This week I decided to go back and read a few of the DC Comics I’ve had sitting in a pile from my personal boycott of the publisher last year. I could not bring myself to venture into the main line superheroes, so I gave Scott Snyder my attention.
February catalog being active, I moved into reading a few issues a day again. Unfortunately accounting, website issues and some new recipes got in the way, but here you go. I read a few back to backs this week to help close the gap.
Not All Robots is surprisingly good. Isaac Asimov would have given a few more details but the two sided emotional conflict in the book is actually well done. Transferring the weight and drudgery of a daily grind to a robot is a smart idea. The supporting characters, both robots and humans, are well balanced yet still are slight enough where real life characterization grounded me as I read. Robot co-workers make comments like robots not people; while the people still complain like people. Scott Maki, if you are not reading this, please do.
A short list, but too many things have been drawing time away from my leisure reading. I tried to focus on finishing some things I have been avoiding and blending in some new ones.
Last Flight is the best of this week’s lot. The book held the plot, and added a new character which set up issue three. Willpower prevents me from grabbing issue #3 today but I would be happy to continue reading the story. The writer, Marc Guggenheim, has never gotten my attention. It may be the limited number of issues are keeping the plot focused but whatever the change, it is good to read. Yes, the world is ending, but the focus is on a father trying to find his daughter and get her on the last flight off the planet.
I did not enjoy Righteous Thirst For Vengeance but I wanted to talk about them anyway. I read #1 last week and I decided to read #2 due to the minimal amount of dialog but a really solid use of art to keep internal emotions visible to the reader. Issue 2 was a little less clear on this point but it did progress the story a little. I would recommend this as something to look at if you want a good example of pictures replacing words. I think of it as a “mute comic” which is just me creating a term that I hope relates my point without dialog. (And the circle completes.)
Happy New Year Everyone!
A little Christmas catch up. Some of them I read earlier but did them again as they were in the pile. Since these are all a bit dated, I will spare you the commentary and just spend the time on another pile as I am not suppose to be working today. See you soon.
Merry Christmas!
The below was released to us all earlier this week, subscription accounts already received this in an email. We will begin correcting the dates on the site, but here is the scoop straight from the horses mouth. Obviously hard work will affect these, I doubt the printer is going to relax but work harder to lessen the impact.
Anyway, time to catch up on your pile.
Shipping Updates provided by DC Comics, the below is copied directly from the direct email sent to comic shop accounts.
Sorry this is a little late in the day. I had to read a few back issues again to get the sense of where I left off. A couple below stand out but if I were to add a third, Sea of Sorrows deserves to be part of the blue list. Rules are rules though, so here you go.
Some of you have asked I return to doing these. Since you spoke up, here you go. This one I wrote back in May and never actually approved for public view. A little catch up before we move forward. To get myself back on the horse, I chose a few new ones and bumped a large pile of all the old ones. For you new readers, I read, usually what I have to, but if you ask, I try to fit in things you want to talk about. Some time ago, I actually would participate in the Saturday Morning Discussion Group (SMDG) but store activity usually prevents it. This blog is the substitute of my participation.
Two items will be colored in blue and have a brief comment here on the post. They are not necessarily the best of the week, some titles might take that spot all the time and that just is just disinteresting. So, the real scoop, two victims. Additional information will be added from comments, so if there is one you want to talk about, just yell.
This week was just a clean up list. Things we all have that we mean to get to but always seem to have other things to read. The Birds of Prey and Catwoman 80th Anniversary were 80 page items and took a little time but needed to be read. Both were something of a let down but part of that is likely the roller coaster of business more than the talent.
Radiant Black is a good new title if you have not already read Invincible. The flavor is pretty much the same and a similar set up but interesting enough to new readers.
This past week I spent an afternoon sorting the outrageous pile that has grown while I have been working on the book store. Since the site changes have been completed, I once again have begun my assault on procrastination and have read the below. Something is Killing the Children continues to jockey in the top three each month. For those who have never read the book, you simply are missing out. The first graphic novel of this made it on the top 100 trade wall before it even made print.
E-Ratic is just fun. The word count is high, the action is continual and the humor keeps you going. Yeah, the teens are drawn a little odd, but once you are past it, it is a really good read.