let's see . . . more comics !

.

055) Bad Houses by Sara Ryan and Carla Speed McNeil, finished June 14

Small town, open secrets, young love, estate sales, hoarders, parents of adult children, loneliness, shame....

I don't remember what led me to track this book down anymore, but I was worth reading. I wasn't as overwhelmed as its blurbers apparently were, but it was a very human story and I enjoyed it.

two or three days



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054) Star Wars Underworld: The Yavin Vassilika by Mike Kennedy and Carlos Meglia and whoever, finished June 12

These pre-Episode IV adventures of all your favorite smugglers and bounty hunters and gamblers and mobsters and suchlike have charm for boys but make the adult in you glad that they are not now nor will they ever be canon.

two days



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053) Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City by by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (et al), finished June 11

This is book five in the New 52 reimagining of Batman so my perspective on it ain't complete, but I like this book a lot. Certainly a lot more than Batman's first having-sex-with-Catwoman-on-a-rooftop New 52 appearance. In part, because it was enough issues to tell a whole story, as opposed to most of the collections I've been reading lately with their slightly longer excerpts. But also because it was pretty darn good. Sure, it's trying to fit in as many oldtimey Batman references as possible (RRRRIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN)---but most work, only a few are gratuitous. And this Dr Death character is a pretty terrifying new incarnation of a boring old supervillain. And seeing Batman and Gordon have some pretty serious issues and begin to resolve them was fun.

Something about the current generation of comics writers seems to want to make the Riddler into a true terror. I've seen this sputter but here it comes off pretty well. The Riddler is a horror in this book and not just a joke. Even if he does look a bit like my brother-in-law (it's the chops).

two days



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052) Deadpool's Art of War by Peter David and Scott Koblish, finished June 10

I've never quite read anything that helped me understand why people love Marvel's psychopathic Spider-Man and Guildenstern, but this one gets close. Instead of seeming to be an attempt at recapturing spent wit, this seems reasonably fresh. Deadpool is retelling Sun Tzu's Art of War and causing all sorts of chaos as he demonstrates the theories. It mostly works. Certainly it results in more thought-out battles than we recently saw in X-Men. Although it does get a little crammed and sloppy at the end, I'm still tempted to make this required reading for any monthly writer who wants to do fight scenes that make sense and have dramatic purpose.

Plus, the covers were cool.

one day








Previously in 2014 . . . . :


Books forty-sixth through fifty-first

051) Men of Wrath by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney, finished June 10
050) X-Men: No More Humans by Mike Carey & Salvador Larroca & al., finished June 9
049) Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, finished June 9
048) Miracleman Book 2: The Red King Syndrome by Alan Moore (not credited by name) and a bunch of other people, finished June 6
047) Coffin Hill: Dark Endeavors by Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda, finished June 6
046) Coffin Hill: Forest of the Night by Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda, finished June 4

Books forty-second through forty-fifth

045) Castle Waiting: The Lucky Road by Linda Medley, finished at midnight so either June 2 or 3
044) The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami and translated by Ted Goossen, finished June 2
043) The Round House by Louise Erdich, finished June 1
042) Best American Comics 2014 edited by Scott McCloud, finished May 31

Books thirty-seventh through forty-first

041) The Brothers K by David James Duncan, finished May 18
040) Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis, finished May 18
039) Skandalon by Julie Maron, finished May 1
038) The Final Story by Jeff Shaara, finished April 29
037) Shutter Volume 1: Wanderlost by Joe Keatinge and Leila Del Duca et al, finished April 29

Books thirty-second through thirty-sixth

036) The Motherless Oven by Rob Davis, finished April 27
035) Zero Volume 1: An Emergency by Ales Kot et al, finished April 22
034) Deadly Class Volume 1: Reagan Youth by Rick Remender, finished April 19
033) Animal Man Vol. 4: Splinter Species by Jeff Lemire et al, finished April 17
032) Swamp Thing Vol. 4: Seeder by Charles Soule et al, finished April 15

Books twenty-eighth through thirty-first

031) Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, finished April 6
030) The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith, finished April 2
029) The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Wisdom and Wit in the Wild West by Steve Sheinkin, finished March 29
028) Vivian Maier: Self-Portraits edited by John Maloof, finished March 23

Books twenty-sixth through twenty-seventh

027) Passing by Nella Larsen, finished March 18
026) Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson, finished March 17

Books twenty-second through twenty-fifth

025) Ghost World by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, finished March 16
024) Hawkeye: L.A. Woman by Matt Fraction and some very talented artists, finished March 15
023) Hawkeye: Little Hits by Matt Fraction and a large number of artists, finished March 14
022) Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction and David Aja and Javier Pulido, finished March 12

Books twentienth through twenty-first

021) Does Santa Exist?: A Philosophical Investigation by Eric Kaplan, finished March 11
020) Babymouse #8: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, finished March 11

Books sixteenth through ninteenth

019) The Book of Mormon, finished March 3
018) Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos, finished March 1
017) Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle, finished February 26
016) Drawings II by Jake Parker, finished February 19

Books twelfth through fifteenth

015) The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit by Gary Larson, finished February 18
014) Nation by Terry Pratchett, finished February 16
013) Fences by August Wilson, finished February 10
012) Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, finished February 6

Books tenth through eleventh

011) Adverbs by Daniel Handler, finished February 4
010) Death by Chocolate: Redux by David Yurkovich, finished February 3

Books sixth through ninth

009) The End of the World by Don Hertzfeldt, finished January 31
008) Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, finished January 24
007) Drop Shot by Harlan Coben, finished January 18
006) Cardboard by Doug TenNaple, finished January 15

Books first through fifth

005) The Complete Peanuts: 1991-1992 by Charles M. Schulz, finished January 10
004) City of Brick and Shadow by Tim Wirkus, finished January 9
003) Harem Scarem in El Cerrito by Neva Calvert Carpenter, finished January 4
002) iPlates Volume II: Prophets, Priests, Rebels, and Kings by Stephen Carter and Jett Atwood, finished January 4
001) Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, finished January 3

final booky posts of

2014 = 2013 = 2012 = 2011 = 2010 = 2009 = 2008 = 2007