated, I found this to be quite a page-turning read even though I was let down a wee bit in the third act. Billed as a horror novel, it's more of a science fiction thriller involving Middle-Age cults, mind control and mutants and a forerunner of The Hills Have Eyes. Dated but nearly Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-22T05:36:00.001-08:00

The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison - This here thrifty nugget of charm and adventure is nearly 50 years old, and is still a totally entertaining story about an intergalactic con-man turned space cop. Older science fiction can all to easily read as a dated artifact with a all too short expiration date. That's just not the case here. What you get here is a fun, inventive, pulpy space romp. I've never read Harrison before, and I'm glad I did. I'll definitely be reading more of his work. Much thanks to Carl V. for the suggestion. Highly Recommended!

Comic Book Reviews This Fortnight

2008-02-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

Incredible Hercules 114 - Writer Pak and his art team continue to entertain and intrigue. Pak really knows how to tell a great story and I really need to search out what other work he's done aside from the World War Hulk stuff. While I haven't been too keen on much from Marvel lately. I sure do dig this one. Cheers, Best of the Fortnight!

Brave and the Bold 10 - Damn I love this book which is every bit as good as the Hercules. I read the other day that Perez has been taken off this title for another project which is a real shame. For my money, it's his best work in years. Hopefully he'll return to Brave and Bold in short order. Excellent!

Justice League of America 18 - While I've been disappointed with the last couple of issues of this title, it seems to have regained its footing and I enjoyed this one. Good Fun!

Perhapanauts Annual 1 - I've noticed this title in the past but never picked it up. The Mike Allred cover got me to buy it and I'm very glad it did. I quite enjoyed the story and the artwork, and I intend to pick up the collected Dark Horse volumes. I'll be checking out the new on-going as well. Excellent!

World of Warcraft 4 - It's a pretty solid issue but my interest seems to be wanning a bit on this title. It's nearly tempting me to restart my WoW account, but I'm resisting. Must... fight.... WoW.... addiction.... It's OK.

Atomic Robo 5 - Ummm. I think I've decided I like this title even tho I've only read a couple of issues. I sort of wish I hadn't bought single issues. Think this would be read better as a collection. Totally didn't get the back up story this time. Takes like 2 mins to read the whole thing. It's OK.

JLA Classified 52 - I'm stilling digging this multi-part Bryne and Stern creation more than the regular Justice League of America current arc. Double shot of Justice League a month works fine for me tho. Excellent!

Green Arrow and Black Canary 5 - Ah! Finally some back story for the Green Arrow's son that I didn't know. A good chapter in the story arc with a decent fill in artist. I am still enjoying this title quite a bit. Good Fun!

Wonder Woman 17 - The Finale of the Circle story arc was decent. Think it started stronger than it finished. Guess the Dodson's are leaving the title and I suppose I will as well. It's OK.

Fantastic Four 554 - I've enjoyed Miller/Hitch/Neary's work in the past and while I haven't read the FF in years I wanted to check this out. After reading this and hearing about what's going on with Spiderman, it's seems to me that Marvel is Ultimate-izing their regular line. This seemed more like a Ultimate title. It's pretty good. The colors got the usual Marvel drab palette, but I'll stick around to see what happens next. Good Fun!

Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure - I didn't realize I'd spent $5 on this til I got home and I rather regret my purchase. Not really enuf new here to justify the expense. Most of the story has been printed before. Stinks!

Ultimates 3.3 and Hulk 2 - Hahahahaha. Thumbed thru them at the store. Wouldn't even waste my money. What Major Crapola.

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-20T05:47:00.001-08:00

The JSA All Stars by Various - Collecting Golden Age solo stories of B-listers Johnny Thunder, the Hour-Man, Wildcat, the Atom, Doctor Mid-Nite, Mr. Terrific and Red Tornado, this volume is a swell companion to the All Star Comics Archive Editions. All these stories were new to me and some were surprisingly enjoyable while others had me laughing or cringing, sometimes at the same time. The Atoms' butt cheek baring leather thong/girdle is disturbingly seared into memory. Altogether light fun and an interesting glimpse into comic book history. Recommended.

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-18T05:20:00.000-08:00

The Automatic Detective by A. Lee Martinez - This SciFi mystery staring robot Mack Megaton is a witty, clever, fast moving and stylish romp. I quite enjoyed Martinezs' Gil's All Fright Diner, but this novel is a great improvement on his previous books. Tweaking stereotypes into interesting characters, some great action and funny one-liners had me loving this book. I can easily see this one becoming a classic in years to come, and surely earns a spot on my years best list. Great Robert McGinnis homage cover by Glen Orbik as well. Did I mention I loved this book? Highly Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-16T06:18:00.001-08:00

Showcase Presents Batgirl Vol. 1 by Various - While I've enjoyed the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl over the years I wasn't sure about reading this silver age collection. I figured it would mostly be pretty sucky and better left to nostalgic memory. I didn't expect to find such an throughly entertaining read. Highlighted by Gil Kane and Curt Swan's artwork these groovy age stories include Batgirl finding a pot of pot, Batgirl giving Batman a hot pink Batmobile for his birthday; Barbara Gordon running for Congress; riffs on "Midnight Cowboy" and "The Godfather" and plenty of guest stars and mysteries. Highly Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-14T06:07:00.001-08:00

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes - Flashy and sometimes witty prose illuminate this dream-logic imbued Victorian fantasy adventure. With tones of Susanna Clarke, David Lynch and Tim Burton distilled with London history, I mostly enjoyed this intoxicating mystery but at times was left in the dust of the nonsensical dream-logic plot turns, particularly towards the end. Nonetheless I found it to be compulsively readable and Good Fun!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Damn! Iced-in. No new comic books today... maybe tomorrow.

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-12T15:23:00.001-08:00

Dinosaur Beach by Keith Laumer - Continuing onward in my reading of classic SciFi, I picked up this Laumer novel on a whim at the used book store. It's apparently considered Laumer's best in some circles. Convolutedly time tripy, I found it to be heavily techno-babbled and repeatedly required too much suspension of disbelief for me to enjoy. I'm not a huge fan of time travel, so I'm probably biased. While I didn't enjoy this one I'll still give Laumer another shot. Cool cover, tho. Disappointing!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-11T05:36:00.001-08:00

The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg - A SF Masterworks selection as well as included in Stephen Jones and Kim Newman's Horror: Another 100 Best Books this novel from 1971 has aged very well. Part a product of it's counter culture times and part timeless youthful exploration of life, it has more in common with Kerouac's On the Road than with other science fiction or horror. Having stumbled upon an ancient text, four college roommates (a jock, a Jew, a fag and a Wasp) take off on a road trip to the American southwest in search of eternal life with the knowledge that two must die. It's a invigorating and chilling read and one I'll remember for a long time. Highly Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-10T06:16:00.001-08:00

Duma Key by Stephen King - King channels John Farris in his latest and somewhat Southern Gothic novel. I think Farris does Southern Gothic better, but King's created a couple of his best and most memorable characters in Wireman and Freemantle, and it's this pair that carry the novel. I had some minor quibbles. It's often exposition heavy, particularly toward the last 100 pages. Horror novels resolutions should be more about atmosphere and action, and heavy exposition endings should be left for dapper dandy detectives resolving drawing room mysteries. Nonetheless, it's altogether a solid, inventive and entertaining read that sees King successfully exploring new territory. Good Fun!

Comic Book Review This Week

2008-02-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

Teen Titans Year One 2 - The eye-popping cartoony artwork by Kerschl and crew continue to please as the story progresses nicely. Shaping up to be a great addition to the original Teen Titans cannon and should please folks who've never read the original Titans before. Cheers! Best of the Week!

The All New Atom 20 - Fill in team Simone and Norton give us a solid single issues story that's got me thinking I gotta pick up the back issues of this title. I've only read a couple of these, but it's quite entertaining. Love the Ladronn covers and am cranked up for the Rick Remender storyline. Good Fun!

Metal Men 6 of 8 - I'm still loving this book. It's going to be one of very few comics I'll actually go back and re-read. Wish I knew what DC has planned next for the Metal Men. This title will prolly be on my year end best list for 2008. Excellent!

Uncanny X-men 495 - I'd had in mind to keep reading this title leading up to the big 500th issue, but this one isn't really sparking much interest. Skimpy story for a 22-page book and the art mostly looked like that airbrushed and shellacked stuff you saw on vans in the 70s (and not in a cool way). Think I'll drop this title. Stinks!

Clandestine 1 of 5 - I'm a big fan of Davis and Farmer, but I've never read these characters before. While the book looked great, there's just too much back history that I don't know for me to be engaged. It's OK I guess if you're a Clandestine fan.

Justice Society of America 12 - The story is improving, and it's Johns so I'll stick around to see what happens. But I'm getting the feeling he's introducing a butt-load of new characters so a mess of them can be killed off fighting Gog. Way too many characters in this title. It's OK.

Supergirl 26 - Another title showing slight improvement over the past couple of issues. It's got a neat ending and I'll stick around to see what happens next. It's OK.

Short Book Reviews

2008-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Why Not You and I? by Karl Edward Wagner - Cult favorite Wagner is best remembered for his sword-wielding Kane, but he also authored three long out of print horror collections. While I think I enjoyed the first, In a Lonely Place, a bit more than this one, it's still a solidly entertaining and written in nice clear prose. With stories widely ranging from supernatural detective pulp homage, to Emma Peel Avengers fanatics going over the top, to a devil in a psychiatric unit, this is one short story collection I enjoyed from start to finish. Night Shade Books reprinted his Kane novels and short stories in handsome volumes a few years ago, but I'd sure love to Wagner's horror shorts collected in new editions, especially rare and expensive Exorcisms and Ecstasies. Good Fun!

Comic Book Review This Week

2008-01-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

Green Lantern 27 - Writer Johns and artist McKone are the perfect team for Green Lantern. Continuing the story that unveils the Alpha Lanterns (an uber-powered Lantern Corps Internal Affairs Dept.) with some neat plot twists and foreshadowing of things to come. I'm enjoying this even more than the Sinestro Corps War storyline, and while the competition from DC was tough this week, by a whisker this one wins Cheers! Best of the Week!

Action Comics 861 - Another superb Johns chapter of the Legion team-up with art continuing by Frank. The best Legion story in forever keeps getting better, and it's making me wish Johns would spin off this Legion in their own title. Excellent!

The All New Atom 19 - OK this didn't get released this week, but it came to my attention that Rick Remender (Fear Agent) is going to be writing this title soon, so I thought I'd check it out now. I have not read this title and was a fine place to start with a fun single issue story. Neat cover by Laddron (I think). Good Fun!

Batman 672 - I'm not a big Batman reader. I like his supporting cast and his villians, but I've felt Batman himself has been a mostly one-note character ever since Frank Miller did the Dark Knight Returns. This kick-ass storyline by Morrison and Daniel (Daniel's Batman looks fantastic) has definitely got me on board. It's been many years since I came across a Batman story this good, and I'm still thinking I'm going to have to read the rest of Morrison's run on this. Excellent!

The Mighty Avengers 8 - Really bad. Need to stop buying this title. Avengers fight a Venom virus. Can't the Sentry just wish it away? He just wished his wife back to life. Iron man puts virus in Reed Richards machine and creates an antibiotic in five minutes to cure everybody. Umm. Antibiotics don't cure viruses, but while he's at it why not make an antibiotic to cure AIDS in another five minutes? Horribly Stupid - This Stinks!

Madman 6 - More groovy goodness as this storyline cranks up! Excellent!

JSA Classified 34 - A pretty nifty single issue story with Hourman and Liberty Bell. No complaints other than it's got too much black. Black costumed-hero fighting black-garbed villains on black backgrounds make for a bit tedious viewing. I think there's too many black costumed heroes in the JSA. They need a little color therapy. Nonetheless, it's Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-29T05:22:00.001-08:00

Fantastic Four Visionaries George Perez Vol. 1 - This collection is a mixed bag of non-consecutive issues 164-167, 170, 176-178, and 184-186 of the original series in the 1970s. Since there are missing issues it's a bit disjointed, but the point is to showcase the Perez artwork. It's not his best work, and often doesn't really look like Perez style that's so distinctive. The stories are sometimes fun, sometimes silly, but mostly will appeal for nostagia value. For hardcore Perez fans only. Veering toward disappointing but mostly OK.

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-28T05:34:00.001-08:00

The Stealer of Souls by Micheal Moorcock - I've been interested in sampling Moorcock's Elric fiction for some time. Unsure of where to begin, as the shear volume of Moorcock's prodigious writing is quiet intimidating, I decided to start at the beginning with this short story collection. I'm not much of a fan of short stories, and honestly was not expecting much from this old fashioned sword and sorcery book of the 1960s, but I found this book surprisingly readable and enjoyable. It's got one foot firmly in the pulps of yesteryear and one foot treading on timelessness. It reads as fresh today as it must have in 1963, and that's no mean feat. A nice-looking new edition with added content is out next month. Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-27T05:39:00.000-08:00

Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell - This is the third book in the Saxon Tales series, after The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, which follows the anti-hero and pagan warrior Uthred. Unexpected plot twists, sword-slinging battles, blood feuds, brilliant curses, Christians vs. pagans and Danes vs. Saxons all enhance the engaging narration of the brutal Uthreds voice. Testosterone driven action doesn't get any better than this. I loved this book! Gotta get me a copy of Sword Song, the fourth book, which is out now. Highly Recommended!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-01-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

Legion of Super-Heroes 38 - Creative team Shooter and Manapul continue brilliantly in part two of their opening arc. Sure to please fans both old and new, I hope these guys are signed on for a long run. Loved the art, story and color. Super-hero comics don't get better than this. Two months in a row this one wins my Cheers! Best of the Week!

Wonder Woman 16 - Another beautiful and engaging chapter in The Circle arc. I'm enjoying this title a bunch, tho I'm disappointed to learn that the Dodson's are leaving in a couple of issues. I'm a bit confused that Hippolyta is alive. I remember her dying in one of those recent crisis. Guess I missed something that's not explained in this storyline. Good Fun!

JLA Classified 51 - Creaters Stern and Byrne are crafting a fine old fashioned tale of the Justice League's early days that works great for an old comic book reader like myself. And it's much better than the current storyline going in the regular Justice League of America. Solid entertainment and Good Fun!

X-men 207 (Messiah Complex Chapter 13) - This nicely illustrated and blood-thirsty "conclusion" leaves open more questions than it provides answers, so it's very unsatisfying. Is Mystique captured by the X-men? Is Bishop right about the baby? (Wouldn't you go back in time to kill Hitler?) Is Bishop dead? What's the baby's relationship to Jean Grey? Why does she grab Cyclops' girly locket? Does Emma Frost know that Cyclops wears a locket with a photo of himself and Jean close to his heart? Hasn't Cyclops let go of his past with Jean? Why does Professor X's body disappear? Why does no one seem to notice? Why does yet another death of Prof. X mean the end of the X-men? (They've functioned just fine when he's been dead before. Apparently Cyclops has forgotten this.) How many times has Prof. X died? Did we ever get an explanation of Cable's resurrection from the dead? If time travel is so easy for Cable, can't he go back and instantly save Prof. X? Or go back to the start of this story and whisk the baby off to the future? All told Messiah Complex is a mind numbing tale of deaths, resurrections and time travel. Pretty Dumb!

New Exiles 1 - I've not read Exiles in many years and I thought I'd try this reboot. You'd think this would be a good place to jump on board, but I'm just lost. It's just not engaging for a new reader which it should be. So, it Stinks!

Countdown to Mystery 5 0f 8 - Why did they change artists on this title mid-way thru? Totally ruined my enjoyment of this. Stinks!

Astonishing X-men 24- It's a pretty good chapter in the Breakworld saga. On the whole, the content was skimpy but I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion. This story would be better to read as a graphic novel. It's OK.

Etc.

2008-01-22T07:01:00.001-08:00

Artwork for the original appearance of Manly Wade Wellman's Strangers on the Heights. See review below.

Artwork from the British paperback version of Strangers on the Heights.

Original artwork for Wellman's Nuisance Value, which is also included in the Night Shade edition of Strangers on the Heights.

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-22T06:38:00.001-08:00

Strangers on the Heights by Manly Wade Wellman - Every once in a while I get the itch to read an old-timey pulp tale. In yet another nicely made volume from Night Shade books, I discovered a long out of print (originally from 1944) swift moving, first contact tale complete with e.s.p., teleportation, zombies, invaders from another world, a lantern jawed hero and a beautiful South American damsel. It's also got space vampires allergic to right angles, much like in Peter Watts recent Blindsight. A second short alien invasion novel, Nuisance Value (aka The Dark Destroyers) is included in this volume as well. In all, a light and breezy book that's Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-20T04:51:00.001-08:00

Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith - The Bones and friends return in the 7th flawless volume of the colorized editions! This is the grimmest, darkest chapter so far as evil takes over the valley with the Bones running for their lives. There's simply nothing better than reading a new Bone book in color. Jeff Smith has a new series in the works call RASL which should hit in Feb. Highly Recommended!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens - Undaunted by the disturbing use of magic piss in Clemens' Shadowfall, I decided to pick up this book as I've enjoyed the novels he writes as James Rollins. While it doesn't bring anything groundbreaking or new to the fantasy genre, I found this one to be an enjoyable ride with its relentless, thriller-like pacing, nice plotting and solid characterizations. I'd sure like to see more fantasy novels written with this swiftness of pacing. I'd call this one Good Fun!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-01-17T06:12:00.001-08:00

Fear Agent 18 (Hatchet Job 2 of 5) - Writer Remender and artist Opena continue to astound in this masterful SciFi tale. Heart wrenching, action packed and funny, the flawed and heroic Fear Agent Heath Hudson just gets better with every issue and has become a character I care deeply about. If I could only buy one comic a month, it'd be this one. Cheers! Best of the Week!

The Incredible Hercules 113 - Easily now my favorite title from Marvel. Greg Pak and crew are creating a very fine tale of pulpy goodness that easily shifts from ancient Greece to the modern age, all wonderfully illustrated by Khoi Pham. It's going to be an interesting showdown between Ares and Herc, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'd just like learn how Ares went from a traditional Marvel villain to current Avenger. Screw Loeb's Hulk, my money's on this one. Excellent!

New X-men 46 (Messiah Complex 12) - Ramos's artwork looks great, so that buoyed this issue quite a bit. However there's so many villains here I don't know who most of them are. The real downfall of this chapter is the unexplained thrust of the book. Mystique is fretting over healing Rogue? After shooting her and trying to kill her? Hunh? Also, the "cliffhanger" Bishop vs. Cable ending is weak. Prof. X is in the room and he can just stop Bishop with a thought. Plus I still don't get why Cyclops wants X-men to be killers. Kinda Stupid.

World of Warcraft 3 - I've enjoyed the first two issues in a guilty pleasure sort of way, but this chapter shows much improvement in the storyline. It's pretty neat to see the virtual Warcraft world fleshed out into an entertaining fantasy tale. This is shaping up to be a solid title. It sure is good to have a sword and sorcery book in my monthly stack. Good Fun!

The Flash 236 - Mark Waid ends his short run on this title here, and it's a satisfying conclusion, both in the main story and the backup. I've only been an off and on reader of the Flash title, but I think I'll stick around and see how it shapes up with the new writer. Good Fun!

Warbound 1 and 2 (of 5) - I generally steer clear of spin-off titles featuring supporting characters, but the killer combo of Greg Pak and artist Leonard Kirk pulled me in. I'm glad it did. This is another feather in Pak's cap, along with the Hercules title that makes me think I'll probably be picking up titles with his name on it in the future. He's gotta be Marvel's best writer. Excellent!

Justice League of America 17 - Much like this weeks New X-men, the confusing array of an army of villains weaken the main story. Who the hell are all these people and why should I care about them? It seems to be tying into some storyline happening in another title that I have not read, so I don't quite get what's going on. The non-dynamic composition of Benes' layouts really does not help out the story either. He sure can draw pretty people with nice muscles that all look alike, but I doubt if he could draw a craggy character if his life depended on it. The backup story fares much better with engaging art by Jon Meyers. Disappointing!

Atomic Robo 4 (of 6) - I missed the first three issues of this title and wish I'd been on board. From what I can tell with jumping in mid-way it seems to be a fun concept. The story and art could have packed more into the pages, so it felt a bit skimpy; but on the whole I did enjoy it. I'm just hoping that it will be collected in a graphic novel, as I can't seem to find the back issues. This one shows some promise. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-16T04:34:00.001-08:00

Blasphemy by Douglas Preston - This is a decent science fiction novel about scientists making a machine that talks to God. It's got some faults. A bit slow getting started (the page-turny-ness cranks up after the first 100 pages), some thin characters, and a SciFi idea that stumbles toward the end and could have been pushed farther. But by the resolution, it's strengths win out - it's a rollicking read that recovers nicely with a satisfying conclusion, that has the added plus of possibly pissing off a few radical Christian fundamentalists. An enjoyable SciFi ride and it's Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-15T05:18:00.001-08:00

Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons by Various - This collection of related stories hails mostly from World's Finest from the 1970s. The advertisement I saw for this collection said it included a reprint of the destroyed, banned and elusive Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1. That got me all excited and I ordered a copy. However, that's not the case; only one very short story is reprinted from the Elseworlds Giant. The shallow "generation gap" 70's stories are pretty much, if you've read one, you've read them all and make for very repetitive reading. I feel pretty ripped off. This one Stinks!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-14T05:29:00.001-08:00

Starship: Mercenary by Mike Resnick - The cunning Captain Wilson Cole and the cast of the Starship Teddy R. are back in the third novel in this vastly entertaining series. Easily accessible to non-science fiction readers, its larger-than-life, witty and mythic-sized characters propel the book through snappy dialog and clever plotting. I loved this book and it surely will win a spot on my 2008's best list. (C'mon Hugo award givers, isn't it about time Renick won a best novel award?) Fans of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly really should be reading this. Highly Recommened!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-13T04:00:00.001-08:00

Essential Avengers, Vol. 4 by Roy Thomas, John and Sal Busecma and Neal Adams - This 640-page black and white collection reprints issues 69 - 97 of the Avengers original run from the early 1970s. Widely regarded as the Avengers best run, it does indeed hold up well, due largely to the Skrull-Kree war storyline that take up the last 1/3 of the volume. Although the Skrull-Kree portion is available elsewhere in a color collection, the bulk of this book is not available in color reprints. I had a great time reading this and look forward to reading the next volume. Excellent!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-12T06:18:00.000-08:00

The Creeper: Welcome to Creepsville by Steve Niles and Justiniano - I've always had a soft spot for Steve Ditko's creation, the Creeper. He's never been much more than a guest star with a cool costume appearing occasionally in various DC titles. This volume is a collection of a mini-series which serves as a gentle reboot and introduction to new readers. While not ground-breaking, it succeeds at its task and is an enjoyable read. Justiniano's artwork is a good match for this character. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-11T07:09:00.001-08:00

The Salem Branch (Dark Shadows) by Lara Parker - As a long time Dark Shadows fan, I really wanted to like this novel by the actress that played Angelique. It works in part as a guilty pleasure, and the surprise ending is one I didn't see coming. For the most part it's filled with uneven pacing, one note characterizations of the under utilized supporting cast, and strange developments as the vampire Barnabas Collins focuses on old grudges, old rugs and fall foliage even before he's dosed by hippies on acid and a pot brownie. It's got some highlights but it's mostly Disappointing.

Etc.

2008-01-11T06:06:00.001-08:00

Woot! Found the cover art for Andy Remic's War Machine sequel Biohell over on the Solaris website. Looks great to me, and I can't wait to read it!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-01-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

JLA Classified 50 (part 1 of 5) - This here's a very enjoyable blast from the past. Two old pro's, writer Roger Stern and artist John Byrne, unite for a tale from the Justice League's history. The awesome cover by Josh Middleton drew me in on impulse buy. I have not read this title in years, but I'm on board for this one. Cheers! Best of the Week!

Green Arrow and Black Canary 4 - Sort of a "Tonight on a Special Episode of Blossom" issue that details the aftermath of Green Arrow's son being shot. I only have a vague notion who Connor Hawke is, so there's no real emotional impact for me. However, it looks so great I'm thinking that the N.S.A./ M.I.T. project to clone artist Cliff Chiang really needs to speed up, so he can draw every title DC prints- a.s.a.p. Please get this new Speedy a new costume. She's like looking at Kitty Pride in leg warmers. It's Good Fun!

The Twelve 1 (1 of 12, oddly enuf) - Another impulse by this week. I usually steer clear of Straczynski's stuff, but I kind of liked the art work. I actually rather liked this one. It seems to be, more or less, a Marvel version of DC's mini-series Golden Age from a few years ago. I'm surprised but it's Good Fun!

X-Factor 27 (Messiah complex 11) - The plot moves forward nicely in this chapter but I'm pretty ready for this to be over. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for the mutants after this event. It's OK.

The Mighty Avengers 7 - The coolest thing about his issue is the Sentry's wife, Lindy, asking Iron Man to kill her husband! Yay! About time! Get rid of that nut! Just wish Lindy had asked Iron Man to bring back the Scarlet Witch, Thor, the Vision, Ant Man, Hawkeye and Quicksilver, instead of Spiderwoman. Apparently the Sentry can bring back people to life by wishing it. The Sentry brought Lindy back to life last issue; can't he bring Captain America back to life? I think I might stop buying this title. It's quickly devolving into New Avengers Deux. Yuck.

Hulk 1 - Ummm. I'm not sure about this title. It didn't really do much for me. I think the absence of previous Incredible Hulk writer Pak is a mistake. I usually like Mcguiness's art work, but it seemed ho-hum to me. A first issue should grab ya pretty good. This one didn't. Think I'll start reading Pak's Warbound title instead. Disappointing.

Teen Titans Lost Annual - This one's pretty much of a mess despite assists from the Allreds. Might have worked with better layouts, but the still story is a weak wreck. Should have stayed lost. Stinks!

Etc.

2008-01-07T15:44:00.001-08:00

The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker by Otto Binder is the very first novelization of any Marvel property, from 1967. I stumbled across a cheap copy last night and am anxiously awaiting delivery. Can't wait to read this one!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-07T06:34:00.001-08:00

The Snake Agent by Liz Williams - The paranormal investigation sub genre is pretty crowded field. I've read quiet a few of them over the last few years, and the thought of reading yet another one practically had my eyes rolling back in my head and foam frothing from my mouth. None the less, I found this novel to be quite hard to put down. It's inventiveness certainly raises above it's competition. Part ode to the pulps of yesteryear, part mystery, part new weird and set a few beats into the future, it's all guided by Williams' gently erudite British craftiness into winning combination. I'll certainly be reading more of her work with pleasure. This one is Good Fun!

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2008-01-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

Metal Men 5 (0f 8) - Duncan Rouleau is doing something no one else has done before. He's forged the Metal Men into a complex, smart, cool and beautiful SciFi tale. It's nearly in the vein of some of novelist Charles Stross' work. This book is as nifty as comic books get, and I whole-heartily recommend it to all. I was a bit perplexed by this title early on, but the various thread are coming together quite nicely. Rouleau has found the perfect match for his unique talents here, and I hope he buddies up with the Metal Men for a much longer run than this 8 part series. Cheers! Best of the Week!

Teen Titans Year One 1 (of 6) - This one nearly nabbed by top spot of the week. This is a new take on the original Teen Titans on their first adventure. The story is off to an interesting start, and the artwork by the team of Kerschl, Lapointe and Peru is very striking. I don't think these original Titans have ever looked better. Am eagerly looking forward to reading more. Excellent!

Lobster Johnson 5 (of 5) - The story comes to a close in all it's pulpy goodness. I'm just sad that this mini-series is at it's end. It's been one of my favorite Mignola creations in quite a while, but then I've got to catch up on some BPRD. Good Fun!

Uncanny X-men 494 (Messiah complex 10) - Not sure if every copy of this issue looks like the copy I picked up, but mine looks like the registration was off on the press. The artwork is very blurry throughout. I'd be hopping mad if I was the printers pre-press manager. But maybe it's supposed to look like that. I dunno. Story-wise I didn't feel like I got a lot for my money and came away thinking the relevant plot twists could have been told in about 3 pages. The rest was filler. Some chapters of this Messiah Complex are pretty good. This one's not. Disappointing!

Supergirl 25 - Ummm. This one looks pretty good and the story's a wee bit better than the "Hunh?" inducing previous issue. Might have to drop this title if it doesn't improve pretty quick. It's OK.

Countdown to Mystery 4 (of 8) I guess I am rather fond of comic books with 2 stories. A Doctor Fate continuing tale and another with the Spectre makes me pretty darn happy. Dig the plots and nice art on both parts. Couldn't be more please with this series. I'd love to see these creative teams continue to work with these magical heroes. Excellence!

Short Book Reviews

2008-01-03T05:20:00.000-08:00

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi - This thoroughly entertaining novel is part space opera, part political cloak and dagger and part adventure, with a nice touch of Scalzi's own brand of sly humor. I was a big fan of Scalzi's Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades, but I'd been dragging my feet on reading this after the disappointing The Last Colony, but I do believe Scalzi's back on my must read list. Easily recommended because it's Good Fun!

Etc.

2007-12-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

Cheers Everyone!
May the New Year bring you many Good Reads!
Best Wishes, David

The Years Best Reads - Monthly Comic Books

2007-12-30T05:35:00.000-08:00

All Star Superman by Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly
Action Comics (Legion team-up arc) by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank
Brave and the Bold by Marc Waid & George Perez
Fear Agent by Rick Remender, Tony Moore & Jerome Opena
Green Arrow and Black Canary by Judd Winick & Cliff Chaing
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns & others
Lobster Johnson by Mike Mignola & Jason Armstrong
Madman Atomic Comics by Mike & Laura Allred
Metal Men by Duncan Rouleau
Rokkin by Andy Hartnell & Nick Bradshaw
World War Hulk by Greg Pak & others
X-men by Mike Carey & Chris Bachalo

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2007-12-29T18:28:00.001-08:00

Legion of Super-Heroes 37 - Old pro Jim Shooter returns to the Legion with a great start with amazingly good art by Francis Manapul. I'm a long time Legion fan and have not been so impressed with this current series, but all the right elements are in place here. This new creative team is a winner. Good place to jump on board. The competition is very tough this week. But this one wins by a nose. Cheers! Best of the Week!

Action Comics 860 - The Legion team up continues. This is not the same Legion that's in their own book, but perhaps future/alternative version. This story rocks. I love it totally, and it's looking like this is going to be one of the best Legion stories in years, if not, ummm, decades. Complete Excellence!

Brave and the Bold 9 - Mark Waid's been a hit or miss writer for me. But this book certainly seems to be his best work since Kingdom Come. I'm still loving this title a bunch. It's great story and art stretching across the whole DC canvas. This second story arc is shaping up to be even better than the first. I hope Waid and Perez have a good, long run on this one. It's the perfect venue to match their talents. Sublime Excellence!

Batman 672 - I can't remember the last time I picked up a Batman book. I'm a fan of Grant Morrison's work, but haven't read his Batman. I picked this up on a whim, mostly for the striking cover. Tony Daniel's artwork has never looked better, and based on this sample, his work has improved vastly. I'm not sure where this is within the storey arc, but found it easy to jump into. I'm prolly going to pick up some recent back issues of this. I think I'm hooked. Surprisingly Excellent!

Green Lantern 26 - I'm greatly pleased that Mike McKone has picked up the art chores on this title. I've loved Geoff Johns writing from the get go, but I've been rather indifferent to the art since this title relaunched. This is the first part to a new story arc and it looks like it going to be good one. Seems to me that this title just keeps getting better and better. Solid Excellence!

The Flash 235 - Jeez, DC's having a great week here. I really don't recall the last time DC's had such quality in such quantity. Freddie Williams art is just perfect for the Flash, as is the bright palette in a excellent coloring job by the Hories. Great coloring in all the books mentioned above as well. DC's powerful color sure beat the hell outta the wan and drab Marvel colors. (Juan Doe's FF is the exception to that.) This is a fun Flash story and the back up story is great fun as well. Again, more Excellence!

Fantastic Four : Isla de la Muerte! - Damn this book was good. I'm an old FF fan but have not read it for some time now, as I have not like the creative teams or story lines that have held the title hostage for the last chunk of years. This however, was a nice little old fashioned adventure, modernized with a light touch of eco-consciousness, with some touching heartfelt moments that actually worked. Real good script by Tom Beland, and breath taking artwork by the savvy Juan Doe. Marvel, please make more comics like this. Excellence!

X-men 206 (Messiah Complex part 9) - Carey and Bachalo are an amazingly good team. I think they have the juju to make a landmark impression on the X-men if only they'd be given free reign to do as they want. I really think Marvel ought to trust this pair. Carey and Bachalo's vision has a freshness that's been lacking since Grant Morrison left. This is a fairly decent chapter in this crossover event thing, but I'd rather be seeing these two entertaining inventors doing their own thing. It's Good Fun.

Thor 5 - OK, so Straczynski is not the worst writer in the business. That title goes to Mr. Leob. But Straczynski is running a close 2nd. I'm still loving the sweet artwork by Coipel. This issue is a wee bit better than the previous issues but it's still pretty plodding. There's not a lot of drama or action. And Thor seems vacuous. Pictures are pretty tho. I think next issue I'll just look at the pictures and not read the words and make up my own storyline. Tho, I might drop this title. Great art, story Stinks!

Captain Marvel 2 - Not sure why I bought this. I didn't care for the first issue. This is a bit better than the first part. I don't get why a cult has sprung up around the resurrection of Capt. Marvel. It's like the whole world is amazed he's returned from the dead. Ummm. Like that's never happened in the Marvel universe. Where were these cultist when everybody else returned from the dead countless times. And how exactly does Christianity survive in world where countless heroes and villains resurrect repeatedly? What's so damn special about the Resurrection of Jesus if nobody else stays dead? Hunh? Are these Capt. Marvel cultists refugees from Christianity? This one is almost OK.

Giant Size Avengers 1 - Not sure why this is a number 1. Hasn't there been Giant Sized Avengers before? Anyway... this one was an awful waste of money. The new content was terrible and the reprints have been done before. It includes one of my favorite Avengers issue 58, but I'd wished they'd freshened it up with a modern color treatment. Horrible!

Teen Titans 54 - Ummm. I'm just glad this storyline is over. Not sure if I'll be on board for the next one. I still like Miss Martian but she's not enuf for me to keep coming back to this barking dog. Stinks!

2008's Books I Can't Wait to Read!

2007-12-29T07:26:00.000-08:00

In Odd We Trust and Odd Hours by Dean Koontz - Not much of a Koontz fan but I greatly enjoyed the first 2 Odd adventures.
Pirate Sun by Karl Schroeder - Loved Sun of Suns. I'm very glad to see this series continue.
Iron Angel by Alan Campbell - This is the 2nd part of the Deepgate Codex that started with Scar Night, which was a good read.
Marsbound by Joe Haldeman - Haldeman's a favorite. I'll read anything he writes.
In a Time of Treason by David Keck - Sequel to gritty In the Eye of Heaven.
The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff - The Harrowing was an awesome fun read. Can't wait to read this one. Good horror novels are such a rare treat.
Severance Package by Duane Swierczynski - Loved The Blonde. Am also looking forward to reading his X-men title, Cable.
The Lost Ones by Christopher Golden - The final book of the Veil trilogy.
The Last Oracle by James Rollins - Woo-hoo! More Sigma Force!
Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell - Part 4 of the Saxon Chronicles. Thank Odin!
Jack: Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson - Repairman Jack as a boy!
Stalking the Vampire; The Dragon Done It and The Other Teddy Roosevelts by Mike Resnick - I'll pick up anything with Resnick's name on it.
Avenging Fury by John Farris - The final part to the Fury and the Terror trilogy.
Death's Head Maximum Offense by David Gunn - Sven returns!
Orphan's Journey by Robert Buettner - Jason returns!
Blue War by Jeffrey Thomas - More punktown!
The Born Queen by Greg Keyes - Finally the final part to the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series.
In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling - Sequel to the Sky People.
Space Vulture by Gray K. Wolf and John J. Myers - Don't know much about this one, but the cover art is super cool retro.
The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich - Gage returns in this follow up to Napoleon's Pyramids. This is the book I most want to read this year.
Duma Key by Stephen King - I'm a pretty selective King reader; but this one looks interesting.
Blasphemy by Douglas Preston - I really liked the latest Pendergast, The Wheel of Darkness and hope this one's good too. If there's a new Pendergast book, I'll be grabbing that as well.
Ex-KOP by Warren Hammond - More SciFi noir? Yes, please!
Biohell by Andy Remic - Can't wait to find out what happens next in this sequel to War Machine.
Inside Straight by George R.R. Martin - Never read the Wild Cards, but this has gotten some good reviews already, so I'll give it a shot. Locus online has A Dance with Dragons listed for a June release. I wonder if that's true.
The Somnambulist by Johnathan Barnes - The well reviewed British novel gets a U.S. edition.

Etc.

2007-12-29T06:29:00.000-08:00

There's a bunch of new genre novels sitting on my bookcase I didn't get around to reading that might belong on my best of lists. But will be reading in the next few months.

Dreamsongs by George R.R. Martin
Retro Pulp Tales edited by Joe R. Lansdale
Radio Freefall by Mathew Jarpe
Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Cambon
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
Selling Out by Justina Robson
Baltimore by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
End of the World Blues by Jon Cournay Grimwood
Queen of Candesence by Karl Schroeder
The Last Green Tree by Jim Grimsley
The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkein
Brasil by Ian McDonald
Micheal Tolliver Lives by Armistead Maupin
Halting State by Charles Stross
A Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monnete and Elizabeth Bear
Dawn by Tim Lebbon
Android’s Dream by John Scalzi

The Years Best Reads - Science Fiction

2007-12-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

Death's Head by David Gunn - This old fashioned pulpy adventure might be my favorite book of the year. The sequel , Maximum Offense is high on my list.

Orphanage & Orphan's Destiny by Robert Buettner - The hero Jason Wander's voice is endlessly entertaining. Third in this series, Orphan's Journey is coming in April.

Deadstock by Jeffrey Thomas - New weirdish mash up rocks. Can't wait for the follow up, Blue War.

Starship: Mutiny, Starship: Pirate & New Dreams of Old by Mike Resnick - I read a bunch of Mike Resnick this year but these are the best. Starship: Mercenary is out now and I'll be reading it soon. Resnick is now one of my favorite writers.

Mindscan by Robert J. Sawyer - Sawyer's another one of my new favorite SciFi writers. I read seven of his novels this past year and greatly enjoyed them all, but this one is my favorite of the bunch.

The Sky People by S.M. Stirling - Another old fashioned SciFi adventure that I greatly enjoyed. In the Courts of the Crimson Kings, a follow up is coming in March.

War Machine by Andy Remic - More fun than a talking monkey. Anxiously awaiting the sequel, Biohell.

It seems I mostly bent toward military SciFi this year. Last year I was reading more hard SciFi and had Peter Watts Blindsight and Charles Stross Glasshouse among my favorites.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-27T06:25:00.000-08:00

Mainspring by Jay Lake - I'm a sucker for books with cover art by Stephan Martiniere, and I'd thought this was supposed to be a science fiction adventure novel, but it's not. It's much more of a rather archly conservative, creationist Christian fantasy tale of a clockwork world where intelligent design is made quite literal. While Lake has some truly inventive concepts here, I found the underlying message to more disturbing than thought provoking. I had to put this down about half way through. Rejected!

P.S. Please read the comments. I'm apparently off base on this one.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-26T06:00:00.001-08:00

Kop by Warren Hammond - I love a good SciFi mystery and wish there were more of them around. This pleasing dark noir SciFi is an engaging and complicated hard-boiled page-turner with nice twists and turns. It's a ruggedly built noir, with a light SciFi frosting that has me looking forward to the sequel, Ex-KOP. The characters are well done and it's nice to see a storyline of an older guy/younger woman handled with a smart and honest resolution. A very successful first novel. Good Fun!

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-24T04:45:00.001-08:00

Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer - This here's yet another smart, heartfelt, character driven, near future mainstream SciFi novel from Sawyer. This one is about SETI alien communication and regaining youth. While not my favorite Sawyer novel, it still is much, much better than your typical SciFi fare. And easily gets the nod for Good Fun!

The Year's Best Reads - Fantasy

2007-12-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

In no particular order

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson - While my love/hate for this series flourished, I mostly enjoyed this one.

The Myth Hunters by Christopher Golden - Contemporary fantasy quest thriller. Good fun.

X-men: The Return by Chris Roberson - Better than any of the monthly X-men comics this year.

Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson - A timeless classic that reads like a fresh tale.

The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe - A healthy antidote to the ills of the fantasy genre.

Scar Night by Alan Campbell - Inventive fantasy page turner.

I must admit I hit a certain level of fantasy genre burnout with these much talked about but generally disappointing books contributing: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch, The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley and Shadowfall by James Clemens. As well as frustration over a couple of no-shows, namely A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin and The Born Queen by Greg Keyes.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman - This very handsomely packaged super-hero/super-villain novel is something of a mixed bag. I greatly enjoyed the super-villain Dr. Impossible's glib one-liners and the culling of classic super-hero concepts and catch phrases. However, the forward momentum of the plot is hampered by distracting, constant school-days flashback vignettes of the popular kids vs the geeks. This one lands somewhere between Good Fun and It's OK.

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2007-12-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

The Incredible Hulk/Herc 112 - Greg Pak and crew take the dregs left over from World War Hulk and actually come up with a tasty treat. Nifty storytelling and solid artwork (if somewhat drably colored) gives Hercules finally, after 40 some years, some time to shine. What's not to like about a muscle-bound, hairly, bearded, heathen drinking merlot in the streets and chucking casks at SHIELD aircraft? I'm suprised as hell, but I loved this book. Easily wins my Cheers, Best of the Week!

The Mighty Avengers 6 - I'm not sure why this book doesn't sell as better than the awful New Avengers. I really enjoyed the end of this first story arc, and the delays for the Frank Cho art were worth the wait. This is one of few Marvel titles that is nicely colored. Excellent!

New X-men 45 (Messiah Complex 8) - This chapter is a good one. Buoyed greatly by the nice artwork by Ramos (tho, I really don't like the gloves that look like baguettes the X-students are sporting). Layla is now a child again. Is that her superpower? Blinding the people around her to her age shifting? The previously bald baby Cable is carrying now has red hair and green eyes. Reminds me of Jean Grey. Sniff, sniff. Smells like a red *ahem* herring. We were a bit mislead from last weeks teaser about an X-man falling. It's not an X-man, but some minor character from an old X-force. Nonetheless the plot moves forward a bit and it's Good Fun!

Justice League of America 16 - I'm kicking myself for having bought this prologue for a Superman mini-series. Stupid. I want my money back. Stinks!

World of Warcraft 2 - While this title won't convert any fans on it's merits alone, I enjoy revisiting Dire Maul and all points Warcrafty. Lots of combat but a bit short on plot. Still I thought it was Good Fun!

Conan, The Frazetta Cover Series 1 - In this age of 6-, 12- and longer part stories, this self-contained single issue is something of a treat. The beautiful and richly colored Cary Nord artwork carries the decent if slight story well; I can't think of a better artist for this concept. It's only marred by the ugly and distracting crappy typewriter styled font that is used for narration. Good Fun!

Interview - Andy Remic

2007-12-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

Q: I loved your Combat-K novel War Machine, and I understand it's the first in a series. You've got a sequel, Biohell, in the works. When will Biohell be printed? And what's the plan for the series? Will there be more?

A: Biohell is just undergoing the editing process, and I’ve got another two very strong plot ideas for Combat K novels in the future- really original sci-fi concepts that have never been done before. So, hopefully, you’ll be seeing a lot more of Franco, Keenan and Pippa!! I love the dynamic of these three characters, this triumvirate, and to be honest, could easily write ten novels encompassing their dreams and obsessions. And that’s also the beauty of sci-fi, you’re not tied to one world or one idea. Biohell, for example, is a sci-fi take on the zombie genre, except it explains zombification using military grade technology. Hopefully, as long as people like the books and buy them, I’ll keep on writing!!

Q: I totally loved your character Franco in War Machine. What inspired his creation?

A: Haha, originally it was a gross deviation of a friend of mine (Frank R.), but then came to suck up some little aspects of me, and eventually transmogrified into this uncontrollable beast with his own ideas and philosophies. And a love of horseradish. Never forget the horseradish.

Q: Have you seen the cover art for Biohell yet? If so, can you share it with us?

A: The artist, Dave Seeley, is just putting the finishing touches to the artwork for Biohell, but even in its current format its absolutely superb. I loved War Machine’s cover, but this is just something else!! And, um, I don’t think I’m allowed to give out early samples- when I get the thumbs up, I’ll post it on my website because it’s too beautiful (and grotesque!) not to be shared.

Q: Three of my favorite SciFi novels, Orphan's Destiny by Robert Buettner, Death's Head by David Gunn and War Machine from this past year are in a similar vein. Have you read either of those novels?
Do you have time to read much? What are your favorite reads from the past year?

A: I haven’t read those novels, and to be honest, try not to read anything in a similar style to what I write for fear of subconsciously hoovering up somebody else’s writing mannerisms. I don’t get much time to read, but what time I do get is reserved for Iain Banks, Dave Gemmell, and maybe a little bit of Terry Pratchett. Iain Banks stuff and mine are massively different, so I have no fear of hovering him up. Heh. I really enjoyed Banks’ The Steep Approach to Garbadale, thoroughly enjoyed Michael Caine’s biography What’s It All About? (I’m a big fan) but my favourite was a re-read of Anthony Burgess’, A Clockwork Orange, which I hadn’t read since back at University (oooh, lots of years ago). I wish I had more time to read! Unfortunately (for some!), I have to use my time to write.

Q. Did you discover any writers new to you that you enjoyed?

A: I just read a short story by James Lovegrove, which was superb and I’ll be checking out one of his novels in the near future. I’m also going to try Neal Asher, his Prador Moon looks interesting. I’m all for anything with giant crabs (hello to Guy N. Smith!). I’ve also had Dan Simmons recommended to me, and believe I’m getting Ilium for Christmas. So, lots to fill my reading input hopper, then.

Q: Are your previous novels Spiral, Quake and Warhead science fiction?

A: It’s weird. I was writing science fiction, couldn’t get published, said to my agent ‘What’s selling at the moment?’ to which she replied that thrillers were a booming field. So I sat down and wrote Spiral as a mainstream thriller. This was then picked up by Orbit (a science fiction imprint of Little Brown), and working with my then-editor, Simon Kavanagh, we gradually turned it back into science-fiction, albeit very near-future science fiction. Quake then goes one step further, and is more overtly SF, and Warhead is post-apocalypse, with the bad-guys a blend of human and insect- so yeah, science fiction, then. I think the covers are misleading, and although I loved them at the time I think the whole misdirected marketing thing didn’t work, and people who bought the books expecting an Andy McNab book were disappointed. So. The trilogy are SF thrillers set on a near-future Earth. A little bit more raw than the stuff I’m writing now, but just as fast-paced and action-filled.

Q: I understand you're a fan of fantasy/historical writer David Gemmel. As I was reading War Machine, I thought a few times I'd love to read a bloody sword slinging fantasy novel written in the same action adventure tone. Have you ever thought about writing fantasy?

A: You know, I started off writing fantasy when I was about 15 years old, thanks in main to Mr Gemmell. I loved his Legend and Waylander books so much, I wanted to emulate him. Fast forward a few years, and I’m writing SF. However, I did pitch an idea a few years back about a heroic fantasy novel, but where the bad guys had discovered rudimentary automatic weapons. It was suggested by my agent this wasn’t a good idea, so I dumped it. Recently, I’ve been toying with a few ideas of writing a fast-paced grim heroic fantasy saga, very much in my high-octane style but against a fantasy setting and with gnarly fantasy heroes. I’ll keep you posted J.

Q: I'm a fan of many British brews, but especially Boddingtons. What's your favorite pint?

A: Haha, that would probably by the Irish pint of Guinness. Funnily, I was in Florida last year, and in one of the theme parks (I forget which, kids, huh?) there was a complete reconstruction of an English pub complete with jocular comedy cockney barman who had moved over from London to run this pub in the middle of Disney. I stood at the bar, and an American guy ordered a sampler of all the UK beers- which also came with a glass of Guinness. Gods, you should have heard him moan about how disgusting it was, and I spent a while explaining to him about acquired taste and how if you drink Guinness after a different ale, then it doesn’t taste right. Sadly, I don’t think I convinced him.
Boddingtons is a traditional Manchester ale, and I used to have to pass the brewery on the way to work in the city centre in my younger days (before I got sacked, long story). They’ve closed it now, and Boddingtons, the ‘Cream of Manchester’, is brewed in London. So I believe.

Q: Do you read comic books? Graphic novels? Got a favorite super-hero? Marvel or DC fan?

A: Sorry, I don’t. I dabbled when I was younger with 2000AD (superb!) and also read a few of the graphic adaptations of David Gemmell’s work. I think there’s something wrong in my brain. The pictures just get in the way of the text and I can’t read and experience them properly. So, just boring old text for me, I’m afraid.

Q: Tell me something about the British I don't know.

A: Haha. That’s a tough one. Um. Ah. Even though we speak a very, very similar language, we are actually massively different in terms of culture. I don’t understand your love of waffles and jello, just as I’m sure you don’t understand our obsession with cups of tea (yes, I do drink it) and sausage and eggs fried in lard.
Actually, do you know what a black pudding is? It’s this ball of congealed pig’s blood with lumps of fat in it, which you slice up and eat with sausage, bacon and egg. Traditional British stodge. Man, it’s ****ing revolting. But my mum loves it!!

Q. Any travel plans? Have you ever been to the United States?

A. Yeah, I’ve been to the States 4 times. I’ve been all over Florida, Miami, the Keys, etc, and booked an internal flight up to NYC (to research Warhead, funnily enough- in the book, the bad guys nuke Manhattan). I’m hoping to come for an extended visit in 2008, and do a few conventions whilst I’m there. I believe Worldcon is in Colorado, and I can combine this with a visit to the Overlook Hotel from Stephen King’s The Shining. Yeah, now that would be cool!!

Q. I've never read any Iain Banks. Which of his books is your favorite or which do you recommend for a first time reader?

A. I believe Mr Banks hasn’t done well in the US, for some reason. His Use of Weapons is definitely a superb starting point, and he told me (at Glasgow Worldcon, when we were both on the Orbit stand) that it was his own personal favourite. It’s certainly mine.

Q. Have you seen anything good on TV lately?

A. I tend to predominantly watch movies. Last night I enjoyed the absolutely superb City of God. Wow. That was brilliant. One of the best films I’ve ever seen. I’m taking my little boy to see The Golden Compass next week, and in the new year I’ll be checking out Will Smith’s new one, I Am Legend. Looking forward to that immensely. But TV? I enjoy re-runs of Friends. Is that sad? Probably.

Q. What do you want for Christmas?

A. A new motorbike. A Ducati 749S. A red one. I’ve seen it. Seen her. God, she’s beautiful. Perfect. My eyes are gleaming. My hands are sweaty. And, despite my wife beating her handbag against the back of my stubborn thick skull, I do believe I’m going to have to buy her. And then ride her. A lot. Merry Christmas!!

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Axis by Robert Charles Wilson - I greatly enjoyed Wilson's previous two novels, Blind Lake and the Hugo-winning Spin, so I was looking forward to reading this Spin sequel. Like it's predecessor, Axis is a high concept story about attempting to communicate with a godly alien intelligence. After a rather sleepy beginning, the pace picks up about half way through, and has a bright and shiny set piece of an ending. While the ending is not completely satisfying it does seem to be leaning toward a third volume, so maybe there's some middle book syndrome going on here. It's my belief that sequels should be better than the originals; this one ain't. But on the whole, It's OK.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-16T05:41:00.001-08:00

War Machine by Andy Remic - While billed as a Military SciFi novel, this testosterone-filled action adventure is more of a revenge quest than anything else. Swift plotting, bloody action, and interesting characters (especially the lovable and funny, insane mad-bomber, Franco) overcomes any minor flaws (lots of anachronisms in this far flung future). The slam-bang, cliff-hanging ending has me craving the sequel. Excellent!

Etc.

2007-12-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

Still working on my Best of lists for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Monthly Comic Books. I might not get them posted til year's end.

The Year's Best Reads - Pulp/Men's Adventure

2007-12-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

Again in no particular order...

Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich - This sublime historical adventure is exactly how a swashbuckling tale should read. It's sequel, The Rosetta Key, is set for April 2008.

The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont - Featuring real life pulp authors of yesteryear, this fictional tall tale a is pulp fan's wet dream.

The Blonde by Duane Swierczynski - Hi-octane, relentless non-stop energy make this SciFi mystery a head-spinning thrill ride. This guy's writing comics now for Marvel. W00t!

The Judas Strain by James Rollins - Rollins really hits his pulp groove in this 4th SciFi-laced Sigma Force adventure.

The Wheel of Darkness by Lincoln and Child - I've mostly been disappointed by the Pendergast novels since the 3rd one; but this one's a winner with our hero fighting a new supernatural threat.

The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell - The second book in the Saxon Chronicles sure scratches that itch I've had while waiting for George R.R. Martins, A Dance with Dragons. And it scratches better than any fantasy novel. If you're either a pagan or a Martin fan, you really ought to be reading this.

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2007-12-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

Green Arrow and Black Canary 3 - Swift moving story by Judd Winick and great looking art by Cliff Chiang further the opening story arc as the heroes leave the island of the Amazons. I'm totally loving this book. Tho, this new girl version of Speedy sure needs a new costume. Gets my Cheers! Best of the Week!

Wonder Woman 15 - Ummm. I think I'm now hooked on Wonder Woman. I've never really read this title, but I'm on this like glue. More sweet illustrations by the Dodsons, and it's shaping up to be a nifty story by Gail Simone with the always gratifying combo of Nazis and talking apes. Excellent!

The Engineer 1 - I've never picked up a title from Archaia Studios Press before, but this one called to me from the rack, so it's my impulse buy of the week. It's an intriguing beginning to a SciFi adventure story. Written/illustrated nicely by Brian Churilla; it looks kind of like Jeff Smiths work on Bone, but reads more like a Mike Mignola tale. (Which is a pretty cool combo, now that I think of it.) 32 pages of story and no ads! Nice. Hey Marvel! DC! Pay attention here. Excellent!

Green Lantern 25 - Whew! Finally. The final part of the Sinestro Corps War. It's gone on a bit too long and could have been much tighter and shorter all told. However, this climax vanquishes some villains, destroys others and leaves some plot lines unsatifyingly dangling. I totally grooved on the new spectrum of lanterns introduced, and also like the prospect of Zombie Black Lanterns (in the summer of 2009! Is that a typo? Groan, that's a year and a half away! How dorky. Why not next issue?) It's just OK.

Green Lantern Corps 19 - I totally should have skipped this one. It left me with exactly no impression at all. Stinks!

The Spirit 11 - I haven't been reading this tasty Darwyn Cooke title, but the cover on this one grabbed me. I'm going to have to read this once it's in a collected edition. Excellent!

X-Factor 26 (Messiah complex 7) - It seems strange to me that Marvel titles are not really attracting me much anymore, but I guess it comes and goes in waves over the years. Just so ya know, there have been years where I didn't buy any DC books and I just read Marvel, but that tide sure has turned. This drab wee book is a good example of why I'm not buying Marvel.
The story advances at a glacial pace once again. Layouts ho-hum. Horrible cover art again by Finch (someone please buy the fellow an anatomy guide; he's drawing multiple muscles where they don't exist and it just looks creepy). Layla from issue to issue is drawn either as a child, an young adult or an adolescent; or is that part of her mutant power? Cable is running thru the Arctic tundra with a NAKED baby strapped to his chest. You crazy mutant! Get that poor thing some mittens! Next issue "An X-men Will Fall" - heh, like they don't get up again at a ridiculous rate. My money's on Angel. Yeah, it Stinks!

The Year's Best Reads - Comic Books Collected Editions

2007-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

In no particular order...

Doctor 13: Architcture and Morality by Brian Azzarello; Art by Cliff Chiang - I hadn't heard of Cliff Chaing before this, but now I'm a huge fan. A very satisfying read for DC fans.

Bone (in color) and Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith - I've long admired Jeff Smith's talents having picked up a few issues here and there of Bone over the years, but now that it's being printed in Color, I'm finally reading the complete story and it stands head to toe with the truly great works of fantasy literature. Also fun and solidly entertaining for all ages is his take on Captain Marvel.

Marvel Masterworks: The X-men Vol. 6 by Roy Thomas - This is my favorite X-men collection. Roy Thomas' moved the X-men from the Silver Age right into the modern age here. The artwork by Neal Adams is still fresh after all these years.

Marvel Masterworks Avengers Vol. 7 by Roy Thomas - John Buscema owns the Avengers and this collection begins the truely great period in Avengers history.

Golden Age Doctor Fate Archives by Gardner Fox - This handsome volume is chuck full of weird tales and some great art. Rudimentary by todays sequential art standards, it's got some laughs and eyebrow raising plots.

B.P.R.D. Vol. 6 The Universal Machine by Mike Mignola and Guy Davis - B.P.R.D. shines bright in this beautifully illustrated pulp adventure.

Outer Orbit by Zach Howard - Funny SciFi adventure. Loved it.

Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin - The very best thing published by Marvel this year. And my favorite Doctor Stranger ever. Amazing art by Martin, who also illustrated the truly great, Batgirl: Year One.

Showcase Presents: The Phantom Stranger & Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery by Various - The Groovy Age of Horror has never been more fun than these 2 volumes. Would love to see these reprinted in color.

The Year's Best Reads - Horror

2007-12-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

In no particular order...

The Repairman Jack Series by F. Paul Wilson - I've read most of this series over the last year, and it's one of my favorites. Wilson's smooth writing style, great characters and plotting make for addictive reading.

Phantom Nights by John Farris
All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By by John Farris - I found some great horror novels via Stephen Jones Horror: The 100 Best Books, and it's sequel which lists a second 100. I also enjoyed Farris' very X-men-like The Fury and the Terror.

Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco - This one is right up there with Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, and just might be my favorite horror novel ever.

The Manitou by Graham Masterton - An awesomely fun creature feature. I read several Masterton novels this year but this one is the best.

Chasing the Dead by Joe Schreiber - A page turning blast! Why isn't this a movie yet?

Heart-shaped Box by Joe Hill - Rob Zombie really ought to make this into a movie. It'd be a perfect match.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-10T05:44:00.001-08:00

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch - I totally loved the first book in this series, The Lies of Lock Lamora, but I have mixed feelings about this one. It's got some great characters hurling some of the best insults I've read, and the odd smattering of humor kept me going. The pacing of this adventure was uneven. For a swashbuckling adventure, the buckles could have been swashed a bit harder. After a bit of plodding plotting the resolution comes ridiculously swiftly. The energy in the last 20 pages would have been welcome throughout. The cliffhanging ending is more irritating than intriguing. It's got some great bits, but on the whole It's Just OK.

Etc.

2007-12-07T04:57:00.000-08:00

Working on my list of the best reads of the year. I've read well over 200 novels, at least 200 monthly comics, and quiet a few comic book collections. Expect to see lists for Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Pulp/Men's Adventure, Comic Books, and Comic Book Collections (Graphic Novels).

I'm wondering what have your best reads been this past year?

Comic Book Reviews This Week

2007-12-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

Justice League of America 15 - Not really a very satisfying week in comics, this one is pretty good, even tho it reads almost like a condensed version of Alex Ross' Justice series. This is a fun series that's solidly entertaining, and it get my Cheers! Best of the Week!

Uncanny X-men 493 - (Messiah Complex Chapter 6) I'd hoped that this crossover event was improving based on the last couple of issues, but this one is dreadful. More drab and dark coloring further drags down the fact that the injured X-men (as well as writer Brubaker and his editors) have forgotten Angels secondary mutation (his blood heals others)! Stupid. Then Cyclops inexplicably sends Wolverine and a team to go kill Cable because he doesn't know what he's up to. Doesn't tech savvy Cable have a cell phone? Guess talking to your son is out of fashion; better to just kill him. Stinks!

Justice Society of America 11 - This book is starting to feel like it's running off course. Already stuffed with characters, it looks like they're introducing more next month. Seems like a bad move. This book advances the Kingdom-Come-Superman storyline a wee bit and introduces what feels like a million Asian assassins for a 3 page subplot. We've already been introduced to 9 new characters (Wildcat 2, Liberty Belle, Starman, Damage, Cyclone, Citizen Steel, Obsidian, Kingdom Come Superman and now Judomaster) in 11 issues since this reboot began, and we're getting yet more? Jeez. What a Mess!

Supergirl 24 - It's always nice to see a single issue story. They are so rare these days. I'm still liking the art on this book, but there's not really enough story here to fill a book. What story there is here, is not very well told. I'm still hoping this new creative team will find their footing and that this series will improve. It's almost OK.

Ultimates 3, no 1 - This is probably the most disgusting comic book I've ever read, and confirms my opinion that Jeph Lobb is the worst writer in the business. The story here is an adolescent version of adult material. The Scarlet Witch (wearing a bikini in the snow) is having an incestuous relationship with her brother, Quicksilver. Giant Man/Hank Pym commits suicide. Hawkeye remains a gun toting psychotic. Iron man drunkenly watches an internet sex tape of himself and the deceased Black Widow. Thor is having sex with a teenager.
I was looking forward to seeing Joe Mad's return to comics. His run on the X-men single-handedly got me re-started on weekly trips to the comic shop after nearly a decade of indifference. That said, his work here is the worst I've ever seen from him. The layouts and coloring are way too dark. Based on this experience, I doubt I'll ever buy an Ultimate comic again. Beyond Disgusting.

Lobster Johnson 4 - Continues the pulp excellence and I'll be sad to see this series end next issue. Delightful!

Northlanders 1 - Wow... it's been a real long time since I last picked up a Vertigo title. I'm a big fan of historical action adventure, and Vikings, so I thought I'd give this a try. And, I guess it's ok. Reads more like a prologue and it didn't really give me a hook thats going to drive me to pick up the next issue. But it might work better as a collected edition. Think I'll wait and see what the reviews are like once collected. Undecided.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-05T05:40:00.001-08:00

Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol. 2 by Various - This mostly wacky collection is an oddball product of it's times. Trying way to hard to be hip and relevant to the early 70's social upheaval, and never quiet succeeding completely, it reads like the cultural artifact it is, by paying lip service to the Peace Movement, Women's Liberation and Black Power. The weirdness includes Wonder Girl pondering a dreamy ski instructor and thinking he should wax her slats; Speedy's psychedelic arrows; Mr. Jupiter (the Titans over 30 scientist leader, Generation Gap apparently suspended) telling the boys that women often are over come and faint on theirs first trips to Italy, and desire to be involved in tragic love affairs; Titans mind controlled by a computer in a cave into being temporary White Supremacists; and all punctuated by slang language that didn't even ring true at the time. Freaky.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-05T05:11:00.000-08:00

Showcase Presents The House of Mystery Vol. 1 by Various -
Artists Bernie Wrightson, Neal Adams, Gil Kane, Al Williamson, Jack Kirby and Alex Toth are among the highlights of this black and white collection from the peak Groovy Age of Horror years of this long running title. The stories are a mixed bag, some solid, some predictable and some dogs, but on the whole it's a entertaining look the way comics used to be. There's nothing like it on the market today. As of this writing, Amazon seems to be sold out of new copies and used copies are listed at an inexplicable $73 a pop. Recommended.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-05T04:58:00.001-08:00

X-men - God Loves, Man Kills by Claremont and Anderson - This preachy, talky proto-graphic novel comes off like some bad TV movie of the Week. (Maybe they don't make those anymore, so perhaps it's more like an ego-fueled, star-driven, Oscar-contending Message movie). The essence of the story is interesting but the execution is so heavy handed, it's nearly unreadable. This edition includes 6 pages of lovely pencil layouts by Neal Adams, who left the project early on. I was tempted to as well. Stinky.

Short Book Reviews

2007-12-03T05:26:00.001-08:00

The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman - I'm not a huge fan of time travel stories and time travel paradoxes are usually more annoying than entertaining (ie, "omg!" the guy says, "I'm my own mother!".) This book, however, is a page-turning SciFi action/adventure tale that is a consistently enjoyable ride. Haldeman's crystal clear prose is engaging for both SciFi fans and for more mainstream readers. This one is Good Fun!

Comics This Week

2007-11-30T06:48:00.000-08:00

Fear Agent 17 - Heath Hudson and his supporting cast return to the present-storyline after the 4-part flashback origin-storyline. The origin-storyline had a shocking revelation that added unexpected depth to Heath's character, but this first part of a new arc muscles it's way back to the hairy, bare-chested, manly pulp SciFi adventure makes this series so great. If you like SciFi and comics you really ought to be reading this. Cheers! It's the Best of the Week!

Madman Atomics Comics 5 - I'm a big fan of Mike Allred's super hero stuff and have been a fan of Madman from the get go. I wasn't sure about the way this story line was getting started, but it's all coming together now and I'm very glad I stuck with it. I love this book. Excellence!

X-men 205 (Messiah Complex part 5) - I've been fairly disappointed so far with the Messiah Complex, but I actually really enjoyed this issue. I think writer Mike Carey and artist Chris Bachalo make a interesting team, and they are doing a solid job with the task they've been given. Bachalo's art has never looked better and his sequential form is solid here (I'm usually confused by at least a few of his panels). The Finch covers look awful and don't completely seem to match the contents, ie Rogue is on the cover but not inside. C'mon you editors! Earn that paycheck. An improvement overall and it approaches Excellence!

Green Lantern Corps 18 - This is the Sinestro Corps War part 10 and it's feeling totally padded out and long in the tooth. This story has gone on way to long. Not much happens here other than Ion (whatever that is) battling Superman Prime (is there a Superman Prime as well as Superboy Prime?) I'm getting confused. Not even sure what Ion is exactly, and I've read all of this current Green Lantern series. Another nice example of poor editing. Pretty much this one Stinks!

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 36 - Bah, a fairly feeble storyline ends, but I'm looking forward to the new creative team on the next issue. Stinks!

Teen Titans 53 - What would comics do without time travel storylines? Sometimes they work, but time travel mostly gives me a headache. Parts of this one I found a bit confusing but I went with the flow, mostly cuz I like Miss Martian a whole lot. Of the new characters in comics this past year or so, I'm really digging Miss Martian and the Mighty Avengers, Ares. I'm still not sure I like this line-up of Titans; Ravenger is annoying and they have 3 super-strong flying invulnerable girls (Supergirl, Wonder Girl 2 and Miss Martian). Not as successful as the storyline that introduced the evil Titans from future, but It's OK.

Superman/Batman 43 - My impulse buy of the week and was fairly entertained by it cuz it works pretty well as a single issue story. It felt a bit skimpy because its loaded with 3 and 4 panel pages (3 and 4 panel pages usually make me feel slighted - c'mon I'm paying $3 and expect a bit more packed in page). But the story and art is decent so It's OK.